Legislators want chickens vaccinated
NEW YORK (AP) — Two New York State legislators want to require farmers in the state to vaccinate their chickens against salmonella.
State Sen. Daniel Squadron and Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh announced their proposal Sunday in front of a Lower East Side supermarket. Their idea comes after a nationwide recall of hundreds of millions of eggs. None of the recalled eggs came from New York.
The legislators say that vaccinations costing one penny per dozen eggs could nearly eliminate the more than 100,000 salmonella cases each year in the U.S. if all states had such a law.
Flights canceled for Hurricane Earl
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Islanders set up emergency shelters and airlines canceled flights Sunday as newly born Hurricane Earl churned toward the northern Caribbean. Cruise lines diverted ships to avoid the storm's path.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said that Earl, a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, could hit the northern Leeward Islands later Sunday.
Center forecasters said Earl could strengthen into a major hurricane as soon as Monday — probably while east of Puerto Rico. Major hurricanes are those Category 3 and higher.
Meanwhile, the Category 1 Hurricane Danielle was bringing dangerous rip currents to the U.S. East Coast.
Support pours in after mosque fire
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — Supporters from across the country have called to give encouragement to a suburban Nashville mosque where a fire was the latest setback for a planned new building, officials said Sunday.
Authorities told mosque officials that four pieces of heavy construction equipment on the site were doused with an accelerant and one set ablaze early Saturday, said Camie Ayash, spokeswoman for the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro. Federal investigators have not ruled it arson, saying only that the fire was being probed and asked the public to call in tips. Earlier, Ayash said that gasoline was poured on the equipment but later backed off that statement.
American Muslim leaders say the furor over the building of a mosque near ground zero has emboldened opposition groups to resist new mosques elsewhere.
4.1 quake strikes S. California border
LOS ANGELES (MCT) — A 4.1 earthquake struck the California border region on Sunday, the latest of thousands of aftershocks from the Easter Sunday Mexicali temblor.
The latest quake occurred at 8:53 a.m. about 33 miles from Mexicali. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The region has seen a series of aftershocks and triggered quakes since the massive 7.2 temblor, which was the largest in the region in nearly 20 years.
13-year-old racer killed at speedway
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A 13-year-old motorcycle racer died Sunday after falling off his bike and getting run over by another motorcycle at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Peter Lenz of Vancouver, Wash., was pronounced dead by the Marion County coroner after sustaining "traumatic injuries." The accomplished teenage rider crashed on a warmup lap before his race and was struck by 12-year-old Xavier Zayat, who was uninjured in the accident.
Medical workers immediately placed Lenz in a neck brace, put him on a stretcher and began chest compressions while taking him to a hospital. The coroner confirmed his death about three hours later, the first at the speedway since IndyCar driver Tony Renna was killed in October 2003.
US Airways probes flames in engine
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — US Airways is investigating why flames were seen coming from the engine of an airplane as it landed at Reagan National Airport outside Washington.
US Airways spokeswoman Valerie Wunder says the captain of flight 1764 from Charlotte, N.C., to Washington declared an emergency as a precaution upon landing around 7 p.m. Saturday. Wunder says flames were seen coming from the Airbus 319's engine, but it does not appear that the engine was on fire. No one on board was injured.
Coincidence land minister in jail
SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — A series of unfortunate coincidences led to a case of mistaken identity that put a Louisiana minister behind bars for nearly eight hours.
Gregory Jones, pastor at Eden Worship Center, was pulled over for speeding and arrested as a man wanted for violating parole in Texas.
The minister not only had the same name as the wanted man, but the same birth date — and a Texas driver's license. So he wound up handcuffed and taken to a Shreveport jail.
Jones said deputies treated him well. A photograph and fingerprint check eventually confirmed he wasn't the wanted man.
Caddo Lt. Don Gibbs says the department was sorry for Jones' inconvenience but committed to ensuring wanted criminals don't accidentally go free.