November 2010 Archives

The newest installement of the Harry Potter franchise, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows", debuted with $125 million.

According to ABC News, the movie earned an estimated of $125.1 million on its first weekend which put it at the top of the other Potter movies for opening weekend revenue. The New York Times reported that the movie actually debuted with $330 million worldwide and that it was the second biggest opening for the Harry Potter franchise.

ABC News said the movie played on 4,125 screen across the U.S. topping the previous franchise leader, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." The New York Times reported that Imax showings were on 239 screens and made up $12.4 million of the domestic box office sales.

A janitor was caught and sentenced Friday for photographing a 10-year-old girl in a bathroom stall.

According to the Star Tribune, Jason D. Kohlwey, 31, was sentenced for photographing a girl in a bathroom stall at a Burnsville private school. He was sentenced to four days in jail, 30 days of home monitoring, and up to eight years of probation. The Pioneer Press reported that Kohlwey was even taking photos of young girls around the age of five in the bathroom stalls.

The Star Tribune reported that Kohlwey pleaded guilty in August, and that a charge of child pornography posession and three counts of invasion of privacy were dismissed in a plea agreement. The Pioneer Press reported that if he had been convicted of child pornography he would have been sentenced to five more years in jail.

The Star Tribune said that investigation of Kohlwey started back in 2009 when a girl reported that man had put a camera under the divider of the stalls in the bathroom while she was using the toilet. The Pioneer Press added that the girl saw the janitor walk out of the bathroom before she entered it.

The Star Tribune said investigators found photographs of buttocks of young girls and several of them using the restroom.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul airport was closed early Sunday.

According to Fox 9 News, the airport had to shut down due to ice from midnight to 5:00 a.m. KSTP said that the runways were shut down already late Saturday night because of ice.

Fox 9 News said that the airport was expecting freezing rain, but the ice came much earlier than expected. KSTP reported that at least one flight had to land in Duluth. One passenger on the plane said they had to wait two hours to actually land in the airport at Duluth.

Fox 9 News said that two of MSP's airports were opened again at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, and all of them were re-opened by 10 a.m.

A plane made an emergency landing at the JFK airport on Sunday.

According to the New York Times, the plane made the emergency landing after it was experiencing engine trouble shorty after takeoff. CBS News adds that intial reports said flames were emitting from one of the wings on the plane.

New York Times reported the pilot had reported "unspecified engine problem" and it need to return immediately to the airport. Over 100 firefighters and other rescue personnel arrived at the airport when they received the reports.

CBS News said that there was no sign of fire and no injuries.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants girls to get married at the age of 16 newspapers reported on Sunday.

According to the Associated Press (AP), Ahmadinejad urged young girls to marry at 16 in his "lastest rejection" of Iran's family planning program. He criticized the program as "ungodly" and a Western ideal.

Monsters and Critics reported that although the average age for boys and girls to get married in Iran is 26 and 24 respectively, he thinks it should change to 20 and 16.

The AP said after Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005, he has been working to increase the country's population, which is currently at 75 million, and a third of that are between 15 and 30 years old.

Monsters and Critics said that experts think the age is not a problem in when one should marry, but that high unemployment amongst that young age group is because they make up 70 percent of Iran's population. High real estate prices and rent is unaffordable too for young people.

The AP reported in July Ahmadinejad set in a place a policy to stimulate the population with financial incentives for every new child that was born. However, critics of his policy say that this will only further unemployment.

Monsters and Critics also adds that due to social restrictions, with men and women being completely seperated from eachother, it is hard for them to meet and get to know one another. Currently, the "resulting problems" have led to increasing divorce rates.

The story about Xcel Energy customers losing power in the Twin Cities metro area uses numbers in varying ways.

In the Star Tribune article, the numbers show the readers how many customers of Xcel were out of power, how many crews they have out to fix this damage, and how many different repair jobs that needed to be done. In the Fox 9 News article, it shows basically the same thing as the Star Tribune article, but adds another element to the story by showing how dangerous the storm was when it reported on the number of car accidents and injuries sustained during the storm.

The amount of statistics and numbers used in the story wasn't an overwhelming amount, but the number of people without power was an overwhelming number because obviously that is a significant amount of people, making this story appearing in the national news section on Google.

The reporter got their numbers from officials with Xcel Energy as well as officials with the State Patrol. I do not think the reporters could have used math to crunch out the numbers in the case of this story, because it would have been too many customers to count by themselves. It was easier for them, and made the story more effective to get the numbers right from the proper sources.

Both stories effectively told how badly this snow storm has impacted the metro area by using numbers in an efficient and relevant way.

