November 2012 Archives

The Los Angeles Times' article, "Deputy at Texas Pileup: 'Children bleeding... cars on top of cars,'" uses a lot of good direct quotes that make for a great story.

The article does a great job of using direct quotes from Texas deputy sheriff Rod Carroll who was at the scene of the collision.

The article is a combination of facts and details about the accident and quotes from Carroll. This makes the story more powerful because not only does it provide concrete information, but it also gives a witness's first-hand account of the experience.

For instance, in the story it quotes Carroll saying "I saw people lying on the ground covered by a blanket, being attended to by strangers. I saw an infant being loaded into an ambulance. I saw children bleeding," he told The Times. "It was like a Third World scene, honestly. I just kept walking down that highway, trying to help in any way I could, not knowing what I would encounter next, what would come out of the fog."

Quotes like these grab the reader's attention and really put an emphasis on the seriousness of the event.

Overall, this article does a great job of applying quotations from Carroll to make not only an interesting and good story, but a story that also provides the reader with crucial information.

A heavy storm that hit parts of ENgland and Wales has left two people dead and more than 800 homes flooded, BBC News reported.

A 70-year-old man died during the storm after his car crashed into a swollen river in Cambridgeshire. On Saturday night, a 21-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Exeter. Furthermore, hundreds of homes have been flooded in Devon and Cornwall, the two areas that seemed to be among the spots that have been hit the worst. It has been confirmed by The Environment Agency that 816 homes have been flooded because of extreme rain, BBC News reported.

"Officials said the situation was stabilizing in southern England, but weather forecasters said persistent rain would continue in the north of England and Scotland on Sunday," Fox News reported.

David Cameron, the prime minister, has talked of "shocking scenes of flooding." Through a message on his twitter, Cameron also said the government "will help ensure everything is being done to help," BBC News reported.

Fox News reported that the Cameron has also pledged to make sure that all the flood victims get the help they need.

The BBC Weather Centre said, "further heavy rain is expected to affect Wales and south-western parts of England during Sunday afternoon and evening," BBC News reported.

Two people died and more than 80 people were injured after nearly 140 vehicles collided in a pileup in Southeast Texas on Thursday, Yahoo! News reported.

The collision happened on Interstate 10 southwest of Beaumont, a Gulf Coast city about 8- miles east of Houston. The accident occurred around 8:45 a.m. on Thanksgiving during very foggy conditions, Yahoo! News reported.

The Texas Department of Public Safety told KFDM-TV that "a man and a woman were killed in a Chevy Suburban SUV crushed by a tractor trailer." Late Thursday night, Stephanie Davis, a DPS trooper, identified the man and woman killed in the collision as Debra Leggio, 60, and Vincent Leggio, 64, Yahoo! News reported.

Rob Carroll, a Texas deputy sheriff, is calling the collision a Thanksgiving Day nightmare. "It was overwhelming," Carroll, 46, told the Los Angeles Times on Friday. "It was extremely foggy. You couldn't see 10 feet around you in any direction. It was like some strange dream."

The DPS said a crash on the eastbound side of the highway led to other accidents in a danger chain reaction. There were multiple crashes on the other side of the highway as well, Yahoo! News reported.

Carroll said in his quarter-century of police work, he had never seen anything like the Thanksgiving Day massive pileup. "And I just hope to God it was a once-in-a-lifetime event," he said, the
Los Angeles Times reported.

After being close for more than eight hours, Interstate 10's eastbound lanes were reopened Thursday evening,
Los Angeles Times
reported.

A former model on "The Price is Right" is receiving more than $7.7 million in punitive damages from the producers of the show for discriminating against her after she got pregnant, a jury determined on Wednesday, Yahoo! News reported.

Brandi Cochran, 41, was awarded nearly $777,000 in actual damages after the court determined the 'Price is Right' producers discriminated toward her. Cochran said after taking maternity leave, she tried to return to work on the show in early 2010 but was rejected, Yahoo! News reported.

"The jury agreed and determined that FremantleMedia North America and The Price is Right Productions owed her more than $8.5 million in all," Yahoo! News reported.

