WASHINGTON Attorney General Eric Holder will announce Thursday that he will resign after six years at the Justice Department helm.

The attorney general has agreed to remain in his post until the confirmation of his successor, a Justice Department official confirmed to CNN.

At a formal announcement later Thursday, Holder plans to express his personal gratitude to President Barack Obama for the opportunity to serve in his administration and to lead the Justice Department, which he will call the greatest honor of my professional life.

Obama will address Holders resignation Thursday afternoon from the White House State Room.

An Obama administration official noted some of Holders accomplishments, saying the attorney general established a historic legacy of civil rights enforcement and restored fairness to the criminal justice system.

He revitalized the Justice Departments praised Civil Rights Division, protected the rights of the LGBT community, successfully prosecuted terrorists, and fought tirelessly for voting rights, to name a few, the official said.

Holder has discussed his plans personally with the President on multiple occasions in recent months, and finalized those plans in an hour-long conversation with Obama at the White House residence over Labor Day weekend, the official said.

Holder will note in his remarks that he has loved the Justice Department since, when he was a boy, he watched how under Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy the Justice Department played a leadership role in advancing the civil rights movement.

During his tenure as attorney general, Holder has had Kennedys portrait in his conference room.

The attorney general is one of only three members from Obamas original Cabinet still serving in the post.

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Attorney General Eric Holder to resign, staying until replacement confirmed

Question: I have been searching for two years for a replacement for a broken latch on the door of my enclosed back porch. The latch will not move because there is a crack inside the cylinder. I can lock the door with the deadbolt, but if I dont keep it locked, the door swings open. The latch is 2 inches long, and all the replacement latches Ive found are longer. The door, deadbolt and latch are 16 years old and have no manufacturer names. How can I find a latch that fits?

Laurel

Answer: Try going to a locksmith with a storefront business, suggests Dianna Bootz, owner of one such business, Laurels Lock Shop in Laurel (301-317-4100; http://www.laurelslockshop.com). Old-timey shops like ours save parts, she said, explaining that this practice makes storefront businesses different from home centers or mobile locksmiths. When we replace old locks, we keep them.

Another possible source is a store that carries used building materials, such as Community Forklift in Edmonston, Md. (301-985-5180; http://www.communityforklift.org) or the Habitat for Humanity ReStore centers in Gaithersburg and Silver Spring (301-947-3304; http://www.habitat.org/restores). Community Forklift carries parts for only vintage locks; for more modern ones, like yours, youd need to buy the whole assembly. But the total cost might come to just a few dollars, said Ruthie Mundell, the stores outreach coordinator.

If that doesnt work, consider installing a new latch. One designed for storm and patio doors is most likely to fit the existing holes in your door. Consult with a local locksmith, or shop via the Internet, where you can find diagrams that show the spacing of the holes. If you cant get new hardware that works with the existing holes, buy a piece of hardware known as a scar plate to cover part of the holes so the new hardware works.

Swisco (www.swisco.com), an online store, carries several styles of storm and patio door hardware and has a discussion board where users can post pictures of their pieces and get replacement advice from the companys experts. The companys model 40-058 looks almost like your hardware, but Donna Pallas, who responds to e-mails at the company, suggested their model 40-192 is more likely to fit, even though it looks more industrial. Weve seen this before, she wrote, suggesting that you look at past discussion board entries about storm door replacement handles.

Before ordering, measure the distance from the latch and deadbolt holes and make sure they match the specifications for the replacement hardware. You might need to remove the hardware to get accurate measurements.

Question: Is there is a company that will remove paint from stairway spindles and stain them afterward?

Largo

Answer: Yes. Many interior painting companies tackle jobs like this.

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How to replace a broken door latch

Attorney General Eric Holder plans to announce Thursday that he will resign after nearly six years, White House and Justice Department officials tell NBC News.

President Barack Obama has not yet decided on a successor, an administration official said, adding that Holder plans to stay on the job until his replacement is confirmed. Holder informed the president "very recently" of his decision to step down.

Obama is expected to speak about Holder's departure Thursday afternoon.