After a snowstorm Saturday, 27,000 residents in Minneapolis are left without power.

According to the Star Tribune, 27,000 Xcel Energy customers who live in the meto area are without power. Xcel crews are currently trying to repair the damage that was done on Saturday. Fox 9 News reported that the loss of power came after trees fell due to the heaviness of the snow. Also, Fox 9 News said there were 115,000 residents in the area without power.

The Star Tribune reported that Xcel Energy was going to have the majority of the residents power restored by Monday and that a little over 200,000 customers had lost power. Fox 9 News added that the roads were also a hazard to drivers around the metro area. The State Patrol told Fox 9 News that there were 401 crashes with 45 people receiving injuries.

A man falls to his death Saturday after fleeing police officers.

According to the Star Tribune, police had been called to Epic nightclub after a fight broke out outside around 2 a.m. When officers arrived, a man, who was thought to have started the fight, ran to a nearby parking ramp. Kare 11 added that the supsect ran out of the building, to a parking ramp, and then cleared the fence surrounding the parking ramp. He then jumped to the next barrier, misjudged the distance to the ground and "fell several stories" into the lot below.

The Star Tribune said the man was identified to be 29-year-old, Jason Yang, of St. Paul. He was pronounced dead at the scene when paramedics arrived with cause of death being multiple blunt force injuries. Kare 11 said police investigators are currently going over the case and five police officers involved have been given a paid three day leave due to traumatic circumstances.

A St. Paul church was set on fire Friday night almost trapping a youth group inside.

According to the Star Tribune, an 18-year-old Maplewood man has been arrested on suspicion of arson. He has been accused of lighting the church of fire as well as slashing the tires of four vehicles in the church's parking lot. The Pioneer Press added the Maplewood man's name is Tou Chai Lee and he had been seen at the church by several witnesses.

The Pioneer Press reported that police do not know the motive behind why Lee set the church on fire, but reports say that Lee's ex-girlfriend was in the building when it was set on fire. The Star Tribune said that there were 18 people inside the church's basement attending a youth group when the heard the fire alarm go off around 8:30 p.m.

The Pioneer Press adds that no one was injured and there was minimal damage to the church.

A missing teenager was found Sunday in the basement of a man's home that was 10 miles from her house.

According to Fox News, 13-year-old, Sarah Maynard, was found bound and gagged in 30-year-old, Matthew Hoffman's, basement. Her mother, Tina Herrmann, and 10-year-old brother, Kody, as well as her mother's friend, Stephanie Sprang are still missing. CNN added that Maynard had been missing since Wednesday.

CNN reported that Maynard was taken to a hospital for treatment for non-life threatening injuries. Fox News said Hoffman was arrested on one count of kidnapping, but that other charges may follow.

CNN said that Maynard was found after a raid on Hoffman's home early Sunday morning and authorities are still investigating to see if Hoffman knew any of the four people. Fox News added that Hoffman was neither an ex-boyfriend of Herrmann or Sprang.

CNN reported that after Herrmann didn't show up for work, the police got involved and went to check her home. Her pickup was in the driveway, lights were on in the home, but police said no one answered the door. Her manager, went into Herrmann's home Thursday to find blood inside. Authorities are hoping Hoffman will lead them to the other missing victims.

A explosion Sunday at a Mexican resort kills six people with three who may be Canadians, officials say.

According to CBC News, 15 people were hurt after a gas explosion at the Grand Riveria Princess Hotel in the Mayan Riveria. The Globe and Mail adds that the attorney general for the state, Francisco Alor, said that three of those who died may be Canadians, while two are hotel employees.

CBC News reported that there were at least 60 Canadians in the hotel at the time and that Canadian conselour officials are currently at the hospital where some of the injured victims were taken. The Globe and Mail said the 60 Canadians were at the resort as an appreciation week for 570 News Radio's clients.

The Globe and Mail reported that the explosion may have taken place underneath the hotel lobby and it occured at 9:30 a.m.

Comedian Conan O'Brien returns to late night television on Monday night.

According to the Dallas Morning News, one year after O'Brien left NBC's The Tonight Show, he is returning to TBS on Monday night for his new show titled Conan. According to the New York Daily News, said O'Brien's show will have a new time, a new bandleader, and some other new features.

The Dallas Morning News said that him being forced out of his dream job, The Tonight Show, has turned O'Briend from a gangly, goofy host to a "folk-hero leader." After getting his dreams snatched away from him by Jay Leno, former and once again The Tonight Show host, he went to the Internet and created a website for his fans, teamcoco.com. He even sported his new nickname, CoCo, which was dubbed to him by actor Tom Hanks.

