Gorvin's News

A fire damaged author Tom Clancy’s Chesapeake Bay home around noon Saturday.
CNN reported that the fire caused $20,000 in damage, while the Baltimore Sun reported that the fire caused $10,000 in damage.
The fire started on a second-floor deck of the three-story stone house and then spread to home itself, the Baltimore Sun reported.
Both sources reported Clancy and his family was home at the time, but no one was injured. “The smoke alarms are what alerted him to the fact there was a fire,� Joe Zurolo, a spokesman for the Maryland fire marshal’s office, said. (Baltimore Sun)
The Baltimore Sun reported that it took 50 firefighters 10 minutes to get the fire under control. CNN said it took firefighters about 20 minutes.

Posted by gorvi004 at 7:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The New York Times obituary for G. David Low begins with a standard obituary lead. This is effective because few people would know who Low was. Therefore, the straight-forward lead with an immediate identification is necessary.
The only attributed source used in this obituary is Barron Beneski, a spokesman for Orbital Sciences Corporation, the corporation Low was senior vice-president of.
The obituary contains the highlights of Low’s career as an astronaut, including spacewalks he took and missions he worked on.
Because Low was famous only because he was an astronaut, the obituary does not stray to include his accomplishments or interests outside of his field.

Posted by gorvi004 at 6:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A 28-year-old Indianapolis woman died after suffering a stroke that was caused when she fell “quite hard on her buttocks� while snowboarding at a Colorado ski resort, RTV 6 reported.
Jennifer Ash suffered a tear in a vertebral artery, which caused irreversible brain damage, the coroner said Friday. The fall occurred March 16, and Ash was pronounced dead on March 23, 7 News, an ABC affiliate out of Denver, reported.
“This type of injury occurs with an indirect trauma -- where there is a whipping motion of the neck that can be a hyperextension or from side to side,� Coroner Joanne L. Richardson said in a report. (7 News)
Ash was not wearing a helmet at the time of her fall, but Richardson said a helmet would not have had an effect.
Keystone Ski Resort, where Ash was snowboarding at the time of her fall, said ski patrol was not notified about the fall because no one deemed the accident severe enough, RTV 6 reported.
However, when Ash continued to experience pain, friends brought her to Summit Medical Center, 7 News reported. She was later air-lifted to St. Anthony's Central Hospital in Denver, where her injury was discovered.
Ash was in her first year on faculty at Butler’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, both sources reported. She had arrived at Keystone Ski Resort March 15 for vacation.

Posted by gorvi004 at 6:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A loose pit bull injured a woman and killed her miniature schnauzer Wednesday in Inver Grove Heights, the Star Tribune reported.
Margaret Johnson, 70, was walking her dog, Schultzie, with her grandson, 2, and two neighborhood girls when the pit bull came up behind the group and bit the smaller dog’s neck, the Pioneer Press reported.
Johnson punched the pit bull, but the dog turned on her, pushing her down a hill. The Star Tribune reported that the two girls helped shoo the dog away, while the Pioneer Press reported that the children tried to help, but were chased away by the pit bull.
Eventually, the pit bull fled across a supermarket parking lot. Johnson suffered a bite to her right leg and is undergoing rabies vaccinations.
The Pioneer Press reported that Johnson took her pet to the veterinarian where it later died from a broken neck. “He died in my arms,� Johnson said. (Pioneer Press)
The Pioneer Press reported that authorities are looking for the pit bull, described as brown with white spots and weighting 50 pounds. The Star Tribune reported that a dog picked up Friday is believed to be the pit bull involved in the attack.
Johnson said she has never had a problem before with stray dogs in the 10 years she has lived in the neighborhood.

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A man allegedly robbed TCF Bank in Silver Lake, Minn. before leading police in a 100mph chase through rush hour traffic in the north suburbs early Friday, the Star Tribune reported.
The chase ended when the suspect crashed his Toyota sedan and was shot by police after he got out of his vehicle. The man was taken to North Memorial Medical Center and treated for non-life threatening injuries. He is expected to be charged next week, the Star Tribune reported.
WCCO reported that they were unsure if the suspect had a gun when police shot him. However, the Star Tribune reported that he had exchanged gunfire with officers.
The Star Tribune reported that the suspect entered TCF Bank at around 6:45 a.m., before the bank opened, and forced three employees into the vault with a semi-automatic handgun. He placed the cash in a white cloth bag and fled.
WCCO reported that a witness saw the man throw two white bags from his vehicle during the chase. These bags may have held the stolen money, WCCO reported. They also reported that the FBI are still unsure whether all of the stolen money has been recovered.
Authorities are investigating whether the man was involved with the January and November robberies of the same bank, WCCO reported.

