Gorvin's News

The Star Tribune reported that a second person from the SUV that plunged into the St. Croix River Sunday night died.
Rohini Krishnamurthy, 27, died Tuesday at 4:20 p.m. at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, the Pioneer Press reported. She had been in critical condition since the accident.
Mohanraj Pothiraj, 28, had died Monday morning, less than 12 hours after being pulled from the submerged vehicle, the Pioneer Press reported.
The vehicle’s other two occupants, Deepa Vellusamy, 25, and Kalaiselvi Vijayakumar, 25, are still at Regions Hospital. As of Saturday night, Vellusamy was in serious condition, and Vijayakumar was in critical condition, the Pioneer Press reported.
The four friends were originally from India and had rented the vehicle for a daytrip to Stillwater, the Pioneer Press reported.
Authorities are still investigating why the four had driven down a disserted dirt road just north of Stillwater. “It would be very premature to speculate as to what happened until we have more facts, which we are trying to obtain,� Stillwater Police Chief John Gannaway said.
The vehicle left the road and plunged into the St. Croix River at about 10 p.m. Sunday night, the Star Tribune reported.
Two 911 calls from within the vehicle were placed. Rescuers arrived at the scene two minutes later and rescuers had pulled all four from the vehicle within 15 minutes, the Pioneer Press reported.
According to the Star Tribune, Stillwater police hoped to interview Vellusamy and Kalaiselvi on Tuesday.

Posted by gorvi004 at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A 56-year-old man who had been sentenced to life in prison for a 1982 murder he didn’t commit was released from prison Friday, ABC News reported.
Alton Logan, who had spent 26 years in prison, was granted a new trial and released on bail after an attorney came forward with a confession from a client for the crime Logan was sent to jail for, CNN reported.
Logan had been found guilty of killing security guard Lloyd Wickliffe at a McDonald’s restaurant in January 1982, CNN reported.
According to ABC News, a month after Logan’s arrest, Andrew Wilson admitted to attorney Dale Covetry that he had killed Wickliffe.
Covetry described his conversation with Wilson: “We were told that you were the shooter at the McDonals’s. ‘Was that true?’ He said, ‘Uh huh.’ I said, ‘With a shotgun?’ You killed him with the shotgun?’ and he said, ‘Yeah.’� (ABC News)
However, attorney-client privilege forced Covetry to keep the confession a secret. Therefore, he wrote an affidavit that Wilson had committed the crime, ABC News reported. Covetry keep the affidavit locked up until Wilson’s death last year.
“How do you live with yourself having this secret?� Covetry said. “I couldn’t do anything legally or ethically. I represented Andrew Wilson.�
On Friday, Logan’s family cheered as he left prison, CNN reported. “All this time they knew, but they can say nothing,� Logan said (ABC News).
His family had planned a steak and lobster dinner for his first night home, CNN reported. “I’m going to turn him on to life,� Eugene Logan, Alton’s uncle, said. “We’re going to live it together.�

Posted by gorvi004 at 9:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that a 65-year-old man was pushing his grandson in a stroller along Belmont Harbor in Chicago when a strong gust of wind blew the child into Lake Michigan.
The boy was listed in critical condition Friday night after being submerged in the 42-degree water for 15 minutes.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the grandfather, a Serbian who speaks limited English, went in the water to search for the boy. The paper reported he was shouting, “Boy,� while CNN reported the he shouted, “Child.�
Witness John Derscheid called 911 after he realized what had happened. Rescue crews pulled the child and the stroller out of the water and took him to Children’s Memorial Hospital. The grandfather was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital where being treated for exposure, CNN reported.
CNN reported that the grandfather was in stable condition Saturday night, while the Chicago Sun-Times reported he was in critical condition.
CNN reported that the winds at the time of the incident were about 20 mph, with gusts of about 30 mph. “The wind picked up,� witness Derscheid said. “I was getting stuff blown in my face.� (Chicago Sun-Times)

Posted by gorvi004 at 9:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Pioneer Press reported that three Grizzly bears from Alaska arrived at the Minnesota Zoo on Friday. The bears will be part of the zoo’s new exhibit about Russia’s Grizzly Coast, which will open June 7.
Sadie, Kenai and Haines had been orphaned as cubs in Alaska and were found on three different days in 2006, the Star Tribune reported. The bears spent two years at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center before their 10-hour flight to Minnesota Friday.
The bears must now undergo a routine quarantine period so zookeepers can monitor them. The Pioneer Press reported that the quarantine period will last 30 days, while the Star Tribune reported that the bears will be quarantined until the exhibit’s opening June 7.
Since their arrival, zookeepers have been keeping the animals entertained by hiding peanuts in their hay and spraying their toys with apple juice. They will also be trained to open their mouths and show their feet when examined, the Pioneer Press reported.
The new exhibit will feature a trout stream, mud pots and geysers. But, according to Diana Weinhardt, supervisor of the new exhibit, the bears will be the stars. (Pioneer Press)

