BOSTON WOMAN PAYS $560,000 FOR 2 PARKING SPOTS: BOSTON (AP) — Parking is such a precious commodity in Boston that one woman was willing to pay $560,000 for two off-street spaces near her home.

Lisa Blumenthal won the spots in the city's Back Bay neighborhood during an on-site auction Thursday held in a steady rain by the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS had seized the spots from a man who owed back taxes.

Blumenthal, who lives in a multimillion-dollar home near the parking spaces, tells The Boston Globe she didn't expect the bidding to go quite so high for the spots she says will come in handy for guests and workers.

The record for a single spot in Boston is $300,000.

The median price of a single-family home in Massachusetts is $313,000.

 AIR FORCE RECRUITER GETS 27 YEARS ON SEX CHARGES: SAN ANTONIO (AP) — An Air Force recruiter has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for aggravated sexual assault and other offenses.

A panel of officers on Friday sentenced Tech Sgt. Jaime Rodriguez at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Rodriguez faced up to life in prison.

Rodriguez previously pleaded guilty to 16 specifications from engaging in or attempting to engage in unprofessional relationships, to obstructing justice. He was also convicted of aggravated sexual assault, abusive sexual contact and non-forcible sodomy, among other counts.

An Air Force special agent testified previously that 18 women were found who said Rodriguez tried to initiate relationships with them.

FLAGSTAFF JUVENILES BURNING ANTS START WILDFIRE: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Residents of a Flagstaff neighborhood scurried to put out a fire started by three juveniles burning ants with a magnifying glass.

The juveniles included 13- and 14-year-old girls as well as a boy whose age wasn't stated.

The two girls tried to stomp out the fire while the boy ran away when the fire started Wednesday.

ARMY RANGER DIES DURING PARACHUTE DRILL IN GA.: SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — An Army Ranger was found dead on the ground with parachute cords wrapped around his neck after a routine training jump in southeast Georgia and commanders hope an investigation will reveal what went wrong, a military spokesman said Friday.

The fatal jump occurred Thursday afternoon as Rangers stationed at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah conducted parachute drills at a training range on nearby Fort Stewart, where the elite soldiers practice jumping from planes several times a year.

The soldier's parachute appeared to deploy normally during the jump and nothing seemed wrong until he landed and wind filled the parachute's canopy, dragging the soldier about 350 feet along the ground, said Lt. Col. Brian DeSantis, a spokesman for the 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning. He said by the time fellow Rangers reached the soldier, he was unconscious with parachute cords and canvas straps from the harness wrapped around his neck. Soldiers cut away the cords but were unable to revive him.

NJ TRANSIT PROBES BIZARRE BUS TRIP INTO NEW YORK: NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Some New Jersey bus commuters apparently have gotten an unexpected tour of the New York metro area they'd rather forget.

New Jersey Transit is investigating why a trip that normally takes about 45 minutes took nearly two hours more Thursday when the driver took a circuitous route into Manhattan's Port Authority bus terminal.

A passenger on the ill-fated trip said the driver seemed lost and passed the Secaucus (train station several times, drove past outlet stores and eventually crossed the George Washington Bridge. Normally, the bus would go through the Lincoln Tunnel, several miles south.

Aileen Iosso tells the newspaper when passengers asked to be let off after the driver passed the bus terminal the driver yelled at them.

73-YEAR-OLD MAN, GRANDSON HELD AFTER PA. DRUG RAID: PITTSBURGH (AP) — A 73-year-old man and his grandson have been arrested in a Pittsburgh drug raid after police say they found heroin bricks, drug packaging material and guns in a search of their home.

They arrested Albert Martin and his 20-year-old grandson, Troy Martin. They say both will face drug charges, while the younger Martin also will face weapons charges.

Police say they found 24 bricks of heroin worth $12,000 and an ounce of cocaine worth $1,000. They also say they found two pistols with a 30-round magazine and $4,220 in cash.