Cops: Ohio woman late for work lied about clown attack

Cops: Ohio woman late for work lied about clown attack

READING, Ohio

Police say an 18-year-old Ohio woman lied about being attacked by a knife-wielding person dressed as a clown because she was late for work. She has been charged with making a false alarm.

Police in the Cincinnati suburb of Reading say 18-year-old Alexsandra Conley was charged with the misdemeanor after investigators found inconsistencies in her story. No phone listing could be found for the Hamilton woman. It couldn’t immediately be determined whether she has an attorney.

WCPO-TV reports Conley said someone dressed like a clown jumped a fence Saturday, waved a knife at her and cut her thumb.

Officials said the reported attack wasn’t related to one last week that closed Reading schools.

There have been several recent reports nationwide of people having frightening encounters involving clowns.

US wants to build facility in Idaho for nuclear waste

BOISE, Idaho

The Navy and U.S. Department of Energy want to build a $1.6 billion facility at a nuclear site in eastern Idaho that would handle fuel waste from the nation’s fleet of nuclear-powered warships through at least 2060.

A final environmental impact statement made public Friday says a new facility at the Energy Department’s 890-square-mile site, which includes the Idaho National Laboratory, is needed to keep nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines deployed.

The government also considered using two other existing facilities at the site that are outdated or overhauling them. Officials concluded that the effect to the environment would be small for all three options.

Officials say a new facility to handle the spent fuel from warships is the strategy that would best allow the Navy to continue its mission.

Report: Zookeeper didn’t have pepper spray when attacked

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.

A state investigation says a Florida zookeeper killed by a tiger violated safety rules by not ensuring the animal was locked up before entering its pen and by not carrying pepper spray.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a report released Monday the Palm Beach Zoo violated no state regulations that led to the April 15 death of 38-year-old Stacey Konwiser.

Konwiser had entered the tiger pen to prepare for a presentation. The report says the tiger’s cage was supposed to be locked, but wasn’t. Konwiser’s screams caused co-workers to run to the pen where they found the tiger standing over her body.

Zoo officials have defended their decision not to shoot the tiger, saying they feared a bullet could strike her or further enrage the tiger.

Associated Press