Holder, the first African American to hold the job of attorney general, is among just a handful of cabinet officials who have stayed in their posts since the beginning of Obama's presidency. After his departure, just two - the Department of Agriculture's Tom Vilsack and the Department of Education's Arne Duncan - will remain from Obama's original cabinet.

Holder became a lightning rod for criticism from congressional Republicans, who have pushed for his dismissal over the Fast and Furious gun operation, the IRS targeting scandal, and other high-profile controversies. In 2012, he became the first sitting Cabinet official to be held in contempt of Congress.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

First published September 25 2014, 7:51 AM

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Holder to Resign as Attorney General, Official Says

Mother terrified after needle found in candy bar Mother terrified after needle found in candy bar

Updated: Tuesday, September 23 2014 11:53 AM EDT2014-09-23 15:53:42 GMT

Others might think twice before biting into a candy bar after a Lawrence mother found a needle inside her son's candy.

Others might think twice before biting into a candy bar after a Lawrence mother found a needle inside her son's candy.

Updated: Tuesday, September 23 2014 7:41 AM EDT2014-09-23 11:41:08 GMT

Parents of teenagers need to know about a new drug on the streets that your teens may be making themselves. The ingredients are simple: candy, soda, and prescription medicines. Combined together they

Parents should to know about a new drug on the streets that your teens may be making themselves.

Updated: Tuesday, September 23 2014 12:33 AM EDT2014-09-23 04:33:02 GMT

Phoenix Police are investigating who is responsible for a dangerous prank that caused quite the scare for a Phoenix family in two cities.

One Phoenix family was the victim of two back-to-back dangerous pranks.

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Kennett police to get new K-9 officer

Warsaw (dpa) - Polands incoming prime minister, Ewa Kopacz, unveiled her cabinet Friday, naming new people to several key ministries despite pressure to maintain the status quo during volatile relations with Russia.

Kopacz, 57, previously the speaker of parliament, is replacing Donald Tusk, who resigned last week to take over as EU president in December.

Her cabinet, which she said comprised "strong personalities," is due to be sworn in Monday.

Chief among the changes from Tusks cabinet is the replacement of Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who has articulated Polands diplomatic position during the Ukraine crisis.

Sikorski goes to parliament as the new speaker and will be replaced by the head of the parliaments foreign policy committee, Grzegorz Schetyna.

Schetyna served as the interior minister from 2007 to 2009 when he was forced to resign over a corruption scandal.

Kopacz also replaced ministers for the departments of the interior, justice, infrastructure, public administration and development.

Teresa Piotrkowska is to become the first woman in Poland to lead the Ministry of the Interior.

Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak and Economy Minister Janusz Piechocinski are slated to become deputy prime ministers.

Kopaczs reshuffle came despite earlier exhortations from President Bronislaw Komorowski to retain Tusks ministers, especially those with long-standing experience.

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1ST LEAD Incoming Polish premier unveils new cabinet By Eva Krafczyk, dpa

Another new appointee to Premier Jim Prentices cabinet supported a CBE plan seven years ago to build a new administrative headquarters despite a mounting $547 million backlog of repairs at student facilities.

Minutes from a 2007 meeting of the Calgary Board of Education show Kyle Fawcett, who was then a trustee with the citys public school board, voted to proceed with the then $111-million project even though the price tag had tripled from $34 million in the three years since he had been elected.

Meeting records show Fawcett, the boards audit committee chair, was also at the table six months earlier when trustees gave the go ahead to a complex land sale and building lease with a private developer for the office tower because the CBE had decided it didnt have the money to finance construction itself.

A member of the Fiscal Four group of Tory MLAs who championed tighter spending after he left the CBE and won a seat in the 2008 provincial election, Fawcett declined to be interviewed about the headquarters deal.

I did not vote on the final project, Fawcett said in an emailed statement.

And since I was no longer a trustee when that agreement was approved, it would not be fair nor appropriate for me to provide further comment.