Posted by gorvi004 at 9:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported that the lower houses of French Parliament have passed a bill that would make Web sites, magazines and other mass media outlets that encourage “extreme thinness� illegal. The bill awaits the Senate’s approval in the coming weeks.
The New York Times reported that the bill was proposed by conservative lawmaker Valérie Boyer. The Star Tribune reported her name as Valery Boyer.
“We have noticed that the sociocultural and media environment seems to favor the emergence of troubled nutritional behavior, and that is why I think it is necessary to act,� Boyer said. (New York Times)
If passed, the punishment would be a fine up to $71,000 and three years in prison for promoting anorexia or bulimia in the mass media, the Star Tribune reported.
The bill comes as a reaction to the anorexia-related death of Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston in 2006.
Critics of the bill say that it is too vaguely worded, and doesn’t clearly define “extreme thinness,� the Star Tribune reported.
“Never will we accept in our profession that a judge decides if a young girl is skinny or not skinny. That doesn’t exist in the world, and it will certainly not exist in France,� Didier Brunbach, president of the French Federation of Couture, said. (New York Times)

Posted by gorvi004 at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The CNN article is about how Jewish runners are dealing with the Boston Marathon taking place during Passover and how that is disrupting their eating habits as they prepare for the race.
The article does move beyond stereotype. I think Jews are generally viewed as staunchly religious. However, this article moves past that stereotype by providing a broad spectrum of views from Jews. Some are modifying their religious rituals in order to accommodate for the marathon. Others are eating things they would normally not eat in order to adhere to their religious beliefs. Others are ignoring their religion altogether in order to participate in the marathon.
This article uses mainly quotes to provide a sample of views on the subject.

Posted by gorvi004 at 6:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Colonies of the endangered short-snouted seahorses have been found living in the Thames River, the BBC reported. Scientists conducting routine surveys have found five seahorses in the river in the past 18 months, the Guardian reported.
This announcement came in the wake of the species gaining legal protection last month, the Guardian reported.
“Now they are protected, conservationists are more relaxed about telling the world they are there,� Alison Shaw, manager of the marine and freshwater conservation program and the London Zoo, said. (Guardian)
Under the law, anyone found killing, injuring or taking these animals would face a fine and six months of imprisonment, the Guardian reported.
BBC reported that the seahorses thrive in muddy, shallow waters or seagrass beds. They usually live around the Canary Islands or Italy, but their presence in the Thames indicates that the river’s water quality is improving.
“It demonstrates that the Thames is becoming a sustainable bio-diverse habitat for aquatic life,� Shaw said.

Posted by gorvi004 at 5:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The body of a man, who authorities believe to be British television host Mark Speight, was found early Sunday in London’s Paddington station, the BBC reported. A formal identification has not yet been made, the Guardian reported.
Authorities are investigating, but are classifying the death as “unexplained.� However, they have confirmed the man was not hit by a train, the BBC reported.
The Guardian reported that Speight had been in a “vulnerable� state since the Jan. 3 death of his fiancé, Natasha Collins. Collins died of a drug overdose and boiling water burns after a night of partying with Speight, BBC reported. Speight had been arrested on suspicion of murder following the incident, but no charges were filed, BBC reported.
Speight was last seen entering the Queen’s Park tube station Monday. He was reported missing later that same day after he failed to meet Collins’ mother for coffee, the Guardian reported.
Speight hosted the BBC children’s show SMart until February, the BBC reported.
“Caring and compassionate in everything he did, Mark was truly gifted in life and we are proud to have represented him as a friend and client for almost 20 years,� Speight’s agent said through a spokeswoman. (BBC)

Posted by gorvi004 at 5:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported that a 19-year-old Hudson man apparently set himself on fire in his family’s garage early Wednesday morning.
Brandon Helm suffered burns on over 80 percent of his body. His father, Michael Helm, 43, was also injured as he tried to distinguish the flames.
Police are investigating whether Brandon set himself on fire intentionally or if it was an accident, the Hudson Star-Observer reported.
The fire was reported at 1:22 a.m. Wednesday. According to the Hudson Star-Observer, fire crews used hand-hoses as well as a truck-mounted “master stream� to control the fire.
Brandon was taken immediately to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, while his father was taken to Hudson Hospital before being transferred to Regions, the Hudson Star-Observer reported.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Michael was listed in serious condition, but Brandon’s condition was unknown, the Star Tribune reported.
The fire also damaged the garage, destroyed two cars that were in the garage and caused smoke damage to the attached house, the Hudson Star-Observer reported.

