News | Journal Gazette

Asian carp czar ran state DNR

Sylvia A. Smith — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

A former director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources will oversee efforts to block the migration of Asian carp into the Great Lakes, the Obama administration said Wednesday.

Invitation' to campaign unwelcome

Sylvia A. Smith — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Congressional candidate Marlin Stutzman shouldn't try to recruit students and teachers to volunteer in his campaign by sending e-mails to instructors, Fort Wayne Community Schools says.

Fires sweep through Detroit

Corey Williams and Jeff Karoub — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

For a city already struggling with high unemployment, widespread foreclosures and deep budget cuts, here was another crisis: wind-whipped fires tearing through row after row of homes, some of them abandoned.

Pastor sticks to 9/11 Quran burn

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

The leader of a small Florida church that espouses anti-Islam philosophy said Wednesday he is determined to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, despite pressure to call it off.

Obama harps at Bush tax cuts

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

President Obama insisted Wednesday that Bush-era tax cuts be cut off for the wealthiest Americans.

BP report concedes lapses but casts blame

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

BP took some of the blame for the Gulf oil disaster in an internal report issued Wednesday, acknowledging among other things that it misinterpreted a key pressure test of the well. But in a possible preview of its legal strategy, it also pointed the finger at its partners on the doomed rig.

Study advocates milk after working out

Maria Cheng — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

At the end of nearly every training session, Matt Whitmore downs a pint of milk straight from the bottle.

Valparaiso University plans to add welcome center

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:01:00 EST

Valparaiso University is planning to add a 14,000-square-foot welcome center to its campus.

Indiana gets $31 million for blighted neighborhoods

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:57:00 EST

The state of Indiana and several of its communities hard-hit by home foreclosures are getting $31.5 million in federal grants to stabilize blighted neighborhoods.

Spending to rise modestly under health care overhaul

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:21:00 EST

WASHINGTON - The nation's health care tab will go up - not down - as a result of President Obama's sweeping overhaul. That's the conclusion of a government forecast released Thursday, which also finds the increase will be modest.

Parents scramble for vaccines as deadlines loom

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:41:00 EST

MUNCIE - Thousands of Indiana students are at risk of being sent home from school because they haven't yet submitted vaccination records required by the state.

Survey finds marijuana use up among Indiana youths

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:28:00 EST

BLOOMINGTON - An annual survey of alcohol and drug use by Indiana youths found a slight drop in those who had ever smoked cigarettes but that more admitted using marijuana in the past month.

Dry conditions, winds fuel brush fires in Indiana

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:59:00 EST

COLUMBUS, Ind. - A moderate drought is fueling brush fires across Indiana, prompting counties to ban open burning and keeping firefighters busy, especially in farm communities.

Decongestant Rx eyed in meth war

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Experts told an Indiana panel Wednesday the state can fight clandestine methamphetamine labs by requiring prescriptions for the purchase of decongestants used by meth cooks.

Bowersox finds out her files were checked in Ohio

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:44:00 EST

"American Idol" runner-up Crystal Bowersox has learned that personal information on her was improperly checked in her home state of Ohio.

Ohio auto parts workers hope vote will save jobs

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:05:00 EST

NORTH BALTIMORE, Ohio - Workers at an Ohio auto parts plant that is slated to close will vote on a new contract this weekend.

Obama tells Cleveland audience of own family struggles

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:51:00 EST

CLEVELAND - President Obama is getting a little personal about the sluggish economy, telling a Cleveland audience about his own family's struggles and hardships.

Records show Ohio pension fund trips cost $1 million

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:45:00 EST

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio's five public retirement systems spent more than $1 million on travel to conferences during a one-year period while the economy continued to squeeze the funds' pension investments, according to records reviewed by a newspaper.

Rights group: Violence threatens Afghan elections

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:10:00 EST

KABUL, Afghanistan - The legitimacy of Afghanistan's parliamentary elections is severely threatened by insurgent attacks on candidates and the lack of security provided by the government, an international rights group said Thursday.

