Washington, D.C.
Terror threat prompts U.S. embassy closings
WASHINGTON – The threat of a terrorist attack led to the weekend closure of 21 U.S. embassies and consulates in the Muslim world and a global travel warning to Americans, the first such alert since an announcement before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 strikes.
“There is a significant threat stream, and we’re reacting to it,” Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told ABC News, according to interview excerpts released Friday. He said the threat was “more specific” than previous ones, and the “intent is to attack Western, not just U.S., interests.”
The warning comes less than a year since last year’s deadly Sept. 11 attack on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, and with the Obama administration and Congress determined to prevent any similar breach of an American embassy or consulate.
The State Department’s warning urged U.S. travelers to take extra precautions overseas. It cited potential dangers involved with public transportation systems and other prime sites for tourists, and said that previous attacks have centered on subway and rail networks as well as airplanes and boats.
Travelers were advised to sign up for State Department alerts and register with U.S. consulates in the countries they visit.
Pennsylvania
Dying 2-year-old boy couple’s best man
JEANNETTE, Pa. – A 2-year-old boy with only weeks to live has served as the best man for his parents’ Pennsylvania wedding.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Christine Swidorsky carried 2-year-old Logan Stevenson on her shoulder at the Saturday afternoon wedding in Jeannette, a suburb of Pittsburgh.
Looking dapper in a tiny tan pinstripe suit and orange shirt, Logan stood with his grandmother, Debbie Stevenson, during a ceremony uniting Logan’s mother and his father, Sean Stevenson. The boy has leukemia and other complications.
The couple tied the knot in a hastily arranged backyard ceremony that celebrated Logan’s life. The couple abandoned an original wedding date of July 2014 after learning from doctors late last month that their son had two to three weeks to live.
California
Bay Area commuters brace for another BART strike
OAKLAND, Calif. – San Francisco Bay Area agencies are preparing ways to get commuters to work if Bay Area Rapid Transit workers strike Monday, but officials say there’s no way to make up for the idling of one of the nation’s largest transit systems.
If BART employees walk off the job, transit agencies are planning to increase bus and ferry service, keep carpool lanes open all day and hand out coffee gift cards to encourage drivers to pick up riders.
But officials warn those measures won’t be enough to make up a shutdown of the BART system, which carries more than 400,000 commuters a day.
“The inescapable fact is BART’s capacity can’t be absorbed by the other transit agencies,” said John Goodwin, spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. “We’re still hoping for the best, but it’s time to prepare for the worst.”
Meanwhile, Bay Area Rapid Transit and its two main unions are negotiating in hopes of reaching an agreement by midnight today. The parties are scheduled to return to the bargaining table at 10 a.m. Saturday after recessing for the night Friday.
5 spectators injured at old power plant implosion
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Five spectators were injured Saturday after shrapnel was sent flying at the demolition of a decommissioned steam power plant in California’s Central Valley, authorities said.
More than 1,000 people had gathered at 6 a.m. in a nearby parking lot to watch the planned implosion at the plant owned by Pacific Gas and Electric in Bakersfield. After structures on the property came crashing down, a police officer at the scene heard a man screaming for help and saw his leg had been severed, police said.
“It was a piece of shrapnel that came flying out of the explosion and came across and went through a couple of chain link fences, struck him and impacted into a vehicle,” said Lt. Scott Tunnicliffe.
The 44-year-old victim might lose his other leg as well because of his injuries, Tunnicliffe said.
Four other spectators were treated for minor injuries, said Kern County Fire engineer Leland Davis. All of the injured spectators were standing beyond a perimeter set up to ensure public safety, Davis said.
Michigan
Man arrested in burglary attempt of Kid Rock’s home
DETROIT – Tips from the public led to the arrest on Saturday of a 43-year-old suburban Detroit man after attempted burglary of a home owned by musician Kid Rock.
The man was arrested at his home in Oakland County’s Independence Township, north of Detroit, according to Undersheriff Michael McCabe.
Two tips were made to the sheriff’s dispatch center, McCabe said in a release.
The arrest came after surveillance photos from security cameras on Kid Rock’s property in Clarkston were released this weekend. The photos showed a man ramming the gate Wednesday afternoon and trying to break into the house. He also was on crutches and failed to get in.
A 1994 Ford Club Wagon van, which was used to force open the gated driveway to the property, also was recovered and impounded.
The Associated Press
