Ark. Mayor Accused in Sex-For-Water Case
WALDRON, Ark. (AP) - Waldron's mayor was released on a signature bond Wednesday after being accused of giving women special treatment on their water bills in exchange for sex.
Troy Anderson, 72, is accused of abusing the public trust and patronizing a prostitute. Prosecutors said Anderson, for several years, paid women and offered favors — such as taking care of a woman's delinquent water bill — in exchange for sex.
In January, the woman asked Anderson for help in getting her granddaughter out of state Department of Health and Human Services custody. The mayor told the woman he might be able to help, and that she should meet him at an apartment, the affidavit said.
The woman wore a recording device when she met Anderson at the apartment, and Anderson offered her $100 for sex, the affidavit said.
Another woman told investigators that she'd been having sex with Anderson for money for the past eight to 10 years. She said Anderson paid her $25 per encounter and that he allowed her to change the name on her overdue water bill, which kept her water turned on, the affidavit said.
The mayor also gave the woman $60 to pay a late water deposit in exchange for sex, the affidavit said. The woman's bill was $617 overdue, the affidavit said.
In February, the second woman wore a recording device when Anderson picked her up for a sexual encounter that netted her $20, authorities said.
Anderson did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday and Wednesday.
The mayor was charged with two counts of abuse of public trust — a felony — and four counts of patronizing a prostitute, a misdemeanor.
Judge Donald Goodner on Wednesday said Anderson was not a flight risk and released him on signature bond, according to the Scott County Circuit Clerk's Office. Goodner set an arraignment for July 6.
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He should move to Wisconsin...work at a Hamwinkie factory.
TWW'S CRAZY NEWS STORIES
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Student loses hand when project explodes
Teen was working with gunpowder for physics class
By LEE HANCOCK / The Dallas Morning News
TYLER, Texas - An East Texas high school student blew off his left hand Wednesday when the metal pipe and improvised gunpowder he was assembling – on school grounds and for a teacher-approved physics project – accidentally exploded.
Winona school Superintendent Rodney Fausett declined to identify the 11th-grader, who was in stable condition after surgery at a Tyler hospital.
Mr. Fausett also would not identify the teacher, whom he described as "distraught."
"This is just an isolated accident," the superintendent said. "I want to assure people we are concerned about the safety and security of our students. We're devastated that one of our kids was hurt."
Clay Alexander, a supervisor with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the teacher surrendered a pickle jar about half-full of the same gunpowder from his classroom after the accident.
The teacher told investigators that the "cannons" were small segments of half-inch metal pipe designed to be loaded with explosive powder and fired with a hobby fuse to shoot corks.
The improvised device also could explode like a pipe bomb under the wrong conditions, and that's apparently what happened Wednesday, the agent said.
About 9:30 a.m., the 17-year-old showed up at a maintenance shop outside the main high school building. The student's father works in the shop, and the boy asked his father if he could use a wrench and vice to twist metal caps onto a three-inch length of pipe.
The agent said a spark apparently ignited the explosive powder, which was enough to blast the quarter-sized metal cap 60 yards.
"It traveled through the wall of the building – a metal wall – so it had a pretty good oomph to it," Mr. Alexander said.
He declined to detail the boy's injury, but other law enforcement officials said the hand was blown entirely off.
"It doesn't take much of this stuff to cause problems," Mr. Alexander said of the improvised powder. "We don't see something like this very often – not in a school, not condoned by the physics teacher."
Parents told investigators that they had voiced concerns about the project before the boy was injured, he added.
"I've got three teenagers and a wife that's a schoolteacher [in another district]," the agent said. "Let me tell you what they're not doing – it's making black powder and cannons. That's what you would hope a school would not be doing."
"You give kids an idea, if they hear it from a teacher, they're going to do things that you might not want them to do."
Mr. Fausett, the superintendent, said school authorities are still reviewing the incident but believe the student was working with materials he was authorized to have.
"It's like a small little tube. It shoots a little projectile in the air," he said. "The teacher runs the project and helps the student."
He said officials are still trying to figure out why the student took the cannon components to his father's work area. His physics class does not meet until late in the school day, and the cannon project wasn't supposed to be finished until next week – just before school let out for the summer.
Teen was working with gunpowder for physics class
By LEE HANCOCK / The Dallas Morning News
TYLER, Texas - An East Texas high school student blew off his left hand Wednesday when the metal pipe and improvised gunpowder he was assembling – on school grounds and for a teacher-approved physics project – accidentally exploded.
Winona school Superintendent Rodney Fausett declined to identify the 11th-grader, who was in stable condition after surgery at a Tyler hospital.
Mr. Fausett also would not identify the teacher, whom he described as "distraught."
"This is just an isolated accident," the superintendent said. "I want to assure people we are concerned about the safety and security of our students. We're devastated that one of our kids was hurt."
Clay Alexander, a supervisor with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the teacher surrendered a pickle jar about half-full of the same gunpowder from his classroom after the accident.
The teacher told investigators that the "cannons" were small segments of half-inch metal pipe designed to be loaded with explosive powder and fired with a hobby fuse to shoot corks.
The improvised device also could explode like a pipe bomb under the wrong conditions, and that's apparently what happened Wednesday, the agent said.
About 9:30 a.m., the 17-year-old showed up at a maintenance shop outside the main high school building. The student's father works in the shop, and the boy asked his father if he could use a wrench and vice to twist metal caps onto a three-inch length of pipe.
The agent said a spark apparently ignited the explosive powder, which was enough to blast the quarter-sized metal cap 60 yards.
"It traveled through the wall of the building – a metal wall – so it had a pretty good oomph to it," Mr. Alexander said.
He declined to detail the boy's injury, but other law enforcement officials said the hand was blown entirely off.
"It doesn't take much of this stuff to cause problems," Mr. Alexander said of the improvised powder. "We don't see something like this very often – not in a school, not condoned by the physics teacher."
Parents told investigators that they had voiced concerns about the project before the boy was injured, he added.
"I've got three teenagers and a wife that's a schoolteacher [in another district]," the agent said. "Let me tell you what they're not doing – it's making black powder and cannons. That's what you would hope a school would not be doing."
"You give kids an idea, if they hear it from a teacher, they're going to do things that you might not want them to do."
Mr. Fausett, the superintendent, said school authorities are still reviewing the incident but believe the student was working with materials he was authorized to have.
"It's like a small little tube. It shoots a little projectile in the air," he said. "The teacher runs the project and helps the student."
He said officials are still trying to figure out why the student took the cannon components to his father's work area. His physics class does not meet until late in the school day, and the cannon project wasn't supposed to be finished until next week – just before school let out for the summer.
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Racoon survives massive electric shock
NICOSIA, Cyprus (Reuters) - A racoon suffered an 11,000 volt electric shock when it scampered up a pylon in Cyprus but escaped with burns.
The nocturnal mammal triggered a two hour power outage at the town of Aradippou in southeast Cyprus after it scaled the pylon. It was eventually captured with a net and has been impounded by vets as an illegal import.
"It suffered some burns which we treated and is now recovering ... it certainly has the will to live," Charalambos Kakoyiannis of the island's veterinary department said on Thursday.
Racoons, a native of the Americas, were introduced to Europe last century but are alien to Cyprus and authorities said the animal, whose owner was unknown, was smuggled onto the island.
NICOSIA, Cyprus (Reuters) - A racoon suffered an 11,000 volt electric shock when it scampered up a pylon in Cyprus but escaped with burns.
