hIcy ocean plunge raises funds for Special Olympics
hIcy ocean plunge raisesfunds for Special Olympics
Bob Picton, left, and Scott Forfar, both of Point Pleasant, N.J., wade through the Atlantic Ocean surf at Point Pleasant Beach. The two were participating Sunday in the 13th annual Polar Bear Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics New Jersey.
FBI: Powder isn't poison
AUSTIN -- The FBI determined a powdery substance found in a roll of quarters at a University of Texas dormitory was not ricin after initial state tests had indicated it was the potentially deadly poison, a spokesman said Sunday. The FBI tests did not identify the substance, but they came back negative for the poison that is extracted from castor beans, said San Antonio FBI spokesman Rene Salinas. The mystery powder spilled onto Kelly Heinbaugh's hands as she unwrapped a roll of quarters in her dorm room on Thursday. She said she'd used five other rolls of quarters her mother had gotten from the same bank and none had powder in them.
1 killed, 2 hurt in shooting
DETROIT -- A man opened fire at a church service Sunday, killing an 18-year-old woman and wounding her child before shooting another man outside, according to police and broadcast reports. Second Deputy Police Chief James Tate confirmed that three people were shot, one fatally, at Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church, about 11 a.m. The child did not have life-threatening injuries, WWJ-AM reported. The third victim, who was shot when trying to protect his wife from a carjacking attempt by the shooter, was in critical condition, the station said. Church members helped police identify a suspect, Tate said. Officers were looking for Kevin Lorenzo Collins, 24, who is considered armed and dangerous.
Mistrial declared
McKINNEY, Texas -- Jurors deadlocked, forcing a mistrial, in the murder trial of a mother accused of cutting off her infant daughter's arms, then listening to a hymn while her daughter bled in a crib. Ten jurors believed Dena Schlosser was not guilty by reason of insanity, while one believed she was guilty and another could not decide, said juror Steve Penn. Defense Attorney David Haynes said the case likely will be tried again, although prosecutors would not say whether they planned to return to court. Police found baby Margaret, known as Maggie, dying in her crib in November 2004, and Schlosser covered in blood, holding a knife and listening to a church hymn. The trial centered on whether Schlosser, 37, knew right from wrong during the killing, a legal criterion of the insanity defense in Texas.
McKinley climbers limited
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- North America's tallest mountain is getting crowded -- too crowded for safety. Starting next year, the National Park Service will cap the number of climbers allowed on Alaska's Mount McKinley at 1,500 a year -- not too many more than the record 1,340 alpinists who attempted to scale the 20,320-foot mountain last year. McKinley, known locally as Denali or "the High One," is required climbing for many of the world's most serious mountaineers, who attempt to reach the summit of the highest peak on each of the seven continents. Since 1903, McKinley has been attempted by 30,049 climbers and just over half have reached the summit. Ninety-five climbers have died trying, including a record 11 in 1992. Two brothers from Ohio died last year.
Resignation demanded
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Tens of thousands of protesters on Sunday demanded that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra resign, and opposition parties called for a meeting with the embattled leader to discuss political reforms. Thaksin dissolved parliament Friday in a move forcing national elections three years early and guaranteeing a showdown with political opponents who have accused him of corruption. The three main opposition parties have spoken of boycotting elections, which Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party would almost certainly win because of its popularity with rural voters. Tens of thousands of students, Buddhist monks and teachers rallied Sunday to demand Thaksin step down. Police estimated the crowd at 60,000 but organizers said it was over 100,000 -- bigger than the last rally on Feb. 11.