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Two pilots and three passengers were killed when a small plane crashed in a residential area in Kent, England Sunday, the BBC reported. CNN reported that the planes occupants were unaccounted for, but did not report any deaths.
Both articles reported that two people on the ground were also injured. BBC said that both suffered shock, while CNN reported that one was treated for shock and the second for an asthma attack.
CNN reported six fire engines were dispatched to the scene while the BBC said eight were sent.
Rescue crews were unable to reach the crash site for three hours, CNN reported, because of safety dangers. “There is aviation fuel involved, and also gas canisters have been located at the scene of the incident,� Ian Todd, assistant director of operations for London Ambulance Services, said (CNN).
BBC reported that the plane, a commercial flight bound for France began experiencing problems shortly after take-off and had asked permission to re-land. The plane went down before it could make it back to the airport.
Both sources reported that witnesses heard a loud roar and saw the plane flying with its tail lower than its nose just before the crash.
Both also included an account from a pilot named John who was flying a plane in the same area as the crash. CNN reported that John said he heard distress calls indicating the pilot of the crashed plane was having engine vibrations. BBC gave more of John’s account. He heard the pilot say, “We’re going down� before the radio went dead.

Posted by gorvi004 at 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Roseville woman has been charged with one count of child neglect after her 4-year-old daughter was found alone in dangerously cold weather, the Star Tribune reported.
Angela M. Johnson, 35, left her daughter and 12-year-old son home alone while she played bingo at Mystic Lake Casino, the Pioneer Press reported. The case was made public Friday.
At around 8:25 a.m. on Jan. 25, the girl was seen running along a snow bank in seven degree temperatures wearing only a T-shirt and socks. A passerby wrapped the child in a blanket and called police. The girl told paramedics her hands and feet hurt, but she suffered no injuries.
Apparently, the girl was left alone when her older brother went to school in the morning and her mother had not returned from the casino. When Johnson came home at around 10:30, she called police.
Johnson originally said that she had a baby-sitter for her kids and had gone to a friend’s house the night before, but had become stranded when the buses stopped running, the Pioneer Press reported. When police told her they would search her phone records, Johnson admitted to leaving her children alone while she was at the casino. She said she assumed her son would stay home until she returned, the Star Tribune reported.
Johnson’s charge holds a maximum sentence of one year in prison, the Pioneer Press reported. There is no record of Johnson doing anything like this before and the newspaper did not know whether the children were in protective custody.

Posted by gorvi004 at 6:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a grand opening expected to draw thousands, Mall of America unveiled its remodeled Nickelodeon-themed indoor park Saturday, the Pioneer Press reported. The mall spent $25 million to renovate the park, turning the generic Park at MOA into Nickelodeon Universe.
Renovations incorporate Nickelodeon’s signature orange color, statues of popular characters (Spongebob, Dora the Explorer, and Blue), a new food court that offers trendy and healthy fare, and five new rides aimed mostly at adults and teens. Existing rides have also been newly-themed to reflect Nickelodeon’s presence.
The only ride that has not been updated is the log chute. The mall wanted to use Nickelodeon’s green slime in the ride, but nixed the idea because of cost. However, the mall hopes to update the ride with in the next three years. An additional $5 million has been allocated for further park renovations.
Mall of America considered many brands before choosing Nickelodeon, KARE 11 reported. “They're the No. 1 brand with children,� Mall of America spokeswoman Maureen Hooley Bausch said of Nickelodeon.
As a result of the remodel, the park’s ticket prices have gone up for the first time in three years, the Pioneer Press reported. For example, the most popular buy, the all-day wrist band, now costs an extra $5, rising in price from $24.50 to $29.50.
Still, the mall hopes that the makeover will increase visitors to the park by 10 percent. They report that there has been a drop in the number of visitors since 2005, when the park was named Park at MOA after a deal could not be reached to keep the Peanuts characters and the Camp Snoopy name.