The nocturnal mammal triggered a two hour power outage at the town of Aradippou in southeast Cyprus after it scaled the pylon. It was eventually captured with a net and has been impounded by vets as an illegal import.
"It suffered some burns which we treated and is now recovering ... it certainly has the will to live," Charalambos Kakoyiannis of the island's veterinary department said on Thursday.
Racoons, a native of the Americas, were introduced to Europe last century but are alien to Cyprus and authorities said the animal, whose owner was unknown, was smuggled onto the island.
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Australian boxing bout sparks nationwide brawls
SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) - Pugnacious Australians just love a good fight -- in the ring or in the pub. Some 30 bar brawls broke out across the nation, and one man died in a fight, on Wednesday night following a much-hyped televised bout between Aboriginal boxer Anthony "The Man" Mundine and Danny "The Machine" Green.
Mundine, an ex-footballer renowned for his quick mouth and flamboyant clothes, won the super middleweight non-title fight on points at Sydney's Olympic Stadium, but not everyone was happy.
Police in the western city of Perth, Green's home town, said they were called to 13 hotel brawls involving up to 60 people. One man died in hospital after being punched to the ground in a hotel carpark and hitting his head on the pavement.
In South Australia, police were called to break up 14 hotel fights and police in the northeastern state of Queensland had to sort out three brawls involving some 50 people.
A violent brawl in a hotel in New South Wales state left a bystander with a suspected fractured wrist and another person suffered cuts from a broken glass.
Police told local media that the fights were fuelled by alcohol and, depending on who you supported, the fight outcome.
They also said many hotels were unprepared for the large crowds that gathered to watch the bout live on cable television.
"All had been drinking and watching the fight live on TV," said a police spokesman.
"Either it wasn't a popular win and they were fighting over the result or they were just fuelled by too many drinks and then suddenly everyone thinks they're Rocky Balboa."
SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) - Pugnacious Australians just love a good fight -- in the ring or in the pub. Some 30 bar brawls broke out across the nation, and one man died in a fight, on Wednesday night following a much-hyped televised bout between Aboriginal boxer Anthony "The Man" Mundine and Danny "The Machine" Green.
Mundine, an ex-footballer renowned for his quick mouth and flamboyant clothes, won the super middleweight non-title fight on points at Sydney's Olympic Stadium, but not everyone was happy.
Police in the western city of Perth, Green's home town, said they were called to 13 hotel brawls involving up to 60 people. One man died in hospital after being punched to the ground in a hotel carpark and hitting his head on the pavement.
In South Australia, police were called to break up 14 hotel fights and police in the northeastern state of Queensland had to sort out three brawls involving some 50 people.
A violent brawl in a hotel in New South Wales state left a bystander with a suspected fractured wrist and another person suffered cuts from a broken glass.
Police told local media that the fights were fuelled by alcohol and, depending on who you supported, the fight outcome.
They also said many hotels were unprepared for the large crowds that gathered to watch the bout live on cable television.
"All had been drinking and watching the fight live on TV," said a police spokesman.
"Either it wasn't a popular win and they were fighting over the result or they were just fuelled by too many drinks and then suddenly everyone thinks they're Rocky Balboa."
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"Da Vinci Code" churches find tourism Holy Grail
LONDON, England (Reuters) - Christians may condemn "The Da Vinci Code" as historical rubbish but for churches that starred in the film, it is the Holy Grail of Tourism.
Most critics panned the film when it opened at the Cannes Film Festival but the religious sites that acted as backdrops for the movie are enjoying an influx of curious pilgrims.
"I suspect that we will have a very significant surge in visitor numbers for the next three or four weeks," said the Reverend Robin Griffith-Jones, master of the Temple Church in London that appears in the Dan Brown bestseller.
He had no regrets about allowing the crew to film at the beautiful sandstone church built by the Knights Templar. The fee enabled him to keep the 12th century church open seven days a week to welcome those pursuing the "Gospel According to Brown."
Winchester and Lincoln Cathedrals, both used in the movie, have staged tours and exhibitions while Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland, another crucial film setting, expects up to 140,000 visitors this year.
Griffith-Jones believes the book and film offer an opportunity, not a threat for the Temple Church, home to stone effigies of nine knights from the order of crusading monks founded to protect pilgrims on their way to and from Jerusalem.
"The book's historical claims are rubbish," he told Reuters. "People like me have a serious job to put the record straight."
"This is a very sophisticated way of muddying fact and fiction. I am not at all surprised that people who read the book feel they are learning something. It unsettles me."
The novel has enraged religious groups because one of its characters argues that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had a child by her, and that elements within the Catholic Church resorted to murder to hide the truth.
Since the book was published, visitor numbers to the Temple church have soared and now up to 1,000 tourists a week flock there. It is on every Da Vinci Code tour as guides cash in on the book's popularity.
Griffith-Jones gives weekly talks in the church on "The Da Vinci Code" and has even written his own book -- "The Da Vinci Code and The Secrets of the Temple".
"I think people leave the church feeling grateful they have been there. They realise it is a very special place. They walk round slowly and talk in hushed tones. It still feels very much like a church rather than a mediaeval Disneyland," he said.
The Vatican has urged Catholics to boycott the film. Anglicans argue for a more sanguine attitude.
"The wagon is rolling," Griffith-Jones said. "We are not going to stop it. We could ignore it and pretend it is not there or we could get defensive and people would then think there is something in it," he said.
"But we have nothing to hide. Church history has as many villains as heroes. What is misleading is the suggestion that we are not prepared to talk openly."
LONDON, England (Reuters) - Christians may condemn "The Da Vinci Code" as historical rubbish but for churches that starred in the film, it is the Holy Grail of Tourism.
Most critics panned the film when it opened at the Cannes Film Festival but the religious sites that acted as backdrops for the movie are enjoying an influx of curious pilgrims.
"I suspect that we will have a very significant surge in visitor numbers for the next three or four weeks," said the Reverend Robin Griffith-Jones, master of the Temple Church in London that appears in the Dan Brown bestseller.
He had no regrets about allowing the crew to film at the beautiful sandstone church built by the Knights Templar. The fee enabled him to keep the 12th century church open seven days a week to welcome those pursuing the "Gospel According to Brown."
Winchester and Lincoln Cathedrals, both used in the movie, have staged tours and exhibitions while Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland, another crucial film setting, expects up to 140,000 visitors this year.
Griffith-Jones believes the book and film offer an opportunity, not a threat for the Temple Church, home to stone effigies of nine knights from the order of crusading monks founded to protect pilgrims on their way to and from Jerusalem.
"The book's historical claims are rubbish," he told Reuters. "People like me have a serious job to put the record straight."
"This is a very sophisticated way of muddying fact and fiction. I am not at all surprised that people who read the book feel they are learning something. It unsettles me."
The novel has enraged religious groups because one of its characters argues that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had a child by her, and that elements within the Catholic Church resorted to murder to hide the truth.
Since the book was published, visitor numbers to the Temple church have soared and now up to 1,000 tourists a week flock there. It is on every Da Vinci Code tour as guides cash in on the book's popularity.
Griffith-Jones gives weekly talks in the church on "The Da Vinci Code" and has even written his own book -- "The Da Vinci Code and The Secrets of the Temple".
"I think people leave the church feeling grateful they have been there. They realise it is a very special place. They walk round slowly and talk in hushed tones. It still feels very much like a church rather than a mediaeval Disneyland," he said.
The Vatican has urged Catholics to boycott the film. Anglicans argue for a more sanguine attitude.
"The wagon is rolling," Griffith-Jones said. "We are not going to stop it. We could ignore it and pretend it is not there or we could get defensive and people would then think there is something in it," he said.
