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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Substitute possible for recalled tires

The Spokesman-Review

Consumers who bought recently recalled Chinese-made tires can apply for free replacements.

Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna earlier this month alerted SUV, van and pickup drivers to check for certain Westlake, Compass or YKS steel-belted radial tires. Some of the tires, which have treads that may separate because the units lack a sufficient layer of rubber between their steel belts, were sold by GCR Tire Center in Spokane and Frank’s Tire Factory in Union Gap, according to the attorney general.

The tires were made from 2004 to 2006 by Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. Ltd. in China and imported by Foreign Tire Sales Inc. of New Jersey.

Foreign Tire Sales announced a recall of about 255,000 of the tires on Aug. 9.

For information on identifying the tires or applying for a recall, go online to www.atg.wa.gov or to www.foreigntire.com/ recallinfo.html or call Foreign Tire at (888) 899-9293.

NEW DELHI

Microsoft to give software to charity

Microsoft Corp. will distribute free software to nonprofit groups to boost charity in India, a company official said Monday.

The software donation will be routed through a technology assistance program that India’s NASSCOM Foundation is offering in partnership with TechSoup, a San Francisco- based group that partners in charity work with companies like Microsoft, Cisco Systems and Symantec.

NASSCOM Foundation, the philanthropy arm of the trade body of technology companies operating in India, introduced the program, called BiG Tech, on Monday.

BiG Tech is a Web-based program that allows nonprofits to apply for free software online. The foundation will charge a fee of up to 4 percent to the nonprofit groups.

Nearly 35,000 nonprofit groups in India will be eligible for such software donations.

Microsoft is a major donor for TechSoup, which runs or partners similar technology assistance programs across 25 countries outside the United States.

In the fiscal year 2008, TechSoup aims to distribute $55 million worth of software. The group sees “an extraordinary opportunity in India,” said Mike Yeaton, its global director.

From staff and wire reports