Doctors reattach one of girl’s feet
Louisville, Ky. – Doctors reattached the right foot of a 13-year-old girl involved in a gruesome amusement-park accident, but her left foot was too severely damaged to repair, her family and doctor said in a statement Tuesday.
Kaitlyn Lasitter of Louisville remained in stable condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., Dr. Douglas Weikert, a surgeon and assistant professor at Vanderbilt, said.
Lasitter’s feet were severed just above the ankles as she rode the Superman Tower of Power thrill ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom on June 21.
Investigators with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture said they have taken a cable they believe broke and severed Lasitter’s feet.
Additional nation/world news briefs
LANSING, Mich.
Expert under fire for underwear test
A Michigan state forensics scientist who said she tested DNA in her husband’s underwear to find out whether he was cheating could be disciplined if investigators determine she violated the use of state equipment.
Ann Chamberlain-Gordon of Okemos testified in a March 7 divorce hearing that she ran the test in September on the underwear of Charles Gordon Jr. Asked by his attorney what she found, she answered: “Another female. It wasn’t me.” She also said during a May 25 hearing that she ran the test on her own time with chemicals that were set to be thrown away.
Michigan State Police started to investigate her after her husband’s attorney wrote to authorities and media outlets questioning how many times DNA tests have been improperly run.
NEW YORK
Fireworks headed for water, not sky
It’s fireworks with a twist: Some of 40,000 exploding shells to be launched in New York today will be aimed down at the water, not the sky.
The so-called nautical shells explode on the surface of the water, where the fragments will remain illuminated for a few seconds before fading out, said Robin Hall, executive producer of the show, sponsored by Macy’s.
The show, billed as the largest in the U.S., will launch the shells from eight barges on the East River and at the South Street Seaport in southern Manhattan.
Three million people watched last year’s extravaganza from vantage points in New York, and a similar number were expected this year. Some 8 million people watched on TV.
ATLANTA
No record wrestler’s son was impaired
A prosecutor investigating pro wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed his wife and son and committed suicide, is questioning World Wrestling Entertainment’s early assertion that the boy had a form of mental retardation called Fragile X syndrome.
A spokesman for WWE – which shortly after the killings said the Benoits had argued over whether the wrestler should stay home more to take care of the 7-year-old son – also backed away Tuesday from its statements about the boy.
Fayette County prosecutor Scott Ballard said Tuesday that some of the boy’s medical records have been reviewed and “they do not mention any pre-existing mental or physical impairment.”
Family members deny Daniel had Fragile X, and the child’s teachers also deny reports that he was physically undersized, Ballard said.
WWE spokesman Gary Davis said its earlier statement arose from a misunderstanding.
“I think we have to go with what the district attorney has said as being the best, up-to-date information available right now,” Davis said.
BRUSSELS, Belgium
EUTube’s debut called “soft porn”
The European Commission has posted a montage of sex scenes from European films on a new video-sharing website, drawing criticism from some lawmakers who described it as “soft porn.”
The commission, which is the executive branch of the European Union, launched its own channel on YouTube last week called EUTube, saying it wanted to spread messages about topics such as climate change and human rights.
Commission spokesman Martin Selmayr said the sex-scene clips – drawn from award-winning films such as “Amelie” and “Bad Education” – highlighted Europe’s tradition of rich cinema.