"I'm humbled. I'm shocked," Cochran said after hearing the jury's verdict. "I'm happy that justice was served today not only for women in the entertainment industry, but women in the workplace. FremantleMedia is standing by its initial statement, saying that after the appeal, it expects to be "fully vindicated," FoxNews reported.

Producers claimed that they were happy with the five models who were working on the show at the time that Cochran tried to return, FoxNews reported.

Cochran is not the only model to have sued "The Price is Right." Many other models who were on the series have sued not only the show but also Bob Barker, the show's host up until 2007 when he retired. Most of these cases were ended with out-of-court settlements, FoxNews reported.

A third former teacher from Shattuck St. Mary's School is being charged with allegedly molesting a student while working at the school, Kare11 reported.

Authorities said Joseph Carol Machlitt allegedly molested a 14-year-old boy during the summer of 1980 when he was working as an art and photography teacher at Shattuck, Kare11 reported.

Dan Gudmundson, Faribault's Police Chief, says the victim, no 46, decided to come forward to police after the investigation of another former Shattuck faculty member, drama teacher Lynn Seibel, was launched. The alleged victim told investigators that 63-year-old Machlitt took him back to his apartment after he took him to the emergency room to get his head checked out after he hit on the side of the pool, Kare11 reported.

The alleged victim told police that back at Machlitt's apartment, he fell asleep on the sofa: "When he awoke, Machlitt was massaging his legs, according to the criminal charges. That progressed to Machlitt's touching the boy's genitals and performing oral sex on him, the charges say," the StarTribune reported.

In the complaint, the victim said he didn't tell anyone until he was 29, and he talked to a couple therapists about it. If Machlitt is convicted, "he'll face a presumptive sentence of 24 months on the third-degree charge and a 21-month stayed sentence on the attempted fourth-degree charge, under Minnesota sentencing guidelines in effect in 1980," the StarTribune reported.

After crashing her car in Anoka, a 41-year-old woman has been charged with drunken driving and endangering a child, KSTP reported.

Reports say before the car crashed, it was not only weaving, but it also went into a ditch twice. The crash happened on Saturday Afternoon on Nov. 17 near County Road 9 and 184th Lane Northwest, KSTP reported.

The car was on fire when emergency responders arrived at the scene. "Witnesses had helped pull the woman out of the driver's seat, and an 8-year-old child in the back was able to escape on his own," according to the criminal complaint. Dockter told authorities she was on her way to pick up her other child in St. Francis, KSTP reported.


The complaint said that police and emergency responders noticed Dockter had bloodshot and watery eyes and smelled of alcohol. Dockter allegedly admitted to having some drinks. At some time during the incident, Dockter allegedly said, "Why do I keep drinking?", ABC Newspaper reported.

The complaint said Dockter was taken to Mercy Hospital to be checked out for possible injuries and to have her blood drawn for a toxicology test, ABC Newspaper reported.

Tonia Rae Dockter was charged with second-degree and third-degree DWI and endangerment of a child. All three charges are gross misdemeanors. The complaint alleged that Dockter was also convicted of DWI in 2011, ABC Newspaper reported.

In the CNN article, "4 dead after train hits truck during Texas parade saluting U.S. troops," the author does a good job of including many important and crucial details.

The article includes a lot of specific details about the time of the crash and those who were killed or injured: "The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, during the "Hunt for Heroes" event in Midland." This statement supplies the reader with substantial information regarding the event.

The article also provides its readers with the names, titles, and ages of all of those who died in the crash. The author does a good job of describing the event in chronological order, which makes it easier for the audience to follow. For instance, the article flows nicely in the paragraphs describing the incident: "First responders found two dead at the scene, while two others were later pronounced dead at Midland Memorial Hospital."

In addition to the article efficiently relaying the events of the crash, it also attributes all the important details. For example, the author had a quote from a parade attendee: "I'm waving at these guys and then you...find out this happened." Having quotes from various sources such as a parade attendee make the article more powerful and meaningful; it's a good way to grab the reader's attention.

Overall, the article contains a lot of great information with plenty of details; it relays a strong story with it's frequent use of attributions from various sources.

