In brief: Democrat wins House seat in Massachusetts
Boston – Democrat Katherine Clark easily defeated three opponents Tuesday to win a vacant congressional seat in Massachusetts.
After topping a crowded Democratic primary, the state senator ran a low-key general election campaign in a state where voters are weary of special elections.
The heavily Democratic 5th District stretches from the coast to communities north and west of Boston including Waltham, Framingham and Medford. The seat became vacant earlier this year when longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Edward Markey won a special election to fill the Senate seat left open after John Kerry was named secretary of state. Clark will fill out the remainder of Markey’s two-year term and face re-election next fall.
Former actress pleads guilty to ricin-laced letters
Dallas – A Texas woman and former actress pleaded guilty Tuesday to sending ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, under a deal that her attorney has said would cap prison time at 18 years.
Shannon Guess Richardson entered her plea in federal court in Texarkana, Texas, to a federal charge of possessing and producing a biological toxin.
Richardson was arrested in June after authorities said she tried to implicate her estranged husband after he had filed for divorce. Prosecutors say Richardson mailed three letters from New Boston, outside Texarkana, then went to police and claimed that her husband had done it.
Family of six found safe near overturned vehicle
Reno, Nev. – A desperate search for a couple and four children missing for two days in the below-zero cold of Nevada’s rugged mountains turned jubilant Tuesday when rescuers guided in part by cellphone signals and footprints in the snow found them alive and well near their overturned Jeep.
About 200 people had searched by land and air after the group of six failed to return Sunday from a trip to play in the snow near their hometown of Lovelock, in Nevada’s high desert.
“They stayed together and that was the key that allowed them to live through this experience. You don’t see that that often in search and rescue,” said Paul Burke, state search-and-rescue coordinator. “They did some pretty unusual things, heating up rocks and things. Staying together, that was a big deal.”
Rescuers began scouring the Seven Troughs Area wilderness on Sunday night for James Glanton, 34; his girlfriend, Christina McIntee, 25; their two children, Evan and Chloe Glanton; and Shelby Fitzpatrick and Tate McIntee, a niece and nephew of McIntee’s. The children range in age from 3 to 10.
Man arrested for allegedly running ‘revenge porn’ site
San Diego – A 27-year-old San Diego man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of operating a “revenge porn” website and demanding up to $350 to remove sexually explicit photos of women that were posted by angry former boyfriends or ex-husbands.
Kevin Christopher Bollaert was arrested by California Department of Justice agents and is being held at San Diego County jail on $50,000 bail. He faces 31 felony counts of conspiracy, identity theft and extortion.
Bollaert allegedly created a website in December 2012 that allows the anonymous posting of nude and sexually explicit photos. The website required that the poster include the subject’s name, location, age and Facebook profile. Prosecutors said more than 10,000 images were posted.
Revenge porn is the name given to the actions of angry people who strike back at former lovers by posting nude pictures of them, either taken during the relationship or hacked from personal computers.
According to court documents, Bollaert created a second website that he used to contact people whose images were in the photos. He then offered to remove the photos for $299.99 to $350, authorities said.