Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Nation in brief

Man runs over 3 tots, police say

COVINGTON, Ga. - A man ran over three toddlers and two adults with his car in the parking lot of a McDonald's restaurant Tuesday, police said, and one witness described him as having a smile on his face. Lanny Barnes, 46, was in custody and charges against him were pending.

"All indications are that he intentionally hit them," Assistant Police Chief Almond Turner said.

The children, ages 2 to 4, were airlifted to a hospital in Atlanta and were in critical condition, Turner said. The two women were taken to a Covington hospital; one was in critical condition and the other was stable, he said.

Study suggests obesity rises faster in poor teens

CHICAGO - Older American teenagers living in poverty have grown fatter at a higher rate than their peers, according to a new study.

"Today the percentage of adolescents age 15-17 who are overweight is about 50 percent higher in poor as compared to nonpoor families, a difference that has emerged recently," said Johns Hopkins' sociologist Richard Miech, the study's lead author.

Obesity rates among all teens climbed substantially during the study, which covered 30 years. But the great divide according to income occurred most notably among the 15- to 17-year-old age group.

Ky. mine investigation focuses on gas seals

HOLMES MILL, Ky. - Mine safety officials say a sealing material used at a southeastern Kentucky mine where an explosion killed five miners is an easy and cost-effective way to contain combustible gases, but others in the industry say convenience comes at a cost.

Critics say the material, similar to plastic foam, puts miners in danger and should be banned. Rescuers reported that the seals did not withstand Saturday's blast at the Kentucky Darby Mine No. 1.

The foam blocks seal out methane and other gases that occur naturally in previously mined areas, and they are often used instead of conventional concrete blocks.

Three of those killed - Paris Thomas Jr., 35; Roy Middleton, 35; and George Petra, 49 - survived the initial blast but died of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to preliminary tests. Amon Brock, 51, and Jimmy D. Lee, 33, died of blunt force and heat injuries.

[Last modified May 24, 2006, 05:24:27]