NY sheriff: 5 killed, 9 hurt in collision

NY sheriff: 5 killed, 9 hurt in collision

benton, n.y.

A car passing a slow- moving farm tractor on a curve sideswiped an oncoming van carrying 13 Amish farmers through New York’s rural Finger Lakes region Tuesday, sending the van under the tractor, killing five passengers and injuring eight others plus the driver of the tractor, police said.

Yates County Sheriff Ronald Spike said five people in the van were pronounced dead at the scene of the 12:40 p.m. crash, and eight were taken to hospitals, some with “very serious” injuries. The tractor driver was also taken to a hospital. The car’s driver had minor injuries but was not hospitalized.

There were 14 people in the van. The driver was not Amish, as they generally don’t drive.

Experts: No co-pays for contraceptives

washington

Millions of women stand to gain free access to a broad menu of birth-control methods, thanks to a recommendation issued Tuesday by health experts advising the government.

An Institute of Medicine panel recommended that the government require health-insurance companies to cover birth control for women as preventive care, without co-payments.

Contraception — along with such care as diabetes tests during pregnancy and screening for the virus that causes cervical cancer — was one of eight recommended preventive services for women.

Pope assigns Denver archbishop to Philly

philadelphia

A conservative Native American archbishop named Tuesday to lead the troubled Roman Catholic church in Philadelphia vowed to work to heal the wounds of sex-abuse victims, clergy and lay members alike.

Archbishop Charles Chaput, 66, of Denver takes over an archdiocese of nearly 1.5 million Catholics that’s been rocked by two grand jury reports that accuse the church of hiding sex-abuse complaints for decades. A high-ranking monsignor is charged with felony child endangerment for his handling of priest transfers.

Recall elections begin in Wisconsin

milwaukee

A Wisconsin state senator was defending his seat Tuesday in a recall election that gave voters the most direct opportunity yet to react to Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s plan that stripped most public workers of their collective bargaining rights.

Nine state senators — six Republicans and three Democrats — are facing recall elections amid the fallout from the bitter fight over Walker’s proposal, which attracted national attention and tens of thousands of protesters to the state Capitol earlier this year.

The first test came Tuesday, when Democratic Sen. Dave Hansen was being challenged by Republican recall organizer and fellow Green Bay native David VanderLeest.

Study: Live healthy to fight Alzheimer’s

paris

Taking care of your body just might save your mind. Millions of cases of Alzheimer’s disease worldwide could be prevented by curbing risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, obesity and lack of exercise, new research suggests.

The study was presented Tuesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in France.

The study used a mathematical model to estimate the impact of top modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease: smoking, depression, low education, diabetes, too little exercise, and obesity and high blood pressure in midlife.

Associated Press