Across the streets of France on Saturday, anti-gay marriage groups protested President Francois Hollande's plan to legalize gay marriage and adoption, USA Today reported.

Hollande said he would enact his "marriage for everyone" plan within a year of coming to power in May. However, many anti-marriage groups including some religious leaders and politicians. The opposition from these groups and parts of rural France has divided the country, USA Today reported.

The Saturday protest, called the "March for Everyone," consisted of several thousand people marching in Paris while holding signs promoting heterosexual marriage. Many of the marchers were from pro-family and Catholic groups. Some of their signs read with slogans such as "One child (equals) one father + one mother," USA Today reported.

Some Femen activists showed up to the march topless while chanting "in gay we trust," and sprayed white powder from bottles. This aggravated some of the anti-gay marriage protesters, resulting in them hitting and pushing the Femen members to the ground, Fox News reported.

Holland's draft law could mean that marriage and adoption could be legalized for homosexual couples as early as next year, Fox News reported.

Authorities said four people were killed during a parade for veterans in Texas on Thursday when a freight train crashed into the float, the New York Times reported.

Price Robinson, the Midland police chief, said the crash happened during the "Hunt for Heroes" event in West Texas around 4:30 p.m. Most of those who were injured seemed to be veterans or their spouses, Robinson said, the New York Times reported.

"The last flatbed truck in the parade was crossing tracks when an eastbound train slammed into it, said Ryan Stout, Midland police spokesman. Authorities said it's unclear right now why the truck was on the tracks as the train was approaching the crossing, he said. Army Sgt. Maj. Gary Stouffer, 37, and Army Sgt. Maj Lawrence Boivin, 47, were pronounced at the scene. Army Sgt. Joshua Michael, 34, and Army Sgt. Maj. William Lubbers, 43, died at Midland Memorial Hospital. CNN reported.

The train crew was not injured in the crash, and they will be offered counseling, said Tom Lange, a spokesman for the railroad. The train itself is still operational, he said, the New York Times reported.

On Friday the National Transportation Safety board will begin an investigation that will include review of video from a camera on the train, CNN reported.

Kare11

After allegations that he had a relationship with a 16-year-old boy, the Elmo puppeteer of "Sesame Street" is taking a leave of absence from the well-liked show, Kare11 reported.

The charges against the puppeteer, 52-year-old Kevin Clash, were first made by the accuser, now 23-years-old, in June. Sesame Workshop says Clash denies the accusations made against him. Sesame Workshop released a statement on Monday saying "its investigation found the allegation of underage conduct to be unsubstantiated. But it said Clash exercised "poor judgment" and was disciplined for violating company policy regarding Internet usage. It offered no details," Kare11 reported.

"We took the allegation very seriously and took immediate action," Sesame Workshop said. "We met with the accuser twice and had repeated communications with him. We met with Kevin, who denied the accusation." Clash himself also publicly denied the accusations: "I had a relationship with (the accuser)," Clash told TMZ. "It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to make it into something it was not," Yahoo! News reported.

"Sesame Street" is currently in production, said a person close to the show but is speaking under anonymity because he or she is not allowed to publicly discuss details of the show's production. There are other puppeteers ready to fill in for Clash while he's gone, and "Elmo will still be a part of the show being produced," that person said, Yahoo! News reported.

Clash has voiced and animated Elmo since 1984. Clash is credited for transforming Elmo's character and making him one of the most recognized faces on "Sesame Street," Yahoo! News reported.

It is unclear how long Clash will be on leave from the show. Sesame Workshop says Clash requested a leave of absence to "protect his reputation," Kare11 reported.

Authorities say two children were killed and two other people were injured when a pickup truck drove over their tent early Sunday morning at a North Dakota campground, Kare11 reported.

The Highway Patrol says the children, two boys ages five and nine, were killed when truck driver lost control of his truck while trying to get around a curve in the Hahn's Bay Campground at Lake Metigoshe. The truck also injured a man and another 9-year-old boy before crashing into a tree, Kare11 reported.