Tea party members back dismissed president

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:14:00 EST

HELENA, Mont. - A Montana tea party association's board will reconsider kicking its president out of the group for an anti-gay exchange on Facebook after several members resigned over his dismissal, a board member said Wednesday.

2 charged in Australia after python wrestling demo

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:18:00 EST

MELBOURNE, Australia – Two men were arrested after bewildered diners at a McDonald's spotted them wrestling a 5-foot python named Boris in the restaurant parking lot, police said Thursday.

Hoosier to lead fight to keep Asian carp out of Great Lakes

Sylvia A. Smith — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:02:00 EST

WASHINGTON – A former director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has been appointed to oversee efforts to block the possible invasion of Asian carp into the Great Lakes, the Obama administration said Wednesday.

Remnants of Hermine flood Texas; buffet Oklahoma

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:10:00 EST

SEAGOVILLE, Texas A series of tornadoes spawned by the remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine tore through a mostly rural area near Dallas.

8 missing in Colo. fire that has burned 53 homes

DAN ELLIOTT and P. SOLOMON BANDA — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:01:00 EST

BOULDER, Colo. Authorities in Colorado are searching for eight people who didn't leave their homes as a wildfire tore through a canyon in the foothills near Boulder.

New NJ bumper stickers spur anti-visitor nickname

WAYNE PARRY — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:57:00 EST

BRIGANTINE, N.J. First it was Bennies, then Shoobies. Now there's another derogatory nickname for summer tourists who visit the Jersey shore: FOOTs.

Xbox blocks gamer because of town: Fort Gay

Vicki Smith — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:07:00 EST

Microsoft Corp. and the chief rules enforcer for Xbox Live are apologizing to a small West Virginia town and a 26-year-old gamer accused of violating the online gaming service's code of conduct by publicly declaring he's from Fort Gay – a name the company considered offensive.

Would you like 1 hump or 2 with your dinosaur?

Seth Borenstein — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:02:00 EST

WASHINGTON – The weird world of dinosaurs has just gotten a tad more bizarre: Scientists found a nearly complete fossil of a new dinosaur that sports a noticeable hump, maybe as possible advertising.

Ohio issues statewide ash wood quarantine

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:49:00 EST

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio - Ohio's emerald ash borer quarantine has become statewide.

Teen boy charged with assaulting 6 girls

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:25:00 EST

NEWARK, Ohio – A 15-year-old central Ohio boy has been charged with sexually assaulting six girls at a variety of places during the last two years.

Workers hope vote will save jobs moving to Huntington

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:21:00 EST

NORTH BALTIMORE, Ohio – Workers at an Ohio auto parts plant that is slated to close will vote on a new contract this weekend.

Polluted lake linked to at least 6 illnesses

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:18:00 EST

ST. MARYS, Ohio – Ohio health officials said at least six illnesses are likely related to polluted water at the state’s largest inland lake.

Meeting set on high school’s Indian mascot

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:52:00 EST

Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend administrators plan to meet with a historian who objects to the Indian mascot used by St. Joseph’s High School in South Bend.

Public retirement systems spend more than $1 million on trips

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:19:00 EST

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A newspaper has found Ohio's five public retirement systems spent more than $1 million on conference travel over a one-year period, while the economy continued to squeeze their pension investments.

Elkhart plans memorial service for slain soldier

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:15:00 EST

ELKHART - The northern Indiana city of Elkhart will hold a memorial service for a soldier from the city who was killed in Afghanistan when the tank he was traveling in hit a roadside bomb.

Congress' majorities hinge on Hoosiers

Sylvia A. Smith — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

If Democrats in the House or Senate lose their majority control after the Nov. 2 elections, Hoosier voters will have contributed to the switch.

Quran-burning plan prompts warnings

MITCH STACY — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

The federal government turned up the pressure Tuesday on the head of a small Florida church who plans to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, warning him that doing so could endanger U.S. troops and Americans everywhere.

