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Reports of at least fourteen dead this week due to gun-related suicides in the United States

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:53:18 GMT

Correction — February 6, 2013

This article does not conform to our neutrality policy, due to its manner of presentation of an out-of-context selection of facts. The lapse appears to have been unintentional by all parties involved. We apologize for the error.

Crime and law

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Sunday, February 3, 2013

A number of suicides as a result of self-inflicted gunshot wounds took place around the United States this week with reports of deaths in Arizona, California, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina and Washington.

Last Saturday in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alston Badger died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 51 years old.

On Monday in Clark County, Nevada, Jody Sherman, the Ecomom founder and CEO, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Another suicide occurred Monday in New Jersey. Chester and Rosaria Andraka died after Chester allegedly shot Rosaria before killing himself. Chester was a former police officer and there were few signs of trouble in the relationship prior to their deaths.

Another murder-suicide shooting took place on Monday. This one occurred in Elmont, New York, where 58-year-old Audley Dennis is believed to have shot his 46-year-old wife, Karen Rodgers-Dennis, before he shot himself. The couple allegedly had a history of fighting, with a family friend telling the New York Post, “They had their altercations. They would argue and yell, have outbursts."

Greensburg, Indiana, where one of this week's gun-related suicides took place
Image: Dopey9928.

In Greensburg, Indiana on Tuesday, local police Lieutenant Larry G. Dance committed suicide, dying from a self-inflicted gunshot. He had joined the police force on January 1, 1995. He left behind by a wife and two daughters.

On Tuesday in Waldorf, Maryland, local police reported an attempted murder-suicide with sixty-four year old Linda Lindsey believed to have shot her husband before fatally shooting herself. Her husband was reported to have survived and be in critical condition.

Devin Peterson, a twenty-two year old, allegedly committed suicide with a state trooper's shotgun following his alleged theft of a police cruiser, another car and a police chase on Interstate 80 in Nevada on Wednesday.

A seventy-year-old man from Renton, Washington died from a self-inflicted gun shot wound on Wednesday shortly after he called 911 to tell the dispatcher he was planning to take his own life.

On Wednesday, three people died in a murder-suicide in Oxnard, California that involved at least one gun. The deceased included two women and the suspected male shooter.

On Thursday, Lee Vining Fire Chief Tom Strazdims reported an Oregon man likely commited suicide by shooting himself in the parking lot of the town's visitor center.

Also on Thursday, the body of a suspected gunman accused of killing a call center CEO and injuring a lawyer was found dead of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound in Mesa, Arizona. Police had been searching for the man since Wednesday following the shooting at a mediation session over a lawsuit.

In another reported suicide on Thursday, this one in the Baltimore area, a man was found dead in the parking lot of the Timonium gun range of a self-inflicted gun shot wound.

In Radcliff, Kentucky on Thursday, alleged burglar Michael Strand exchanged gunfire with police after they attempted to bring him in for questioning. Following a lull of approximately an hour, police entered the apartment and found the man dead from an alleged self-inflicted gunshot wound.

In Medina, Ohio on Thursday, United States Marine Andrew Baumgartner, who served in Afghanistan and had been discharged several months ago, got into an altercation with Sgt. Scott Schmoll after Schmoll felt a gun on Baumgartner's person. Following this, Baumgartner hid in nearby woodlands, emerged to knock on the door of a local home to tell the resident he had been hit by a car, only to disappear into the woods again. He subsequently died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police discovered his body alongside items they believed he had stolen.

The problem of suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound is recognized by some gun groups. The Royal Oak shooting range in Michigan stopped renting guns this week following after twelve people having attempted to kill themselves with guns rented from the range since 2001 (five of them were successful). Three of the incidents occurred in the past four months, with two of them fatal.

These suicides take place against a backdrop of gun control discussion in the United States Congress, where former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and an NRA spokesperson appeared before the body this week to discuss the possible need for stricter gun control laws.

According to the Maine Center of Disease Control and Prevention, guns are used in 85% of male suicides in the state. Debate has continued this week in the state about gun control as it relates to suicide. Iran's PressTV published an opinion piece claiming that for every gun owner who uses their weapon in their home for self-defense, there are eleven suicide attempts involving a weapon. In the United States, veterans are more likely to use guns in acts of suicide than acts of homicide. The number of daily suicides by veterans is currently 22.

