Credits

WEST, Texas - Joann Williams is often teased about her fondness for ice cream. On Wednesday, it may have saved her life. Williams, 70, had just stepped away from the couch and walked into the kitchen. She was in the middle of unwrapping her second serving of banana chocolate fudge ice cream from her freezer when the West Fertilizer Co. exploded. At least 11 first responders have been confirmed dead. More than 160 people were injured.  Shattered glass rained down on the sofa Williams had been sitting on. If she'd still been there, she probably would have been severely injured or killed, she said.

WASHINGTON - Using your home as an ATM no longer is a financial option, but the tools that allowed owners to pull out massive amounts of money during the boom years - equity credit lines and second mortgages - are making a comeback. Banking and credit analysts say the dollar volumes of new originations of home equity loans are rising again, significantly so in areas of the country that are experiencing post-recession rebounds in property values. These include California, Arizona, New Mexico, most of the Atlantic coastal states, the Pacific Northwest, Texas and parts of the Midwest.

Ryan Hunter-Reay was born in Texas and now lives in Florida, but the reigning IndyCar champion traces many key moments of his life - the highs and the lows - to Southern California. Hunter-Reay lived in Dana Point when his IndyCar career was teetering in the mid- to late-2000s. Then a comeback win in Long Beach in 2010 finally secured him a ride with a top team. That led to his capturing his first IndyCar title at a dramatic season finale in Fontana last September, making Hunter-Reay the series' first American champion in six years.

The Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel in Washington offers a package that allows you to plan your meals along with your sightseeing. Starting at $179 a night, the hotel spots you a $100 daily credit for food and/or cocktails at its signature and recently renovated Art and Soul restaurant. The deal: I like this deal because the daily credit will save you a bundle on eating out. And you can peruse menus before you book to make sure the offerings will work for you. Art and Soul, run by chef Art Smith, has undergone a renovation of the dining area and bar, and a menu change too. "Southern-inspired eatery" is how the 343-room hotel describes it, with items such as fried free-range chicken and waffles, seafood gumbo and a duck-and-rice bean stew.

SAN DIEGO -- A day after ending an 0-for-17 skid and collecting his first two hits of the season, Luis Cruz was still smiling. "I felt like the old me," Cruz said Thursday. Cruz acknowledged he was excited when he singled to right field in his first at-bat the previous night. "Almost as excited as I was when I got my first hit in '08," the third baseman said. A.J. Ellis hit a home run in the at-bat that followed, but Cruz said, "I think I was more excited than him. " Cruz credited his father, former Mexican league standout Luis Cruz Sr., for helping him break out of his slump.

If you and your spouse are traveling together and your credit cards are from a joint account, one spouse should carry one card and the other spouse a different one. That way, if one of you has a purse or wallet stolen, the other still has a usable credit card for the rest of the trip. Ginny Gibbs Woodland Hills For your return from a foreign trip, be sure that all your purchases are packed in your own luggage. Do not share with anyone else; you must go through customs with all your purchases Jeri Taylor Indio When things go well, praise the person who has provided good service.

A volunteer hiker who heard the cries for help from missing hiker Nicolas Cendoya credited "an amazing amount of luck" for the rescue. Ted Sindzinski said he spent Wednesday hiking in the area and decided to join the volunteers searching for Cendoya and Kyndall Jack, 18. He joined up with a friend of the pair about 5 p.m. and decided to do a “simple, 10-minute hike, just to look around places that perhaps somebody didn't have time to go...

Investigators tracked two-time Olympic gold medalist Sammy Lee through his credit card purchases as the 92-year-old drove through at least three Southern California counties after he went missing Monday. Lee, who suffers from dementia , was disoriented but in good condition when he was found about 9 p.m. Tuesday by deputies who responded to a report of a traffic hazard, authorities said. He left his Huntington Beach home Monday afternoon to go swimming at Los Caballeros Racquet & Sports Club in Fountain Valley, which was his common practice.

In yet another home lending legal settlement, Bank of America Corp. will pay regulators $165 million related to losses that big credit unions suffered on mortgage-backed securities. The settlement, announced Tuesday, stems from efforts by the National Credit Union Administration to recover losses at five failed corporate credit unions, including Western Corporate Federal Credit Union in San Dimas. The corporates, also known as wholesale credit unions, act as backup banks for retail credit unions that directly serve members of the public.

The Kings shouldn't write off their 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday as the consequence of facing a sharp goaltender for the second straight game. Cory Schneider gave a fine performance in earning a 20-save shutout in front of a restless crowd at Staples Center. He was agile and patient on the rare opportunities he needed to be, though he wasn't as spectacular as Dallas' Kari Lehtonen was on Thursday in a 40-save masterpiece that was behind the Stars' 2-0 victory over the Kings.