"But we have nothing to hide. Church history has as many villains as heroes. What is misleading is the suggestion that we are not prepared to talk openly."
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WW2 plane loses cockpit cover, hits takeaway stand
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) - The glass cockpit bonnet of a vintage World War Two U.S. fighter P51 Mustang came off in midflight over Germany and destroyed a takeaway stand near the western German town of Muenster, police said on Thursday.
No one was hurt when pieces of the glass covering of the single-propeller plane crashed into the roof of a house and demolished the takeaway stand on Wednesday, police said. The debris missed hitting a woman by about one metre (yard).
But the British pilot of the plane, which had taken off from near London, carried on another 400 km (250 miles) to his destination at Berlin's Schoenefeld airport without reporting the loss of the cockpit's glass cover.
"The pilot just kept on flying, apparently as if nothing had happened," a police spokesman in Muenster said.
Police said the bonnet-less plane, which was built in 1942 and is capable of flying 700 km/h, was found parked correctly at the International Air Show in Berlin but there was no trace of the pilot. The pilot is wanted for questioning, police said.
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) - The glass cockpit bonnet of a vintage World War Two U.S. fighter P51 Mustang came off in midflight over Germany and destroyed a takeaway stand near the western German town of Muenster, police said on Thursday.
No one was hurt when pieces of the glass covering of the single-propeller plane crashed into the roof of a house and demolished the takeaway stand on Wednesday, police said. The debris missed hitting a woman by about one metre (yard).
But the British pilot of the plane, which had taken off from near London, carried on another 400 km (250 miles) to his destination at Berlin's Schoenefeld airport without reporting the loss of the cockpit's glass cover.
"The pilot just kept on flying, apparently as if nothing had happened," a police spokesman in Muenster said.
Police said the bonnet-less plane, which was built in 1942 and is capable of flying 700 km/h, was found parked correctly at the International Air Show in Berlin but there was no trace of the pilot. The pilot is wanted for questioning, police said.
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Bigfoot sightings have shop, city making tracks to court
Wylie: Officials, store clash over whether code applies to outside statue
By LAUREN D'AVOLIO / The Dallas Morning News
WYLIE, Texas - Sasquatch is going to trial in Wylie.
The 6-foot-8, 200-pound fright is a statue recently displayed outside Texas Dollar Pawn. The city says the glowering beast – festooned with a dozen Mardi Gras necklaces, which no one wants to know how he earned – violated the city code governing outdoor display of merchandise.
The city cited store manager Brian Foust after two warnings. Mr. Foust and his father, store owner Mel Foust, say Bigfoot is the store's mascot and isn't for sale like other merchandise. The creature's likeness is on maps and signs throughout the store.
"It really helps business," Mel Foust said, adding that Texas Dollar Pawn's profit soars up to 20 percent above the norm when the shaggy statue is displayed.
Mindy Manson, assistant city manager, said the proprietors simply need the right permit.
"We had to categorize it somehow," she said.
Sasquatch is now in compliance, nestled inside a door frame.
Customers like Emanuel Gonzalez, 21, don't understand the kerfuffle.
"It looks like the store mascot to me," he said. "When you're driving by, it attracts you, and you want to stop by and look at it."
The trial is scheduled for June 29 in Wylie Municipal Court. The Fousts face fines up to $2,000.
Wylie: Officials, store clash over whether code applies to outside statue
By LAUREN D'AVOLIO / The Dallas Morning News
WYLIE, Texas - Sasquatch is going to trial in Wylie.
The 6-foot-8, 200-pound fright is a statue recently displayed outside Texas Dollar Pawn. The city says the glowering beast – festooned with a dozen Mardi Gras necklaces, which no one wants to know how he earned – violated the city code governing outdoor display of merchandise.
The city cited store manager Brian Foust after two warnings. Mr. Foust and his father, store owner Mel Foust, say Bigfoot is the store's mascot and isn't for sale like other merchandise. The creature's likeness is on maps and signs throughout the store.
"It really helps business," Mel Foust said, adding that Texas Dollar Pawn's profit soars up to 20 percent above the norm when the shaggy statue is displayed.
Mindy Manson, assistant city manager, said the proprietors simply need the right permit.
"We had to categorize it somehow," she said.
Sasquatch is now in compliance, nestled inside a door frame.
Customers like Emanuel Gonzalez, 21, don't understand the kerfuffle.
"It looks like the store mascot to me," he said. "When you're driving by, it attracts you, and you want to stop by and look at it."
The trial is scheduled for June 29 in Wylie Municipal Court. The Fousts face fines up to $2,000.
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Friend left as deposit at gas station
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) - A German woman left her friend as a deposit at a gas station because she did not have enough cash to pay for her petrol, police said Wednesday.
"She didn't have enough money to pay the bill, so her friend stayed behind as a human deposit while she went to withdraw cash," said a spokesman for police in the southern town of Muenchberg. "Unfortunately, the woman did not return."
Two hours after the 20-year-old driver left, the gas station called the police, who interrogated the stranded "deposit" before releasing her. Police are investigating the driver on suspicion of fraud.
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) - A German woman left her friend as a deposit at a gas station because she did not have enough cash to pay for her petrol, police said Wednesday.
"She didn't have enough money to pay the bill, so her friend stayed behind as a human deposit while she went to withdraw cash," said a spokesman for police in the southern town of Muenchberg. "Unfortunately, the woman did not return."
Two hours after the 20-year-old driver left, the gas station called the police, who interrogated the stranded "deposit" before releasing her. Police are investigating the driver on suspicion of fraud.
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Karaoke trains to the roof of world
BEIJING, China (Reuters) - Ticket to Tibet, sir? That'll be $1,000 a day. But at least you'll be able to have a good sing on the way.
China is planning to offer luxury trains to the roof of the world when it opens a long anticipated and highly controversial railway to Tibet in July, a state newspaper said Thursday.
The five-star trains, aimed mainly at foreigners, will have showers, on board folk dance shows and that staple of the Chinese holiday experience -- karaoke, the Beijing Times reported.
So luxurious will the train be that it is only going to carry around 100 passengers, as it sweeps through the snowy mountains of mainly Buddhist Tibet at such high elevations the carriages are going to be pressurized like aircraft, the newspaper said.
The trip from Beijing to Lhasa is expected to take at least 48 hours.
China hopes the railway will help develop one of the country's poorest and most remote regions, but Tibetan rights activists fear it will lead to a flood of Chinese immigrants and some are calling for a tourist boycott of the line.
China has also promised it will be the world's first environmentally friendly railway, passing as it does through fragile ecosystems that are home to endangered species.
While the deluxe trains will cost passengers many times more than an ordinary ticket, they are at least cheaper than the super luxury trips being offered in conjunction with the Tibet government.
They will cost $12,000 a seat, organizers said last week, though that will include a personalized tour of the Dalai Lama's traditional home, the Potala Palace.
BEIJING, China (Reuters) - Ticket to Tibet, sir? That'll be $1,000 a day. But at least you'll be able to have a good sing on the way.
China is planning to offer luxury trains to the roof of the world when it opens a long anticipated and highly controversial railway to Tibet in July, a state newspaper said Thursday.
The five-star trains, aimed mainly at foreigners, will have showers, on board folk dance shows and that staple of the Chinese holiday experience -- karaoke, the Beijing Times reported.
So luxurious will the train be that it is only going to carry around 100 passengers, as it sweeps through the snowy mountains of mainly Buddhist Tibet at such high elevations the carriages are going to be pressurized like aircraft, the newspaper said.
