Wis. town says goodbye to Marine slain in Tennessee

Wis. town says goodbye to Marine slain in Tennessee

GRANTSBURG, Wis.

A small Wisconsin town said goodbye Saturday to a Marine killed in the recent attack on a Navy-Marine reserve center in Chattanooga, Tenn.

A dozen members of a Marine Corps honor guard stood watch as fellow Marines in dress blue uniforms carried the coffin of Sgt. Carson Holmquist into Grantsburg Senior High School for a public visitation Saturday.

The 25-year-old Holm-quist grew up in the northwestern Wisconsin town of 1,300. He graduated in 2008 from Grantsburg High School, where the U.S. flag was flying at half-staff.

“We’re here for the families. That’s our priority now. We grieve with them, and they will not be forgotten,” Marine Forces Reserve spokesman Capt. Andrew Chrestman told reporters.

Fire erupts at swimming pool at Las Vegas hotel

LAS VEGAS

A fire at a hotel’s swimming pool sent large plumes of black smoke high above the Las Vegas Strip but left most guests unscathed Saturday.

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to gain control of the blaze that broke out on the 14th floor of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel, Clark County Fire Chief Greg Cassell said.

One person was taken to a hospital with smoke inhalation, fire officials said. A second person was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene. But nobody suffered any burns from the flames that ignited outside on the pool deck, Clark County fire spokeswoman Sandra Baker said.

The fire was first reported around 12:15 p.m. with multiple 911 calls coming in. The blaze quickly consumed pool cabanas, chairs and furniture, Cassell said. At least 110 firefighters were on the scene to not only battle the fire, but help with evacuations.

Turkey targets Kurdish rebels

ANKARA, Turkey

Turkey’s sudden willingness to join the fight against the Islamic State group is a sign that it’s afraid of losing clout with the U.S., but its second front against Kurdish rebels in Iraq on Saturday could complicate Washington’s war.

For months, Ankara had been reluctant to join the U.S.-led coalition against IS despite gains made by the extremist group on Turkey’s doorstep.

Now, Turkish warplanes are directly targeting IS locations – the latest bombing run coming early Saturday for a second-straight day. Turkey then opened a second front on Kurdish rebel sites.

The strikes against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, muddle the U.S.-led fight against IS. The United States has relied on Syrian Kurdish fighters affiliated with the PKK while making gains against IS.

Saudi-led airstrikes kill 120; deadliest in Yemen conflict

SANAA, Yemen

Saudi-led coalition airstrikes hit a residential area in a quiet Red Sea town in Yemen, killing at least 120 people in the deadliest strike against civilians since the March offensive began, security and medical officials said.

Hours later, the coalition unexpectedly announced that it would start a five-day humanitarian pause today, just before midnight.

The airstrikes late Friday hit workers’ housing for a power plant in Mokha, flattening some of the buildings to the ground, the officials said. A fire erupted in the area, charring many of the corpses, including children, women and elderly people.

Associated Press