Forget studies and testimonials — to save money, keep up car and slow down
Like the sun rising in the east or Donald Trump embarrassing himself, rising gas pricesinevitably bring out a clutch of hucksters selling gizmos that magically boost fuel efficiency. They're scams, yet people still get suckered by the bushel.
Whether they plug into your cigarette lighteror wrap around your fuel line, black-magic gas sipping devices always involve the same trope of some secret piece of technology withheld by auto execs after a pleasurable evening under satin sheets with Big Oil. The real professionals include not just studies showing how effective their product can be, but several testimonials from people who gave them a try, and gosh darn if it didn't save so much gas they'd recommended it to all their spouse-cousins.
The current leading purveyor in this field is Fuel Doctor, a California company that's hawking its $59.99 dongle in Best Buy stores and sponsors a NASCAR truck team. The FD-47 supposedly "conditions" electrical current from an older vehicle's cigarette lighter, smoothing the flow, something something unicorns and bingo — fuel saved. Or in its own words:
Conditioned and clean power allows the vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU), fuel injection and engine timing equipment to operate more efficiently. When the vehicle's engine runs more efficiently it will require less fuel, produce more power and have reduced exhaust emissions (reduced CO2).
Science-y. And Fuel Doctor's own site has the requisite testimonials and studies to show how effective it is. As far as this field goes, actually posting the reports from the independent labs counts as a welcome step forward.
This event will prove to be either a snoozer or full of fireworks. If you can’t come out to the hearing, tune in on PAC-14 and follow the hearing and meeting with our always insightful play by play.
The Progressive Democrats for Delaware and the Delaware Coalition for Open Government distributed a letter signed by 83 taxpayers this week, demanding DeLuca and the 10 other legislators who collect second checks in state agencies, schools and universities release their attendance records. 
Tucked among the 68 “business leaders, educators, and state officials” 
Worcester County’s service groups officially gained the right to operate slot machines on Wednesday, when Gov. Martin O’Malley put his signiture on a bill passed by the General Assembly in this year’s session. 
Celebrating that occasion in Ocean City were the American Legion and the Elks Lodge, with Sen. James Mathias (D- 38) making the first ceremonial slot machine pull at the Elks Lodge after the games were installed. 
The events represented the finish line for Sarge Garlitz, commander of American Legion Post 166 and Jim Flaig, treasurer of the Ocean City Elks, after years of lobbying to get the law changed. Mathias worked with Delegate Norm Conway (D- 38B) for three years in the House of Delegates and finally succeeded passing legislation by sponsoring a companion bill during his first year in the state Senate. 
As reported yesterday morning
Long before she was elected president of the Montgomery County Council, Valerie Ervin encountered her share of tough-talking union leaders. She was one herself, after all, having worked to organize smelter workers in Oregon and catfish cleaners in the Mississippi Delta. 
Now Ben can explain to all of the young folks how their future is dimmer because he and his free-spending buddies simply can’t get a grip on federal spending.
Local boards of elections Friday started validating the signatures on what turns out to be somewhat fewer petitions than originally claimed to overturn the law granting in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. So far, according to the State Board of Elections website, 4,483 out of about 58,000 signatures submitted have been validated, and 612 were found invalid, a relatively low rate of rejection. 
Mary Wagner, head of the voter registration division at the state board, said she wasn’t surprised at the difference between what the petitioners certified they submitted – 62,496 — and the number of signatures the board counted. In 10 years of doing this, “I’ve never seen the number the petitioners said they had match the actual number,” Wagner said. In this case, more than 17,000 pages were submitted, making a hand count difficult. 
It seems like every other day someone sues a fast food chain after being scalded by too-hot coffee. But a woman in Philadelphia is trying to break that trend by suing Dunkin' Donuts for brewing up some java that too sweet. 
A proposal for Ocean City to offer its visitors free gas initially received a lukewarm reception from the City Council but squeaked by with enough votes to pass, after Councilman Doug Cymek made a bold move to tie it to another failed marketing venture. 
Supporters of 'net neutrality', like Free Press, think equal access to the internet is a "civil right" and that service providers should be prohibited from charging certain prices for certain speeds. When providers have this kind of control, they say, customers in weaker coverage areas get stuck with weaker service. Opponents of 'net neutrality' say that if service is regulated in this way then content will soon be regulated as well. 
In January of 1913, a man in Ohio opened up a passbook savings account for his baby daughter with $6.11. And in probably the lengthiest example of customer loyalty, that girl — now a 100-year-old woman — has continued to use that same account ever since.