Posted by gorvi004 at 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Archaeologists in Peru have uncovered ruins from a temple they believe to pre-dates the Incan civilization, BBC reported. A roadway, a temple, and an irrigation system were found at a site that overlooks the famous Incan capital of Cuzco.
Archaeologists are still waiting on carbon dating, BBC reported. However, they believe that the site is pre-Incan because of architectural styles and ceramics, according to CNN.
The Incans occupied the area in the 1400s. It is believed that these ruins are from the Killke culture that occupied the site from the 900 to 1200 A.D., CNN reported. Archaeologists think that the Incans remodeled the older Killke structures.
“The Incas entered and changed the form of the temple, as it initially had a more rustic architecture,� Washington Camacho, director of the site’s archaeological park, said (BBC).
The temple, constructed of stones and adobe, contains 11 rooms that are believed to have held mummies and idols.
The BBC reported that researchers feel lucky to have found the temple as part of it was destroyed a century ago when dynamite was used to quarry rock in the area. Excavations began in the summer in 2007 and will continue for five more years.

Posted by gorvi004 at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A 35-year-old Kansas woman required surgery to remove a toilet seat after she reportedly sat on her boyfriend’s toilet for over a month, CNN reported.
Pam Babcock’s boyfriend, Kory McFarren, told police that his girlfriend had stayed in his bathroom for around two years due to a phobia that stemmed from childhood abuse. KSN did not mention her phobia as a possible reason that Babcock stayed in the bathroom, though the source did make it clear that she did so voluntarily.
“It just kind of happened one day; she went in and had been in there a little while, the next time it was a little longer. Then she got it in her head she was going to stay -- like it was a safe place for her,� McFarren said (CNN).
McFarren would bring Babcock clothes, food and water, and ask her to come out everyday, he said. In the beginning, Babcock would move around the bathroom to bathe and change. But authorities believe she sat on the toilet without moving for over a month.
Police received a 911 call Feb. 27 from McFarren. CNN reported that he told dispatchers that his girlfriend was acting “groggy,� as though she didn’t know where she was. KSN reported that McFarren called only because Babcock wouldn’t come out of the bathroom.
When police arrived, they found Babcock, fully clothed and sitting on the toilet, her sweatpants around her thighs, CNN reported. They had to use a pry bar to remove the toilet seat from the toilet, and then transported Babcock to the hospital by ambulance to have the seat removed from her body.
CNN reported that Babcock was in fair condition in a Wichita hospital Wednesday, though she had nerve damage in her legs and may have to be in a wheelchair.
KSN spelled the boyfriend’s first name as “Corey,� where CNN reported the spelling as “Kory.� Also, KSN did not give Babcock’s name until the very last sentence. Throughout the rest of the story, she is simply referred to as “the woman.� Possibly, the source did not want to give her name, but accidentally put it at the end.

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The BBC reported that a team from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has filmed the rare pygmy hippo in its natural habitat. Images of the hippos, one of the world’s most secretive mammals, were captured within the first three days that the cameras were set up, CNN reported.
Less than 3000 pygmy hippos remain in the wild. This is due mainly to the Liberia’s two civil wars in which displaced people ate anything they could get their hands on. Illegal logging and poaching has also contributed to the animal’s low population.
The team set up the cameras in order to determine the extent of the damage these occurrences had on the hippo population. The cameras will now remain in place to help determine a conservation plan.
“We were delighted to discover that a population still persists there, but remain highly concerned for the species, which continues to face significant threats from poaching and habitat degradation,� Ben Collen, the leader of the ZSL team, said (CNN). As of today, only about 10 percent of the hippos’ natural habitat remains.
The pygmy hippo lives mostly in swamps and rivers in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Ivory Coast. It spends more time on land than its larger relative, grows to be about six feet in length and can weigh 300 pounds.

Posted by gorvi004 at 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Pioneer Press article about the Junior Arthritis Jam at the Mall of America, an event to raise awareness about juvenile arthritis, begins with a profile of 6-year-old Caroline Pranke’s struggle with the disease. It tells how she has trouble on the playground to keep up with the other children and how she calls her disease “arthur.�
The reporter, Liala Helal, uses Pranke to craft a human interest story that also ties in to a local event. This makes the story more accessible and interesting. The fact that the subject is a child who is suffering evokes sympathy from the reader. This makes the story easier to read and pulls the reader to the conclusion of the article.
Helal also includes facts about the number of children living with arthritis in the United States. This gives the readers background information and informs about the scope of the problem.
Helal’s sources are Pranke herself, her mother and the events assistant of the North Central Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation She also uses the philanthropy chair of a University of Minnesota sorority that is providing volunteers and fundraising as a source.