The trip from Beijing to Lhasa is expected to take at least 48 hours.
China hopes the railway will help develop one of the country's poorest and most remote regions, but Tibetan rights activists fear it will lead to a flood of Chinese immigrants and some are calling for a tourist boycott of the line.
China has also promised it will be the world's first environmentally friendly railway, passing as it does through fragile ecosystems that are home to endangered species.
While the deluxe trains will cost passengers many times more than an ordinary ticket, they are at least cheaper than the super luxury trips being offered in conjunction with the Tibet government.
They will cost $12,000 a seat, organizers said last week, though that will include a personalized tour of the Dalai Lama's traditional home, the Potala Palace.
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Teens suffer soap opera virus
LISBON, Portuguese (Reuters) - An illness that medical officials are calling the "Strawberries with Sugar Virus" is sweeping Portuguese schools as children complain of symptoms similar to those suffered by characters in a television soap opera.
More than 300 children have complained of symptoms including rashes, breathing difficulties and dizziness at 14 schools in different parts of the country. Some schools have been forced to close.
The outbreak came a few days after the popular "Strawberries with Sugar" teenage television show aired an episode about a life-threatening virus descending on a school.
Medical officials believe many children, after watching the show, feared their own minor rashes and wheezes were something serious. Others noted the outbreak came at the same time as end-of-year exams.
"What we concretely have is a few children with allergies and apparently a phenomenon of many other children imitating," said doctor Nelson Pereira, director of the national institute of medical emergencies.
"I know of no disease which is so selective that it only attacks school children," doctor Mario Almeida told local daily Correio de Manha.
LISBON, Portuguese (Reuters) - An illness that medical officials are calling the "Strawberries with Sugar Virus" is sweeping Portuguese schools as children complain of symptoms similar to those suffered by characters in a television soap opera.
More than 300 children have complained of symptoms including rashes, breathing difficulties and dizziness at 14 schools in different parts of the country. Some schools have been forced to close.
The outbreak came a few days after the popular "Strawberries with Sugar" teenage television show aired an episode about a life-threatening virus descending on a school.
Medical officials believe many children, after watching the show, feared their own minor rashes and wheezes were something serious. Others noted the outbreak came at the same time as end-of-year exams.
"What we concretely have is a few children with allergies and apparently a phenomenon of many other children imitating," said doctor Nelson Pereira, director of the national institute of medical emergencies.
"I know of no disease which is so selective that it only attacks school children," doctor Mario Almeida told local daily Correio de Manha.
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FBI releases photos in tainted muffins case
Dallas: Foul play still suspected in inquiry at Lake Highlands High
By KRISTINE HUGHES / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The FBI has released a series of surveillance photos showing the young man who delivered a bag of tainted muffins to Lake Highlands High School on Tuesday. The muffins sickened 18 school employees.
The photos show the dark-haired man carrying a bag in one hand. He was wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants.
The FBI said the man portrayed in the photos is considered a "person of interest" in the case.
If a suspect is arrested, he could face federal product tampering charges as well as local and state charges, said FBI spokeswoman Lori Bailey. "We don't take these types of events lightly when people are injured or there's the potential for injury," she said.
The FBI said anyone with information about the identity of the man should call the Dallas office at 972-559-5000.
Dallas County health investigators have ruled out two of four food-borne pathogens as the cause of illness among the Lake Highlands employees who consumed the muffins.
Jacqueline M. Bell, spokeswoman for Dallas County Health and Human Services, said Wednesday that tests eliminated E. coli and ricin, a poison that can be made from castor beans.
Results of tests for salmonella and listeria monocytogenes—bacteria found in soil and water—were expected to be available on Thursday, Bell said.
Law enforcement and hospital officials, however, said they don't suspect the cause was a natural food-poisoning agent but rather a street or over-the-counter drug such as marijuana or Benadryl.
Investigators and Richardson school officials said a young man in his late teens or early 20s brought the muffins to school, saying he was working on an Eagle Scout project.
'Intentional act'
Bailey said Wednesday that interviews, forensic examination of evidence from the school, and information gathered from the hospital all point to the incident being "an intentional act."
The Lake Highlands High employees – three teachers, office workers, teachers' aides, parking lot and custodial staff – reported feeling dizzy, lightheaded and nauseous as a result of eating the muffins. They were taken by ambulance to Presbyterian Hospital, where they were treated with intravenous fluids and given various tests.
All but one was released from the hospital Tuesday, and 16 had returned to work Wednesday, Richardson school district spokeswoman Jeanne Guerra said.
The only employee to remain in the hospital overnight, 86-year-old switchboard operator Rita Greenfield, was released around 5 p.m. Wednesday, a hospital spokeswoman said.
While the muffin mystery overwhelmed the school, a blown transformer Wednesday morning left students and staff in the dark.
Ms. Guerra said classes were dismissed at 10 a.m. and buses ran their normal routes. Students who weren't able to get home were accommodated at the school until they could be picked up, she said.
"TXU said the power would be restored in four to five hours, so school should resume Thursday as usual," Guerra said.
Event goes on
The school's annual teacher appreciation breakfast, featuring homemade foods supplied by band boosters, took place as planned Wednesday morning.
Booster club presidents Jerry and Lisa Nagid sent parents an e-mail Tuesday night saying that principal Bob Iden told them the event was needed even more now.
Afterward, Nagid said well over 100 teachers and staff participated. Mr. Nagid said that they had power long enough to make the coffee but that everything was off by 7:30.
District officials said the muffin tainting was probably an isolated incident, so there's no need to establish policies for handling donated food in the future.
"We reminded all schools to make certain they know the origin of all treats that are brought in for staff consumption and to just be mindful of what they are eating," Guerra said.
WFAA.com contributed to this report.
FBI
This surveillance photos show the person who delivered the tainted muffins to the school on Tuesday getting directions from another man.
_____________________________________________________________
That guy should move to Wisconsin, work at a Hamwinkie factory.
Image courtesy of E!'s "The Soup"
Dallas: Foul play still suspected in inquiry at Lake Highlands High
By KRISTINE HUGHES / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The FBI has released a series of surveillance photos showing the young man who delivered a bag of tainted muffins to Lake Highlands High School on Tuesday. The muffins sickened 18 school employees.
The photos show the dark-haired man carrying a bag in one hand. He was wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants.
The FBI said the man portrayed in the photos is considered a "person of interest" in the case.
If a suspect is arrested, he could face federal product tampering charges as well as local and state charges, said FBI spokeswoman Lori Bailey. "We don't take these types of events lightly when people are injured or there's the potential for injury," she said.
The FBI said anyone with information about the identity of the man should call the Dallas office at 972-559-5000.
Dallas County health investigators have ruled out two of four food-borne pathogens as the cause of illness among the Lake Highlands employees who consumed the muffins.
Jacqueline M. Bell, spokeswoman for Dallas County Health and Human Services, said Wednesday that tests eliminated E. coli and ricin, a poison that can be made from castor beans.
Results of tests for salmonella and listeria monocytogenes—bacteria found in soil and water—were expected to be available on Thursday, Bell said.
Law enforcement and hospital officials, however, said they don't suspect the cause was a natural food-poisoning agent but rather a street or over-the-counter drug such as marijuana or Benadryl.
Investigators and Richardson school officials said a young man in his late teens or early 20s brought the muffins to school, saying he was working on an Eagle Scout project.
'Intentional act'
Bailey said Wednesday that interviews, forensic examination of evidence from the school, and information gathered from the hospital all point to the incident being "an intentional act."
