Resident dies in fire

Resident dies in fire

HUNTINGDON, Pa. — A resident of an assisted living center in central Pennsylvania died in a fire Tuesday, and smoke and water damage kept other residents from returning to the building for at least one night, officials said. All of the roughly 100 residents of the nine-story apartment building for the elderly were accounted for, Huntingdon Volunteer Fire Company chief James Fouse said. All but the one who died got out safely, he said. The American Red Cross and Huntingdon County emergency management officials assisted 100 residents in getting motel rooms. Because there were not enough rooms in Huntingdon, some of the displaced residents got rooms in the Altoona and State College areas.

Bush : No tax increase

WASHINGTON — President Bush told Republican lawmakers on Tuesday he will not agree to legislation expanding children’s health insurance if it includes a tobacco tax increase, a decision that virtually ensures a renewed veto struggle with the Democratic-controlled Congress. The president also suggested he would not be willing to sign other types of tax increases that Democrats have attached to major legislation, including an energy bill, according to numerous officials who attended a closed-door meeting at the White House. Bush’s remarks represented a hardening of the administration’s public position in a running veto showdown over Democratic-led attempts to enact legislation that provides coverage for 6 million children who now lack it.

Lesson from wildfires

LOS ANGELES — State firefighters want the Marines to commit to battling California wildfires after confusion over flight rules and the availability of military aircraft left some helicopters grounded early on in last week’s deadly blazes. The California National Guard and the Navy train each year with state firefighters, and the drills pay off when aircraft are called in to fight fires, officials say. But the Marines, whose Camp Pendleton base was close to the worst of the fires, have no comparable agreement, even though the state for years has recognized the need to improve how its military aircraft are deployed in wildfires.

Upset that pig got fat

WINONA, Minn. — A woman wants abuse charges filed against an acquaintance who was pet-sitting for her potbellied pig and allowed the animal to get fat. Michelle Schmitz said her pig, Alaina Templeton, weighed 50 pounds when Schmitz left her with a co-worker who offered to care for the animal in February, when Schmitz went on medical leave to recover from ankle surgeries.Nine months later, the pig weighed 150 pounds and it took veterinarians 41⁄2 hours to surgically remove the animal’s collar, the Winona Daily News reported. Officers are investigating whether Alaina was abused by the sitter’s neglect and overfeeding.

Protected birds shot

LONDON — Police questioned Prince Harry over the shooting of two threatened birds of prey near a royal estate in eastern England, Buckingham Palace said Tuesday. The Norfolk Constabulary says it is investigating a possible wildlife offense after a member of the public reported that two hen harriers were shot Wednesday on the edge of Sandringham Estate, a royal country retreat about 110 miles north of London. Buckingham Palace said Harry and a friend were in the area at the time and that police have asked if they knew anything about the alleged incident. The palace, which did not identify the friend, said neither knew anything about it. Hen harriers are classified as globally threatened by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which says the bird is often targeted by hunters. It estimates that there are only 521 breeding pairs of hen harriers left in Britain.

Sheriff facing charges

SANTA ANA, Calif. — Orange County’s sheriff has been charged with accepting bribes in exchange for political favors and pressing a witness to lie as authorities investigated whether he used his office to enrich himself. The case against Michael S. Carona purportedly involves more than $350,000 in cash and gifts, as well as a “get out of jail free card” for a wealthy appointee whose son was arrested twice, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday. Also named in the indictment were Carona’s wife and a woman identified as his longtime mistress. Carona rejected the allegations Tuesday and said he would not step down from the nation’s fifth-largest sheriff’s department.

Peace talks in doubt

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The chief Palestinian peace negotiator raised the stakes Tuesday for a U.S.-sponsored peace conference, saying there will be no talks with Israel unless it agrees to set a deadline for establishing a Palestinian state. Israeli aircraft, meanwhile, hit a Hamas police station in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, killing four people, hospital and Hamas officials said. The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas position after the Islamic group pelted southern Israel with mortar shells earlier in the day. The demand from Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia is the latest problem for the peace conference. Arab nations have been slow to endorse the effort, and Israel is making only general promises instead of specific proposals.

U.N. urges U.S. to end
Cuban trade embargo

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly voted for the 16th straight year Tuesday to urge the United States to end its trade embargo against Cuba, whose foreign minister accused the U.S. of stepping up its “brutal economic war” to new heights. The 192-member world body approved a resolution calling for the 46-year-old U.S. economic and commercial embargo against Cuba to be repealed as soon as possible.

Associated Press