Guns are often used in suicide attempts, with PolitiFact reporting on Wednesday that there were 4,643 non-fatal gun involved suicide attempts in 2010. This number contradicts testimony by Wayne LaPierre of NRA to the United States Congress regarding unintentional deaths cause by firearms as LaPierre cited 600 deaths. Australia instituted tougher gun control regulations in 1996, including gun buy back programs. According to a study by Andrew Leigh of Australian National University and Christine Neill of Wilfrid Laurier University, these programs correlate to an 80% drop in suicides involving guns at a time when other methods of suicide remained consistent.

Similar research done in the United States has similar results. A 1991 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found stricter gun control in the District of Columbia was a likely cause of a reduction in the number of suicides by gun shot in D.C. compared to surrounding areas.

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Sources [edit]

"Radcliff man who died after exchanging gunfire with police killed himself, police say" — The Courier-Journal, February 1, 2013
Carrie Wells and Jessica Anderson. "Man committed suicide at Timonium gun range, police say" — Baltimore Sun, February 1, 2013
Bob Jones. "Surveillance video shows Marine, burglary suspect trying to get into Granger Twp home before suicide" — ABC 5, February 1, 2013
Robert Long. "Why isn’t suicide prevention part of Maine’s public safety debate?" — Bangor Daily News, February 1, 2013
Dave Gilson. "10 Pro-Gun Myths, Shot Down" — PressTV, February 1, 2013
Andrea Chang. "After Jody Sherman death, tech community seeks dialogue on suicide" — Los Angeles Times, February 1, 2013
"Greensburg Police Lt.'s Death Ruled Suicide" — Eagle Country 99.3 FM, January 31, 2013
Greg Jaffe,. "VA study finds more veterans committing suicide" — Washington Post, January 31, 2013
Benett Kessler. "Report of attempted suicide in visitors center parking lot in Lee Vining" — Sierra Wave: Eastern Sierra News, January 31, 2013
Associated Press. "Suspected Phoenix gunman found dead of apparent suicide" — Oregon Live, January 31, 2013
Patrick Clark. "After Suicide of Jody Sherman, A Call to Talk About the Emotional Strain of Life at Startups" — BeatBeat, January 31, 2013
Times staff writer. "Neighbors heard shots during apparent murder-suicide in Oxnard" — Los Angeles Times, January 31, 2013
Catherine Kavanaugh. "Royal Oak gun range changes policy to stop walk-in suicides" — Daily Tribune, January 31, 2013
Associated Press. "100 lbs. of pot worth $495k in Nevada suicide case" — Watertown Daily Times, January 31, 2013
Eric Anderson. "Elmont Couple Found Dead After Murder-Suicide" — Long Island Media, Inc., January 30, 2013
Charles County Sheriff's Office. "Attempt Murder/Suicide In Waldorf" — thebaynet, January 30, 2013
"As a result of National Rifle Association and other private-sector (safety-education) programs, fatal firearms accidents are at the lowest level in 100 years." — PolitiFact, January 30, 2013
Jenny Manning. "Renton Man Found Dead At Heritage Park Of Apparent Self-Inflicted Gun Shot" — Renton Patch, January 30, 2013
Mike Frassinelli and Brendan Kuty. "18 days before apparent murder-suicide, Facebook post portrayed Parsippany lovers" — Star-Ledger, January 29, 2013
"Assistant U.S. Attorney Alston Badger’s death ruled suicide" — The Post and Courier, January 29, 2013
"Stephen King says since Australia passed tough gun laws, "homicides by firearm have declined almost 60 percent."" — PolitiFact, January 25, 2013
"Washington, D.C., had some of the strictest gun laws in the country. And when they passed them, violence skyrocketed." — PolitiFact, January 17, 2013

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Winning horse I'll Have Another loses shot at US Triple Crown

Sat, 09 Jun 2012 20:00:49 GMT

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Wikinews Sports

Sister links [edit]

2012 Belmont Stakes

Sources [edit]

Darren Rovell. "Breaking News: I'll Have Another retires (Video)" — MSNBC, June 8, 2012
AP. "I'll Have Another pulled from Belmont" — ESPN, June 8, 2012
Pia Catton. "A Leg Trips Up the Triple Crown" — The Wall St. Journal, June 8, 2012
AP. "I'll Have Another Scratched from Belmont" — KMOX, June 8, 2012
Matt Gardner. "The Triple Crown Winners: From Sir Barton to Affirmed" — SB Nation, June 6, 2012
Bob Velin. "I'll Have Another captures Preakness Stakes" — USA Today, May 20, 2012

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Attorney John Wolfe wins 42% against President Obama in Arkansas primary

