QUOTE OF THE DAY
“This collaborative approach will result in realistic, achievable goals and an effective regulatory framework.”
Douglas Stotlar, chief executive officer of freight company Con-way Inc., on the collaboration between the government and manufacturers on fuel efficiency and greenhouse-gas standards for trucks Article, this page
Flood risk raised as regions thaw
BOSTON - A speedy winter storm that blew through parts of the Great Lakes and the East on Tuesday was expected to leave a trail of warmer weather and rain that is expected to provide a respite for residents weary of weeks of bitter cold but also create the potential for flooding and collapsing roofs in some areas.
Clogged storm drains could cause ponding and puddles on roads. The National Weather Service said the combination of melting snow and more rain could cause significant flooding in Ohio.
And in Michigan, where several roof collapses have been reported since January, there was concern that rain on top of snow could lead to more.
Temperatures above freezing in places where the storm passed through Tuesday should move up to the 40s to mid-50s for the rest of the week, said John Cristantello of the New York weather service.
Despite the warming and some expected rain today and Friday, flooding will not be a concern in New England, said Alan Dunham, a meteorologist with the weather service in Taunton, Mass.
FBI aids in probe of defaced statue
OXFORD, Miss. - The FBI on Tuesday was helping investigate after a noose was tied around the neck of a University of Mississippi statue of James Meredith, who in 1962 became the first black student to enroll in the then all-white Southern college.
University police on Sunday morning found the rope noose and, on the statue’s face, a pre-2003 Georgia state flag with a Confederate battle symbol, said campus Police Chief Calvin Sellers.
Two men were seen near the statue early Sunday, and investigators were looking at surveillance footage.
In a statement, Chancellor Dan Jones condemned the action as contrary to the beliefs and values of the university.
University police asked for the FBI’s help, said Deborah Madden, a spokesman for the FBI office in Jackson.
Clergy-abuse suits end in settlement
LOS ANGELES - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles will pay $13 million to settle 17 lawsuits citing sexual abuse by clergy, including 11 cases concerning a visiting Mexican priest who fled prosecution and remains a fugitive more than 25 years later, attorneys said Tuesday.
The deal resolves all remaining clergy-abuse lawsuits against the nation’s largest archdiocese.
The archdiocese settled more than 500 cases in 2007 for a record $660 million and has resolved numerous others since then.
Eleven of the plaintiffs in Tuesday’s settlement allege abuse by visiting Mexican priest Nicolas Aguilar Rivera, who fled Los Angeles in January 1988 before the church notified police about parent complaints of molestation.
The Los Angeles Police Department later determined at least 26 boys had been sexually abused by the priest during his 10-month stay in Los Angeles.
Aguilar Rivera was recently defrocked in absentia. He is wanted on warrants issued in the U.S. and Mexico.
Front Section, Pages 3 on 02/19/2014