HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- For school bus driver Jamille Aine, a cold is more than an inconvenience. His employer does not offer paid sick days, so if he can't shake the bug, he may not be able to pay his bills.

The endorsements are already rolling in for Olympic champion Michael Phelps. (Photo courtesy of Google Images)

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Visa Inc. popped out ads almost as quickly as he swam his laps. Pizza Hut is giving Michael Phelps free pizza and pasta for a year, his teammates, too, for beating Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in one Olympics.

The makers of a new sports drink are embarking on their first national advertising campaign, banking on his most recent swimming glories.

Phelps, the biggest Olympic athlete in years, if not ever, is everywhere this summer. And companies want to share in his fame. They're taking out ads, pitching endorsements and giveaways.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Wouldn't it be convenient if Warrensburg had a free 24-hour drop-off location for goods to be recycled?

What many people do not know is, Warrensburg does.

The Johnson County Sheltered Workshop, 607 N. Ridgeview Drive, provides this service, along with many others.

WARRENSBURG, Mo.--The City of Warrensburg has hired Tracy Nichol-Martens as its new senior accountant. Ms. Nichol-Martens has undergraduate and master’s degrees in accounting, both from the University of Central Missouri.

Ms. Nichol-Martens has worked as an accountant for the University in its Union and Convention Services division. She also worked in the private sector as a plant accountant for Schreiber Foods.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- It almost feels like home when you enter The Consignment Shop at 219 N. Holden St.

Well, it feels like home if you just happen to live in a seven-bedroom home filled with interesting furniture and knick-knacks, racks of gently used clothing, and a entire flock of roosters.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Seeing the Gelbach Manor while driving down South Holden Street might deceive the average passerby into thinking it is a small, typical home and not a bed-and-breakfast.

However, someone who has been inside this castle-esque estate can tell you otherwise. With hidden passages, fountain-filled gardens, a hot tub and a heated pool, the manor has plenty to keep a visitor entertained.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Hawthorne Plaza, the 200-acre commercial, residential and recreation area on Highway 13 hit a snag in its development and will not open until the end of the year, said David Edwards of CEAH Realtors, developer of Hawthorne Plaza.