Thu, 24 May 2012 04:45:22 GMT

Thursday, May 24, 2012

2012 United States Presidential Election

2012 U.S. Presidential Election stories

7 November 2012: World leaders react to Obama win
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5 November 2012: Wikinews interviews former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party
5 November 2012: On the campaign trail, October 2012

Attorney John Wolfe, Jr. of Chattanooga, Tennessee won 68,105 votes for 42 percent of the total in Tuesday's Arkansas Democratic Party presidential primary. He came in first in 36 counties and finished only 16 points behind President Barack Obama, who won the primary with 95,382 votes for 58 percent. The result tops prison inmate Keith Russell Judd's 41 percent West Virginia primary showing against Obama two weeks ago as the strongest outing for a Democratic challenger thus far. According to The Green Papers, Wolfe qualified for 19 Democratic National Convention delegates, which the party has already announced they will deny.

Wolfe at the Lesser-known candidates forum in December 2011
Image: Marc Nozell.

Wolfe, who is concerned about the influence of Wall Street in the Obama administration, announced his primary challenge to Obama last year. So far, along with Arkansas, he has qualified for the primary ballot in New Hampshire, Missouri, Louisiana and Texas. Before Tuesday, his strongest showing came in Louisiana, where he won 12 percent overall with over 15 percent in some congressional districts, qualifying him for delegates. However, these were stripped after the party claimed Wolfe had not filed the necessary paperwork. He has announced plans to take legal action against the party, and in an interview with Wikinews last week, commented, "the Democratic Party decided to avert, quite flagrantly, the will of the people and assign all the delegates to Mr. Obama, even though their bylaws, the rules themselves say that the results of the primary are binding...They forsook their own law in order to make it look like there was unanimous support for Obama."

Although President Obama has won enough delegates in this election cycle to secure the Democratic Party nomination, previously unknown challengers such as Wolfe have qualified for delegates. In March, anti-abortion activist Randall Terry and perennial candidate Jim Rogers qualified for delegates in Oklahoma, but later had them stripped by the party for not filing delegate slates and, in Terry's case, not qualifying as a bona-fide candidate. The same outcome occurred for Judd in West Virginia, and as mentioned above, for Wolfe in Louisiana and Arkansas.

After the Arkansas Democratic Party announced prior to Tuesday's vote that any delegates Wolfe gains will not be seated, Wolfe told The Daily Caller he would pursue further legal action, proclaiming, "It will be a summer of litigation. … I hate to do it against my own party, but they’re acting as if this guy [Obama] is some kind of emperor."

	They don’t have but two names on the ballot: President Obama and that other guy [John Wolfe], [and] I don’t know anything about the other guy
—73-year-old Arkansas primary voter

The last Democratic Party presidential incumbent, Bill Clinton, faced fewer challenges than Obama during his 1996 primary election, but the party still had to deal with a candidate that won delegates. Challenger Lyndon LaRouche qualified for delegates in Louisiana and Virginia that year, but the party stripped these, claiming LaRouche's views were "explicitly racist and anti-Semitic." Like Wolfe, LaRouche proceeded to sue the party, but was unsuccessful.

Regardless of whether the party ultimately awards the delegates, some analysts say the results provide insights into voters' perception of Obama. Peter Grier of The Christian Science Monitor explained that "white working-class voters", who make up a majority in Arkansas, "have been disproportionately hurt by the economic downturn, and they're resistant to what they see as Obama’s liberal health-care reforms and support of gay marriage." Republican Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma argued "Obama fares poorly in states like ... Arkansas because he has nothing in common with them. They are rural, he is urban. They are populist, he is elitist. And in case anyone hadn’t noticed, they are conservative while he is liberal." Former Democratic Congressman Charlie Stenholm largely agreed, commenting "The most significant factor is the perception/reality that the Obama administration has leaned toward the ultra-left viewpoint on almost all issues."

Arkansas Democratic primary by county. John Wolfe won the counties in red while President Obama won the counties in black.
Image: William S. Saturn.

Others have dismissed the results, arguing it is a foregone conclusion that Obama will not win Arkansas in the general election, and that opposition there may be the result of racism against Obama, the first African American president. Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post published an article questioning whether racism played a role and concluded that though it likely did, "simply labeling [the people of] Arkansas who backed Tennessee lawyer John Wolfe over the incumbent as 'racists' is a major oversimplification." University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato warned Democrats against overlooking the results, saying "Obama will never carry white working class. But he can’t afford to lose it by massive margins, either."

