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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bears’ courtship ends in broken leg

The Spokesman-Review

As first dates go, this one didn’t end well.

A male polar bear who was trying to court a female polar bear apparently pushed her over the edge of a 14-foot drop while playing this week, Memphis Zoo officials said.

Cranbeary, the 5-year-old female, had surgery Saturday to insert two steel plates and 26 screws to repair a broken leg.

Payton, the 3-year-old male, is on loan from the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois as part of a breeding program. This may be both bears’ first romance, and it got a little awkward, said Matt Thompson, mammal curator.

Zoo officials said Cranbeary is in heat, which could have led to Payton’s aggressive behavior.

Cranbeary will stay in her cage for at least 10 weeks until her leg is strong enough to return to the exhibit, zoo officials said.

Trenton, Ohio

Some follow false snow day posting

Two teenage girls posted a fake announcement on their school district’s Web site that said school was closed for the day due to winter weather, police said.

The notice, posted Monday, confused many parents – snow was not in the forecast – and persuaded some students to stay home.

Edgewood City Schools Superintendent Tom York said he discovered the posting when he logged on to write his own announcement that school would be delayed for an hour because of an extreme cold snap.

“I didn’t make that call, and I’m the guy who does, so I knew something was up,” York said.

The two Edgewood High School students, whose names were not released, were charged in juvenile court on Friday and face expulsion. One of the girls, 16, was charged with delinquency by unauthorized use of a computer and by reason of records tampering. The other, 17, was charged with delinquency by reason of complicity, sheriff’s Sgt. Monte Mayer said.

Austin, Texas

Prostitution ring smuggled women

A man accused of managing brothels in Texas and Oklahoma has pleaded guilty to smuggling women into the country to work as prostitutes.

The Austin and Oklahoma City operations run by Juan Balderas-Orosco, 34, were part of a larger ring that included brothels in 13 cities in Texas and across the nation, including New York City, Las Vegas and Atlanta, according to documents filed with his plea on Friday.

The ringleaders sneaked hundreds of women into the United States, most of them from Latin American countries, according to the court documents.

Balderas-Orosco pleaded guilty to federal charges of transportation for prostitution, importation of illegal aliens, and conspiracy to smuggle, transport and harbor illegal aliens. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years.