The Lake Highlands High employees – three teachers, office workers, teachers' aides, parking lot and custodial staff – reported feeling dizzy, lightheaded and nauseous as a result of eating the muffins. They were taken by ambulance to Presbyterian Hospital, where they were treated with intravenous fluids and given various tests.
All but one was released from the hospital Tuesday, and 16 had returned to work Wednesday, Richardson school district spokeswoman Jeanne Guerra said.
The only employee to remain in the hospital overnight, 86-year-old switchboard operator Rita Greenfield, was released around 5 p.m. Wednesday, a hospital spokeswoman said.
While the muffin mystery overwhelmed the school, a blown transformer Wednesday morning left students and staff in the dark.
Ms. Guerra said classes were dismissed at 10 a.m. and buses ran their normal routes. Students who weren't able to get home were accommodated at the school until they could be picked up, she said.
"TXU said the power would be restored in four to five hours, so school should resume Thursday as usual," Guerra said.
Event goes on
The school's annual teacher appreciation breakfast, featuring homemade foods supplied by band boosters, took place as planned Wednesday morning.
Booster club presidents Jerry and Lisa Nagid sent parents an e-mail Tuesday night saying that principal Bob Iden told them the event was needed even more now.
Afterward, Nagid said well over 100 teachers and staff participated. Mr. Nagid said that they had power long enough to make the coffee but that everything was off by 7:30.
District officials said the muffin tainting was probably an isolated incident, so there's no need to establish policies for handling donated food in the future.
"We reminded all schools to make certain they know the origin of all treats that are brought in for staff consumption and to just be mindful of what they are eating," Guerra said.
WFAA.com contributed to this report.
FBI
This surveillance photos show the person who delivered the tainted muffins to the school on Tuesday getting directions from another man.
_____________________________________________________________
That guy should move to Wisconsin, work at a Hamwinkie factory.
Image courtesy of E!'s "The Soup"
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BREAKING NEWS
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Dallas County Health and Human Services has completed preliminary testing on the tainted muffins delivered to Lake Highlands High School. The results will be announced at 4:30 p.m.
_____________________________________________________________
...wich will be 2 minutes from now.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Dallas County Health and Human Services has completed preliminary testing on the tainted muffins delivered to Lake Highlands High School. The results will be announced at 4:30 p.m.
_____________________________________________________________
...wich will be 2 minutes from now.
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Dog Survives Fall Off Cliff; Owner Rescued
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) - A dog survived a plunge from an oceanside cliff and his owner had to be rescued when he got stuck searching for the animal. Pepe, a Jack Russell terrier, darted over the cliff's edge in the upscale Pacific Palisades area while chasing a squirrel on Tuesday.
He landed next to Pacific Coast Highway, where he narrowly avoided being struck by a big rig.
Motorist Jenny-Lyn Marais stopped and coaxed the dog into her Range Rover.
"I leaned across and opened the door and whistled for him to come," said Marais, who works in a Santa Monica dental lab. "He was so gentle and so grateful. He jumped right over on my lap and started licking me."
Meanwhile, Pepe's owner Brandon McMillan drove down to the base of the cliff and began climbing back up in search of his pet, but got stuck about 15 feet from the top when the ground began to give way.
Firefighters rescued McMillan, and a man who had been on the beach below told him that someone had stopped to pick up a dog.
Marais had dropped Pepe off at veterinary hospital. By chance, a friend of McMillan's who is an animal rescue volunteer stopped at the hospital to distribute a flyer about Pepe.
A few phone calls later, man and beast were reunited.
"If this dog has nine lives, he used two yesterday," McMillan, an animal trainer, said Wednesday. "One was falling off the cliff and the other was landing on Pacific Coast Highway and living to tell the tale. He did both."
___
Information from: Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) - A dog survived a plunge from an oceanside cliff and his owner had to be rescued when he got stuck searching for the animal. Pepe, a Jack Russell terrier, darted over the cliff's edge in the upscale Pacific Palisades area while chasing a squirrel on Tuesday.
He landed next to Pacific Coast Highway, where he narrowly avoided being struck by a big rig.
Motorist Jenny-Lyn Marais stopped and coaxed the dog into her Range Rover.
"I leaned across and opened the door and whistled for him to come," said Marais, who works in a Santa Monica dental lab. "He was so gentle and so grateful. He jumped right over on my lap and started licking me."
Meanwhile, Pepe's owner Brandon McMillan drove down to the base of the cliff and began climbing back up in search of his pet, but got stuck about 15 feet from the top when the ground began to give way.
Firefighters rescued McMillan, and a man who had been on the beach below told him that someone had stopped to pick up a dog.
Marais had dropped Pepe off at veterinary hospital. By chance, a friend of McMillan's who is an animal rescue volunteer stopped at the hospital to distribute a flyer about Pepe.
A few phone calls later, man and beast were reunited.
"If this dog has nine lives, he used two yesterday," McMillan, an animal trainer, said Wednesday. "One was falling off the cliff and the other was landing on Pacific Coast Highway and living to tell the tale. He did both."
___
Information from: Los Angeles Times
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Woman Gets 'DO NOT RESUSCITATE' Tattoo
DECORAH, Iowa (AP) - Mary Wohlford has made it perfectly clear what her final wishes are: it's written in ink — on her chest. Wohlford, 80, had the words "DO NOT RESUSCITATE" tattooed on her chest in February.
Wohlford hopes she's made her wishes perfectly clear should she become incapacitated. She also has a living will hanging on the side of her refrigerator.
"People might think I'm crazy, but that's OK," she said. "Sometimes the nuttiest ideas are the most advanced."
But Wohlford's decision to have her final wishes imprinted on her chest have raised some legal issues.
Some medical and legal experts doubt that Wohlford's tattoo would be binding in the emergency room or in court. But they give her credit for originality.
"I'll be darned," said Bob Cowie, a Decorah lawyer and chairman of the Iowa Bar Association's probate and trust law section.
"There are easier ways to do it than that," said Cowie, who suggested people sign a living will or authorize a medical power of attorney.
Wohlford said she knows some people might find the tattoo amusing. But she said her motive is serious.
"This is a modern day and age," she said. "You have to advance with the times. We never even had a living will 20 years ago. Now I think we've got to go to the next step."
So, will Wohlford's tattoo stop an Iowa doctor from resuscitating her? No, said Dr. Mark Purtle, who works at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.
Purtle said Iowa law defines when caregivers are permitted to end life-sustaining measures. A tattoo isn't enough, he said.
He recommended a living will or an advanced directive, with a copy placed in the patient's medical charge. He also said people should discuss their wishes with family members.
___
Information from: The Des Moines Register
DECORAH, Iowa (AP) - Mary Wohlford has made it perfectly clear what her final wishes are: it's written in ink — on her chest. Wohlford, 80, had the words "DO NOT RESUSCITATE" tattooed on her chest in February.
Wohlford hopes she's made her wishes perfectly clear should she become incapacitated. She also has a living will hanging on the side of her refrigerator.
"People might think I'm crazy, but that's OK," she said. "Sometimes the nuttiest ideas are the most advanced."
But Wohlford's decision to have her final wishes imprinted on her chest have raised some legal issues.
Some medical and legal experts doubt that Wohlford's tattoo would be binding in the emergency room or in court. But they give her credit for originality.
"I'll be darned," said Bob Cowie, a Decorah lawyer and chairman of the Iowa Bar Association's probate and trust law section.
"There are easier ways to do it than that," said Cowie, who suggested people sign a living will or authorize a medical power of attorney.