The Associated Press asked a few Arkansas voters how they cast their ballot and why. One voter, described as a 57-year-old resident of Lonoke, Arkansas, said she voted for John Wolfe because she "wasn’t satisfied with Obama" and had a particular concern about Social Security. An 85-year-old retiree from Little Rock, Arkansas said he also voted for Wolfe, but called it "a wasted vote...I guess you just do it in opposition."

As for the Obama supporters, one Little Rock voter said he cast his ballot for Obama, even though "I am not entirely happy with what he is doing." Another, identified as a 51-year-old attorney from Lonoke, said she voted for Obama and fully supports him because "he stands up for what he believes in and he has not wavered." One 73-year-old retired aircraft mechanic said he voted for Obama because "they don’t have but two names on the ballot: President Obama and that other guy [John Wolfe], [and] I don’t know anything about the other guy."

In other races on Tuesday, "uncommitted" won a similar margin as Wolfe against Obama in the Kentucky Democratic primary. On the Republican side, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney easily won both the Arkansas and Kentucky primaries with 68.3 percent and 66.8 percent, respectively.

The next primary will be held May 29 in Texas. Wolfe will be on the ballot alongside Obama, historian Darcy Richardson, and activist Bob Ely.

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Sources [edit]

Associated Press. "Comments from Arkansas primary election voters" — The Courier (Arkansas), May 23, 2012
Peter Grier. "Obama loses 42 percent of Kentucky, Arkansas primary vote. Should he worry?" — The Christian Science Monitor, May 23, 2012
Chris Cillizza. "Kentucky, Arkansas primaries: Is it racism?" — The Washington Post, May 23, 2012
"Arkansas Democrat Presidential Nominating Process" — The Green Papers, May 23, 2012 (date of access)
"Election Map 2012: Live Voting Results - KY" — Politico, May 23, 2012 (date of access)
"Election Map 2012: Live Voting Results - AR" — Politico, May 23, 2012 (date of access)

Neil Munro. "Democrats shun Obama’s Arkansas challenger" — The Daily Caller, May 18, 2012

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I'll Have Another wins 2012 Preakness Stakes

Mon, 21 May 2012 22:24:03 GMT

Monday, May 21, 2012

Wikinews Sports

Sister links [edit]

2012 Preakness Stakes

Sources [edit]

"Preakness 137: The Contenders" — Pimlico Race Course, May 21, 2012 (date accessed)
Bob Velin. "I'll Have Another captures Preakness Stakes" — USA Today, May 20, 2012
Joe Drape. "Another Thriller, and More Believers" — The New York Times, May 19, 2012

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I'll Have Another wins 2012 Kentucky Derby

Sun, 06 May 2012 18:37:17 GMT

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Wikinews Sports

Sources [edit]

Dan Nowak. "Kentucky Derby: Breaking down the field" — Chicago Tribune, May 5, 2012
"I'll Have Another wins the 138th Kentucky Derby" — NBC Sports, May 5, 2012
Melissa Hoppert. "I’ll Have Another Wins Derby" — New York Times, May 5, 2012
Joe Drape. "Long Shot’s All-Out Style May Set Pace at the Derby" — New York Times, May 4, 2012
Associated Press. "Union Rags still favorite for Kentucky Derby" — Sports Illustrated, April 23, 2012

External Links [edit]

"The Kentucky Derby Horses" — kentuckyderby.com, May 5, 2012 (date accessed)

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Kentucky men plead not guilty in gay hate crime case

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:33:07 GMT

Friday, April 13, 2012

LGBT

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Two Kentucky cousins were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and assault against a gay man. They pleaded not guilty yesterday in a case the prosecution alleges is a hate crime motivated by the victim's sexual orientation.

President Obama shakes hands with the sisters of James Byrd, Jr., and the mother of Matthew Shepard after the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is signed into law, Oct. 28, 2009.
Image: The White House.

US Attorney Kerry B. Harvey says it is the first time that the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act will be used in a prosecution of a case in US courts. President Barack Obama signed the law in October 2009.

	David Jason Jenkins and Anthony Ray Jenkins made a plan to assault Pennington because of his sexual orientation.
—U.S. federal indictment

The charges were brought against David Jason Jenkins, 37, and his cousin Anthony Ray Jenkins, 20.

On April 4, 2011, the two were allegedly involved in a nighttime incident in which Kevin Pennington says he was lured into a dark vehicle with the two men by two women, driven to the Kingdom Come State Park and assaulted.

Pennington says he was able to escape during the attack, hide in the woods, and seek help from the park's office. After the incident, Pennington was bruised and had visible head injuries.

Pennington said he knew of the two men and believed they had been involved in a beating of a friend who is gay.

