International
Kuwait arrests suspects in shooting of U.S. MarineSeveral suspects were arrested in helping two Kuwaitis kill a U.S. Marine and wounding another, officials said.The two opened fire on a group of Marines during a military exercise in a pick-up truck Tuesday. Kuwaiti writer Mohammad al-Mulafi told reporters that the attack was probably a response to a new U.S. law requiring government documents to state that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. U.S. officials are investigating whether the two assailants, who were fatally shot by Marines after fleeing the crime scene, were linked to al-Qaida.
Malaysia to deport al-Qaida conspirators A Malaysian court ruled to deport a suspect to the United States accused of conspiring to fight alongside al-Qaida in Afghanistan. The U.S. government charged Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal and five others last week with belonging to a Portland, Ore. based terrorist cell and attempting to join al-Qaida to fight U.S. troops.Bilal’s lawyer said he plans to appeal.
National
Police investigating link between Va. shooting, sniper
Authorities are investigating whether a shooting which killed a man Wednesday night is connected to a string of sniper shootings in the Washington area.Dean Harold Meyers, 53, of Gaithersburg, Md., was shot in the head at a gas station in Manassus, Va., a suburb southwest of Washington.Police said they are looking for a white Dodge minivan. The shooting comes two days after police said the sniper reportedly left behind a message with the words, “Dear policeman, I am God,” outside Benjamin Tasker Middle School where a 13-year-old boy was critically wounded Monday.Investigators said the sniper hit of its victims with a single shot using a military-style rifle.
Universal health coverage on election ballot in OregonAn initiative on the Nov. 5 ballot in Oregon would provide health insurance for every resident in the state.Currently, an estimated 423,000 of the state’s 3.3 million residents have no health insurance with 70,000 of them being children. The universal health plan would be financed by a new payroll tax of up to 11.5 percent on businesses and an increase in personal income taxes. Opponents of the plan say that the residency requirement is not strict enough and could lead to seriously ill people without health insurance moving to Oregon to take advantage of the program.
State
Bush attorney asks judge to close drug court hearingsAn attorney for Noelle Bush asked a judge Tuesday to close her drug court proceedings, a request that could keep the public out of all future drug court hearings.An attorney for the Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel said there is no threat to justice if drug courts, like criminal courts, are open.Bush, 25, the daughter of Gov. Jeb Bush, was arrested in January for buying an anti-anxiety drug with a fraudulent prescription. She opted to seek treatment in a drug court. If kicked out, she could be tried on criminal charges.
Florida serial killer dies after making chilling commentsAileen Wuornos made a strange final statement before her death sentence was carried out Wednesday morning by lethal injection.Her last words were: “Yes, I’d just like to say I’m sailing with the Rock, and I’ll be back. Like Independence Day with Jesus, June 6, like the movie, big mothership and all. I’ll be back.”Wuornos, 46, one of few female serial killers, was executed for murdering six men in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Entertainment Weekly reported that a movie based on Wuornos’s life is scheduled to be filmed in Florida starting in January.
Local
Teenager spared life in prison A Gasdsen County teenager convicted of first-degree murder in the death of her mother escaped life imprisonment by offering a plea to second-degree murder.Kelly Johnson, 17, faces 20 to 40 years in prison after being convicted in August. Her boyfriend, Terrance Gibson, 21, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his part in the murder.Earline Johnson, 47, was found dead in her home in May 2000 with a knife wound in the neck. She also had been struck in the head with ceramic figurines.Kelly Johnson’s sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 24.
Bus drivers get 50-cent raiseThe Leon County School Board approved a pay raise for school bus drivers this year. Each driver will receive at least 50 cents more per hour, boosting the starting pay from $7.82 an hour to $8.32 an hour.
Sources: www.sptimes.com,www.tdo.com