Posted by gorvi004 at 4:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The corpse flower, a rare plant from Sumatra that only blooms once every 15 years, bloomed Wednesday at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park, the Star Tribune reported. The Pioneer Press reported that the bloom would last for about a day.
When in bloom, the corpse flower emits an odor of rotting flesh (hence its name) and actually heats up in order to attract insects to pollinate the flower, the Pioneer Press reported.
The plant, and its odor, drew visitors like Linda Peterson who, standing before the bloom taking pictures, wanted to “experience it in its glory.�
“Let's face it, sometimes we have to take the good with the bad,� she said. “I've never smelled death but ohhh ...� (Star Tribune)
The Star Tribune reported that only 122 corpse flower plants have been known to bloom worldwide. This is the second blooming to take place in Minnesota. Last spring, a larger corpse flower bloomed at Gustavus Adolphus College.

Posted by gorvi004 at 3:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Previously unseen photos of Elvis’ 1972 Madison Square Garden concert were discovered this week, CNN reported.
Madison Square Garden’s official photographer, George Kalinsky, 64, was looking for photos to use in a billboard campaign titled “Great Moments in New York� when he came across the Elvis photos he took over thirty years ago.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Kalinsky had asked Graceland for permission to use a photo for the project, and was asked if he had any other Elvis photos.
“I thought I had eight or 10 good photos, but I found four rolls of film,� Kalinsky said (Daily Telegraph). CNN reported that 40 unpublished photos were uncovered, while the Daily Telegraph reported that 100 photos were found.
Graceland officials consider some of Kalinsky’s photos to be the most iconic Elvis photos taken, the Daily Telegraph reported.
“These are very crisp, clear, professional photos of Elvis. It's such a rare find,� Kevin Kern, spokesman for Elvis Presley Enterprises, said. (CNN)
One photo, in which Elvis has his arms spread and looking up, is now on a billboard on top of the Virgin Megastore in Times Square.
The photos will now be part of an exhibit called “Elvis Jumpsuits: All Access� that will also feature 50 of the star’s jumpsuits, CNN reported.

Posted by gorvi004 at 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the New York Times article about maltreatment of babies in the United States, the reporter uses numbers to tell how many babies are maltreated each year, how many were killed in maltreatment cases, and how many were maltreated in the first week of their lives.
These figures are important to the article because they relay the extent of maltreatment in the United States.
The reporter did make some of the numbers easy to grasp by expressing them in words instead of numerals and reducing the hard numbers to ratios and fractions (“one of every 43 American babies� and “about a third�).
However, the reporter leaves many hard numbers in the report, saying simply how many cases were reported. This makes the numbers unclear. The reader can only grasp that the number is in the thousands or hundreds, but does not know its context or perspective. The reporter could have also expressed these figures in ratios or fractions to make them clearer.
The source of the numbers is a study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Posted by gorvi004 at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Malt-o-Meal recalled packages of its Puffed Rice and Puffed Wheat cereals after internal tests found salmonella in the product produced March 24, the Star Tribune reported.
No illnesses have been reported and the company voluntarily issued the recall as a safety precaution.
United Press International reported that Malt-o-Meal issued a news release April 5 announcing the recall. Packages of the cereal with “Best if used by� dates between April 8, 2008 and March 18, 2009 were recalled immediately.
The cereal was released under both the Malt-o-Meal name and other private brands, the Star Tribune reported. A complete list of cereals affected by the recall is available on Malt-o-Meal’s Web site, United Press International reported.
Malt-o-Meal apologized April 5 for the incident. “Our first and highest priority is the safety of the consumers who use our products,� Malt-O-Meal President Chris Neugent said. “We … promise to do everything to complete the recall as quickly as possible.� (United Press International)

Posted by gorvi004 at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Pioneer Press reported that a 22-year-old man was found with severe head injuries outside a Burnsville event center early Saturday morning. He was pronounced dead later that morning.
KARE 11 reported that police were called to the rental hall, located in the 1900 block of E. Highway 13, around 2 a.m. They found the man unresponsive and not breathing, the Star Tribune reported. Paramedics performed CPR and were able to get the man’s heart restarted. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he died around 7 a.m., the Pioneer Press reported.
An autopsy was being performed Sunday, the Pioneer Press reported. The results would be released later in the week.
Police are currently investigating the incident. Police are unsure what event was taking place at the rental hall or whether alcohol was involved, the Pioneer Press reported.
“It was a witnessed event by a number of people,� Burnsville police Sgt. Dan Carlson said. “We're still looking for more witnesses to see what happened.� (Pioneer Press)
Carlson also said the man’s name would not be released until the family is notified, the Pioneer Press reported.

