In today's paper

Two ways Columbia’s projected $4 million budget deficit is affecting city services:

• Police Chief Tandy Carter has taken away some officers’ cell phones and take home cars. This upsets some neighborhood residents, like Fred Easley, who have enjoyed direct access to cops for years through their cell phones.
• Fire Chief Bradley Anderson is using engineers to fill in for vacationing Captains on fire trucks as a way to save money on overtime. Engineers are fully trained to fight fires, but not trained to be supervisors.