In the news

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Jennifer Watson, a Pennsylvania bus driver who made her afternoon rounds picking up children at their schools and instead of driving them home drove them back to their individual schools, was charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving after she admitted eating raisins soaked in gin to treat a headache before getting behind the wheel.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 77, the Algerian president who had a stroke last year and is using a wheelchair, asked to be re-elected for a fourth term in April’s elections, saying in a letter to voters that “the difficulties linked to my physical health shouldn’t disqualify me.”

Gov. Brian Sandoval of Nevada was nearly hit by a deer that leaped over a fence in front of him as he walked to his office on the fifth annual Nevada Moves Day, which highlights the benefits of increased physical activity and reduced traffic congestion.

Sara Chapel, owner of Jitterz Java in Spokane, Wash., said that after three robberies in a month, there will always be a gun at the coffee stand and some of her employees are taking their own guns to work.

Luca Manconi, the 3-year-old grandson of Maltese President George Abela, who tagged along for his grandfather’s audience with Pope Francis, presented the pontiff with a gift of a small plastic dinosaur.

Ronald Phillips, a condemned child killer in Ohio, was denied his request to donate organs to his family members because he would not have time to recuperate from the surgery before his summer execution, the state said.

Scott Steben, the organizer of a World War II party that included Nazi flags and men in SS uniforms, apologized after a photo of the event in Minneapolis provoked anger on the Internet, saying the dinner was an exercise for period actors and wasn’t meant to offend anyone.

Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian premier who was banned from public office for two years as part of a tax fraud conviction, said none of his children will run for the European Parliament in coming elections despite rumors to the contrary.

Dawn DaLuise, 55, a West Hollywood skin-care expert whose clientele included celebrities like Nicki Minaj and Jennifer Aniston, pleaded innocent to solicitation of murder after being accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill rival esthetician Gabriel Suarez.

Front Section, Pages 1 on 03/23/2014