New state laws mean change for homeowners and teen drivers

Two new state laws are going into effect today and will bring change to homeowners and teen drivers, according to The Post-Standard.  Amanda's Law will require all homes built after 2008 to have a carbon-monoxide detector on the first level with a bedroom and any other floor with a carbon-monoxide source.  The rule's only exception is for homes without any natural gas furnace or an attached garage.

The second law makes it illegal for teen drivers under 18 to drive with more than one passenger under age 21, without a parent or guardian in the car.  The old law allows two under-21 passengers.  People will also have to drive 50 hours with their learners permit before taking a road test, and they have a full 6 months to do it.  The old law allowed drivers to take their road test only 20 hours after getting a permit.  The laws will apply to anyone who takes a road test after Monday, regardless of when they got a learner's permit.

Two men charged in Texas church fire

Two men were caught starting a fire at a church in Texas and authorities say they believe these men are connected to nine other fires in the area.  CNN says that there has been evidence of one  of the men through DNA and that most of the fires were started in the same way.

Jason Bourque, 19, and Daniel McAllister, 21, have been charged with one count of arson each. The police had suspected these men for two weeks and were looking for a case against them, but a call from a tip hotline did it for them.  There was a $25,000 dollar reward for anybody who called with information about the fires.  The men have been interviewed several times since their arrest, but there is still no information about a motive.

Simon Cowell is not engaged

Rumors surfaced after Valentine's Day that Simon Cowell had proposed to makeup artist Mezghan Hussainy.  Cowell's rep, Max Clifford, told People this weekend that the rumors were false.  Clifford says the two have been dating for a year, and it has been the happiest he has ever seen Cowell since he met him.

Cowell, 50, told Clifford last Wednesday that he was not engaged to Hussainy, 36.  Simon's mother also denied the rumors, but Clifford said he would not be surprised if Cowell popped the question sometime soon.