Engraved Bibles, $10 in church burglary haul

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:31:00 EST

MUNCIE - A Muncie pastor says thieves who broke into the church made off with his three personal Bibles, including one that had the funeral programs for his mother and father inside.

CIA brought back torture suspect

ADAM GOLDMAN — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

A former CIA officer accused of revving an electric drill near the head of an imprisoned terrorist suspect has returned to U.S. intelligence as a contractor, training CIA operatives after leaving the agency, The Associated Press has learned.

Microbes eat Gulf oil; fish still get oxygen

SETH BORENSTEIN — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Government scientists studying the BP disaster are reporting the best possible outcome: Microbes are consuming the oil in the Gulf without depleting the oxygen in the water and creating "dead zones" where fish cannot survive.

Egypt ready to unveil ruins

PAUL SCHEMM — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Today, it's a sprawl of luxury vacation homes where Egypt's wealthy play on the white beaches of the Mediterranean coast.

Obama to roll out plans for jobs, tax breaks

TOM RAUM — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

President Obama's proposed tax breaks for business sound like ideas that have enjoyed broad Republican backing in the past. But in today's toxic political atmosphere, he's unlikely to get such help.

FBI searches aircraft; no credible threat found

RAQUEL MARIA DILLON — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:03:00 EST

LOS ANGELES - Investigators found no explosives aboard a Los Angeles-bound Thai Airways flight in which a bomb threat was found scrawled on a bathroom mirror, the FBI said today.

Sides clashing over stoning

BRIAN MURPHY — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

The international crossfire over Iran's stoning sentence for a woman convicted of adultery intensified Tuesday with a top European Union official calling it "barbaric" and an Iranian spokesman saying it's about punishing a criminal and not a human rights issue.

Old Farmer's Almanac says global cooling to continue

RUSSELL CONTRERAS — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:37:00 EST

DUBLIN, N.H. The "Old Farmer's Almanac" is predicting that most of the country will see a colder-than-usual winter while summer and spring will be relatively cool and dry.

Teachers killed in southern Thailand

THANYARAT DOKSONE — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:57:00 EST

BANGKOK - Panicked teachers in Thailand's restless south stayed home from school today after two teachers were killed in broad daylight amid threats from suspected Muslim insurgents that 20 would die.

Ospreys, once endangered, on the rebound

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:22:00 EST

INDIANAPOLIS State wildlife officials say a program that released ospreys across Indiana is paying off as the once-endangered raptor gradually expands its nesting sites.

2 GIs on security duty killed by Iraqi soldier

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

An Iraqi soldier fired a barrage of bullets at American troops protecting one of their commanders during a visit to an Iraqi army base Tuesday and killed two of them, the first U.S. servicemen to die since President Obama declared an end to combat operations in the country last week. Nine Americans were wounded.

Parents scramble for vaccines as deadlines loom

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:26:00 EST

MUNCIE Thousands of Indiana students are at risk of being sent home from school because they haven't yet submitted vaccination records required by the state.

Paid back for extra energy

RICK CALLAHAN — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

A proposed expansion of Indiana's rules dictating which owners of wind turbines and other renewable power systems get credit for excess power they generate is drawing early support from clean energy advocates.

China military leader urges closer Myanmar ties

TINI TRAN — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:44:00 EST

BEIJING - A senior Chinese military official called for further military cooperation between Myanmar and China after meeting a top official accompanying Myanmar's top leader, Gen. Than Shwe.

Federal Great Lakes grants awarded in Ohio

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:16:00 EST

Ohio will get about $2 million through the federal government's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative that seeks to target the region's worst problems.

Expert: High risk of Asian carp invading lakes

MICHAEL TARM — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:11:00 EST

Signs of Asian carp in Chicago waterways mean there's a great risk the invasive fish could slip into Lake Michigan at any time, a witness said Tuesday in the first full day of testimony in a five-state lawsuit.

Clarification

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

A story Sunday on Page 6H about Boeing 747 jumbo jets might have been misleading.