Wohlford said she knows some people might find the tattoo amusing. But she said her motive is serious.
"This is a modern day and age," she said. "You have to advance with the times. We never even had a living will 20 years ago. Now I think we've got to go to the next step."
So, will Wohlford's tattoo stop an Iowa doctor from resuscitating her? No, said Dr. Mark Purtle, who works at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.
Purtle said Iowa law defines when caregivers are permitted to end life-sustaining measures. A tattoo isn't enough, he said.
He recommended a living will or an advanced directive, with a copy placed in the patient's medical charge. He also said people should discuss their wishes with family members.
___
Information from: The Des Moines Register
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Missing 'e' causes grief for Saskatchewan party
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - A missing 'e' has put a Canadian provincial party firmly on the defensive after the opposition Saskatchewan Party spelled the name of its own province wrong.
The mistake showed up in a television commercial that listed complaints about the accomplishments of the present provincial government, but spelled Saskatchewan as Saskatchwan.
In a previous document, the party had missed the 'n' from the word government.
"Mr. Speaker, if you can't spell government and you can't spell Saskatchewan, but you want to be the government of Saskatchewan, you'd think you'd at least get one of them right," Premier Lorne Calvert said of the gaffes.
The party wants to oust Calvert's government in the next election, which is likely in the next year or so.
"The opposition is using this to question our credibility," said Ian Hanna, Saskatchewan Party's director of communications.
The word Saskatchewan comes from "Kisiskatchewani Sipi," the Cree name for the Saskatchewan River that means swiftly flowing river. It was altered to Keiskatchewan before the modern spelling was adopted in 1882, according to Natural Resources Canada.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - A missing 'e' has put a Canadian provincial party firmly on the defensive after the opposition Saskatchewan Party spelled the name of its own province wrong.
The mistake showed up in a television commercial that listed complaints about the accomplishments of the present provincial government, but spelled Saskatchewan as Saskatchwan.
In a previous document, the party had missed the 'n' from the word government.
"Mr. Speaker, if you can't spell government and you can't spell Saskatchewan, but you want to be the government of Saskatchewan, you'd think you'd at least get one of them right," Premier Lorne Calvert said of the gaffes.
The party wants to oust Calvert's government in the next election, which is likely in the next year or so.
"The opposition is using this to question our credibility," said Ian Hanna, Saskatchewan Party's director of communications.
The word Saskatchewan comes from "Kisiskatchewani Sipi," the Cree name for the Saskatchewan River that means swiftly flowing river. It was altered to Keiskatchewan before the modern spelling was adopted in 1882, according to Natural Resources Canada.
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Paparazzi prowl Namibia as Brangelina baby due
By Gordon Bell
SWAKOPMUND, Namibia (Reuters) - Paparazzi gathered in Namibia are pacing the floor like anxious fathers in a maternity ward.
With tabloids predicting the imminent arrival of the most famous celebrity baby of the year, Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt remained almost invisible in their remote Namibian resort, ducking reporters intent on getting a career-making scoop.
Despite a widely reported due date of May 18, there was little sign on Thursday the baby was about to make its appearance -- leaving gossip hounds panting for news.
A local newspaper on Thursday quoted sources saying Jolie was to give birth within the next two days, possibly opting for a home birth with a special aircraft on standby.
"Jolie ... is expected to go into labour in the next 48 hours," the Namibian said under the banner headline "Jolie-Pitt baby expected shortly".
There are three private hospitals in the two closest towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.
But other baby-watchers have concluded the real due date could still be weeks away, making for an even longer wait for what one New York magazine dubbed the most eagerly anticipated birth since Jesus.
Residents of the southern African desert country known chiefly for its giant sand dunes say they are confounded by the relentless media interest in their famous guests, who arrived six weeks ago with adopted children Maddox and Zahara.
"I think it is such a big fuss, I couldn't give a damn to be quite honest. I feel sorry for them, they should just be left alone," said Ingrid Wheal, who owns a local curio shop.
TOUGH SECURITY
The arrival of Pitt, 42, and Jolie, 30, -- dubbed "Brangelina" by the tabloid press -- in Namibia six weeks ago created a media frenzy that prompted the stars' bodyguards and security to try hound journalists out of town.
Reporters that remain lurk in coffee shops or quietly scout the area, latching onto any movement or scrap of information from the lodge, and keeping a low profile out of fear of possible deportation.
Green cloth screens mask the beach resort, while pepper-spraying bodyguards and police in camouflage have made the task almost impossible.
Security around the lodge was heightened even further on Thursday, as bodyguards cased the surrounds for prying lensmen hoping to earn the multimillion-dollar paycheque the first pictures of the baby are expected to earn.
The Daily Mirror reported the couple has signed a deal with a U.S. weekly magazine for the baby's first pictures.
"They've signed a ?2.6 million deal with a publication and the money will go to children's charity UNICEF," the tabloid quoted a source close to the couple as saying.
"Angelina's very private but they figured they might as well use the opportunity of one child being born to help a lot of others."
Namibia, a country of deserts and diamonds neighbouring South Africa, was seen as a perfect getaway for Jolie, with its sparse population largely unfazed by the Hollywood buzz.
Jolie spent months in the area while filming "Beyond Borders", largely unrecognised by the local residents.
By Gordon Bell
SWAKOPMUND, Namibia (Reuters) - Paparazzi gathered in Namibia are pacing the floor like anxious fathers in a maternity ward.
With tabloids predicting the imminent arrival of the most famous celebrity baby of the year, Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt remained almost invisible in their remote Namibian resort, ducking reporters intent on getting a career-making scoop.
Despite a widely reported due date of May 18, there was little sign on Thursday the baby was about to make its appearance -- leaving gossip hounds panting for news.
A local newspaper on Thursday quoted sources saying Jolie was to give birth within the next two days, possibly opting for a home birth with a special aircraft on standby.
"Jolie ... is expected to go into labour in the next 48 hours," the Namibian said under the banner headline "Jolie-Pitt baby expected shortly".
There are three private hospitals in the two closest towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.
But other baby-watchers have concluded the real due date could still be weeks away, making for an even longer wait for what one New York magazine dubbed the most eagerly anticipated birth since Jesus.
Residents of the southern African desert country known chiefly for its giant sand dunes say they are confounded by the relentless media interest in their famous guests, who arrived six weeks ago with adopted children Maddox and Zahara.
"I think it is such a big fuss, I couldn't give a damn to be quite honest. I feel sorry for them, they should just be left alone," said Ingrid Wheal, who owns a local curio shop.
TOUGH SECURITY
The arrival of Pitt, 42, and Jolie, 30, -- dubbed "Brangelina" by the tabloid press -- in Namibia six weeks ago created a media frenzy that prompted the stars' bodyguards and security to try hound journalists out of town.
Reporters that remain lurk in coffee shops or quietly scout the area, latching onto any movement or scrap of information from the lodge, and keeping a low profile out of fear of possible deportation.
Green cloth screens mask the beach resort, while pepper-spraying bodyguards and police in camouflage have made the task almost impossible.
Security around the lodge was heightened even further on Thursday, as bodyguards cased the surrounds for prying lensmen hoping to earn the multimillion-dollar paycheque the first pictures of the baby are expected to earn.
The Daily Mirror reported the couple has signed a deal with a U.S. weekly magazine for the baby's first pictures.
"They've signed a ?2.6 million deal with a publication and the money will go to children's charity UNICEF," the tabloid quoted a source close to the couple as saying.
"Angelina's very private but they figured they might as well use the opportunity of one child being born to help a lot of others."
