Nation & World

<< Previous   of   Next >> Associated Press  (click to enlarge) Firefighters battle a house fire in Malabar, Fla., early Monday. The house was destroyed by the brush fires in the area.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 Nation/World Briefly: Second polygamy-sect baby is born in Texas state custody SAN ANTONIO -- A mother taken from a polygamist sect and being held as a minor in state custody gave birth Monday to a baby boy who was immediately taken into child-protective custody. State officials acknowledged the mother may be an adult, and said they were trying to determine her true age. Since state officials raided the sect's West Texas ranch on April 3, child welfare officials have taken custody of all its children on the grounds that they were endangered by the sect's underage and polygamous spiritual marriages. The boy is the second baby born in state custody since the raid. Child Protective Services spokesman Patrick Crimmins acknowledged Monday that the mother is among 27 girls whose ages are in dispute. Child welfare officials and state troopers raided the FLDS's Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado after a domestic violence shelter received calls from someone claiming to be an abused 16-year-old girl. The girl has never been found and authorities are investigating whether the calls were a hoax. Florida: Wildfire evacuations along the coast Dry, windy weather fueled several wildfires on Florida's central Atlantic coast Monday, damaging dozens of homes and driving hundreds of residents away as the governor declared a state of emergency. Fires in Palm Bay in Brevard County damaged about 50 homes and burned 3,500 acres. Another large fire was a 3,000-acre blaze in Malabar. To the north in Daytona Beach, about 800 acres had burned by Monday afternoon, and authorities ordered about 500 homes in the northwest part of the city to be evacuated. Delaware: Storm cuts power in several states A wet, gusty storm that lashed the mid-Atlantic states Monday forced evacuations and flooded roads. Tens of thousands of electricity customers in several states -- New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and the District of Columbia -- lost power as up to 7 inches of rain fell Sunday and Monday and wind gusts in some places reached hurricane strength. Missouri: Teen allegedly sold for sex by mother, man Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Monday accusing a man and woman of training the woman's child to be a dominatrix, selling her sexual services and photographing some of the acts. Todd B. Barkau, 35, and the 44-year-old mother were charged in the seven-count indictment. Barkau is accused of creating a business out of the couple's Blue Springs home when the girl was 14 and marketing her as a 19- to 20-year-old dominatrix on the Internet for about two years. The daughter is now 20. Iowa: Immigration raid nets over 300 suspects Federal immigration agents raided a northeastern Iowa meat processing plant Monday, arresting more than 300 people and housing many of them at a converted fairgrounds. Of those arrested, 44 were released for humanitarian reasons, primarily because they must care for children. The raid of the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville was aimed at seeking evidence of identity theft, stolen Social Security numbers and people who are in the country illegally, an immigration official said. D.C.: 57 police officers die on duty in '07 The FBI says 57 law enforcement officers were slain in the line of duty last year, up from 48 the previous year. A report issued by the bureau Monday says most of the 57 officers were killed with guns -- 38 with handguns, nine with shotguns and eight with rifles. Two officers were killed with vehicles. @3. Headline News Briefs 14 no:Marines hit 142% of recruiting goal The Marine Corps far surpassed its recruiting goal last month and could eventually be more than a year ahead of schedule in its plan to increase the force to 202,000 members. The Marine Corps enlisted 2,233 recruits in April against a goal of 1,577, or 142 percent. The Army signed 5,681 recruits against a goal of 5,650. The Navy and Air Force met their goals -- 2,905 sailors and 2,435 airmen. Australia: Poke in shark's eye poke saves swimmer An Australian swimmer says he survived an attack by a 16-foot shark by wrestling with the beast, finally getting free by poking it in the eye. The shark, believed to be a great white, seized Jason Cull, 37, by the left leg as he was swimming at Middleton Beach in southwestern Australia on Saturday. Cull was hospitalized with deep lacerations; he also lost a lot of his left calf, a lifeguard said. From Herald news services

1. Man blackmailed ex-girlfriend with nude pictures, police say 2. Snohomish motorcyclist dies in collision with pickup 3. Police looking for man who held up Everett pharmacy 4. Friends plan auction, hope to save woman's home 5. Sheriff warns of Camano Island burglar 6. Arlington private school principal charged with child rape 7. 400 open houses across the county this weekend 8. Man guilty for posing as trooper 9. Cama Beach cabins a quiet, cozy delight 10. LITTLE LEAGUE: Mill Creek reaches state semifinals 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

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