Expert: High risk of Asian carp invasion

MICHAEL TARM — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:10:00 EST

CHICAGO Signs of Asian carp in Chicago waterways mean risks are high the invasive fish could slip into Lake Michigan at any time and establish viable populations there, a witness said Tuesday in the first full day of testimony in a five-state lawsuit.

Myanmar military ruler visits China, seeks support

TINI TRAN — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:38:00 EST

BEIJING Military-run Myanmar's top leader Gen. Than Shwe arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a state visit to his country's closest ally ahead of contentious national elections this fall.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is calling quits

Associated Press — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:34:00 EST

CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says he's not running for re-election after more than 20 years in office.

Furstenberg hospital gowns don’t have that peek-a-boo back

Associated Press — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:28:00 EST

CLEVELAND – Designer Diane von Furstenberg helped the Cleveland Clinic come up with a more stylish hospital gown.

Gunman in Iraq army uniform kills 2 U.S. soldiers

Rebecca Santana — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:05:00 EST

BAGHDAD - A gunman wearing an Iraqi army uniform killed two American soldiers Tuesday in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said. They were the first American soldiers killed since the U.S. officially ended combat operations in the country last week.

Electric car battery maker gets $65 million boost

Associated Press — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:52:00 EST

INDIANAPOLIS - The parent company of electric car battery maker EnerDel Inc. says it will use $65 million in additional money to help increase production at its central Indiana factories.

9 hurt in blast at auto parts plant

Associated Press — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:40:00 EST

NORTHWOOD, Ohio - An explosion at an auto parts plant in northwest Ohio has injured nine people. Authorities just outside Toledo say all of the injuries appear to be minor.

No. 1 book would let Bush join select few

Douglass K. Daniel — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Already in distinctive company as an American president, George W. Bush seeks to join an even more select group: president and top-selling author.

Price of happiness: $75,000, but then you're on your own

Randolph E. Schmid — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

They say money can't buy happiness. They're wrong. At least up to a point.

Senate nominee cited in 3-car crash

Rachel D'Oro — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

The Republican candidate who defeated U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's primary election has been cited for his role in a recent three-car collision in Fairbanks.

U.S. weighs self on human rights

Mary Beth Sheridan — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

The U.S. government, which has long scrutinized other countries' human rights records, has turned its gaze inward - evaluating its own performance in a largely upbeat report to the United Nations.

Obama touts jobs program

Darlene Superville — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

A combative President Obama rolled out a long-term jobs program Monday that would exceed $50 billion to rebuild roads, railways and runways.

Tropical Storm Hermine crosses into Texas

PAUL J. WEBER — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 04:49:00 EST

McALLEN, Texas Tropical Storm Hermine rolled into south Texas today, bringing heavy rains and strong winds to an area battered by Hurricane Alex this summer.

Corrupt Afghan bank clings to solvency

Deb Riechmann — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Afghanistan's largest bank is operating with its own money with no infusion of cash from the government despite a nearly weeklong run on the troubled institution that is being closely monitored by international banking experts, the nation's top banking official said Monday.

Indonesian volcano erupts again; strongest one yet

BINSAR BAKKARA — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:15:00 EST

TANAH KARO, Indonesia - An Indonesian volcano shot a towering cloud of black ash high into the air Tuesday, dusting villages 15 miles away in its most powerful eruption since awakening last week from four centuries of dormancy.

WTC steel columns to be installed at 9/11 museum

Associated Press — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 04:53:00 EST

NEW YORK Steel columns salvaged from the rubble of the World Trade Center are heading back to ground zero. Two 70-foot columns taken from the wreckage of the north tower are being permanently installed Tuesday at the entrance to the Sept. 11 museum.

Flight attendant in passenger tiff due in N.Y. court

COLLEEN LONG — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:28:00 EST

NEW YORK - A former JetBlue flight attendant accused of cursing out an airplane passenger and then sliding down an emergency exit chute is due in a New York City courtroom.

Iran scoffs at European concern over stoning case

Associated Press — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:19:00 EST

TEHRAN, Iran Iran is scoffing at European concern over the case of an Iranian woman sentenced to be stoned to death on an adultery conviction.

