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Vandals leave oily stains on Vietnam tribute

WASHINGTON

An oily substance found splashed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial this month was the result of vandalism, U.S. Park Police determined. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, which built the structure, has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. The oily substance on the black granite wall - which bears the names of more than 58,000 men and women killed or missing in the Vietnam War - was first reported Sept. 7. National Park Service officials said they did not know what the substance was, and on Monday, dark blotches remained along a stone curb at the base of the wall for much of its length. Maintenance and preservation crews are working to remove the stains and marks but are proceeding cautiously to avoid further damage.

BEAUFORT, S.C

Guilty plea entered in bunker case

A man accused of kidnapping a 14-year-old girl and raping her in an underground bunker pleaded guilty Tuesday, moments before his trial was to begin. The girl was rescued after more than a week when she talked her abductor into letting her play games on his cell phone and instead sent a text message for help. Vinson Filyaw, 37, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and all 10 counts of criminal sexual conduct. Each criminal sexual conduct charge carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to impersonating an officer and possession of an incendiary device. Sentencing was set for today.

PHILADELPHIA

$128M donatedto high school

A woman is donating more than $128-million to a Quaker high school in honor of her late father, an economist who taught Warren Buffett. The gift, nearly twice the school's current endowment, is believed to be among the largest ever to a secondary school. The George School in suburban Newtown announced Tuesday it will receive the money in installments over 20 years from a trust established by Barbara Dodd Anderson, a 1950 graduate. Dodd Anderson's father, David Dodd, was a business professor at Columbia University and Buffett's teacher, mentor and business partner. The private preparatory school is about 30 miles north of Philadelphia.

[Last modified September 19, 2007, 00:20:25]