Posted by gorvi004 at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported that a Lino Lakes family’s dog was killed after being shot with an arrow last month. The Neuberger family is now looking to press charges against their neighbor, who WCCO reported as being 21-year-old Erick Maxwell.
On March 21, Rhonda Neuberger had let their 3-year-old beagle mix, Wally, outside at 9 p.m., the Star Tribune reported. She said she was doing laundry when she heard the pet yelp. When she and her husband, Edwin, ran outside they found the dog with an arrow through his body.
Edwin pulled the arrow out, but the dog had suffered broken ribs and punctured lungs. The family wrapped Wally in blankets and rushed him to the vet, but the dog died before they got there.
“I felt his last breath. It was his last breath as soon as we opened the door to take him to the vet,� Edwin Neuberger said (WCCO).
Police found a trail of blood leading next door, to Maxwell’s house. The Star Tribune reported that they had found an arrow in Maxwell’s basement. They also reported that Maxwell originally told police he was sleeping in his house, but later said he had been hunting fox in his backyard.
WCCO reported that Maxwell said he had shot a coyote before admitting to shooting the dog.
Maxwell was arrested the evening of March 21 and booked into Anoka County Jail, WCCO reported. He was released three days later, pending on the conclusion of the investigation, the Star Tribune reported. Maxwell could face animal cruelty charges, a felony, WCCO reported.
WCCO reported that Maxwell’s father said his son said the shooting was an accident.

Posted by gorvi004 at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Archaeologists in England begun digging at Stonehenge March 31 in hopes of discovering when and why the landmark was built, BBC reported.
The excavation, led by leading Stonehenge scholar Timothy Darvill and president of the Society of Antiquaries Geoffrey Wainwright, will last until April 11.
This will be the first time since 1964 that anyone has dug at Stonehenge and the team needed Cabinet approval to do so, New York Times reported.
“I think that we really are stepping into the unknown - we don't know what we will find down there, because it's such a long time since anyone had a look,� Darvill said. (BBC)
Stonehenge was originally built using bluestone from an area 153 miles away in Wales, New York Times reported. These bluestones were removed 200 years later and were replaced with different stones.
It is fragments from these older bluestones that Wainwright and Darvill hope to find. They would then use carbon dating on the bluestone to pinpoint the date of Stonehenge, the New York Times reported.
Wainwright and Darvill both worked to find the area in Wales that the bluestones came from. Because of this finding, the “logical next step� would be to excavate at Stonehenge, Renee Fok, a spokesperson for English Heritage, which oversees the Stonehenge site, said.
The archaeologists hope that answering when and how Stonehenge was built will shed light on why it was built, BBC reported. Recently, Professor Mike Parker Pearson proposed that the sight was a place for ancient people to contact their dead ancestors.
But Darvill and Wainwright have a new theory that the stones were used for healing powers, BBC reported. In legends, bluestones have mythical powers. Also, the archaeologists found the remains of injured and sickly humans around Stonehenge, BBC reported.
“We believe that this dig has a chance of genuinely unlocking part of the mystery of Stonehenge,� Dr Simon Thurley, chief executive of English Heritage, said. (BBC)
Tourists will still be able to visit Stonehenge as normal throughout the excavation, New York Times reported. They will also be able to watch live video of the dig on televisions in nearby tents.

Posted by gorvi004 at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KHOU reported that a 14-year-old Houston girl gave birth in an airplane bathroom Sunday and left the fetus in a trashcan. Preliminary autopsy reports indicate that the fetus was stillborn, police said Monday.
Investigators believe the birth occurred sometime during the flight, KHOU reported.
Dallas Morning News and KHOU reported that the girl, an eighth grader, didn’t know she was pregnant. Therefore, charges are unlikely to be filed.
“We're dealing with a scared child at this point,� investigator Keith Lovelace said. (Dallas Morning News).
Police were called to Bush Intercontinental Airport after cleaning crews found the fetus stuffed in a trash can in one of the airplane’s bathrooms Sunday afternoon. All of the passengers had exited the plane before the fetus was found.
The girl was questioned by investigators Sunday night, Dallas Morning News reported.
Dallas Morning News reported the girl was on the non-stop Continental Airlines flight from New York’s LaGuardia Airport as part middle school field trip. KHOU reported that Houston Independent School District confirmed that a choir from Perishing Middle School was on board the flight, but would not confirm whether the girl was part of that group.
KHOU’s article ended with a Q&A with a Houston-area obstetrician who answered questions about the logistics of the incident. This helped to clear up the ‘How?’ question.
The Dallas Morning News article was more of a breaking news article. It was short and filled space with specifics about the flight itself that didn’t really pertain to the story at hand.

Posted by gorvi004 at 8:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)