Freshly-appointed education minister Gordon Dirks, who was a trustee when the final approval was granted in February 2008, has also declined to speak with reporters about the deal.

Leaked documents show Dirks made the motion to proceed despite the fact the construction price for the tower and adjoining office had spiked another 45 per cent in less than a year to $161 million.

A secret report showed the CBE would be on the hook to pay $285 million in rent over the two-decade term of the lease, but board administrators had no clear plan for how to cover the cost.

A potential source of cash to cover rent that would increase two per cent annually in each of the 20 years included money then being used to maintain and operate schools, which bureaucrats suggested they could redirect.

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New cabinet minister supported CBE plan for $111M headquarters

WORK to replace ageing water pipes in Worcester will restart on Monday (Sept 22) seeing Sansome Walk closed until mid-November.

This is the final phase of Severn Trent Waters work to help prevent bursts in Worcester city centre.

The company has already installed 3.7 km of modern water pipes and has 1.3 km left to go as part of the 1 million project.

The essential work on Sansome Walk is expected to be completed in mid-November.

Jonathan Tait, Severn Trents programme manager, said: "Over the summer, we wanted to give the people of Worcester a break from the water work which has been carried out, now were starting again and were focussed on getting the job finished quickly.

"The old ones have to be replaced because theyve become weak and prone to bursts."

During the work National Grid will also be taking the opportunity to replace their gas pipes in Sansome Walk.

Mr Tait added: "To allow us to complete the work safely we will unfortunately need to close the road, but access will be maintained to residents and businesses in Pierpoint Street from Foregate Street.

"Were really sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and well do all we can to keep it to minimum. Wed like to thank our customers in Worcester for the patience and understanding theyve shown throughout this essential piece of work."

John Smith, Worcestershire County Council cabinet member with responsibility for highways said: "We are working with Severn Trent Water who are carrying out a series of water main renewals in the Arboretum area, including along Sansome work.

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Road closed as 1 million pipe replacement project in Worcester restarts

Question: My 20-year-old kitchen cabinet doors are wood composite with a white plastic coating. I recently got a new gas range, and the heat melted and warped the plastic on an adjacent cabinet door. I cant find a manufacturers name anywhere on the cabinets, and I am told that the design on the front, with rounded corners, is no longer made. I dont want to have to replace all 16 of my cabinet doors. Is there any way to repair this or reproduce one door to match the others?

Falls Church

Answer: From the pictures you sent, its clear that the plastic coating is thermofoil a colored layer topped by clear vinyl thats applied to the door in a process that uses a vacuum and heat. Unfortunately, if this kind of finish gets too hot, it melts and deforms. You cant just reheat it and press it back into shape.

There are a few things you can try short of replacing all the doors. First, look around the kitchen or even other rooms to see if you have matching doors the same size and swing direction. If so, you might just need to swap the damaged door for one in a less noticeable place.

You can also try trimming away the melted finish with a sharp utility knife. Fill in for the finish layer with wood putty or an auto-body filler, then prime and paint. (Get matching paint by taking the door to a paint store.)

As a third option, buy a new thermofoil door thats as close a match as possible. Matching the color is relatively easy; the hardest part is finding a matching profile, according to Tom Fowler of Toms Cabinets & Design in Springfield (703-451-2227; http://www.tomscabinets.com).

As youve learned, many manufacturers of thermofoil cabinets have moved beyond the door style in your kitchen. Theyre trying to better mimic the traditional panel-and-frame door, which has a crisp-cornered frame of solid wood around a separate panel. A thermofoil door, by contrast, typically consists of a single piece of medium-density fiberboard shaped with a router to resemble a frame and panel. The rounded corners on the frame arent there as a style statement; theyre just the shape that routers cut.

Although manufacturers now try to minimize rounded corners, doors similar to yours are still available. The home page on the Toms Cabinets Web site has a link to a thermofoil door catalogue that includes doors with rounded corners. (See the Advantage Series.)

If you do decide to replace the door but cant find an exact match, consider replacing nearby doors so everything at close range looks the same. If doors across the room are a little different, only those with young eyes will notice.

