Top Stories of the Day

 -At least 10 people were killed in a fire during a train wreck today in Los Angeles.  The commuter train that was carrying 222 people was involved in a head on collision with a freight train during the afternoon rush. 

          -It is not clear how the two trains ended up on the same track.  The accident is still under investigation. 

  

–In (hopefully) lighter news, a new study suggests that diets often fail because of the dieter’s own metabolism.  A Rockefeller University study found that losing weight enhances the body’s ability to burn calories. 

       -The study confirms suspicions by researchers of diets being sabotaged by metabolism. 

–Elsewhere today, two accused Pennsylvania murders have waived extradition to Allentown, Pennsylvania from Midland, Michigan.  The two, Bryan and David Freeman are accused of murdering their parents and younger brother. 

      -The two were arrested in Michigan two days after their families bodies were found. 

 –Violence is also to blame for abortion doctors across the country resorting to spending tens of thousands of dollars on armored cars in order to protect themselves, according to companies that specialize in armoring cars. 

      -Five people have been killed in abortion clinic shootings since 1993. 

–Other forms of violence have spawned investigators to believe that 30 additional murders may be connected to 11 suspected killings in South Los Angeles.  Investigators believe that at least six of the 30 will be connected to the unknown killer. 

      -The murderer apparently operated between 1985 to 1987, and then from 2002 to the present day. 

Flyers Dominate Game 7; Move On to Next Round

PHILADELPHIA, PA: On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia Flyers convincingly defeated the Buffalo Sabres in the deciding game seven. They won by a score of 5-2, ending Buffalo's hope for a Stanley Cup championship.

The effort from the Flyers was one that fans had not seen for several weeks. They dominated the game physically, and made a great deal of sacrifices in terms of blocked shots.

Flyers goaltender Brian Boucher had a very strong outing, keeping the Sabres completely in check until the final period.

Philadelphia also had a balanced scoring effort, with all five goals being scored by different players. Even Braydon Coburn and Dan Carcillo joined the score sheet, rather uncommon for them.

Buffalo, who had a very strong end to the regular season, played hard against the Flyers throughout the first five games of the playoff series. The Flyers forced the final game in overtime of game six, and now will move on to the next round. Their opponent will be decided later this week.

Podcast with game preview:
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/?podcast_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.podtrac.com%2Fpts%2Fredirect.mp3%2Fnyc.podcast.play.it%2Fmedia%2Fd0%2Fd0%2Fd0%2FdX%2FdH%2Fd1%2Fd3%2FXH13_3.MP3%3Fauthtok%3D5561442075764797139_FvY4ZkN6z8utaW0b8TUd7tiKfw&podcast_name=&podcast_artist=&station_id=94&tag=pages&dcid=CBS.PHILLY



Video With Game Highlights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwL1Jc1F1Is

Fresno Pacific Ends Springfield College's Tournament Run

Tulsa, OK: Fresno Pacific ended Springfield’s hope of a long tournament run with a major 81 to 56 whitewashing.
Every player on Fresno’s team scored points for them in a very balanced effort. They scored on 33 of 59 shots, compared with 22 of 74 for Springfield.
Springfield scored on six of their 26 attempts at three-point shots, while Fresno connected on five of their 15 tries.
Fred Moore was the top scorer for Fresno, securing 24 points. He also led his team in rebounds with 11. Springfield’s Tim Muldrow was the top scorer for his team, gaining 20 points and nine rebounds.
The game had 23 total fouls, with no foul outs. Springfield committed 14 of these, while Fresno had nine.
Fresno dominated most of the game, carrying a nine point lead into halftime. Their opponent in the next round has not yet been announced.

(Fresno Pacific's Fred Moore drives for yet another score.)