Namibia, a country of deserts and diamonds neighbouring South Africa, was seen as a perfect getaway for Jolie, with its sparse population largely unfazed by the Hollywood buzz.
Jolie spent months in the area while filming "Beyond Borders", largely unrecognised by the local residents.
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Greece enlists Olympian gods for Eurovision
ATHENS, Greece (Reuters) - Zeus will jump on the stage singing "Volare" followed by other Olympian gods performing Eurovision hits when Athens hosts the annual song fest this weekend.
The dress rehearsal for the semi-final of the 51st Eurovision contest, a show known for its flashy pop performances, left most Greek media stunned over what they said was the tasteless use of ancient Greek culture.
"The opening ceremony was kitsch, to say the least. Greeks were left speechless and foreigners laughed," the major daily Ethnos wrote.
Still weary of the cheap, antiquity-inspired fiestas staged by the 1967-1974 military junta, Greeks were relieved and proud the Athens 2004 Olympic ceremonies had impressed world audiences and avoided gaudiness.
The contest that launched the careers of Abba and Celine Dion is no stranger to kitsch but glimpses of the ceremony -- where bouncy dancers in glittering costumes acted out ancient Greek gods -- managed to shock even the initiated.
"What a joke! I never thought I'd see Zeus singing 'Volare'. We have tonnes of antiquities, why don't we send them all to Eurovision," wrote TV critic Depi Golema in the Eleftheros Typos daily.
Goddess of love Aphrodite sings "Diva", Poseidon god of the sea performs "L' amour est bleu", while sprightly Spartan warriors wave their shields and spears to the music.
"What was the creator's intention?" asked the liberal daily Elefherotypia. "Kitsch for kitsch's sake."
The choreographer, Fokas Evangelinos, said he wanted to inject a dose of Greek culture and humour to the event.
"We wanted to show something different," he told Ethnos.
More than 100 million people are expected to tune in to the event, where singers from about 40 countries will be judged by telephone voting from viewers.
ATHENS, Greece (Reuters) - Zeus will jump on the stage singing "Volare" followed by other Olympian gods performing Eurovision hits when Athens hosts the annual song fest this weekend.
The dress rehearsal for the semi-final of the 51st Eurovision contest, a show known for its flashy pop performances, left most Greek media stunned over what they said was the tasteless use of ancient Greek culture.
"The opening ceremony was kitsch, to say the least. Greeks were left speechless and foreigners laughed," the major daily Ethnos wrote.
Still weary of the cheap, antiquity-inspired fiestas staged by the 1967-1974 military junta, Greeks were relieved and proud the Athens 2004 Olympic ceremonies had impressed world audiences and avoided gaudiness.
The contest that launched the careers of Abba and Celine Dion is no stranger to kitsch but glimpses of the ceremony -- where bouncy dancers in glittering costumes acted out ancient Greek gods -- managed to shock even the initiated.
"What a joke! I never thought I'd see Zeus singing 'Volare'. We have tonnes of antiquities, why don't we send them all to Eurovision," wrote TV critic Depi Golema in the Eleftheros Typos daily.
Goddess of love Aphrodite sings "Diva", Poseidon god of the sea performs "L' amour est bleu", while sprightly Spartan warriors wave their shields and spears to the music.
"What was the creator's intention?" asked the liberal daily Elefherotypia. "Kitsch for kitsch's sake."
The choreographer, Fokas Evangelinos, said he wanted to inject a dose of Greek culture and humour to the event.
"We wanted to show something different," he told Ethnos.
More than 100 million people are expected to tune in to the event, where singers from about 40 countries will be judged by telephone voting from viewers.
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Tainted muffins delivered to school contained marijuana
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas Health Department has confirmed to News 8 that marijuana was in the muffins delivered to Lake Highlands High School on Tuesday which led to 18 staff members being taken ill.
They have ruled out that the teachers were made sick by natural food poisoning.
The FBI has released a series of surveillance photos showing the young man who delivered a bag of muffins to the school.
The photos show the dark-haired man carrying a bag in one hand. He was wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants.
The FBI said the man portrayed in the photos is considered a "person of interest" in the case.
The FBI said anyone with information about the identity of the man should call the Dallas office at 972-559-5000.
If a suspect is arrested, he could face federal product tampering charges as well as local and state charges, said FBI spokeswoman Lori Bailey.
"We don't take these types of events lightly when people are injured or there's the potential for injury," she said.
The Joint Terrorism Task Force has been deployed to investigate this case.
"We weren't sure whether it was a weapon of mass destruction or a food tampering incident," said John McSwain from the Force.
Health officials say they did not find the marijuana plant in the muffins but THC, a substance which can be extracted from the plant.
Further tests are being carried out on the muffins.
Tampering with food carries a 10 year prison sentence.
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas Health Department has confirmed to News 8 that marijuana was in the muffins delivered to Lake Highlands High School on Tuesday which led to 18 staff members being taken ill.
They have ruled out that the teachers were made sick by natural food poisoning.
The FBI has released a series of surveillance photos showing the young man who delivered a bag of muffins to the school.
The photos show the dark-haired man carrying a bag in one hand. He was wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants.
The FBI said the man portrayed in the photos is considered a "person of interest" in the case.
The FBI said anyone with information about the identity of the man should call the Dallas office at 972-559-5000.
If a suspect is arrested, he could face federal product tampering charges as well as local and state charges, said FBI spokeswoman Lori Bailey.
"We don't take these types of events lightly when people are injured or there's the potential for injury," she said.
The Joint Terrorism Task Force has been deployed to investigate this case.
"We weren't sure whether it was a weapon of mass destruction or a food tampering incident," said John McSwain from the Force.
Health officials say they did not find the marijuana plant in the muffins but THC, a substance which can be extracted from the plant.
Further tests are being carried out on the muffins.
Tampering with food carries a 10 year prison sentence.
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Christie's to hold 'Star Trek' garage sale
By Chris Michaud
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Trekkies will be setting their phasers to "bid" this fall when Christie's holds the first official studio auction of memorabilia from all five "Star Trek" television series and 10 movie spinoffs.
CBS Paramount Television Studios is cleaning out its vaults for the sale, comprising more than 1,000 lots totaling some 4,000 items, to be held from October 5 to 7 in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the original "Star Trek" series, Christie's announced on Thursday.
Fans and collectors will have a chance to acquire "Star Trek" artifacts ranging from models of the "Starship" USS Enterprise to Capt. James Kirk's uniform or Capt. Jean-Luc Picard's jumpsuit in an auction where Christie's expects to raise more than $3 million.
Other items to hit the block include props, weapons, prosthetics and set dressings unearthed from five Paramount warehouses.
Among the highlights are a miniature of the Starship Enterprise used in visual effects for the film "Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country," expected to sell for $15,000 to $25,000, and a replica of Kirk's chair from the original TV series that was recreated for the 1996 "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Trials and Tribble-ations," which is estimated at $10,000 to
$15,000.
Fans with more modest budgets can train their sights on a host of Trekkie ephemera like the 10-inch Resikkan nonplaying prop brass flute used by Patrick Stewart as Picard in the episode "The Inner Light" in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," which carries a low estimate of just $300.
Cathy Elkies, director of special collections at Christie's, said the value of the objects was difficult to gauge because "we don't factor in that emotional fury generated around this kind of material."
Past estimates for auctions associated with the likes of Marilyn Monroe or Jacqueline Kennedy, who enjoyed dedicated followings, have been far off the mark as actual sale prices soared to five, 10 and even 100 times presale projections. "Star Trek" fans, with their Web sites, conventions and clubs, have proven among the most wildly devoted in all of pop culture.
