Some states reopen national parks

Some states reopen national parks

SALT LAKE CITY

The Obama administration’s willingness to reopen national parks shuttered by the government shutdown came with a big caveat: States must foot the bill with money they likely won’t see again.

So far, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota, Arizona and New York have jumped at the deal. Governors in other states were trying to gauge Friday what would be the bigger economic hit — paying to keep the parks operating or losing the tourist money that flows when the scenic attractions are open.

South Dakota and several corporate donors worked out a deal with the National Park Service to reopen Mount Rushmore beginning Monday. Gov. Dennis Daugaard said it will cost $15,200 a day to pay the federal government to run the landmark in the Black Hills. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state will pay $61,600 a day to fully fund Park Service personnel and keep the Statue of Liberty open. Arizona officials said a deal reached Friday will mean visitors should be able to return to Grand Canyon National Park today.

US captures senior Pakistani Taliban

KABUL

The U.S. confirmed Friday that American troops are holding a senior Pakistani Taliban commander, a blow to the Pakistani Taliban who have waged a decade-long insurgency against Islamabad and were responsible for the failed 2010 attempt to detonate a bomb in New York’s Times Square.

Latif Mehsud, a leader of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, was captured by U.S. forces in a military operation, Marie Harf, deputy spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, said in Washington.

Truck, train collide; 1 dead, 23 injured

CHARLESTON, W.Va.

A logging truck collided Friday with a train carrying passengers on a scenic tour in peak fall foliage season in the West Virginia mountains, killing the driver of the truck and injuring 23 people Friday, authorities said.

Randolph County Sheriff Mark Brady said two of the train’s passenger cars flipped on their sides after impact, the log truck was a “total loss” and its driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tracy Fath, a spokeswoman for Davis Memorial Hospital in Elkins, said six of the 23 injured were admitted to hospitals in serious condition and two in stable condition.

Zookeeper killed by elephant in Mo.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.

A longtime zookeeper in southwest Missouri was killed Friday morning when he was crushed by an elephant, a spokeswoman for the city of Springfield said.

John Bradford, 62, died while moving an elephant into a chute that connects the barn stalls to the barn yard at the Dickerson Park Zoo, city spokeswoman Cora Scott said.

Scott said in a release that the elephant, a 41-year-old female named Patience who had been at the zoo since 1990, hesitated in the approximately 12-foot-long chute. When Bradford reached for her with a guide to coax her forward, she suddenly lunged forward. Bradford was knocked into the chute and crushed against the floor.

Philippines typhoon

MANILA, Philippines

A typhoon flooded villages and farms in the northern Philippine’s major rice-growing region early today, but officials said no casualties were immediately reported.

Typhoon Nari slammed into Aurora province northeast of Manila late Friday 94-mile-per-hour winds and gusts of up to 116 mph. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had called off his trip to the Philippines on Friday due to the weather.

Associated Press