2008 was a very busy news year in the City of Firsts (The Daily Item)
LYNN - The past 12 months have seen historic elections, financial tsunamis and political tug of war. Tears shed for daughters, mothers and friends taken too soon - long goodbyes for a former police officer and tributes to a senator who always gave back to his hometown.

Amtrak faces space crunch in Raleigh (The Charlotte Observer)
Business is getting better for Amtrak in North Carolina, and that's getting to be a problem for downtown Raleigh. The capital is blessed with one of the railroad's busiest stops in the Southeast and hobbled with one of its littlest stations. Last year more than 140,000 riders stepped on or off the six trains that stop each day at the modest brick station on West Cabarrus Street. Amtrak offers ...