In brief: Talks postpone BP oil spill trial
ATLANTA – The massive civil lawsuit stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, originally scheduled to go to trial today in New Orleans, has been postponed for one week to allow more time for settlement talks between oil giant BP and lawyers for more than 120,000 plaintiffs.
The trial is now set to begin March 5. The announcement came in a joint statement Sunday from BP, which was in charge of the drilling project, and the group of plaintiffs’ attorneys known as the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, or PSC.
“BP and the PSC are working to reach agreement to fairly compensate people and businesses affected by the Deepwater Horizon accident and oil spill,” the statement read. It added: “There can be no assurance that these discussions will lead to a settlement agreement. A further announcement will be made as appropriate.”
Shooting leaves one dead, 19 hurt
JACKSON, Tenn. – Police in West Tennessee say one man was killed and 19 other people were injured early Sunday when gunmen opened fire in a nightclub.
Jackson police Lt. Tyreece Miller said officers were called to the Karma Lounge in downtown Jackson at about 2 a.m. Sunday. They arrived to find one man dead, 17 people with gunshot wounds and two who were trampled.
Miller said a dispute between several people led to the shooting at the business, which had advertised a Lane College/Lemoyne-Owen College after-game party on Saturday night. Evidence so far indicates at least three people used handguns to fire into the crowd.
Marine dies after training in desert
TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. – Officials said a Marine has collapsed and died after a day of training in the California desert in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan.
The Marine Corps announced Sunday that the Marine, part of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., collapsed during personal time Saturday night at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms.
He was flown to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where he was pronounced dead.
The Marine’s name is being withheld while relatives are notified.
The unit was undergoing the Enhanced Mojave Viper pre-deployment training program in preparation for going to Afghanistan.