I.U. theater program leaving Brown County Playhouse

Associated Press — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:31:00 EST

NASHVILLE Indiana University said its summer theater program is leaving the Brown County Playhouse and moving to the school's Bloomington campus.

Heartbreak akin to cocaine detox

Ellen McCarthy — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

One after another, the college students participating in psychologist Art Aron's study on romantic rejection walked in with wrenching stories of heartache. "I can't sleep," one told an interviewer. "I just lie there, wondering what happened and what could have been."

Little Rock school pioneer dies at 67

Tom Parsons — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Jefferson Thomas was fast and athletic and often played pickup basketball with white students while growing up in Little Rock in the 1950s.

Tropical storm ashore, heads for Texas

News services — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Forecasters say Tropical Storm Hermine has come ashore in northeast Mexico and was headed for south Texas. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Hermine's center first touched land Monday night about 40 miles south of Brownsville, Texas.

Hurricane watch issued for Texas, Mexico coasts

Jorge Vargas — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:19:00 EST

NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico – Mexican authorities urged people to move to shelters while officials in Texas distributed sandbags and warned of flash floods as Tropical Storm Hermine headed toward the northwest Gulf coast on Monday.

Woman dies days after buggy crash

Associated Press — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:40:00 EST

CLEVELAND – Authorities said an Amish woman has died several days after she was injured in a buggy crash in northeast Ohio.

10-year-old girl fatally shot at home

Associated Press — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:19:00 EST

CRAWFORDSVILLE – Police said a 10-year-old girl was fatally shot inside her central Indiana home when her mother’s boyfriend accidentally fired a gun.

Woman who faced stoning death to be lashed

Associated Press — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:32:00 EST

TEHRAN, Iran – An Iranian woman who had faced death by stoning for adultery has now received a new sentence of 99 lashes after a British newspaper ran a picture of an unveiled woman it mistakenly identified as her, the woman’s son said Monday.

Higher lawn parking fees irk South Bend residents

Associated Press — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:28:00 EST

SOUTH BEND – South Bend residents who want to let people park on their lawns for Notre Dame’s home football games are finding the perk will cost a lot more this year.

Cyclists bare all to promote cleaner air

Associated Press — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:25:00 EST

PHILADELPHIA – Hundreds of naked and partially nude cyclists have pedaled their way through Philadelphia to promote bicycling awareness and cleaner air.

Biden starts Labor Day at Ohio parade

John Seewer — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:04:00 EST

TOLEDO, Ohio – Vice President Biden is starting off Labor Day at a parade in Toledo, Ohio – his second visit to the city in two weeks.

New online university enrolls 500 Indiana students

Associated Press — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – Enrollment is growing in an online college that Indiana’s governor has promoted.

Van der Sloot acknowledges extorting Holloways, report says

Associated Press — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:46:00 EST

AMSTERDAM – The Dutchman charged with killing a 21-year-old Peruvian woman and suspected in the disappearance of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway has acknowledged extorting money from Holloway’s parents and says he did it to get back at them.

Obama to back infrastructure spending, officials say

Julie Pace — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:38:00 EST

WASHINGTON – Vowing to find new ways to stimulate the sputtering economy, President Obama will call for long-term investments in the country’s roads, railways and airports that would cost at least $50 billion, administration officials said.

Got skills? Job outlook demands it

CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER and MICHAEL LIEDTKE — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Whenever companies start hiring freely again, job-seekers with specialized skills and education will have plenty of good opportunities. Others will face a choice: Take a job with low pay - or none at all.

Girls often able to foil abductors

Donna St. George — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

The children most at risk of attempted abduction by strangers are girls ages 10 to 14, many on their way to or from school, and they escape harm mostly through their own fast thinking or fierce resistance, according to a new national analysis.

Chile disaster mines old feuds

PETER PRENGAMAN — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

While a fire warms their campsite, the icy feeling between Cristina Nunez Macias and her mother-in-law is as palpable as the cold Atacama desert.