Question: My wife inherited a corner cupboard from her grandmother. Unfortunately, the carved marble top has cracked in two. Is there anyone in the D.C. area who can repair or remake it?

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How to replace a discontinued cabinet door

Okinawas gubernatorial election is now two months away, and Governor Hirokazu Nakaimas challenger says hell vigorously oppose the planned project to relocate the controversial Futenma Marine Corps Air Station to sparsely populated northern Okinawa.

Naha Mayor Takeshi Onaga says to meet the expectations of people is what a politician should aim to do at the end of the day. He believes Okinawa should not be carrying the bulk of the burden of hosting American bases, and has told the Naha City Municipal Assembly that Japans security should be ensured by sharing as a country. Okinawa has reached its limits and cannot shoulder more.

The 63-year-old Onaga sees the election as a referendum of sorts on building the replacement airfield facility on Camp Schwab and the adjacent waters of Oura Bay in Nago Citys Henoko district. Governor Nakaima has already given the green light for landfill work. A third candidate for governor, former Diet member and 53-year-old former minister in charge of privatizing the countrys postal services, Mikio Shimoji, has called for a prefecture-wide referendum to settle the issue by directly getting citizens input.

In Tokyo, Yoshihide Suga says Okinawas gubernatorial election will have no effect on the airfield replacement project moving forward. Suga, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, says the Futenma ~ Henoko issue has already become an issue of the past, and adds I dont think this will be an election issue. He says governors nationwide have authority to approve or toss out reclamation projects in their prefectures, and notes Nakaimas approval with not-so-subtle infusions of money from the central government for infrastructure projectsis already in place.

The bottom line, according to the Chief Cabinet Secretary, is that we need to remove danger from the Futenma base as early as possible. The project has alternately stalled and lingered since first being approved in 1996. It remains a flash point for opponents, and political observers think Onagas position, which draws support from the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party, could attract some normally faithful Liberal Democratic Party members.

The project itself may again see the timelines slide a bit, although government sources say the schedule calling for the runways and bank protection at the Oura Bay site will still be complete within five years. Governor Nakaima approved the project late last year, while urging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to stop Futenmas operations and close it within five years.

For its part, the U.S. military is becoming more proactive, shifting the Marines 15 KD-130 air refueling tankers from the prefecture to mainland Japan. The tankers and the military crews and maintenance teams are now flying from Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Officials note this is the first time U.S. military personnel and units have been moved from Okinawa to the mainland. Iwakuni Mayor Yoshihiko Fukuda supported moving the Marine unit to his city. Within the next three years, the U.S. Navy will also move 59 carrier-based aircraft to Iwakuni from Atsugi Naval Air Station in Kanagawa Prefecture.

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Futenmas replacement heating up political landscape

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) - ?

Here is a list of road projects around the Heartland scheduled for Wednesday, September 17.

East and westbound traffic will be restricted. Existing lanes of Route 67 from CR 323 to Route 160/158 will be signed as Route C. The north end of Route C (existing Route 67) will remain closed for about two months as work is completed at the intersection of Route 67, Route C, and CR 323.

US 60 in Butler County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews repair the shoulder. The section of roadway is located between US 67 and County Road 409. Weather permitting, work will take place Monday, Sept. 15 through Friday, Sept. 26 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cape Girardeau County, MO

Route V will be reduced as crews perform drainage repairs. The section of road is located between Route 177 and Route Y. Weather permitting, crews will be working on Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Route 72 will be reduced while crews perform shoulder repairs. This section of road is located between Route 34 and Route B. Weather permitting, crews will be working on Tuesday, Sept. 16 through Thursday, Sept. 18 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Route EE will be closed while crews perform work on the railroad crossing. This section of road is located between Route 25 and County Road 264. Weather permitting, crews will be working on Friday, Sept. 12 and then again on Monday, Sept. 29 through Thursday, Oct. 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Carter County, MO

Roadwork continues on Route 21 from Ripley to Carter County from US 60 to US 160 until Nov. 1.

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Heartland road projects for 9/17