Greece Wildfires claims 64 livesATHENS, Greece (AP) – A helicopter swooped into a village in southern Greece to rescue residents trapped by flames on Monday _ one of dozens of fires that have torn through village and forest across the country, leaving blackened landscape in their wake.
The fires have killed 63 people over four days, destroying everything in their path. One broke out on the fringe of Athens Monday, but was quickly brought under control. Another scorched the woodland around the birthplace of the Olympics.
The government appealed for help from abroad, and 19 countries were sending planes, helicopters and firefighters, including France, which dispatched four water-tanker planes and Russia, which was sending three helicopters and an amphibian plane.
A blistering hot summer has led to more than a thousand wildfires across Bulgaria in the past three months burning down 84,000 acres of forests and farm fields, the government said.
Killer of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford sentenced to death
The Associated Press – John Couey, a convicted sex offender was sentenced Friday to death for kidnapping and raping 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford before swaddling her in garbage bags and burying her alive in his yard.
The jury convicted Couey of taking Jessica in February 2005 from her bedroom to his nearby trailer, where he raped her and buried her alive. Despite a massive search, the third-grader’s body was found about three weeks after she disappeared in a grave in Couey’s yard, about 150 yards from her own home.
Scientist made first 911 call about six trapped miners
HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) _ A seismologist who detected ground tremors was the first to notify authorities of the cave-in that trapped six miners, even before mine officials called for an ambulance, according to 911 recordings.
University of Utah seismologist Walter Arabasz made his call about a potential problem at the Crandall Canyon mine early on Aug. 6, four minutes before mine officials made their call.
Lewis Temple gets new pastor
Lewis Temple CME Church, located at 124 Main Street in Grambling, has a new Pastor.
Rev. Wendell M. Oldham, Jr. from Washington, DC where he was the pastor of Israel Metropolitan CME Church. He has pastored churches in Ohio and Kentucky.
He is a graduate of the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio where he earned the Masters of Divinity Degree.
He and his wife have one daughter who is also a minister. Rev. and Mrs. (Cheryl) Oldham have settled into the Parsonage in Grambling and are busy meeting the members of Lewis Temple.