Officials say unrest at prison in Ala. leaves 2 hurt
ATMORE, Ala. – Inmates set a fire, seized control of a dormitory and stabbed two corrections officials during a violent uprising at a prison in Alabama, authorities said Saturday. The riot prompted the governor to repeat a call for measures to modernize the state’s prisons to make them safer and easier to control.
The William C. Holman Correctional Facility, which serves as the state’s only execution facility, was on lockdown hours after a riot erupted late Friday. Alabama Department of Corrections spokesman Bob Horton said the prison warden and a corrections officer were stabbed at one of the dormitories at the prison. He said their injuries were not life-threatening. About 100 inmates were involved, Horton said.
Horton said three emergency response teams were deployed to bring the prison dorm under control. He said the facility is now calm and remains on lockdown.
6 backcountry skiers dead in Italian Alps avalanche
MILAN – An avalanche struck high in the Italian Alps on Saturday, killing six backcountry skiers and injuring another as a swath of snow hundreds of yards wide cascaded down.
Helicopters ferried both survivors and the bodies back to the valley floor from the avalanche site, located not far below Monte Nevoso’s 11,017-foot peak. The mountain is close to the Austrian border in Italy’s Alto Adige region.
The dead were among a group of backcountry skiers climbing above tree line to the mountain crest and then skiing down, but the dynamics of the midday avalanche were still not yet clear.
Italian financial police, among the helicopter responders, and the Carabinieri national police confirmed the six deaths, one Austrian and five Italians from the area. In addition, one person was injured, while another eight escaped unharmed, they said.
Nissan recalls 47,538 Leaf vehicles for brake problem
LOS ANGELES – Nissan is recalling more than 47,000 Leaf electric cars in the U.S. and Canada, citing a possible brake malfunction.
Documents posted by U.S. safety regulators Saturday say the problem is centered on a relay inside the cars’ electronic brake booster.
Very cold temperatures can cause the relay to fail, requiring more driver effort to operate the brakes. That could increase the risk of crashing.
No accidents or injuries have been reported to Nissan. The automaker will notify owners who need repairs.
Associated Press
