Northeast struggles to recover from snow

Northeast struggles to recover from snow

WAYLAND, Mass.

Hundreds of thousands of people across the Northeast shivered at the prospect of days without heat or lights after a freak October snowstorm over the weekend, and many towns postponed trick-or-treating Monday in what seemed like a mean Halloween prank to some children.

Families huddled under blankets and winter coats at home or waited out the crisis in shelters as utility crews struggled to fix power lines brought down by the storm. Hundreds of schools closed, giving youngsters one of the earliest snow days on record.

The storm was blamed for at least 21 deaths, including one in Canada. Most were caused by falling trees, traffic accidents or electrocutions from downed wires. Eight people died in Pennsylvania alone.

Last 3 bodies taken from grain elevator

ATCHISON, Kan.

The final three bodies were recovered Monday from the burnt wreckage of a Kansas grain elevator where a weekend explosion killed six people and injured two others, a company official said.

The first three bodies were found during the weekend, but unstable concrete, hanging steel beams and other damage had forced crews to suspend temporarily the search for the remaining victims at the Bartlett Grain Co. facility in Atchison, about 50 miles northwest of Kansas City.

Dean of London cathedral resigns

LONDON

The dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral quit Monday, the second high-profile clergy member to step down over anti-capitalist protests that have spilled across the historic church’s grounds.

The resignation of Graeme Knowles leaves the cathedral without a leader and will delay its planned legal action to evict the protest camp — though the neighborhood’s governing body says it will formally ask the protesters today to leave and will go to court if they refuse.

Knowles said his position had become “untenable” as criticism of the cathedral mounted in the press and in public opinion. Knowles had urged protesters to leave the cathedral area to allow it to reopen its doors.

Attack kills 5 near UN building

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan

Insurgents driving a suicide truck bomb and attacking on foot killed five people, including three United Nations employees, near the offices of the U.N.’s refugee agency in the southern city of Kandahar on Monday, officials said. Afghan forces and the militants exchanged fire for nearly seven hours before the militants were killed.

One insurgent slammed an explosives-rigged pickup truck into a checkpoint near the UNHCR’s offices about 6:10 a.m., and immediately afterward, three insurgents rushed into the area, which houses several international aid organizations, the Interior Ministry said.

Surfer bitten by shark goes home

SAN JOSE, Calif.

A surfer who was bitten in the neck by a shark off a California beach left the hospital Monday, two days after his brush with death.

Eric Tarantino, 27, was surfing with friends Saturday morning at Marina State Beach in Monterey County when a 9-foot shark bit him on the neck and right forearm. The animal also left teeth marks on his red surfboard, his friends said.

Tarantino was airlifted to the Regional Medical Center of San Jose. He thanked his friends who rescued him on the beach, the paramedics and hospital staff as he was released.

“I feel really lucky and grateful right now,” he said as he got out of a wheelchair and into his girlfriend’s car.

The bite narrowly missed Tarantino’s jugular vein and carotid artery, hospital spokeswoman Bev Mikalonis said.

Associated Press