The patrol identified the injured man as 28-year-old Juan Ruiz of El Paso, Texas. The patrol says Ruiz suffered serious injuries and was flown to a Minot hospital. The 9-year-old boy suffered minor injuries. The identities of the children have not been released; the patrol has only identified Ruiz, Kare11 reported.

The truck driver has been identified though as 30-year-old Juan Acosta of Newburg. Prosecutors say they have charged Acosta. Swain Benson, a Bottineau County prosecutor, said Acosta is being "charged with two counts of manslaughter, two counts of reckless endangerment, one count of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and drunken driving," CBS reported.

The Minot Daily News reported that Acosta only received minor injuries from the accident. The two passengers in Acosta's truck were not hurt. Acosta is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, CBS reported.

After allegedly being assaulted by her mother's boyfriend, Investigators say a toddler from Minneapolis, may now need a permanent tracheotomy to breathe or have to suffer through life as a quadriplegic, Kare11 reported.

Police have charged 22-year-old Eric Paul Boone with first degree assault in the alleged attack. The attack happened on Oct. 26 at the 2400 block of Logan Avenue N. After getting a call about a child not breathing, police were dispatched to the location. When police arrived at the home they said they saw first responders attending to the 21-month-old female victim. "Medical personnel had to manually breathe for the victim as she was unable to breathe on her own." Police were told that Boone, the boyfriend of the toddler's mother, had been caring for the toddler, Kare11 reported.

After paramedics examined the victim and realized there were signs of swelling and bruising around the toddler's eye, chin and around her neck, she was immediately taken to North Memorial Medical Center. Officers said Boone told them he had been sleeping with his girlfriend's newborn and the victim when he woke up to discover the toddler wasn't breathing. Boone said he rushed upstairs to tell others in the residence to call 911, Kare11 reported.

A child protection investigator learned three days later that Boone had thrown the toddler on the bed. The investigator said Boone became enraged with the girl after she feel out of his hands while he was walking down the stairs with her, so he angrily threw her on the bed. The second time police interviewed Boone, he said he became angry with the toddler and threw her on the bed "like a sack of potatoes," the StarTribune reported.

Medical specialists say the victim's injuries could be a result of being thrown on the bed by Boone or be a result of other violent acts. The toddler's doctors say she suffered a cervical spinal cord injury that was most likely from the assault, the StarTribune reported.

Authorities have not yet released the names of the victim or her mother, the StarTribune reported.

The CNN article "Dorothy's dress from 'The Wizard of Oz' finds new home" lacks quotes and attribution that could have made the story more powerful.

The article starts off with a catchy introduction and lead: "It might be Oz, Kansas or simply somewhere over the rainbow. While the destination may not be known, there's no doubt the blue gingham dress wore by Judy Garland, as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz," has a new home." However, the rest of the paragraphs seem to fizzle after story's beginning.

The author does a good job of grabbing the reader's attention but doesn't include some important details that would help keeping the reader's attention. For instance, the article really only had one attribution and that was Julien's Auctions, which was only attributed once when talking about the price paid for Garland's dress.

This article could have been powerful and influential to its audiences if the author had attributed and included some quotes from those in attendance of the auction. It would have been fascinating to hear from people who were at the auction and got to see the items for sale, specifically the Garland dress.

I think it would have also been beneficial to the story for the author to describe in detail the dress. The story just briefly describes the dress as "the blue gingham dress word by Judy Garland, as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz." I believe it would have been a good idea to give a brief background on the the dress and its appearance to give the reader's a quick refresher of the importance of the dress.

Overall, I think the article would've been a more influential and exciting story to read if there had been attributions and quotes incorporated into it.

During a riot at a Sri Lanka prison, 27 inmates were "gunned down," a spokesman for the main opposition party said, BBC News reported.

The incident, which happened in Sri Lanka's Colombo's Welikada prison, is being referred to as a massacre and one of the bloodiest prison violence in almost three decades. In addition to the 27 inmates that were killed during the massacre, 43 others suffered injuries, said Prisons Minister Chandrasiri gajadeera. He also claimed that 13 police commandos, four soldiers and two civilians were apart of the 43 who were injured, BBC News

After rioting prisoners broke into the armory and momentarily attained control of part of the Welikada prison, the clashes erupted between the inmates and the army and the police commandos. The police commandos shot at the prisoners after the inmates opened fire on them with weapons they had taken from the armories. The violence began on Friday and by Saturday morning the situation had been controlled, and the prison's normalcy was restored, the New York Times reported.

