Source: Martha Stewart to be sent to W.Va. prison

Source: Martha Stewartto be sent to W.Va. prison
NEW YORK -- Martha Stewart has been ordered to serve her sentence for lying about a stock sale at the federal prison in Alderson, W.Va., a source close to the case told The Associated Press today.
Stewart had asked to serve her five-month sentence at the federal prison in Danbury, Conn., close to her home in Westport, or as a second choice at the federal prison in Coleman, Fla.
But the source, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity, said the federal Bureau of Prisons had instead chosen Alderson, a minimum-security women's prison that houses about 1,000 inmates.
A federal judge has ordered Stewart to report to prison by Oct. 8.
A spokeswoman for Stewart did not immediately return a call for comment, and Dan Dunne, a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Prisons, had no comment.
Stewart, 63, and former stockbroker Peter Bacanovic were convicted in March of lying to federal investigators about why Stewart sold 3,928 shares of ImClone Systems Inc. stock in December 2001.
Mount St. Helens showssigns it could erupt soon
MOUNT ST. HELENS, Wash. -- The lava dome in the crater of Mount St. Helens apparently is growing, possibly a new sign of an impending eruption, a top volcano scientist said today.
"There seems to be some movement in the lava dome," Jeff Wynn, chief scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascade Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Wash.
The pressure could come either from a buildup of gases within the 8,364-foot volcano, which erupted with devastating force in 1980, or from molten rock moving into the dome, Wynn said. The volcano began stirring again last week.
Seth Moran, a seismologist at the observatory, estimated the initial movement at four centimeters, about an inch and a half.
Wynn said the movement "sort of suggests that we're getting closer" to an eruption that could hurl rocks and ash a few thousand feet into the air.
He emphasized that the estimates were highly preliminary and inexact because there is only one measuring device on the dome, estimating scientists will need about 48 hours to interpret the data more clearly.
Israeli raid in Gaza Strip
BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza Strip -- A large force of Israeli tanks, armored vehicles and troops pushed into northern Gaza in an overnight raid aimed at militants who have fired rockets against nearby Israeli towns. Palestinians said the incursion, which continued today, killed at least three Palestinians.
About 110 Israeli vehicles -- including tanks, armored personnel carriers and bulldozers -- swarmed throughout a swath of northern Gaza that militants have used as a staging ground for rocket attacks on Israel in recent days, witnesses said.
In the town of Beit Lahiya, troops sealed off roads as bulldozers destroyed some houses, witnesses said.
Crude oil prices fall
WASHINGTON -- Oil prices fell sharply today after the government reported that U.S. inventories of crude rose 3.4 million barrels last week, surprising many traders and analysts who had expected to see supplies shrink due to lingering output problems in the wake of Hurricane Ivan.
Light sweet crude for November delivery fell 35 cents to $49.55 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after rising above $50 a barrel in overnight electronic trading. Oil is priced 75 percent higher than a year ago, but when adjusted for inflation, still remains around $30 below the level reached in 1981.
In the Gulf of Mexico, the damage from Hurricane Ivan continues to cause supply disruptions. On Tuesday, the federal Minerals Management Service reported that 11.8 million barrels of oil have been lost since Sept. 13 and that daily production in the region is still down by 29 percent.
Too many cooks
BLUEWELL, W.Va. -- A family meal erupted into a gunbattle after a father and son clashed over how to cook chicken. The two men argued Sunday over the best way to prepare skinless chicken for dinner.
"It started out as a physical confrontation, but it escalated until both of them were shooting at each other," Detective Sgt. A.D. Beasley of the Mercer County Sheriff's Department said Monday.
Beasley said each man fired a .22-caliber handgun at the other. Harley Shrader was struck by a bullet that went through the upper part of his right ear and lodged in the back of his head. He was treated at a hospital and released. The elder Shrader was not injured.
Jackie Lee Shrader, 49, was charged with malicious wounding and wanton endangerment. Harley Lee Shrader, 24, was charged with wanton endangerment.
Associated Press