National news
Catholic bishops OK sexual abuse audits
The United States’ Roman Catholic bishops Tuesday approved a second round of audits of every diocese in the country to check whether they are living up to a sexual abuse prevention charter approved two years ago in Dallas.
The audits of all 195 Catholic dioceses are to be completed by December, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said after a 207-14 vote taken behind closed doors at their spring meeting at Englewood, Colo.
The vote settled a dispute among bishops over whether to proceed immediately with audits for 2004 or wait until next year. The first audit in 2003 found that 4,392 priests had been accused of molesting as many as 10,667 children since 1950.
Boy dies week after rescuing playmate
Chicago Ridge, Ill. A 6-year-old boy who rescued a playmate from a debris-filled swimming pool but couldn’t get himself out of the water has died.
Donald Houser-Richerme had been hospitalized in critical condition since June 7, when rescue crews found his limp body in a half-empty pool at an apartment complex.
He died Monday, Police Chief Tim Baldermann said.
Donny had been exploring the area with his younger brother and a 5-year-old friend, Karah Moran, when they found the gate to the pool area unlocked and went in.
Karah either jumped or fell into the empty, shallow end of the pool, then slid on debris into the water gathered at the deep end. Though Donald couldn’t swim, he jumped in after her and was able to push her to a ladder, family members said. But he couldn’t save himself. Authorities said he was under water as long as 20 minutes.
“That family has been through an awful lot this past week, and throughout the whole ordeal they’ve shown a lot of dignity, class and strength,” Baldermann said.
Southern Baptists leave federation
Indianapolis The Southern Baptist Convention quit a global federation of Baptist denominations Tuesday as SBC leaders denounced the Baptist World Alliance and other groups for accepting liberal theology.
At a meeting that has affirmed the SBC’s conservative values 25 years after its rightward shift began, more than 8,000 Southern Baptists also cheered as President Bush – speaking through a live video link – stressed his support for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
The SBC is the world’s largest Baptist denomination and America’s largest Protestant body, with 16.3 million members. It helped launch the alliance 99 years ago and was a strong supporter before its move toward strict conservatism with the election of a right-leaning president a quarter-century ago.
Hog farms must pay damages for stench
Lincoln, Neb. The owner of farms housing thousands of hogs must pay damages to 11 neighbors who said the stench forced them indoors, the state Court of Appeals said Tuesday.
A trial court will determine the amount owed to the residents, who live within two miles of farms owned by Progressive Swine Technologies.
One neighbor said the smell was so overpowering that it affected the taste of the food in her garden. Others compared it to sewage, saying the smell forced them to keep windows closed and not hang clothes out to dry.
The decision reversed a 2002 ruling that Progressive Swine did not owe damages, even though its four farms were a nuisance. As part of that ruling, the farms were told to reduce the smell.
Pat Knapp, the landowners’ attorney, said that has not been done.
“It still stinks,” she said. Knapp said she plans to file a motion to enforce that judgment or find the hog farm operators in contempt.
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