Nation in brief: National Guard F-15 crashes
An Air National Guard F-15 crashed Friday in rural south-central Missouri after the pilot ejected, authorities said.
The pilot was flown to a St. Louis hospital and was in serious condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.
The fighter jet crashed in a wooded area near Boss. The state highway patrol said no buildings were hit and no one on the ground was injured. The pilot’s name and rank were not immediately released.
WASHINGTON
Education debate shelved for ‘07
The top two lawmakers on the Senate Education Committee are putting off consideration of a new No Child Left Behind law until next year, congressional aides said Friday.
Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., have decided that there’s not enough time this year to complete work on the legislation, which has not yet been formally introduced.
The five-year-old law, up for a scheduled rewrite, requires math and reading tests in grades three through eight, and once in high school. Schools that miss testing benchmarks face increasingly stiff sanctions. The law, originally passed in 2001, is among President Bush’s top domestic policy priorities.
AUSTIN, Texas
Hurricane aid lags in Texas
Texas has used only 2 percent of more than $500 million in federal aid for homeowners and communities hit by Hurricane Rita more than two years ago, a state audit found.
State Auditor John Keel found that more than 4,000 families applied for aid after the 2005 storm, but the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs had built only 13 homes and spent $1.1 million as of mid-September.
Gov. Rick Perry said Friday that his office has contacted the housing department about ways to disburse the aid money more quickly.
Secaucus, N.J.
Hartz Mountain recalls vitamins
Hartz Mountain Corp. of Secaucus, N.J., is recalling 3,600 bottles of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats because the product might be contaminated with salmonella, which could infect pets and people who come into contact with the cat vitamins. No reports of illnesses have been reported, according to the company.
The recalled cat vitamins, with the lot code number SZ-16371 and the UPC number 32700-97701, were manufactured by UFAC (USA) Inc. in Baconton, Ga.
For more information, consumers can call Hartz at 800-275-1414.