Posted by gorvi004 at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, 82, spent Friday night in the hospital after feeling faint, the BBC reported. Doctors found nothing wrong with Thatcher, and she was able to return home Saturday.
The BBC reported that towards the end of a House of Lords dinner Friday evening, Thatcher felt “giddy and queasy� and her legs buckled. Her daughter Carol said the hospitalization was a precaution.
“Very wisely at her age and with a history of little strokes, they decided to err on the side of caution,� Carol Thatcher said.
Thatcher spent Saturday resting at home and was not taking any phone calls, the BBC reported. “She's sitting up in her sitting room and we've all been chatting away," Thatcher’s private secretary Mark Worthington said. (BBC)
The Star Tribune reported that Thatcher had suffered a series of strokes in 2002. The BBC said the strokes have affected her short-term memory. As a result, Thatcher cut down her workload and has made only a few public statements in recent years.
Both the BBC and the Star Tribune reported that Prime Minister Gordon Brown wished Thatcher “a very speedy recovery.�
Both articles end with short summaries of Thatcher’s political life. She served as Britain’s Prime Minister for 11 years before resigning in 1990.
The Star Tribune summary includes that she was a supporter of former President Ronald Reagan, tying her more to the United States. Both articles report her husband Denis died in 2003.

Posted by gorvi004 at 7:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported that a 28-year-old St. Paul man was seriously injured after a March 1 hit and run in Maplewood. Haleem Crooks was walking home from a party when a vehicle struck him in the 1700 block of Edgerton Street.
Crooks suffered a fractured skull, injuries to his organs, and a spinal cord injury, WCCO reported. He was in a coma in critical condition at Regions Hospital in St. Paul as of Thursday.
The Star Tribune article is very fact-based with most of the information seemingly taken from a police report. Crooks was found by a relative in the street around 2:30 a.m. A passenger-side front fender liner from a 1995 to 1999 Chevrolet Lumina was found in the street. Police believe it is from the vehicle that hit Crooks. Police also said that the speed limit where the incident occurred is 30 mph and the driver did not have to be speeding to inflict Crooks with the injuries he sustained.
The WCCO article had more of a human interest focus and the bulk of it was from the perspective of Haleem’s brother Raheem. The facts concerning the time of the incident, Crooks’ injuries and the fender were placed in between quotes from Raheem.
“A tragedy like this. It hurts. It hurts really, really bad,� Raheem said. The article also mentioned that Haleem has a wife and two children, a fact the Star Tribune left out.

Posted by gorvi004 at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported that a 16-year-old boy apparently committed suicide Thursday when he intentionally drove his car across the center line and collided with an SUV driven by a 38-year-old woman.
Gregory S. Spieker II of Ham Lake was pronounced dead at the scene, the Pioneer Press reported. Lisa M. Linell of Lino Lakes was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center with two broken legs and other broken bones. Her injuries are non-life threatening and she was in satisfactory condition as of Saturday.
The incident occurred at around 4:30 p.m. on Main Street in Blaine, Minn. The highway is a two-lane road with a 55 mph speed limit, the Pioneer Press reported. Both drivers were alone in their vehicles.
Both newspapers reported that a suicide note written by Spieker was found. The Star Tribune said the note was in the boy’s home, while the Pioneer Press didn’t specify the location of the note.
After giving the main facts, the Star Tribune article focused on the oddity of the occurrence. Anoka County Sheriff's Capt. James Stuart and Anoka County Sheriff's Sgt. Paul Lenzmeier said people usually commit suicide using vehicles by driving into stationary objects or drive off dead-end roads. They seldom endanger other lives by driving into moving vehicles.
The Pioneer Press article focused on Spieker’s character and the reactions of his school and family. Spieker had just turned 16 last month and was active in football and baseball at Blaine High School. “[He was] well-liked by other students,� Mary Olson, spokeswoman for the Anoka-Hennepin School District, said.
The article also reported that councilors were available at the school Friday to talk to other students and that Spieker’s family declined to comment but were expected to make funeral arrangements Saturday.

