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Husch, Blackwell Merger of Equals Confirmed
KANSAS CITY, (PRNewswire-FirstCall), December 23, 2007 - Two of the region's nationally recognized law firms -- Husch & Eppenberger, LLC, and Blackwell Sanders LLP -- have confirmed that each set of partners voted to merge this week. The merger brings together two law firms of virtually equal size and national rank.

The merger is expected to close in late January 2008. A name will be chosen for the new firm in the coming weeks.

"This is a true merger of equals," said Joseph P. Conran, co-chairman of the new firm. "Both firms contribute extraordinary legacies of legal excellence, client service and community leadership. Additionally -- in those cities where Husch and Blackwell have historically operated, we immediately complement and improve our competitive position."

"Each firm's individual strengths multiply when brought together," said David A. Fenley, co-chairman. "Both are financially successful and proudly enjoy long-standing relationships with leading companies and not-for-profit organizations. The partners have embraced this merger with a great amount of optimism about this larger legal services platform. We see a wealth of opportunities for increased service to existing clients, and expansion in existing and new markets."

Blackwell Sanders appeared at #179 on the 2007 Am Law 200 list, which ranks firms according to their gross revenue. Husch & Eppenberger was ranked #175. As of November 30, Blackwell Sanders had 330 attorneys firmwide; Husch had 300 firmwide. This new firm comprises 630 attorneys with anticipated revenues topping $275 million for 2008. At this size, the new firm would rank among the top 100 firms in the country based on revenue.

The firms announced their merger discussions in mid-September. The new firm is a commercial litigation and business services law firm with approximately 630 attorneys. The firm has offices in Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield and Jefferson City, Missouri; Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska; Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee; Peoria and Belleville, Illinois; Overland Park, Kansas; Washington, D.C.; and London, U.K.

Oak Hill Capital Partners to Buy WDAF-TV
KANSAS CITY, (PRNewswire-FirstCall), December 23, 2007 - Oak Hill Capital Partners, a leading private equity firm, has announced that it has agreed to purchase eight News Corporation owned-and-operated FOX network affiliated television stations for approximately $1.1 billion in cash.

The stations include:

-- KDVR in Denver, CO
-- KSTU in Salt Lake City, UT
-- KTVI in St. Louis, MO
-- WBRC in Birmingham, AL
-- WDAF in Kansas City, MO
-- WGHP in Greensboro, NC
-- WITI in Milwaukee, WI
-- WJW in Cleveland, OH

This portfolio will be jointly managed by Local TV, the television platform Oak Hill created earlier this year to acquire nine stations from the New York Times Company.

J. Taylor Crandall, a Managing Partner of Oak Hill Capital Partners, said, "We are very pleased to add this outstanding portfolio of FOX affiliated television stations to the Oak Hill portfolio. These stations, like our existing Local TV television stations, have a strong commitment to providing quality news and serving the local community."

Bobby Lawrence, CEO of Local TV, said, "These are heritage stations in great markets. Their management teams and operations are a perfect fit with Local TV. The stations have an outstanding track record and we look forward to helping them continue their success."

The transaction is subject to regulatory and other customary approvals and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2008.

Midwest Research Institute Conducting Highway Improvement Survey and Study
KANSAS CITY, (PRNewswire-FirstCall), December 23, 2007 - Midwest Research Institute (MRI) is working with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to gather driver feedback on road improvements made by MoDOT during the past two years along 2,200 miles of Missouri highways under the state's Smooth Roads Initiative.

MoDOT contracted with MRI's Transportation Research Center to evaluate the roadway improvements for increased highway safety and to assess public satisfaction with the improvements that include: brighter striping and enhanced rumble strips for improved visibility, reflective markers added to medians and guard rails, and roadside emergency reference markers.

MRI is collecting feedback through an electronic survey that drivers may access by going to the MoDOT web site www.modot.org and clicking on the "Give Us Your Opinion" button. The survey takes approximately ten minutes to complete. MRI and MoDOT are encouraging drivers to take the survey in the next few weeks.

The survey, developed by MRI to measure the level of satisfaction and perceived safety benefits of the striping and delineation treatments, is part of a larger study on the effectiveness of the improvements in reducing the number of highway crashes. The Institute will collect and analyze the survey data, examine crash data and provide a summary of findings in a report to MoDOT.

"MoDOT is continuously working to improve the safety of Missouri's 32,000 miles of highways and we are pleased to have a nationally recognized organization like MRI working with us to help evaluate our progress," said Mike Curtit, Assistant State Traffic Engineer. "The information we get from this research will help us make decisions on future roadway improvements."

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