The 20-year-old Jenkins' wife and sister, both 19, were not charged with the two men although it has been alleged that they verbally supported the cousins during the incident and used anti-gay language. The case involves an FBI recording of the elder Jenkins talking about his younger cousin's motivations.

Andrew Stevens, who is the 37-year-old Jenkin's lawyer, said it would be difficult to prove what someone was thinking in order to connect a crime to sexual orientation.

A conviction of a hate crime could result in a life sentence.

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Sources [edit]

Carol Cratty. "Two Kentucky men plead not guilty in alleged gay hate crime beating" — CNN, April 12, 2012
Bill Estep (Herald-Leader). "Kentucky men face first-of-their-kind federal hate-crime charges" — Kentucky.com, April 12, 2012

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Deadly tornadoes blast U.S. Midwest leaving 39 dead

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 07:37:19 GMT

Monday, March 5, 2012

Disasters and accidents

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At least 39 people are confirmed dead, dozens injured and numerous buildings are left damaged in several states after series of tornadoes hit the U.S. Midwest March 2. The storm system stretched from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes. Southern Indiana, northern Alabama and parts of Kentucky and Tennessee were affected the most.

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Images from the GOES 13 satellite shows the formation and movement of the storm system.
Image: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The first warning went out around 9:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time and by about 1:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, at least twelve tornadoes had touched down in three different states. At least fourteen people were confirmed dead in Indiana. Officials are still trying to determine how many people might have died and assessing the damage.

New Pekin, Indiana, Marysville and Henryville are reported to have been hit the worst. Marysville about a hour north of Louisville, Kentucky has been reported to be nearly flatted. In Kentucky, at least 17 people had died and at least 200 injuries have been reported. Only one has been confirmed dead in Alabama but at least eleven people were injured during the storm. There are three confirmed dead in Clermont County, Ohio.

Damage reports in the Midwest and South keep piling up. Golf ball, tennis ball and softball size hail was reported in several states. Severe damage was reported in Nashville, Tennessee and Knoxville after high winds and 3 inch in diameter hail tore through the cities.

At the Limestone Correctional Facility in northern Alabama roofs were ripped off two dormitories housing over 500 inmates and multiple security fences were knocked down. Even though the prison lost power, nobody was injured or escaped. Also, flights were delayed for over an hour after storm debris littered the runways at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

The National Weather Service issued 255 tornado warnings on Friday, received 94 reports of tornadoes, 208 reports of strong winds and 410 reports of hail. The storms, caused by a warm, moist and unseasonable air mass that then mixed with colder air, followed a series of tornadoes earlier in the week that killed 13 people in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee.

The storms have raised fear that 2012 will be another bad year for tornadoes. Last year was the deadliest year in a century due to tornadoes, killing 550 people.

How should we help victims of natural disasters? Post it!

Sources [edit]

Bruce Schreiner and Tom LoBianco (AP). "Baby dropped in field by tornado dies; toll at 39" — Sarasota Herald-Tribune, March 4, 2012
Steven Yaccino. "Towns Search for Survivors After Widespread Storms" — The New York Times, March 3, 2012
Susan Guyett. "Tornadoes slam Midwest, at least six dead in Indiana" — Chicago Tribune, March 2, 2012

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Deadly tornadoes rip through southern US, killing over 300

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:36:47 GMT

Friday, April 29, 2011

Disasters and accidents

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NOAA tornado probability map for April 27, 2011

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A huge thunderstorm system spawning massive tornadoes ripped through the south-eastern US Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning, killing at least 306 people in six states and causing wide spread property damage. Some 173 tornadoes have been reported from New York to Texas. In the worst hit state of Alabama, at least 210 are confirmed dead, including 36 in Tuscaloosa alone.

	In terms of the ground-up damage and quite possibly the insured damage, this event will be of historic proportions.
—Jose Miranda, EQECAT

Deaths also were reported in Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Kentucky.

Up to one million people in Alabama were without power. A nuclear power plant was shut down in Alabama after it lost power to its three units, an operation of the plant's safety systems.

Seven states have declared a state of emergency, and federal aid is being sent to Alabama. Governor Robert J. Bentley said he was activating 2,000 Alabama National Guard personell to aid in search and rescue. President Barack Obama, who plans to visit Alabama on Friday to view the destruction, sent a message of condolence to the governor:

"Michelle and I extend our deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives because of the tornadoes that have swept through Alabama and the southeastern United States. Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected by this devastation, and we commend the heroic efforts of those who have been working tirelessly to respond to this disaster. I just spoke to Governor Bentley and told him that I have ordered the Federal Government to move quickly in our response and informed him that I approved his request for emergency Federal assistance, including search and rescue assets. While we may not know the extent of the damage for days, we will continue to monitor these severe storms across the country and stand ready to continue to help the people of Alabama and all citizens affected by these storms."

