National briefs

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 13, 2000

Short study hours found in colleges

WASHINGTON -- Most college students study much less than is generally recommended, according to a national study released today.

"A long-standing convention is that students should spend at least two hours studying outside of class for every hour in class," said the report issued by Indiana University's National Survey of Student Engagement, which was supported by a $3.2-million grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts.

"On average, for a full-time student this would mean about 30 hours per week preparing for class."

But a far more relaxed portrait of college life was sketched by the full-time students -- more than 30,000 freshmen and 30,000 seniors from 276 colleges and universities -- who answered the survey.

Less than 15 percent reported spending 26 or more hours on studying, reading, writing, rehearsing and other academic activities. An additional 29 percent said they spend between 16 and 25 hours.

But almost half (47 percent) said they spent only six to 15 hours per week. And 9 percent said they spent less.

Mother accused of murdering her children

CAINHOY, S.C. -- A woman was charged with murder, accused of killing her 6-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son with an ax.

The two children were found lying in tall grass near an abandoned home on Saturday. Berkeley County coroner Wade Arnette said the children likely were killed inside the family's mobile home, then taken outside. Police searching the home on Saturday found an ax inside.

Perstephanie Simmons, 30, was arrested and charged with two counts of murder after a neighbor reported the children had been harmed.

Deputies questioned Simmons, but still don't know what prompted the killings, said Berkeley County Sheriff's Capt. Ricky Driggers.

Simmons also had a second daughter, who was taken into protective custody. Police didn't have her age or know where she was when the killings occurred.

Man, six children killed, six hurt in house fire

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- Six children and a man were killed when fire raced through a single-story home about two blocks from the city's main fire station.

The children ranged in age from 4 months to 14 years, survivors and authorities said. Hospital officials said six other people were injured, and one remained hospitalized Sunday.

Investigators had not determined the cause of the blaze, which began at the rear of the house. Foul play was not suspected, but agents of the State Bureau of Investigation were called in to help because of the number of dead, Fire Chief Kenneth Mullen said.

The other six victims were found inside the house after the fire was extinguished, he added. Mullen said he did not believe there were any smoke detectors in the house.

Survivors said the fire broke out minutes before midnight Saturday and raced through the house so quickly no one had time to save the children.

Hiker triggers avalanche, gets help via cell phone

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A lone hiker and his dog triggered a snowslide on a nearby mountain and tumbled about 600 feet over rocks and boulders. Although seriously injured, he managed to hang on to a cellular phone, which he used to call for help.

The hiker, 36-year-old Nick Coltman of Anchorage, was caught in the slide on Flattop Mountain at midday Saturday.

He suffered serious injuries to his head, back and torso and had frostbitten fingers, officials with Chugach State Park said.

Avalanche specialist Doug Fesler was airlifted to Flattop's 3,510-foot summit by a LifeGuard Alaska helicopter less than an hour after the slide and scrambled down to the injured hiker. Another rescue party took an all-terrain vehicle down an access trail to reach Coltman.

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