Combat role over, but GIs join fight

BARBARA SURK — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Days after the U.S. officially ended combat operations and touted Iraq's ability to defend itself, American troops found themselves battling heavily armed militants assaulting an Iraqi military headquarters in the center of Baghdad on Sunday. The fighting killed 12 people and wounded dozens.

Obama pushes research credits

JULIE PACE — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Seeking ways to spur economic growth ahead of the November elections, President Obama will ask Congress to increase and permanently extend research and development tax credits for businesses, a White House official said Sunday.

JetBlue worker quit, lawyer says

COLLEEN LONG — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

A flight attendant who captured America's attention when he told off a plane full of passengers and then slid down an emergency chute resigned from his job last week and wasn't fired, his lawyer said Sunday.

Tropical Storm Hermine forms in Gulf of Mexico

Associated Press — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:19:00 EST

MIAMI Tropical Storm Hermine has formed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Texas.

Ohio woman found dead; boyfriend arrested

Associated Press — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:57:00 EST

DOVER, Ohio An Ohio woman has been found dead in her home in Ohio and her boyfriend has been arrested.

Colombian is world’s shortest man at 27 inches

FRANK BAJAK — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:32:00 EST

BOGOTA, Colombia - Edward Nino Hernandez is in many ways a typical 24-year-old Colombian male. He loves to dance reggaeton, dreams of owning a car - preferably a Mercedes - and wants to see the world.

Female, single, over 30: Iraqis count cost of war

HAMZA HENDAWI — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:38:00 EST

BAGHDAD - Only one of Nidal Haidar's six sisters is married. She has given up on ever getting hitched.

Va. woman devours 181 chicken wings in N.Y. contest

CRISTIAN SALAZAR — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:28:00 EST

NEW YORK - The Black Widow of eating contests gobbled up nearly 181 chicken wings in 12 minutes, devouring the national championship record in Buffalo on Sunday.

States, activists clash over wolf killings

MATTHEW BROWN — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Government agencies are seeking broad new authority to ramp up killings and removals of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes, despite two recent court actions that restored the animal's endangered status in every state except Alaska and Minnesota.

U.S.-born drug lord puffs up his legend

William Booth and Nick Miroff — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

A ritual is performed when drug lords are arrested. They are paraded before the news cameras, often with black eyes and fresh bruises, and then stand shackled and grimacing between a pair of masked police. The tough guys look tough, and they don't talk so much as mumble.

Are firefly numbers fading?

RICK CALLAHAN — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

The yellow-green streaks of fireflies that bring a magical air to summer nights, inspire camp songs and often end up in jars in children's bedrooms may be flickering out in the nation's backyards as suburban sprawl encroaches on their habitats.

Sex ads migrate on Craigslist ban

DAN STRUMPF — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Craigslist's "adult services" section has been shut down in the U.S., but prostitution on the Internet is alive and well - even, quite possibly, on Craigslist.

2 Congo boat wrecks claim 70 lives

News services — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Two boats capsized over the weekend in separate disasters on Congo's vast rivers, leaving 70 people dead and 200 others feared dead, officials said Sunday.

Readers' note

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Because of early deadlines for Labor Day, some late lottery numbers, sports scores and breaking news items were not available at press time. See

Laudable quotation on Oval Office rug isn't King's

Jamie Stiehm — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

A mistake has been made in the Oval Office makeover that goes beyond the beige.

Congo boat catches fire, capsizes; 200 feared dead

PATRICE CITERA — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 11:49:00 EST

KINSHASA, Congo - As many as 200 people are feared dead after a heavily loaded boat caught fire and capsized in southern Congo, a survivor said Sunday, in the deadliest documented boat capsize in the Central African nation this year.

Accident at German flight show kills 1

JUERGEN BAETZ — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 11:02:00 EST

BERLIN - A pilot of a small propeller-driven plane lost control of his aircraft while taking off at a flight show in southern Germany and crashed into a group of spectators Sunday, leaving one person dead and up to 20 injured, police said.