Preliminary estimates of the tornado hitting Tuscaloosa suggest it tore along the ground for 176 miles and contained winds up to 200 miles per hour. The devastation included residential and commercial areas, as well as the city's infrastructure and civic buildings.

	I don't know how anyone survived. ... But when you look at the path of destruction that's likely 5 to 7 miles long in an area half a mile to a mile wide ... it's an amazing scene. There's parts of the city I don't recognize, and that's someone that's lived here his entire life.
—Walter Maddox, Mayor of Tuscaloosa

"I don't know how anyone survived," said Mayor Walter Maddox of Tuscaloosa. "We're used to tornadoes here in Tuscaloosa. It's part of growing up. But when you look at the path of destruction that's likely 5 to 7 miles long in an area half a mile to a mile wide ... it's an amazing scene. There's parts of the city I don't recognize, and that's someone that's lived here his entire life."

Officials did not want to give specific numbers for death toll and destruction in specific states, as the extent of the damage and human injury and death is not completely known. According the the Los Angeles Times, "Mississippi officials reported 32 dead, Tennessee raised its report to 29, Georgia reported 13, Virginia said it had eight deaths and Kentucky reported at least one death. The number of injured was in the hundreds, with that number also expected to rise."

"In terms of the ground-up damage and quite possibly the insured damage, this event will be of historic proportions," Jose Miranda, from EQECAT, a catastrophe risk modeling firm,

The severe weather warning has been continued through Thursday, and includes parts of New York, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

This outbreak of tornadoes is considered the deadliness since 1974 when more than 300 were killed in a tornado outbreak. On March 18, 1925, 695 people died in a storm.

Greg Carbin, meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said, "May is usually the most active tornado month. Will it maintain the activity of April, we just cannot say."

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Sources [edit]

Wikipedia has more about this subject:

April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak

Verna Gates. "Tornadoes tear across South, killing over 306" — Reuters, April 29, 2011
"Number of weather related fatalities climb to 210" — Alabama Emergency Management Agency, April 28, 2011
"Tornadoes and storms rip through South, at least 284 dead" — Reuters, April 28, 2011
Marty Roney. "Dozens of tornadoes kill more than 240 in South" — USA Today, April 28, 2011
"Storms kill scores in Alabama and other south US states" — BBC News, April 28, 2011
Richard Fausset, Michael Muskal,. "Alabama, Southern states pounded by 'catastrophic' storms; at least 250 dead" — Los Angeles Times, April 28, 2011
Greg Bluestein, Jay Reeves (Associated Press). "Tornadoes devastate South, killing at least 214" — San Diego News Tribune, April 28, 2011
Leezel Tanglao, Michael S. James, Ben Forer. "Deadly Tornadoes: 210 Killed Across South, Including 131 in Alabama" — ABC World News, April 28, 2011
Press Release: President Barack Obama. "Statement by the President on the Severe Storms and Tornadoes in Alabama" — The White House, April 27, 2011

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Kentucky lawmaker in critical condition after fight in high school cafeteria

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 00:45:52 GMT

Saturday, April 16, 2011

One of Kentucky's newest state lawmakers, who also serves as a high school teacher, sustained a critical head injury Tuesday morning while intervening to break up a fight between two students in the school's cafeteria.

State Representative DeWayne Bunch (R), 49, was listed in "extremely critical" condition when he was taken to the Baptist Regional Medical Center in Corbin, Kentucky, immediately following the fight between two male teens.

Bunch was reported as being unconscious and bleeding from the ears when emergency responders arrived at Whitley County High School.

The fight, between a fifteen- and sixteen-year-old, was caught by a surveillance camera which showed Bunch being punched by the sixteen-year-old, according to the sheriff. It is not clear what started the fight, which took place in the school's cafeteria during breakfast.

The teens have been charged with one count of first-degree assault and two counts of third-degree assault. They are both in custody at a juvenile detention center according to the sheriff.

Bunch was later transported to University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky. His family has requested no information be publicly released about his condition.

