In brief: Gore talk moved to bigger venue

After about 1,500 tickets were claimed in 10 minutes for former Vice President Al Gore’s speech later this month, Boise State University has moved the speech to a larger venue and is offering more tickets.

Gore is now scheduled to give the keynote speech for a conference sponsored by BSU’s Frank Church Institute at Taco Bell Arena. The speech, “Global Warming: Beyond the Inconvenient Truth,” is set for 7 p.m. Jan. 22. Tickets will cost $5.

How many tickets will be made available for Gore’s speech has not been decided.

SEATTLE

Rush-hour baby born in I-5 traffic

Rush-hour traffic did little to slow Ian McKay Miller’s entrance into the world.

The baby boy was born nearly two weeks early, just after 8 a.m. Friday along Interstate 5 in Shoreline, just miles from the hospital.

His parents, Todd and Jenny Miller, of Brier, were in a car pool lane headed to Northwest Hospital & Medical Center in Seattle when traffic slowed and they had to pull over.

Todd Miller, a registered nurse in an orthopedic clinic, called 911 to say his wife was in labor and needed help, Washington State Patrol Trooper Jeff Merrill said.

Troopers and medics made their way to the couple but after only two pushes Jenny delivered Ian, who was 6 pounds 7 ounces.

“I wouldn’t say I delivered him. I’d say I caught him,” said Todd Miller, 31.

POCATELLO, Idaho

ISU suspends history professor

Idaho State University has suspended with pay Thomas Hale, a history professor and director of the Oral History Project at the school who was charged in federal court last month with falsely claiming that he mailed out a dangerous substance.

Hale, 61, was arrested in Salt Lake City and faces three felony charges for mailing a substance he claimed was hantavirus to a trustee overseeing his bankruptcy. He has pleaded not guilty.

Hantavirus, which can cause acute respiratory problems or death, has sickened at least 317 Americans and killed at least 93 since 1996.

Hale is also an attorney, and he filed a motion Friday asking U.S. Judge William T. Thurman to recuse himself from Hale’s bankruptcy case.

In that motion Hale included three memos, one of them concerning his suspension from the school.

“Pending resolution of these charges, I believe it is in the best interests of the university to relieve you of your teaching responsibilities for the spring semester and until further notice,” wrote John Kijinski, Hale’s superior.

Compiled from wire reports