Soldiers get horse training before deployment

The Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 10:24:00 EST

FRANKLIN, Ind. - Soldiers who will deploy to Afghanistan are getting some essential training before they go, but it doesn't involve weapons.

IU, Notre Dame offer car sharing service

The Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:48:00 EST

INDIANAPOLIS - The college road trip is getting a little easier for some Indiana students without cars.

Ind. port shipments signal boost in economy

The Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:37:00 EST

BURNS HARBOR, Ind. - The state's port authority says shipments at the Port of Indiana in Burns Harbor rose 52 percent in 2009 in a sign of better economic conditions.

Assault on Baghdad military headquarters kills 12

SINAN SALAHEDDIN — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:38:00 EST

BAGHDAD - Suicide bombers hit a Baghdad military headquarters on Sunday and killed 12 people, two weeks after an attack on the same site pointed to the failure of Iraqi forces to plug even the most obvious holes in their security.

W. Lafayette water customers may pay for hydrants

The Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 10:20:00 EST

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A proposal to shift the costs of renting fire hydrants from the city to customers is raising questions about fairness in West Lafayette.

California falls behind in waste-to-energy race

NOAKI SCHWARTZ — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 12:18:00 EST

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Los Angeles County officials are looking to spend $200 million to build three so-called biorefineries as California attempts to catch up with Japan and other countries in turning trash into energy.

Irish protesters jeer Blair

John Heaney — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Protesters hurled shoes and eggs Saturday at Tony Blair who held the first public signing of his memoir amid high security in Ireland's capital. Hundreds more people lined up to have their books autographed - evidence that the divisions left by Blair's decade as British leader have yet to heal.

Vatican: stoning in Iran adultery case “brutal”

FRANCES D'EMILIO — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:06:00 EST

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican raised the possibility Sunday of using behind-the-scenes diplomacy to try to save the life of an Iranian widow sentenced to be stoned for adultery.

Storm off Mozambique kills 15 fishermen

The Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:40:00 EST

MAPUTO, Mozambique - Mozambican authorities say five fishing boats have capsized in a storm off the country's central coast, killing at least 15 fishermen.

Relics of Russian saint, icons stolen

The Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:01:00 EST

MOSCOW - A Russian news agency is reporting that three ancient icons, one of which contained relics of Russia's most venerated saint, have been stolen. RIA Novosti said Sunday that clerics at the St. Trinity church in a Moscow suburb discovered the theft after a service Saturday.

2 French hostages in Afghanistan ’in good health’

The Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:33:00 EST

PARIS - President Nicolas Sarkozy's chief of staff says two French journalists held hostage in Afghanistan are in good health and that negotiations toward their release will resume.

Abbas: Will quit peace talks if no building freeze

The Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:10:00 EST

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he has warned Israel's prime minister that he'll quit peace talks unless Israel extends a curb on settlement construction. Abbas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched negotiations at a summit in Washington last week.

BBC: Basque separatists ETA announce cease fire

The Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:35:00 EST

LONDON - The BBC is reporting that the Basque separatist militant group ETA has issued a video declaring a cease fire.

Kim's son likely to get major post

Chico Harlan — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il will probably use an upcoming meeting of party elites to introduce his heir apparent, initiating the Stalinist dictatorship's second hereditary power transfer, U.S. and South Korean experts and officials say.

Toll hits 65 from attacks in Pakistan

Abdul Sattar — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

The death toll from a Pakistani Taliban suicide attack on a Shiite Muslim procession rose to 65 Saturday as critically wounded people died in hospitals, while a suspected U.S. missile strike killed seven insurgents in a restive tribal area.

Study: Italy should get own nuclear energy

The Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 11:24:00 EST

CERNOBBIO, Italy - A study chaired by the chief economist of the International Energy Agency is making a strong case for the introduction of nuclear energy in Italy.

Official: Obama backing research tax credits

JULIE PACE — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 10:10:00 EST

WASHINGTON - A White House official says President Barack Obama will ask Congress to permanently extend research and development tax credits for businesses as a way to spur economic growth.

