INTERNATIONAL
Juliette now tropical depression, residents turn to cleanup
Associated Press Writer
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico - Hurricane-turned Tropical Storm Juliette weakened further to a tropical depression yesterday, allowing residents to focus on cleanup after seven days of heavy rains and high winds that killed three people, destroyed hundreds of homes and washed out highways.
Juliette's winds had weakened to 35 mph as it traveled over land about 205 miles north of Cabo San Lucas, a resort city of 25,000 where the storm smashed docks, uprooted trees and power lines and left dozens of tourists stranded with no sunshine and no escape.
Baja California Sur state Governor Leonel Cota Montano was scheduled to fly by helicopter to view the damage and offer assistance, said Juan Gayosso, a city official from Cabo San Lucas helping coordinate rescue efforts.
In addition, he said that military helicopters would try to deliver food, water and medicine to neighborhoods in Cabos San Lucas that had been cut off from the rest of the city when Juliette turned once-dry ditches into raging rivers.
On Saturday, officials using ropes and human chains rescued more than 230 people, including people from poor neighborhoods, tourists and employees from the Country Club resort hotel at the edge of the city, and U.S. Consul Mike Houston, who was stranded in his office by rising floodwaters, said local civil protection chief Marcos Varela.
Juliette blew out windows and filled rooms with water at the Country Club hotel, 90 percent of which was damaged. Two employees who had been reported missing from the hotel were later found at area shelters, Varela said.
Meanwhile, frustrated tourists sought ever-extreme measures to find their way home. The only nearby airport remained closed yesterday and all roads leading out of the city were impassable.
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STATES
Colorado police holding twin brothers suspected of killing deputy
Associated Press
PENROSE, Colo. - Police found a cache of weapons in the home of twin brothers, known to neighbors as loners who liked to wear camouflage clothing, who are suspected of killing a sheriff's deputy and critically wounding a police officer.
Joel and Michael Stovall, 24, were being held without bail yesterday and will be formally advised of murder charges later today, said Lt. Melissa Hartman of the El Paso Sheriff's office.
They were captured late Saturday after an all-day pursuit that led into the scenic canyons along the Arkansas River near the Royal Gorge.
About 100 law officers had joined in the search, aided by National Guard helicopters.
At the brothers' home, investigators found several guns, several knives and what they believe to be ingredients for a bomb, said Fremont Sheriff Ivan Middlemiss.
People who knew the brothers said they had trouble fitting in.
"They didn't have a lot of friends. They didn't hang out with other people and they were always acting militant, the kind of people who wanted to be in the army," said Scott Branam, who went to Florence High School with them.
"They always did twisted stuff in high school," such as dropping burning paper down vents at the school, he said. "I think the time everybody in school decided they weren't normal was when one brother shot the other in the collarbone with a bow and arrow."
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LOCAL
City of Tucson to consider new way to contribute to charities
Associated Press
TUCSON - A city official has recommended a new way for the city to contribute to charities, instead of using the United Way to dole out nearly $1.7 million.
City Manager James Keene wants the money to be lumped in with other city "human service" funds and for a panel of city staff members and citizens to recommend who should get contributions.
The final decision would be up to the City Council, which will discuss the proposal later today.
Council members have discussed which charities will get city funds after last fall's controversy over the United Way giving money to the Boy Scouts, who don't allow homosexual leaders.
The city has distributed money to charities through the United Way planning and auditing process for many years.
This year, nearly $1.7 million was allocated that way.
None of it went to the Boy Scouts because of city objections to the organization's anti-homosexual policies. Last year, the Scouts got $29,000 from the city fund.
The city manager proposes to combine the charitable contributions fund with other human service funds, including a public service program and funding to assist an aging and disabled program.
Agencies seeking city funds would submit a single application that could make them eligible for funds from several programs, rather than have to submit separate applications to each.