"The prison is now totally under our control," said Sri Lanka's Commissioner General of Prisons P.W. Kodippili. Authorities recaptured five prisoners, said police spokesman Prishantha Jayakody, who had managed to escape during the riot. Although Kodippili refused to comment on exactly how many inmates may have gotten away, he did say search operations were in motion to try to locate those who possibly escaped, the New York Times reported.

Although authorities and prison official seem to be satisfied with how the situation was handled, Mangala Samaraweere of the United National party is not happy with how the events of incident transpired. During the riot, most of the prisoners killed were shot dead by police commandos and soldiers, said Samaraweere. "It's a massacre that has to be condemned. It shows the breakdown of the rule of law in the country," he said, according to Reuters. "[The] information I have is that most of the prisoners were cold-bloodedly gunned down," added Samaraweere added, BBC News reported.

28 people were wounded in the same prison last January because of a conflict between the inmates and the guards; the prisoners were protesting the authorities' attempts to reduce drug smuggling into the prison. There are nearly 4,000 inmates incarcerated at the prison, the New York Times reported.

Someone paid $480,000 at an auction on Saturday for the blue and white gingham dress Judy Garland wore in "The Wizard of Oz," said Julien's Auctions, Yahoo! News reported.

The Judy Garland dress from the 1939 movie was made by MGM costume designer Adrian. It was just one of the many items of Hollywood history that was being auctioned off in Beverly Hills, California at the Julien's auction house, CNN reported.

Although the dress was sold at a high figure, its price was still below the amount of money paid last year for Hollywood costumes worn by Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. This year two of the auction's highest priced items were also Monroe's. A purple skirt Monroe wore while filming "River of No Return" in Canada sold for $50,000. And a gold blouse and matching Capri pants that were also traced back to Monroe were sold for $43,750, CNN reported.

"The 'Wizard of Oz' was responsible for another big seller during the two-day event. One auction winner shelled out $33,750 for a collection of studio and publicity images tied to the MGM film," reported CNN.

As of now it is unknown whether Garland's dress will be reunited with the ruby red slippers she wore in the film, CNN reported.

The buyer of the dress has yet to be identified, Yahoo! News reported.

A 16-year-old California girl stepped into a rattlesnakes' nest and was bitten six times on Oct. 27 while in a rural area outside San Diego, Reuters reported.

Vera Oliphant is alive after being given 24 vials of antivenom and spending four days in the intensive care unit of Sharp Grossmont Hospital, a hospital official said said. She was bitten by six rattlesnakes: an adult rattlesnake and five young ones, Yahoo! News reported.

Oliphant was trying to find a signal for her cell phone at her uncle's home in Jamul, so she could make a call. "I was trying to find a signal to call my mom and text my boyfriend," Oliphant said on Friday, a day after she was released from the hospital, Yahoo! News reported.

"I didn't see them until I already stepped on their nest and I felt them biting me," she said. "My vision started to go right away. First it looked like the snakes blended into the leaves and then I started seeing black spots around the edges and I started blacking out." After Oliphant made her way back to her uncle's home, he immediately rushed her to the emergency room, she said, Yahoo! News reported.

Although snakebites generally aren't considered to be fatal, each year in the United States there are quite a few people who do die from snake bites. There are even people who have died from rattlesnake bites. Oliphant has recovered and will be returning to classes at Chaparral High School in El Cajon on Monday, Reuters reported.

A former pastor of a St. Paul church has admitted to possessing child pornography and sexually abusing two boys, the PioneerPress reported.

On Thursday in Ramsey Count court, Curtis Wehmeyer, 48, plead guilty to having child pornography and molesting two boys while he was working as a pastor at The Church of the Blessed Sacrament on St. Paul's East Side. In the summer of 2010, Wehmeyer was accused of exposing himself to one of the boys and sexually abusing the other. After the church's authorities became aware of the allegations against Wehmeyer, he was removed from his position at the church in June, the PioneerPress reported.