'CULTURAL ICON'
"To several generations of people, 'Star Trek' was a cultural icon that represented our dreams, our hopes and our aspirations -- what we can become as a species, what we aspire to," said Mike Okuda, a graphic designer on four of the TV series and seven of the motion pictures as well as co-author of "The Star Trek Encyclopedia." "And to have a tangible piece of that is to have a tangible piece of a dream."
With the original captain's chair from the first "Star Trek" series in the Museum of Science Fiction in Seattle and the original Enterprise miniature at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in Washington, other items from the 1960s show could be the most sought-after at auction.
Okuda said many of the first "Star Trek" props were reused, destroyed or disappeared. But the auction will feature a mustard-colored mini-dress from the first series as well as costumes worn by guest stars, such as a gown worn by famed attorney Melvin Belli who played an evil alien entity.
"Star Trek" fans will get a peek at the collection when the memorabilia goes on tour this week in Germany.
Conceived by author Gene Roddenberry in the mid-1960s, the original "Star Trek" series debuted in 1966.
The last TV series, "Enterprise," set in the early 22nd century, about 100 years before the adventures of Kirk's five-year mission, ended its run on the UPN network in 2005.
By Chris Michaud
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Trekkies will be setting their phasers to "bid" this fall when Christie's holds the first official studio auction of memorabilia from all five "Star Trek" television series and 10 movie spinoffs.
CBS Paramount Television Studios is cleaning out its vaults for the sale, comprising more than 1,000 lots totaling some 4,000 items, to be held from October 5 to 7 in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the original "Star Trek" series, Christie's announced on Thursday.
Fans and collectors will have a chance to acquire "Star Trek" artifacts ranging from models of the "Starship" USS Enterprise to Capt. James Kirk's uniform or Capt. Jean-Luc Picard's jumpsuit in an auction where Christie's expects to raise more than $3 million.
Other items to hit the block include props, weapons, prosthetics and set dressings unearthed from five Paramount warehouses.
Among the highlights are a miniature of the Starship Enterprise used in visual effects for the film "Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country," expected to sell for $15,000 to $25,000, and a replica of Kirk's chair from the original TV series that was recreated for the 1996 "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Trials and Tribble-ations," which is estimated at $10,000 to
$15,000.
Fans with more modest budgets can train their sights on a host of Trekkie ephemera like the 10-inch Resikkan nonplaying prop brass flute used by Patrick Stewart as Picard in the episode "The Inner Light" in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," which carries a low estimate of just $300.
Cathy Elkies, director of special collections at Christie's, said the value of the objects was difficult to gauge because "we don't factor in that emotional fury generated around this kind of material."
Past estimates for auctions associated with the likes of Marilyn Monroe or Jacqueline Kennedy, who enjoyed dedicated followings, have been far off the mark as actual sale prices soared to five, 10 and even 100 times presale projections. "Star Trek" fans, with their Web sites, conventions and clubs, have proven among the most wildly devoted in all of pop culture.
'CULTURAL ICON'
"To several generations of people, 'Star Trek' was a cultural icon that represented our dreams, our hopes and our aspirations -- what we can become as a species, what we aspire to," said Mike Okuda, a graphic designer on four of the TV series and seven of the motion pictures as well as co-author of "The Star Trek Encyclopedia." "And to have a tangible piece of that is to have a tangible piece of a dream."
With the original captain's chair from the first "Star Trek" series in the Museum of Science Fiction in Seattle and the original Enterprise miniature at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in Washington, other items from the 1960s show could be the most sought-after at auction.
Okuda said many of the first "Star Trek" props were reused, destroyed or disappeared. But the auction will feature a mustard-colored mini-dress from the first series as well as costumes worn by guest stars, such as a gown worn by famed attorney Melvin Belli who played an evil alien entity.
"Star Trek" fans will get a peek at the collection when the memorabilia goes on tour this week in Germany.
Conceived by author Gene Roddenberry in the mid-1960s, the original "Star Trek" series debuted in 1966.
The last TV series, "Enterprise," set in the early 22nd century, about 100 years before the adventures of Kirk's five-year mission, ended its run on the UPN network in 2005.
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Cirque du Soleil to build new shows around Elvis
By Steve Gorman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Elvis may have left the building, but in a couple of years fans of Cirque du Soleil may find the King of Rock 'n' Roll swiveling his hips and singing "Jailhouse Rock" from a trapeze.
CKX Inc., which owns rights to Elvis Presley's name, likeness and music publishing, has teamed up with the famed troupe of acrobats and contortionists to produce Presley-themed shows around the world, the company said on Thursday.
Dubbed the "Elvis Presley Projects," the joint venture will incorporate Cirque du Soleil touring shows and permanent Cirque productions at fixed venues, all incorporating the name, image, likeness and music of Presley.
Cirque will also produce an interactive multimedia presentation of music, audiovisual works and memorabilia featuring the life and times of Elvis.
The shows are all slated to debut in 2008.
While production plans were still murky, CKX Chairman Robert Sillerman said he expected the shows would involve a mix of "original recordings and new performances" of Presley's music and that Cirque du Soleil "will create an extravaganza, a spectacle to that."
Sillerman said some kind of Elvis Presley character might be part of the shows.
A separate deal will have to be reached with RCA Records parent Sony BMG for permission to use recordings of Presley's music because that label still owns the masters to his songs, he added.
The new Presley production will be added to the repertoire of 13 shows that Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil is now presenting around the world. Its latest extravaganza, the first incorporating music not composed for Cirque, opens next month in Las Vegas featuring the music of the Beatles.
CKX bought a controlling interest in Elvis Presley Enterprises from the rock legend's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, in December 2004 in a deal valued at $100 million.
Sillerman's company struck a similar deal for the rights to boxing great Muhammad Ali's image for about $50 million in cash last month.
By Steve Gorman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Elvis may have left the building, but in a couple of years fans of Cirque du Soleil may find the King of Rock 'n' Roll swiveling his hips and singing "Jailhouse Rock" from a trapeze.
CKX Inc., which owns rights to Elvis Presley's name, likeness and music publishing, has teamed up with the famed troupe of acrobats and contortionists to produce Presley-themed shows around the world, the company said on Thursday.
Dubbed the "Elvis Presley Projects," the joint venture will incorporate Cirque du Soleil touring shows and permanent Cirque productions at fixed venues, all incorporating the name, image, likeness and music of Presley.
Cirque will also produce an interactive multimedia presentation of music, audiovisual works and memorabilia featuring the life and times of Elvis.
The shows are all slated to debut in 2008.
While production plans were still murky, CKX Chairman Robert Sillerman said he expected the shows would involve a mix of "original recordings and new performances" of Presley's music and that Cirque du Soleil "will create an extravaganza, a spectacle to that."
Sillerman said some kind of Elvis Presley character might be part of the shows.
A separate deal will have to be reached with RCA Records parent Sony BMG for permission to use recordings of Presley's music because that label still owns the masters to his songs, he added.
The new Presley production will be added to the repertoire of 13 shows that Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil is now presenting around the world. Its latest extravaganza, the first incorporating music not composed for Cirque, opens next month in Las Vegas featuring the music of the Beatles.
CKX bought a controlling interest in Elvis Presley Enterprises from the rock legend's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, in December 2004 in a deal valued at $100 million.
Sillerman's company struck a similar deal for the rights to boxing great Muhammad Ali's image for about $50 million in cash last month.
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