NEW ORLEANS – Three brothers and a friend were killed in a neighborhood not far from the French Quarter, and a fifth person was gunned down in a separate incident hours later, authorities said Saturday. The shootings were the latest round of killings as the city struggles to rein in drug- and gang-related violence that has shadowed the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. In mid-June, Gov. Kathleen Blanco sent the Louisiana National Guard and state police to New Orleans to help fight crime there after five teenagers were shot to death in a single attack.
Missouri: Six die in crash of plane
A small plane carrying skydivers crashed shortly after takeoff Saturday, killing six people on board and injuring two others, authorities. Early reports indicated the a DeHavilland DHC-6 Twin Otter may have struck a telephone pole before hitting a tree, the Franklin County sheriff said. It crashed about 10 feet from a house. Four people were dead at the scene and two more died at St. John’s Mercy Hospital in Creve Couer, a hospital spokesman said. One of the injured was in critical condition and one was in serious condition, he said. No one on the ground was reported injured.
Kentucky: Suit backs Muslim dress
A Louisville hotel has been sued on behalf of four Muslim women who say they were denied housekeeping jobs because they wore hijabs, the traditional clothing that covers their hair. The lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last week claims the Marriott Louisville Downtown unlawfully discriminated against the women when they were refused jobs last year. The federal Civil Rights Act requires an employer to accommodate religious practices unless it poses an “undue burden,” an EEOC attorney said.
Florida: Cruise passengers sickened
Nearly 230 people aboard a cruise ship fell ill with a gastrointestinal illness during a weeklong Caribbean voyage, the company said Saturday. The illness, believed to be a norovirus brought onto the Mariner of the Seas by a passenger, struck 221 of the ship’s 3,660 passengers and six of its 1,202 crew members, a Royal Caribbean spokesman said. The cruise included ports of call in the Bahamas, Virgin Islands and St. Maarten.
Arkansas: Wal-Mart reports profits
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, on Saturday reported a 2.4 percent gain for the July reporting period at stores open at least a year. The reporting period was from July 1 through July 28. The company had forecast that July same-store sales would grow in the range of 1 percent to 3 percent. Bentonville-based Wal-Mart plans to release full information about July sales Thursday.
California: Injuries at Starbucks
An 85-year-old man who drove a car onto a patio at an El Monte Starbucks coffee shop and injured 10 people, two of them critically, isn’t likely to face charges, police said Saturday. “It sounds like it’s just a simple mistake by an elderly man,” a police sergeant said, adding he “seriously doubts” charges will be filed. The driver, who speaks only Japanese, told police through a translator that he was trying to step on the brake pedal when he hit the accelerator by mistake.
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