Monster-truck mishap sends three to hospital

Monster-truck mishap sends three to hospital

HARRISBURG, Ore.

Authorities in Oregon say three people have been taken to a hospital after a monster truck went into the stands at an event.

Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller says the driver reported losing control of his 1975 Ford pickup, with oversized tires, during a race. He then crossed a barrier before coming to a stop in the spectator area at the Harrisburg MotorSports Complex.

Sgt. Kevin Guilford says the three people who were hurt were taken to a Eugene hospital with injuries that were not life threatening. Guilford identified the driver as Kyle Atchley.

Emergency crews responded to the complex about 30 minutes after “Monster Air 2012” began Saturday afternoon.

NY teen killed putting head out of party bus

NEW YORK

A teenager headed to a sweet-16 party was killed after he stuck his head out of the emergency hatch of a double-decker bus and hit the underside of a highway overpass, authorities said.

The gruesome accident followed the warnings of a security guard on the bus who said he told the teens repeatedly not to open the hatch.

Daniel Fernandez, 16, was among 65 teens aboard the bus Friday night from New York City on its way to the party in Garfield, N.J., said Steve Coleman, spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The teens were dancing and the bus had gotten hot, the security guard, Alex Franco, told the Daily News. Still, he said, he had asked the teens to leave the emergency hatch alone.

Iran: Bushehr reactor reaches full capacity

TEHRAN, Iran

Iran’s sole operational nuclear power reactor has reached full capacity, a senior official said Saturday.

Iran’s deputy nuclear chief, Mohammad Ahmadian, said the reactor at the Bushehr power plant was brought to its “full capacity of 1,000 megawatts” Friday evening. The reactor went into operation for the first time last year at minimum capacity.

The Islamic Republic built the nuclear power plant in the southern Iranian port city with Russian help. The facility is a cornerstone of Iran’s drive to become a technological leader among Muslim nations, with efforts such as an ambitious space program and long-range missile development. Iran also runs smaller research reactors and is building another power reactor.

Tropical Storm Leslie strengthens in Atlantic

MIAMI

Forecasters say Tropical Storm Leslie has strengthened some in the Atlantic, while Tropical Storm Ileana has weakened in the eastern Pacific and should become a remnant low by today.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Leslie has top sustained winds of 70 mph and could become a hurricane this weekend. It was 550 miles east of the Leeward Islands at 5 a.m. EDT Saturday and moving west-northwest on a course well to the northeast.

Ileana was about 510 miles west of the southern Tip of Baja California early Saturday, moving westward deeper into the Pacific.

Pod of pilot whales comes ashore on beach

FORT PIERCE, Fla.

More than 20 pilot whales came ashore on a South Florida beach Saturday, triggering a daylong effort by state and national officials, nearby residents and others to save them.

By evening, five pilot whales — two calves and three juveniles — had been transported to Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Institute for rehabilitation. The rest had died of natural causes or had to be humanely euthanized, said Allison Garrett, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries service.

“It was not possible to rehabilitate them,” she told the Associated Press.

The whales came ashore Saturday morning at Avalon Beach State Park in St. Lucie County. They ranged from calves and juveniles to adult whales.

Ryan says he misstated his marathon claim

Republican Paul Ryan now says he didn’t run a marathon in less than three hours as he claimed in a nationally broadcast interview.

The vice presidential hopeful acknowledged Saturday he had misstated his marathon time by more than an hour.

He released a statement correcting the record after Runner’s World magazine found evidence he had completed one marathon, in 1990, and finished in just over four hours.

Ryan told radio host Hugh Hewitt last month he had run a “two hour and fifty-something” marathon. That’s a pace of less than 7 minutes per mile for the 26.2 mile course — extremely fast for recreational runners.

Associated Press