Ex-UK military chief says Blair underfunded army

The Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:04:00 EST

LONDON - The former head of the British Army has accused former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown of forcing the military to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan without adequate funding.

Moscow's zebras' dangerous

Lynn Berry — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

A peculiar sight greeted drivers in Moscow on Friday: zebras walking back and forth across some of the city's busiest intersections.

Blowout preventer pulled from Gulf

Harry R. Weber — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

A crane hoisted a key piece of oil spill evidence to the surface of the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, giving investigators their first chance to personally scrutinize the blowout preventer, the massive piece of equipment that failed to stop the gusher four months ago.

Storm leaves little damage

Russell Contreras — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

In the end, Earl's worst damage in New England was to seasonal businesses hoping to end their summer on a high note. The tropical storm, far less intense than feared, brushed past the Northeast and dumped heavy, wind-driven rain on Cape Cod cottages and fishing villages but caused little damage.

Scholars say Obama polarized nation early

Dan Balz — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

One of the puzzling questions about Barack Obama's presidency is how the post-partisan candidate of 2008 became the polarizing chief executive of 2010.

Outgoing NATO deputy rues early optimism on Marjah

Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 05:12:00 EST

KABUL, Afghanistan - NATO commanders were overly optimistic when they predicted quick success taking the key Taliban-held town of Marjah last winter, the outgoing deputy commander said.

Indiana man and his dog run geese mitigation business

Bob Scott — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:16:00 EST

LAFAYETTE - During a recent demonstration, John the border collie slowly but steadily swam toward a flock of Canada geese behind Caterpillar.

7 colleges in Indiana hang up dorm landlines

Dan McFeely — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:42:00 EST

INDIANAPOLIS -Tired of watching dust gather on dorm phones, several Indiana colleges are pulling the plug on landlines, making their classes of 2014 the first in the state to be totally cellular.

Riley robots are new tool in children's therapy

Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:28:00 EST

INDIANAPOLIS - An Indiana children's hospital is using robots to help youngsters with cerebral palsy and other movement disorders improve the use of their arms and legs.

Craigslist ends adult services ads

Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Craigslist appears to have surrendered in a legal fight over erotic ads posted on its website, shutting down its adult services section Saturday.

Birth tourism' unusual

Bob Christie and Paul J. Weber — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

When Ruth Garcia's twins are born in two months, they'll have all the rights of U.S. citizens. They and their six brothers and sisters will be able to vote, apply for federal student loans and even run for president.

Ohio Democrat loses unions' support

Holly Rosenkrantz — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Rep. Zack Space, a two-term Democrat running for re-election in Ohio, faces an online campaign urging voters to boycott his candidacy. The pitch isn't from Republicans or tea party activists.

NAACP tracks racism among tea party fans

Krissah Thompson — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

NAACP leaders have a message for the members of the tea party movement: We're watching you.

Amazon yields ancient clues

Juan Forero — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

To the untrained eye, all evidence in the heart of the Amazon signals virgin forest, untouched by man for time immemorial - from the ubiquitous fruit palms to the cry of howler monkeys, from the air thick with mosquitoes to the unruly tangle of jungle vines.

Pulitzer-winning cartoonist Paul Conrad dies at 86

Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 05:53:00 EST

LOS ANGELES - For more than half a century, Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Paul Conrad poked fun at politicians, taking on presidents from Harry S. Truman to George W. Bush.

Siemens to close Ohio center, cutting 88 jobs

Associated Press — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:36:00 EST

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The German industrial conglomerate Siemens AG says it plans to shut down a distribution center in Columbus by the end of January, cutting 88 jobs. The company plans to move the work from Columbus to Southaven, Miss.

1976 Mars info is re-examined

Marc Kaufman — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

Thirty-four years after NASA's Viking missions to Mars sent back results interpreted to mean there was no organic material - and consequently no life - on the planet, new research has concluded that organic material was found after all.

Decorated Marine now battles PTSD

JEB PHILLIPS — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 EST

One of the most highly decorated Marines during the war in Iraq had to drink to fall asleep. He once tried to kill himself.