Three more bodies found in hotel
The bodies of three more victims of an arson fire at a casino-district hotel were recovered Saturday, bringing the death toll to nine, fire officials said.
Fire Department spokesman Steve Frady said the bodies were pulled out of the north end of the 84-year-old Mizpah Hotel – the part most heavily damaged in Tuesday’s fire because of roof collapses.
“There’s still a potential to find more (bodies) because we haven’t completed the search of that north section,” Frady said. Efforts were to continue today.
Valerie Moore, a casino cook and paroled murderer who lived at the hotel, has been arrested on suspicion of starting the blaze by igniting a mattress.
Weyers Cave, Va.
Blogger removed from Allen rally
A liberal blogger who was manhandled by supporters of Sen. George Allen last week was handcuffed by authorities and escorted from another rally Saturday after an Allen backer claimed the man pushed him to the ground.
Mike Stark told the Associated Press that sheriff’s deputies detained and released him. He was not charged.
“I’ll own this town,” Stark, a first-year University of Virginia law student, was overheard telling sheriff’s deputies as he was led away from the rally at Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport.
Stark said that he was attending the event as a reporter for the Air America Radio network’s “The Young Turks” show and that he wanted to ask Allen about his arrest record and why he didn’t do more to stop his supporters from wrestling him to the ground at a campaign event on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Allen supporters formed a human wall to block Stark’s access to the senator, who is in a tight election race with Democrat Jim Webb. As Stark tried to sidestep the wall, he brushed the side of a supporter, who fell. A deputy sheriff grabbed Stark, put his arm behind his back and led him away to the cheers of about 100 Allen supporters.
New York
Chelsea Clinton at Avenue Capital
Chelsea Clinton has started working for Avenue Capital Group, a hedge fund that manages about $12 billion in assets, the agency that represents Clinton confirmed Saturday.
New York-based Avenue Capital specializes in trading in distressed debt, or debt of companies that are nearing or have filed for bankruptcy.
Clinton, 26, had been working as a consultant for McKinsey & Co. since 2003, reportedly for a six-figure salary. She received a master’s degree from Oxford University after graduating from Stanford University in 2001.