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

In brief: Hawaii fishermen find tsunami boat

From Wire Reports

HONOLULU – U.S. Coast Guard officials in Hawaii say fishermen have found a 16-foot Japanese skiff swept out to sea by last year’s tsunami and brought it to Honolulu.

The Coast Guard said Friday the crew of the fishing boat Zephyr found the small boat intact and floating about 800 miles north of Honolulu.

The Coast Guard said the Japanese Consulate confirmed the skiff was from the tsunami after Japanese Foreign Ministry contacted the owner. The owner doesn’t want it back.

Hawaii officials checked the boat for invasive species and radiation as a precaution.

Prosecutor, wife accused of abuse

PITTSBURGH – A Pennsylvania prosecutor and his wife are accused of severely mistreating their adopted Ethiopian children – their 6-year-old boy who a doctor found malnourished and had skin lesions and an 18-month-old girl who had signs of multiple skull fractures, county police said.

Deputy Attorney General Douglas Barbour, who works out of the Pittsburgh office, and his wife, Kristen, were arraigned Friday on charges stemming from the treatment of their children. The Franklin Park couple are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.

Allegheny County police said they began an investigation after the children saw a doctor Sept. 14 and the boy was admitted to the hospital.

Douglas Barbour, 33, and Kristen Barbour, 30, face charges of aggravated assault stemming from their daughter’s treatment and endangering the welfare of children related to both the girl and boy. Douglas Barbour also faces a simple assault charge related to his son’s condition.

‘Bleach bomb’ attacks investigated

HOUSTON – Police at the University of Texas at Austin are investigating reports that four students have been assaulted with bleach-filled balloons while walking near campus.

The four alleged victims of the “bleach bomb” incidents, which occurred between June and September, were Asian or African-American.

“They did not file reports when the alleged incidents happened. Our chief of police heard about the incidents through the grapevine and sought out the victims,” asking them to file reports, Cindy Posey, spokeswoman for campus police, told the Los Angeles Times. The alleged victims did so on Tuesday and Wednesday, she said.

“There’s been no proof,” such as bleach-stained clothing, Posey said, but she added that the investigation is ongoing. “Nobody’s denying that it’s happening.