The New York Daily News added that although O'Brien returning to television on a cable network, TBS, rather than his orignial broadcast network, NBC, can be seen as a step down, it plays to O'Briens comedy better. He can now be the "wacky, cutting-edge" Conan rather than the restraine Conan from the "Tonight Show." However, NBC still does own many of O'Briens fictional characters.

The Dallas Morning News reported that O'Brien's tale of defeat and further triumph tells a story of "Media Land." After O'Brien was booted, he created his own CoCo network, started YouTube videos, his own concert tour, and his own comedy tour. Since O'Brien left television, his flame has never burned brighter.

The New York Daily News added that O'Brien will once again be working with Andy Richter, his sidekick, and his executive producer Jeff Ross.

A Bloomington man was shot and killed Thursday by a police officer.

According to the Star Tribune, Billie Noble Lobahanow, 50, of Bloomington confronted the police officer wielding knives in both of his hands. MPR News reported that the man's name was Bile Rooble, a Somalian immigrant in his 40s, was mentally ill. He was having a fight with his sister when she ran outside and he followed with two knives.

The Star Tribune reported that Lobahanow was killed from multiple gunshot wounds. MPR News added that after police officers had arrived they found a man who had been stabbed. They demanded for Rooble to drop the knives but after he refused the police officer shot him.

The Star Tribune said that police officers arrived at the scene around 2:40 p.m. after reports of domestic assault between Lobahanow and his sister. The caretaker, who had tried to intervene between the two, had been stabbed the officers reported. MPR News reported that a spokesman for the Rooble family believe the officer could have taken other steps. However, Bloomington Police Commander Mark Stehlik said the officers had few other options because Rooble posed a threat to them.

A teenager was found dead Saturday in an indoor water park.

According to KSTP, a 17-year-old boy, Youtee Pour, from Champlin was found at the bottom of a water slide at Brooklyn Park's indoor water park. The Star Tribune said the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department and Fire Department reported to the Grand Rios Ramada Hotel around 5 p.m. after a possible drowning. Pour was pulled from the bottom of the water slide where CPR was adminstered.

KSTP reported that Pour was taken to North Memorial Medical where he died. Investigators are currently looking into the accident to try to figure out his cause of death.

The Star Tribune reported that the water park is one of the biggest in the Midwest.

A police officer was sentenced two years in prison Friday night after he was convicted of killing an unarmed man in Oakland, Calif.

According to the New York Daily News, 150 people were arrested in Oakland over protests from hearing the conviction of police officer, Johannes Mehserle, 28, after he killed a black, unarmed man, Oscar Grant, 22. The San Francisco Chronicle said that judges convicted Mehserle to two years in prision for fatally shooting Grant, who was a train rider, when he mistaked his pistol for his taser.

The New York Daily News reported that the crowd of protestors broke fences and were smashing windows after hearing Mehserle's conviction.The San Francisco Chronicle added that Mehserle did face up to 14 years in prison after he had been convicted in July for involuntary manslaughter. He was also convicted of intentionally firing a gun at Grant who was in the Fruitvale Station in Oakland. However, the judge threw out the firearm conviction because there was no evidence to support it.

The New York Daily News said that the attorney for Grant's family was disgusted with the minimal conviction that Mehserle got. He said, "What you take away from that is that Oscar Grant's life was not worth very much." The San Francisco Chronicle added that Mehserle's lawyers made a case that the shooting was a very tragic accident made under great stress. Members of Grant's family were outraged and left the courtroom before the judge finished speaking. They also said that the outcome showed that the justice system was stacked against African Americans.

A letter bomb was discovered Monday at a Berlin chancellory.

According to AOL News, the package was supposed to be delivered to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The package contained a pipe bomb with "explosive black powder" that was hidden inside a book delivery package. The Deutsche Welle said the package was coming from the Greek Economics Ministry.

AOL News reported that the bomb was discovered hours after other letter bombs were discovered in Greece. Other letter bombs did explode around the Russian and Swiss Embassies in Athens. The Deutsche Welle added that other letter bombs were found in the Germany, Chile, and Bulgaria embassies.

AOL News said German officials believe that Greek leftist organizations may be behind the attacks. According to the Deutsche Welle, the letter bomb arrived after two suspects in Greece were accused of sending four parcel bombs to Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France, and the Mexican, Dutch, and Belgian embassies. Both of the suspects were linked to a Greek leftist group.

The Deutsche Welle also reported that although there have been many bombs circulating around the capital of Greece, the bombs are said to not induce great harm to those who open them. But sources say that the letter bomb sent to Berlin was a "fast" explosive devise that caused burns.