Wehmeyer is being accused of committing criminal sexual conduct when he was working and living as the parish pastor of the Catholic church where he worked. He allegedly molested two brothers, ages 14 and 12. "He said he would plead, and I'm just glad he kept his word," the boys' mother said outside the courtroom, the StarTribune reported.

The sexual abuse occurred in the summer of 2010 in Wehmeyer's camper trailer in the church parking lot. The complaint reported that he took the two brothers into his trailer where he showed them pornographic movies. He also allegedly provided the brothers with marijuana and alcohol and then exposed himself to one of the boys and molested the other, the StarTribune reported.

Wehmeyer plead guilty to the possession of child pornography and 20 charges related to criminal sexual conduct. "Each of the 17 child porn counts is punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000. The earlier charges included not only second-degree criminal sexual conduct but also two counts of gross misdemeanor fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct." He will be sentenced in February and prosecutors will not be offering him a deal, the StarTribune reported.

Police have canceled the Amber Alert for the 17-month-old who was abducted from St. Louis park after she was found safely with her non-custodial father in Blaine, Minn., Kare11 reported.

George Rutledge, 31, is in custody for abducting Nahla Sky Rutledge. Sky was found safely with Rutledge by police in a Blaine home around four in the morning on Friday. Police were able to find Rutledge after receiving a tip from someone regarding his whereabouts, Kare11 reported.

The Amber Alert was issued Thursday night around 7:30 p.m. after Sky was abducted from her St. Louis Park home. Authorities said Rutledge allegedly assaulted the toddler's mother while kidnapping Sky at gunpoint. The Associated Press reported that Rutledge allegedly also "used a pistol to threaten the lives of the mother and the toddler," the Pioneer Press reported.

When the Amber Alert was issued, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension reported that Rutledge was possibly "armed and dangerous." "The Amber Alert said Rutledge was seen driving away from the 1300 block of Jersey Avenue in St. Louis Park driving a tan 1998 Ford Expedition with a temporary registration sticker on its back window," the Pioneer Press reported.

Currently, Rutledge is facing possible charges of assault and kidnapped. He is being held in the St. Louis Park, the Pioneer Press reported.

In nearly the past decade, the amount of Americans classified as severely obese has gone up by 70 percent, Yahoo! News reported.

To be considered obese a person must have a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher; currently, more than one-third of American adults are considered obese. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of severely obese Americans went from four percent up to almost seven percent. A severely obese person is at least 100 pounds over weight, Yahoo! News reported.

In recent studies it was discovered that the nation's obesity rate of adults and kids that are moderately obese is possibly "leveling off." "Everybody's talking about obesity leveling off," said Roland Sturm, a senior economist at the non-profit research institute RAND corporation. "But what tends to get "lost" in the discussion is the fact that severe obesity - BMIs of 40 or higher - is still rising fast," Yahoo! News reported.

Sturm claims this is an important factor because those who are severely obese are the ones with the highest healthcare costs: "about double those of normal-weight Americans." Severely obese people are also at high risk of serious health conditions including diabetes, severe arthritis and heart disease, Chicago Tribune reported.

This growing problem is not only an issue for the cost of healthcare but also the human cost of living with obesity." There's the disability and inability to work. People may be basically forced into retirement because they can't work," Sturm
said. Overall, the rising percentage of the population that is severely obese is shocking, Chicago Tribune reported.

In the article "American Student Accused of Stabbing Friend 25 Times in Rome" from ABC News, the author does a good job of using attributions and answering the questions that readers would want to know.

Just in the first few paragraphs, the author successfully identifies everyone involved in the incident along with specific details. For example, his lead reads as "A U.S. student studying abroad has been arrested for attempted murder for allegedly stabbing his friend 25 times after a drug-fueled night out in Rome on Halloween," ABC News reported. This lead specifies how many times the victim was stabbed, which isn't necessarily essential to the story, but it makes it much more shocking and intriguing to readers.

