Ford Motor Company tops sales in Feb

The New York Times reports in Feb., Ford Motor Company recorded a 43 percent increase in sales.  This increase allowed Ford to overtake General Motors as the country's top-selling automaker.  Ford outsold GM by 334 vehicles for the month.  In 2009, GM outsold Ford by an average of about 33,000 vehicles per month. 

This was in large part due to the Toyota recall.  Toyota Motor saw a nine percent decrease in sales in Feb..  The Toyota Camry, which was one of the primary Toyota models affected by the recall, saw a 20 percent decrease in sales.  However, this decrease in sales was smaller than what most analysts had originally predicted.

Ken Czubay, Ford's vice president for United States marketing, said it is still unclear how many of the Ford sales were from customers that moved away from Toyota. 

"Frankly, our studies show that many of the Toyota buyers were still undecided as to what they were going to do,” Czubay said.  This means that Ford and other Toyota rivals might still have a chance to attract those shoppers.

For the year, Ford's sales have increased a total of 34 percent, compared to a 13 percent increase for GM, and a nine percent decrease for Toyota.  In order to lure customers away from the Toyota brand, Ford, GM, and Chrysler have been offering a $1,000 discount to buyers who trade in a Toyota when buying a new car. 

Tiger Woods back at home after therapy and getting into golf shape

ESPN reports after spending a week in Arizona for family counseling, Tiger Woods is back home trying to get back into a routine that includes golf and fitness, according to a source who has knowledge of Woods' schedule who wished to remain anonymous.  Woods returned to his home in Orlando on Saturday and has been hitting golf balls on the range at Isleworth. 

There is still no timetable for when Woods will be returning to professional golf.  He has not been on a consistent practicing schedule since winning the Australian Masters in Melbourne on Nov. 15, however Woods says that he does fully intend to return to golf.

"I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don't know when that day will be," Woods said Feb. 19 in the public statement he issued at Sawgrass. "I don't rule out that it will be this year."

Since news of Woods' sex scandal broke, three sponsors have dropped Woods.  Accenture, AT&T, and Gatorade severed all ties with Woods, while other companies like Gillette suspended sponsorship while he was taking a break from golf.

Building crumbling in Syracuse has state and city talking about demolition

The Post-Standard reports the state Department of Transportation is waiting for orders from Gov. David Paterson's office on what to do about a four story brick building that partially collapsed Friday.  The collapse detoured Interstate-81 traffic through Syracuse.  A 15-foot-wide, three story wedge of 921-925 N. State Street fell off the building next to the highway's shoulder. 

According to a DOT spokeswoman in Albany, Deborah Sturm Rausch, DOT has not obtained an emergency order allowing it to raze the building nor has it hired a demolition company.  DOT officials said they cannot predict when I-81 will be reopened, however a city official said he expects it to be closed for about two weeks.

Rausch said the city of Syracuse obtained an emergency demolition order for the property Feb. 3, but the state has not done that.  A spokesman for Gov. Paterson said he believes DOT has the legal authority to raze the building without the governor declaring an emergency.

“DOT and the governor’s office is well aware of the inconvenience this is causing. But it’s also important to make sure it’s done right,” said Morgan Hook, a Paterson spokesman.

According to Juanita Perez Williams, Syracuse’s corporation counsel, the process of reopening I-81 should move quickly once the governor makes a declaration.  With help from the state, the building can be demolished faster than the city would be able to do.