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Nation's briefs: Polar bear inaction brings lawsuit against U.S.

By Times Wires
Published March 11, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska

Three conservation groups sued the Department of the Interior on Monday for missing a deadline on a decision to list polar bears as threatened because of the loss of Arctic sea ice. A decision was due Jan. 9, one year after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the animals as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Agency director Dale Hall said in January that officials needed a few more weeks to make a decision. But two months later, no decision has been announced. Polar bears depend on sea ice for hunting seals, denning and giving birth. Conservation groups say the loss of sea ice due to global warming is accelerating. "Doing nothing means extinction for the polar bear," said Kassie Siegel, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity and the lead author of the 2005 petition that sought the listing.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.

Harasser is the lone filerfor Arkansas House seat

A former lawmaker who resigned after being accused of fondling a teenager was the only candidate to file for his old House seat Monday and will return to the Arkansas Legislature next year unless a write-in or third-party candidate successfully challenges him. Former Democratic Rep. Roosevelt Dwayne Dobbins resigned and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment in 2005 in a plea bargain after he was arrested on a felony sexual assault charge. The deal did not bar him from seeking elective office, prosecutor Larry Jegley said. The head of the state Democratic Party said he was seeking someone to face Dobbins, who filed his papers just before a deadline at noon Monday.
FORT RUCKER, Ala.

Bus driver is charged after crash kills Marine, hurts 22

A charter bus carrying members of a Marine Reserve antiterror group overturned at an Army base, killing one Marine and injuring 22 others, one of whom was in critical condition Monday. The civilian bus driver was charged with reckless driving and may face more charges, the Army said.

The bus overturned Sunday at Fort Rucker after a weekend training exercise. "It went into a curve a little fast, the driver lost control and it flipped a couple of times," Alabama Highway Patrol Sgt. Scott Brasher told the Dothan Eagle.

Times wires

[Last modified March 10, 2008, 23:58:08]