The author also identifies the age and name of the victim and the friend being charged with attempted murder. He identifies the victim as 19-year-old Fabio Malpeso and his friend as 20-year-old Reid Alexander Schepis.To me, this makes the story more relatable. I also think it helps audiences identify more with the situation.

Another great thing I thought the author did in this article was include a lot of important attributions. For example, he has quotes from Schepis' attorney, Vincenzo Comi: "Every time that his friend was named, Reid became profoundly upset and cried while apologizing for what he had done," the author reported in his ABC News article. This quote gives the reader a look into what's going on with Schepis and how he's reacting to this whole situation.

In general, I thought the author did a great job of including a substantial amount of important attributions and supplying the reader with intriguing details in this ABC News' article.

A 2-year-old boy was killed at a Pittsburgh zoo when he fell 14 feet into an exhibit full of a pack of African painted dogs, MyFox reported.

The boy was at the Pittsburgh zoo with his mother and friends on Sunday when he fell the 14 feet off a deck into the dog exhibit. "It's not clear whether he died from the fall or the attack," said Tracy Gray of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, MyFox reported.

Visitors immediately alerted the zoo's staff after the boy fell into the exhibit. The zoo's staff members and the Pittsburgh police were able to get seven of the dogs to instantly retreat to a back building. "Three more eventually were drawn away from the boy, but the last dog wouldn't come into the building, and police had to shoot him," said Barbara Baker, the president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, reported MyFox.

The Seattle Times reported that the dogs who attacked the boy, "are about as big as medium-sized domestic dogs, 2 to 2 1/2 feet high and 37 to 80 pounds, according to the zoo. African wild dogs are also known as cape hunting dogs, spotted dogs, and painted wolves. They have large, rounded ears and dark brown circles around their eyes and are considered endangered."

Baker claimed this is the first time a visitor has died at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Neither the boy's nor his mother's name has been released. However, Authorities did say the mother is a 34-year-old woman from just outside Pittsburgh in Pleasant Hills, the Seattle Times reported.

A Bemidji man who was deer hunting died after being shot by another deer hunter on Saturday morning in Turtle River Township, the StarTribune reported.

Authorities in Beltrami County said the victim was shot by a Bemidji man who knew the victim but was not hunting with him. Rescue officials found the man dead at the scene, the Bemidji Pioneer said in one of its reports, the StarTribune reported.

The victim was shot on public land while hunting for deer during the opening hours of Minnesota's firearms deer season, the Duluth News Tribune reported.

"Chief Deputy Ernie Beitel said the man who fired the gun was not carrying a cell phone at the time, and left to report the incident when he encountered another person, who then called dispatchers," the Duluth News Tribune reported.

An autopsy on the victim is still pending, the sheriff's office said. The shooter was released, but the incident is under investigation by the Beltrami Country Sheriff's Office, the StarTribune reported.

Following a night of partying on Halloween, a US student is now recovering at a hospital in Rome after he was stabbed 25 times by his best friend, ABC News reported.

The victim is 19-year-old Fabio Malpeso from New Jersey who was partying at a Rome nightclub late Halloween night. He was at the club with his longtime friend from New Jersey 20-year-old Reid Alexander. Alexander allegedly stabbed Malpeso in the early morning sometime after they had returned to their apartment from their night of partying, ABC News
reported.

Schepis told police that he was on both ecstasy and alcohol the night of the stabbing. He claimed this was the first time he'd ever used drugs and that he has no memory of the events that followed his night of partying. Schepis told authorities that he doesn't remember going into Malpeso's room, where he was sleeping, and stabbing him, ABC News
reported.

Schepis' attorney Vincenzo Comi claims that Schepis is extremely upset over the situation: "Every time that his friend was named, Reid became profoundly upset and cried while apologizing for what he had done," he said, ABC News
reported.

"Reid is a good kid; he comes from a good family," Comi told NBC News. "Fabio and Reid were the best of friends. They were both in their second year of university but knew each other from before," said Comi. "Even their parents knew each other. This is another dramatic aspect of the whole tragedy. They were all friends," NBC News reported.

Authorities are saying the motive for the early Thursday attack are currently unclear. However, detectives suspect "drug- and alcohol-related delirium" might be a factor, NBC News reported.