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Sources [edit]

Dylan Lovan and Beth Campbell. "Ky. lawmaker-teacher injured in high school fight" — Google News / Associated Press, April 13, 2011
Russell Goldman. "Kentucky Rep. Dewayne Bunch Critically Wounded in High School Brawl" — ABC News, April 13, 2011

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Former adult film actress forced to leave teaching job again

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:36:57 GMT

Friday, March 11, 2011

Education

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For more information, see the Education portal. More information on Education at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Tera Myers in 2005

Tera Myers, a former actress in pornographic films, has left her position as a science teacher at Parkway North High School in St. Louis County, Missouri after her past was revealed by a student. This marks the second such controversy involving Myers, also known under the names Tericka Dye and the stage name Rikki Anderson. She was suspended by Kentucky's McCracken County Public Schools system in 2006 after her career in pornography was made public.

Don Senti, interim superintendent of the district, said Myers was on administrative leave from her position at the school at her own request. Myers' request, granted "out of respect for her privacy and that of her family," came after a student inquired about her pornographic career. The district said Myers passed background checks before being hired as a teacher in 2007, but it did not know about her past until the student found out about it online, because her career in the pornography industry was legal. A Parkway representative said the Kentucky school at which Myers last worked was contacted in 2007 to verify her references, but no mention of her suspension or stint in pornography was provided.

Myers will continue to be paid until the end of the semester, at which time she is to leave the Parkway School District. "We're surprised, very surprised," said Parkway spokesperson Paul Tandy. "At the same time we feel for her and her family. We do believe she has tried to move on with her life ... Unfortunately, even though it happened fifteen years ago, [the video] is still there." According to Tandy, Dye "was concerned about the impact it would have in the building," and, on March 4, informed the school's principal of her past after being asked by the student. Myers also was the coach of the girls' volleyball at Parkway North High School.

Myers previously taught at Reidland High School in Paducah, Kentucky, and was suspended in 2006 after a student there discovered her pornographic career. That May, Myers defended herself, saying, "Anybody who has been in my classroom could tell you how much I love teaching and how much I love these students, and that should be what matters more than anything in my past." Known as Tericka Dye at the time, she protested against her dismissal and even appeared on the "Dr. Phil" talk show.

Myers said she became involved in the adult industry after working as an impoverished exotic dancer in California.

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Sources [edit]

Elizabethe Holland. "Teacher who once made porn films steps down" — St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 9, 2011
Aliyah Shahid. "Tera Myers, ex-porn star, loses teaching gig in St. Louis, after student discovers her X-rated past" — New York Daily News, March 8, 2011

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Severe flooding leaves 28 dead in southern United States

Tue, 04 May 2010 04:16:49 GMT

Weather

Sources [edit]

William Harless and Joseph Berger. "Floods Prompt Evacuations in Nashville" — The New York Times, May 3, 2010
"22 Killed in Storms in Southern United States" — Voice of America, May 3, 2010
"Governor Beshear declares state of emergency because of flooding" — WKYT, May 3, 2010
"Gov. Bredesen asks Obama for flood recovery help, death toll rises again" — The Tennessean, May 3, 2010
Travis Loller. "Death toll rises as river crests, floods Nashville" — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 3, 2010

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Eleven die in truck-van crash in Kentucky

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:21:11 GMT

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Disasters and accidents

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Interstate 65 road sign

At least eleven people have died in a crash between a van and a tractor-trailer on Interstate 65 south of Munfordville, Kentucky. The collision occurred around 5:16 a.m. CDT (1016 UTC) yesterday morning near the 63-mile marker.

According to officials the tractor-trailer crossed the median and struck the 18 passenger van head-on. The truck then hit a rock wall and burst into flames. The driver of the truck is reported to have died along with ten passengers in the van. The family in the van were Mennonites from Kentucky on their way to a wedding in Iowa.

Officials said that one infant was killed but two other children in the van aged four and five that were in child restraint seats survived with minor injuries. Northbound Interstate 65 was to be closed until at least 4 p.m. CDT (2100 UTC) according to the Kentucky Department of Transportation.

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Sources [edit]

"11 Dead In Kentucky Interstate Crash" — WCTV TV, March 26, 2010
"Kentucky truck-van crash kills 11" — Associated Press, March 26, 2010
"Crash of truck, van kills at least 11 near Munfordville" — Courier Journal, March 26, 2010

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Bomb scare aboard plane caused by harmless prayer box

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:02:14 GMT

Friday, January 22, 2010

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A US Airways Express plane on the tarmac. (Circa 2007)

A US Airways Express plane en route from LaGuardia Airport in New York to Louisville was diverted to Philadelphia on Thursday morning after a harmless Jewish prayer box was mistaken for an explosive device.

