Lobbyists were fined tens of thousands of dollars for providing illegal gifts to Albany politicians. But no lawmakers have been punished for accepting them.Employees broke down in tears while others stood by in shock yesterday as Hershey Co. announced it will likely close its 44-year-old factory in Smiths Falls, possibly by the end of this year, affecting about 600 workers.Someone has officially declared "February is Chocolate Month." In the summer season, if you need a gift box of chocolates or happen to have a craving for chocolate yourself, you would be fortunate to find several fudge shops on the island. But this time of year, why not consider stopping by Sweenor's Chocolates in Wakefield on your way to or from the ferry?PULLMAN, Wash. - Tony Bennett is sitting on a chocolate-brown leather couch in the bowels of Beasley Coliseum, searching for a Kleenex and a place to start.CHATSWORTH -- A single chocolate brown thread, dangling from his pant leg, caught her eye. She pushed herself out of her chair, found a pair of scissors and clipped the string, tucking it inside her pocket.Chocolate elicits pleasure for many. The very word can create smiles and bring calm to individuals seeking reward for the challenges of their day. But for those highly sensitive to caffeine, chocolate may create more jolt than balance.In the last quiet moment of that night, Stacy Knudsvig stood cutting tissue squares at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for Valentine's Day gift boxes. She heard a bang - a balloon popping, construction noise? But a man who had been standing at the west staircase outside Desert Edge Brewery was now running toward her glass-walled store, yelling about a man with a shotgun and to call 911. ...Washington, D.C. Divine Chocolate, a fair-trade enterprise partially owned by cocoa farmers in Ghana, launched a new company in the United States on a snowy Valentines Day.