Mount Etna erupts; no injuries reported

Mount Etna erupts;no injuries reported
CATANIA, Sicily -- Mount Etna, Europe's biggest and most active volcano, came to life again Sunday, spewing lava but causing no injuries. A series of small earthquakes damaged buildings on the slopes of the mountain, officials said.
The stream of lava destroyed some ski lift pylons as it headed toward Piano Provenzana, an area which sits at 7,500 feet and is used by tourists as a starting point for mountain walks.
The area was evacuated and sealed by police, said civil defense officials in Catania.
Later Sunday, forests near Piano Provenzana caught fire. Helicopters doused the flames.
Sicily's main eastern airport, Catania's Fontanarossa, was closed down, with many flights rerouted to Palermo, the island's capital city. The airport was scheduled to reopen this morning.
After months of silence, Etna's rumbled to life overnight, when as many as 200 small quakes rattled eastern Sicily, some creating panic and sending people to the streets.
Memorial service heldfor celebrity dog
NEW YORK -- A golden retriever that became a celebrity after recovering bodies in the rubble of the World Trade Center was honored at a memorial service a month after he died at age 12.
Several dozen people and dogs attended Sunday's ceremony for Bear, who led last year's Columbus Day parade and made the Guinness Book of Records as "the most celebrated dog in the world."
His human partner, Scott Shields, said that while he did not cry pulling friends from the rubble of the trade center on Sept. 11, 2001, "I cried when Bear died."
Controversy erupted when a pet insurance company, Veterinary Pet Insurance, denied Bear a policy on the grounds that his ailments -- including arthritis and cancer -- weren't incurred in recovery work at the trade center site.
The company later reversed itself and agreed to provide medical coverage to Bear.
At the ceremony beside the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, "Ave Maria" and taps were performed. Bear, who worked for Marine Safety Service, a private security firm, died Sept. 23.
U.S. troops exchangegunfire with enemy
BAGRAM, Afghanistan -- U.S. special forces in central Afghanistan exchanged gunfire with an enemy reconnaissance team over the weekend, the military said today. No injuries were reported.
The incident happened at about 10 p.m. Sunday in central Uruzgan province, in Deh Rawood district. Two Air Force A-10s from Bagram also responded. The two-man team later fled.
Also Sunday, a special forces team destroyed a weapons cache near Shindand. The cache discovered Wednesday consisted of rocket fuses, mortar rounds, mortar fuses and explosive rounds.
On Saturday, paratroopers patrolling in Deh Rawood discovered three enemy fighters setting up rockets aimed at their base camp. A firefight ensued between the 82nd Airborne patrol and the three men.
The enemy then fled the area. No injuries were reported.
Slow-speed chase
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Police officers probably wish all car chases were this easy.
A 22-year-old Green Bay man led police on a chase that often moved as slowly as 20 mph and ended in the Brown County Jail's parking lot. The man parked his pickup in the jail's lot, smoked a cigarette, got out of the truck and lay face-down on the ground to be arrested, police said.
He reportedly told the officers he knew he was drunk and was going to be sent to jail, so he just drove himself there.
The man also was arrested for cocaine possession and an outstanding warrant for a hit-and-run accident.
The chase began around 1 a.m. An officer spotted the truck ignoring signs and going the wrong way on a one-way street.
The officer chased the pickup, which often traveled as slowly as 20 miles per hour. A 21-year-old female passenger tried to get out of the vehicle several times and eventually bailed out near an intersection. She was not injured.
Associated Press