| Occult murder accomplice jailed
Angela Wells, 29, had pleaded guilty in the New South Wales Supreme Court to being an accessary after the fact to the murder of Malissa Mayfield in June 2006. Wells, from Blacktown in Sydney's west, admitted she drove her de facto husband David Maxwell Shepherd to and from her friend Ms Mayfield's house on the night she was attacked by Shepherd, and made numerous phone calls to her on that night. She was the godmother to Ms Mayfield's youngest daughter. Ms Mayfield met Shepherd through Wells and all three bonded over an interest in the occult. Shepherd, 38, is serving a 19-year prison sentence for strangling Wells in her south-western Sydney home while her two daughters were sleeping only metres away. Ms Mayfield died in hospital four days later. Shepherd told Ms Mayfield he had psychic powers and could remove her evil spirits by having sex with her.
PHH 4th-quarter profit climbs
MT. LAUREL, N.J.—PHH Corp. said late Thursday its profit climbed in the fourth quarter as it recorded lower expenses. PHH earned $12 million, or 21 cents per share, compared with profit of $1 million, or 3 cents per share, in the fourth quarter of 2006. Revenue slipped 11 percent to $550 million from $615 million, as total expenses fell to $582 million from $613 million. PHH runs three main businesses: a mortgage lending unit, a business that collects loan payments for other lenders and a truck rental company. Income from leasing its truck fleet sank 8 percent to $408 million. The company rented out fewer trucks because of shrinking demand from customers. Fees for collecting mortgage loans fell, and the value of PHH's contracts for collecting loan payments sank $277 million.
Red Cross opens second shelter
The American Red Cross has opened a second warming shelter at its Evansville headquarters at 29 S. Stockwell Road. This is in addition to the warming shelter open in Fort Branch at the No. 1 Fire Station. Anyone who is without power may come to the warming shelters for rest, food and warm beverages. .
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