Suspect Still at Large After Evening Liquor Store Robbery

Springfield: Police are searching for the suspect in a robbery at the Black Derby Liquor Store. A gunman with a pillowcase over his head threatened the clerk in the store at 2311 Ripley Way and fled with $2,845 cash.
The gunman demanded that clerk Steve Bellinos empty the cash register into another pillowcase.
According to a police report, the robber was about 6 feet tall and about 155 pounds. He wore blue jeans and a dirty white T-shirt with a torn right sleeve.
Shortly after 7:00, officers Anne Fulgham and Jose Lopez responded to a silent alarm from inside the store. They arrived on scene just as the suspect was leaving the store. Fulgham fired a warning shot at the suspect, but he still managed to escape down an alley.
John Paul Reinicke, 35, witnessed the incident. “The officers did a great job,” he said. “That guy ran so fast he looked like a track star.
Police Chief Antonio Grasso said that the Police Internal Security Squad would launch an investigation. This is standard procedure every time a service weapon is discharged.

(Liquor Store in the Aftermath of the Robbery)

Mass Shooting Shatters Peace in St. Joseph

St. Joseph, MO: An unknown gunman rocked the streets of St. Joseph this evening, killing Officer Bradley Arn. Another officer, whose name is not being released, shot and killed the suspect shortly thereafter.

There was one other fatality, and the conditions the rest of the victims are unknown.

The gunman initially opened fire shortly after five o’clock on 22nd Street between Union and Frederick, continually firing on passersby.
George McFeat, a nearby resident, witnessed Arn’s death. He said that the officer’s car was riddled with at least seven shots, one of which entered through the rear windshield and struck the officer in the head. McFeat was driving a minivan at the time of the shooting, and was injured by shattered glass when the gunman fired on his vehicle.

Bradley Thomas Arn is the first police officer to be shot in St. Joseph since 1944. He is the first police officer to be killed in the line of duty since a 1991 motor vehicle accident.

The gunman was not carrying identification, and police are trying to identify him through his fingerprints.

He was armed with a high powered rifle, a shotgun he had strapped to his back, and a knife, police said.

A neighbor of the gunman who did not release the man’s name said that he was “a little off, and a little odd.” The neighbor did not know why the man might have committed the act.

Police officials said that they “strained themselves to deal with the incident,” and felt that the officers did what they were instructed to do in that situation. “This just doesn’t happen in St. Joseph,” said one official.

(Police carry out on-site investigation of shooting.)













http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr299gWEpbU

Heat Takes Toll on Local Firefighters

The spell of hot, dry weather that has held the area in its grasp for the last few weeks is taking its toll on grasslands and firefighters.

“Fire protection agencies from across the area responded to 16 calls. Weather conditions involved 15 to 25 mph winds and temperatures soared to 99 degrees.”

According to county Chief Debra Schuster, the largest of those was a 25 acre grass fire on Peabody Road north of Prathersville. Paramedics treated 5 firefighters for heat exhaustion.

Three more firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion. Two were medivaced to Springfield Hospital. All were treated and released.

Dennis Sapp, captain of Fire Station No. 1 said that the Peabody Road blaze burned out of control for about an hour before it was contained. He said that it was probably started by a trash fire. Only grass was burned in the blaze, which placed a nearby farm in danger.

Schuster said that fires in the region were starting throughout the day. She suspects that they may have been the work of arsonists, but believes that careless burning is a more likely cause.

“We don’t have any evidence that there is an arsonist,” Schuster said. “We sure hope that we don’t have someone running around starting fires on purpose, but there is that possibility.”

(A firefighter attempts to extinguish one of today's many wildfires.)

Football Injuries Pose Major Problems for Students

REDMOND- Pete Stenhoff planned to graduate from Chula Vista High School here with the rest of his class, but playing the game he loved got in the way of all that.

Stenhoff was severely injured playing football in his junior year when he rammed his head into a ball carrier’s chest. He cracked several vertebrae in his spine, and is confined to a wheelchair. Since the accident, he has lost roughly 38 pounds.

He is not alone when it comes to football related injuries. He is joined by 20,000 other students, many of whom suffer head or neck injuries. A large portion of these injuries are permanently disabling, just as Stenhoff’s was. Thirteen players died last year.

Most critics blame helmets players wear. In the future, many hope that protective equipment can become more effective and safer.

In spite of his accident, Stenhoff is not bitter. Though he wishes he could have known the extent of possible injuries, he knew the risks inherent in playing the game.

NPR Podcast on Football Safety
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=130511940&m=130532078

(Playing football carries numerous risks, but most players choose not to focus on them.)