News In Brief

WELCOME TO TOWN

The population of Fort Wayne, Ind., grew by 3,600 on New Year's Day. But that's not due to any baby boom, or because lots of people suddenly moved into new houses. No, what happened was the first of three annexations, in a mushrooming area called Pine Valley. Residents probably won't notice much difference, except for curbside recycling, the occasional police car or firetruck - and bigger property tax bills. "They passed it," says homeowner Verl Johnson about city council's decision to annex, "so I guess we're going to have to accept it."

OH, THIS IS TOO MUCH

When a Michigan man allegedly demanded two $20 bills from a convenience store in Toledo, Ohio, he apparently meant exactly that. The clerk, police say, handed him one $20 bill and he grabbed three $10 bills - and then he handed $10 back. "I only wanted $40," a store manager quoted him as saying. Despite his thrifty ways, police tracked him down. And arrested him.

Immigrant populations swell in Western, Southern states

America's foreign-born population grew to more than 28.3 million last year, a jump of 2 million since 1999, according to new Census Bureau estimates. That means about 1 out of 10 people was born outside the US. Using census figures, a survey by the Center for Immigration Studies found that the largest immigrant groups were in California, Florida, and New York. But it found that states with fast-growing populations overall like Colorado, Nevada, and North Carolina have experienced jumps of more than 180 percent since 1990. Below are the places with the biggest percent of immigrants in their populations last year:

1. California 25.86%

2. New York 19.63

3. Florida 18.39

4. Hawaii 16.14

5. Nevada 15.20

6. New Jersey 14.90

7. Arizona 12.93

8. Massachusetts 12.41

9. Texas 12.19

10. District of Columbia 10.6

- Associated Press

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