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Mistrial for officer who refused to go to Iraq

By TIMES WIRES
Published February 8, 2007

A judge declared a mistrial Wednesday in the court-martial of an Army lieutenant who refused to deploy to Iraq, saying the soldier did not fully understand a document he signed admitting to elements of the charges.

The military judge, Lt. Col. John Head, set a March 12 date for a new trial and dismissed the jurors. 1st Lt. Ehren Watada's defense lawyer objected to the mistrial and said a second trial would amount to double jeopardy. Watada, 28, of Honolulu, is the first commissioned officer to be court-martialed for refusing to go to Iraq.

KANSAS CITY, MO.

Explosions rock industrial area; no injuries reported

Several explosions engulfed a chemical plant in flames Wednesday, forcing a broad evacuation as the fire spewed a sticky substance that residents were warned not to touch.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, but Kansas City police were warning that more explosions were expected at the Chemcentral Corp. facility, which stores and distributes various chemicals and solvents.

Officials worked to evacuate people within a 1-mile radius, including about 500 residents, and went door-to-door to get people out.

WEST BRANCH, MICH.

Mom gets 9 months in breast-milk death of infant

A woman accused of causing her infant daughter's death by feeding her breast milk tainted with cocaine was sentenced Wednesday to nine months behind bars on a reduced charge.

Sara Shelby pleaded guilty last month to a charge of attempted manslaughter in the Aug. 21, 2005, death of 5-month-old Karie Lee Bowman.

Police said Shelby, 24, told them she had used cocaine two or three times the day before her daughter's death. The girl died of cocaine intoxication.

[Last modified February 8, 2007, 00:48:30]