Posted by gorvi004 at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Blackpool Sea Life Center in northwest England has an odd addition to its new exhibit “Suckers.� Henry, the world’s first known six-legged octopus was found two weeks ago in a lobster pot off the coast of north Wales and has since made his home at the centre, Telegraph reported. Marine experts are calling the creature a “hexapus,� CNN reported.
Researchers have attributed Henry’s missing limbs to a genetic defect rather than an injury, CNN said. “If you look closer between the legs, there's webbing that attaches each of the arms together,� John Filmer of the Sea Life Centre said. “You'd assume if he'd lost one of his legs in an accident, there would be space for an arm to grow back.�
The Sea Life Centre received Henry in a shipment with seven other octopuses from the Angleasey Sea Zoo.
Telegraph reported that it was staff at the Sea Life Centre who first noticed Henry’s anomaly. The BBC reported that the Angleasey Sea Zoo noticed his missing limbs first. CNN remained vague on the issue, saying only that Henry’s difference was noticed when he attached himself to the glass tank.
CNN reported that the name Henry was chosen because of its alliteration with “hexapus� or as a reference to King Henry VIII who had six wives when he should have had eight.

Posted by gorvi004 at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Washington Post reported that a 44-year-old New York City taxi driver who left a 6-month-old girl at a fire department Feb. 28 claiming she was left in his cab has admitted to police he made up the story.
Ecuadorian immigrant Klever Sailema said he was trying to help the baby’s overwhelmed family. The baby’s mother is a 14-year-old girl who ran away after she had a fight with her father, the BBC reported. According to the Washington Post, Sailema said Maria Siavichay, 21, his girlfriend and the child’s aunt, asked him to drop the baby off because he was the only one in the family in the country legally.
“I feel bad, but ultimately I feel like I did the right thing,� Sailema said. “My intentions were not to lie to the police.� (Washington Post)
Sailema was arrested March 1 and charged with criminal facilitation and falsely reporting an incident. Siavichay was charged with criminal facilitation. Both were released without bail, but will appear in court on April 7. Police are seeking the baby’s father, Siavichay’s 27-year-old brother. The baby’s mother will not likely be charged because of her age.
“These are good people, and this was a case of people doing their best to do what they thought was right for the child,� Kevin Faga, Sailema and Siavichay's lawyer, said. (Washington Post)
The baby has since been placed in a foster home. The BBC reported that the baby had not been named while the Washington Post said the baby’s name is Daniella.

Posted by gorvi004 at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reporter, Steve Brandt, who covered the Minneapolis City Council meeting held Feb. 29 chose to make the council’s rejection of a lighting fee the headline story. This is probably because this occurrence affects more readers than the other stories.
Brandt then summarized other decisions in a sub headline. This sub headline is convenient because it allows readers who may not care about the lighting fee to immediately see other actions that may be important to them.
The lead deals only with the lighting fee and the reporter used bullets to cover the council’s other decisions.
When comparing the agenda with the report, one can see that Brandt chose not to mention that the council approved to commence the bidding process for green roof options for the Target Center or that the council approved an action to begin exploring combining the crime labs for the city of Minneapolis and Hennepin County. This is probably because in these actions, there is nothing that would affect readers. Nothing has been decided yet; only preliminary steps have been taken. Neither of these stories is particularly useful to the Star Tribune audience.
The other stories Brandt decided to include was a resolution to make grocery stores carry certain staple foods and that the fees for having boarded-up buildings tripled. It’s easy to see the impact these two actions could have on readers.
Brandt also included that the city decided to revoke the licenses of 45 rental houses. Here, he added a quote from one of the council members that helps explain why the licenses were revoked. The quote could not have been gotten from the agenda.

Posted by gorvi004 at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The USS New York, the ship built from steel taken from the World Trade Center, was christened Saturday in Avondale, Louisiana, The New York Times reported. Families and friends of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were present at the event. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England’s wife Dotty did the christening.
The bow of the USS New York is constructed from 7.5 tons of steel taken from Ground Zero, the BBC reported. The bow also has a shield, a banner reading “Never Forget� and two bars that represent the Twin Towers.
“I tell you, it's a fantastic day. Sometimes you think you're over something and then you realize you're not completely,� said New York Police Lt. Matt Murphy, tears welling in his eyes. (The New York Times)
According to BBC, the Navy generally reserves state names for submarines, but, after the attacks, former New York Governor George Pataki had requested that the ship bear his state’s name.
The USS New York, capable of carrying a crew of 360 sailors and 700 Marines, was specifically designed to be used during special missions against terrorists, The New York Times reported. The ship will be added to the fleet sometime next year.
“We're sending a message that we're standing strong,� said Lee Ielpi, president of the September 11th Families' Association. “This ship, as it cuts through the water, is going to send a ripple. That ripple will say, ‘We cherish our freedom’.� (BBC)

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