According to Philadelphia police, a 17-year-old Orthodox Jewish boy on Flight 3079 was using tefillin, a set of black boxes attached to leather straps containing biblical passages. When used in morning prayers, one box is strapped to the left arm while the other is placed on the forehead. "It's something that the average person is not going to see very often, if ever," FBI spokesman J.J. Klaver told the Associated Press.

When questioned about the object by crew members, the teen tried to explain the ritual. However, the plane's captain still thought it best to land in Philadelphia as a precaution. Once it landed, the plane was searched, passengers were questioned, and the tefillin was examined by the bomb squad and proven to be harmless.

"The boy, who is from White Plains, and was traveling with his 16-year-old sister, was very cooperative," Philadelphia police Lieutenant Frank Vanore told local media. He went on to say, if anything, the two teens were "more alarmed than we were."

Authorities said that because the whole incident was just a misunderstanding and neither of the teens had a criminal record, they both have since been released and cleared to continue their travels.

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Sources [edit]

Kathy Matheson (AP). "Mixup Over Prayer Brings Bomb Squad to Pa. Airport" — ABCNews.com, January 21, 2010
Doug Stanglin. "Flight diverted in misunderstanding over Jewish prayer ritual" — USA Today Online, January 20, 2010

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Death of Kentucky census worker considered suicide

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:07:15 GMT

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Crime and law

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Kentucky State Police said yesterday that the September 12 death of census worker Bill Sparkman was suicide. His body was found naked in a Clay County, Kentucky cemetery, with "Fed" written on his chest and his census identification taped to his neck. This prompted widespread speculation that anti-government sentiment was responsible. However, police now believe that Sparkman deliberately killed himself, and tried to make it look like murder so his son could receive an insurance payout. Trooper Don Trosper, a Kentucky State Police spokesman, said, "[w]e believe this was an intentional act. We believe the aim was to take his own life."

This conclusion is based on the police's analysis of several elements of the crime scene; Sparkman was not hanged in the typical manner; his knees were less than six inches off the ground, and he could have avoided death simply by standing up before he suffocated. Captain Lisa Rudzinski, a leader of the investigation stated, "We do not believe he was placed in that position." The letters of the word "Fed" were written bottom first, which is unlikely if they had been written by an attacker. The rag found in his mouth contained only Sparkman's DNA. Police also believed he left glasses taped to his head so he could see while preparing.

Police suspect Sparkman's motives included debt, failure to find a full-time job, and a desire to provide for his son through his life insurance.

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Sources [edit]

Ian Urbina. "Census Worker’s Hanging Death Called Suicide" — The New York Times, November 24, 2009
Bill Estep. "Census worker hanging a suicide" — McClatchy Newspapers, November 24, 2009

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FDA warning on pistachios after salmonella contamination

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:57:17 GMT

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Health

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Pistachio(Pistacia vera L., Anacardiaceae or sometimes Pistaciaceae')
Image: marcodisce.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a recall on Salmonella contaminated Pistachios for 31 states in the United States.

"Our advice to consumers is that they avoid eating pistachio products, that they hold onto those products, that at this stage they don't throw them out, they simply hold on to them as we're learning more about them to determine if they're part of the recall," said Dr. David Acheson, associated FDA commissioner for food. However, it is expected that the recalled list may grow as the investigation continues.

Kroger Co. is recalling shelled pistachios called Private Selection Shelled Pistachios in a 10-ounce container with UPC code 111073615 and the sell dates of December 13 or 14 on the packages. Setton Farms based in California, the pistachio supplier, is voluntarily recalling their pistachios.

Products containing pistachios have not yet been recalled, but are under investigation. The salmonella contamination was discovered by Kraft foods during routine testing last Tuesday, before any illness were reported. They notified the FDA and the FDA notified Setton Farms. So far the source of contamination has not been revealed.

The 31 states initially affected are: (in alphabetical order) : Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Signs of salmonella include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Those most vulnerable are the young, the elderly or those with an already compromised health condition.

This recall follows the long list of recalled peanut related products, peanut butter and candy bars which caused a salmonella outbreak at the end of January.

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Sources [edit]

Daniel J. DeNoon. "1 million pounds of pistachios recalled" — ABC, March 31, 2009
Daniel J. DeNoon. "FDA: Stop Eating Pistachios, Salmonella Feared" — WebMD Health News, March 30, 2009
Garance Burke. "FDA says to avoid pistachios amid salmonella scare" — The Associated Press, March 30, 2009
"Kroger recalling shelled pistachios over salmonella worries" — Dayton Business Journal, March 30, 2009 Arkansas

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