Across the nation
DEADLY TRAIN: Two men at separate railroad crossings were killed by the same freight train on the same day. The Southern Pacific train first collided with a pickup truck at a crossing in Pine Bluff, Ark., shortly after 7 a.m. Thursday, killing James Edward Dallari, 43. After a 90-minute delay, the train took off with a new engineer at the controls. Less than five hours later and just 50 miles down the tracks, the train struck a car at another crossing, killing Roderick Miguel Daniels, 21.
MOOSE: Moose International officials yanked the charter of the group's largest lodge in Hagerstown, Md., a week after the lodge denied membership to a black man. Moose regulations prohibit lodges from rejecting applicants on the basis of race. "This action was taken because of repeated violations of Moose International's general laws and stated policies," said Kurt Wehr-meister, a spokesman for the 105-year-old fraternal and service organization. Wehr-meister would not say whether Thursday's decision to shut down the 7,500-member lodge was linked to the Feb. 16 vote that denied membership to James Yates. The lodge rejected Yates' application by a 52-19 vote.