State
Fenton Lake reopens for Labor Day weekend
FENTON LAKE STATE PARK, N.M. (AP) - Fenton Lake State Park reopened Thursday just in time for Labor Day vacationers after a wildfire scorched nearly 4,000 acres of forest around the holiday destination.
The Lakes Fire, which was spotted Monday, destroyed four summer cabins south of Fenton Lake and forced the evacuations of nearly 250 homes in nearby Seven Springs, Thompson Ridge and La Cueva.
Rebecca Richards, a spokeswoman with the state Parks Division, said authorities decided Thursday to reopen the state park, but put strict fire restrictions in place.
"It (the park) is safe and none of the structures were affected" by the fire, Richards said. The water at the state park also was unaffected, she added.
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The wildfire was started by an unattended campfire. Fire investigators were looking at several leads, but had no suspects in custody Thursday, said fire information officer Jennifer Farley.
A reward of $6,000 was offered for information leading to whoever was responsible for setting the campfire.
The 3,917-acre Lakes Fire was being managed with the nearby 187-acre Labor Fire, which was reported 95 percent contained, Farley said. The Labor Fire was lightning-caused.
More than 520 firefighters battled the fire, which was 40 percent contained, Thursday, Farley said. Fire officials have said they expect to have it fully contained Sunday.
National
Same-sex partner law struck down in court
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A state court Thursday struck down a 1998 Philadelphia city ordinance that recognized same-sex 'life partnerships,' saying the law usurped the power of the state to regulate marriage.
The law had amended the definition of the term 'marital status' to include 'life partner,' thereby granting benefits to same-sex partners of city employees who signed a partnership affidavit.
Former Mayor Edward G. Rendell, now the Democratic candidate for governor, signed off on the partnerships in 1998 after they were approved by the City Council.
A group of seven city taxpayers sued, charging that the city did not have the power to create a new marital status.
A Commonwealth Court panel agreed Thursday, saying in its ruling that the law ran counter to what the General Assembly intended the definition of marriage to be.
"It could not be clearer that, by enacting the Marriage Law, as well as the Divorce Code, and by providing uniform laws in domestic relations throughout the State, the General Assembly tacitly but thoroughly demonstrated its intent to pre-empt this field of legislation," the court ruled.
Acting Police Chief in trouble over racial slur as
KEANSBURG, N.J. (AP) - The county prosecutor's office has taken over daily operations of the police department after the acting chief made a racial slur over the police radio, authorities said Thursday.
The slur, captured on audiotape, occurred May 4 when Acting Chief Michael Kennedy called headquarters looking for a patrolman to disperse a group of blacks near an ATM before they committed a crime.
Monmouth County Prosecutor John Kaye had said previously Kennedy would not be charged criminally but that administrative sanctions were possible.
Kaye, as the top law enforcement officer in the county, has the authority to do so, according to Samson. Kaye also has ordered all the county's "chief law enforcement executives" to undergo cultural diversity training at the Monmouth County Police Academy.
Kennedy did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
In addition to taking over Kennedy's department, the county has also suspended him and ordered him to issue a formal apology.
The NAACP said it was not satisfied and demanded Kennedy be fired.
"Anything short of that, we're not going to be pleased with," said the Rev. William Rutherford, president of the NAACP's state chapter.
Bush withdraws idea to limit foreign planes' area
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration backed off a proposal today to temporarily restrict foreign air carriers from flying over the three Sept. 11 crash sites during the anniversary of last year's attacks, a senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. But amid protests from the carriers, top government officials decided to drop the idea, concluding that it was probably illegal, the official said.
International
Civilian deaths damage peace efforts in Israel
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel expressed regret today for the deaths of four Palestinian civilians in army shelling, a bloody incident that jeopardized shaky steps toward reducing tensions in Gaza. The need for a peace breakthrough got reinforcement from a U.N. report that said Palestinians are suffering from ever-worsening economic deprivation and the threat of malnutrition as a result of two years of Palestinian-Israeli fighting.
U.N. sanctions fail to deter al-Qaida support
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The al-Qaida terror network has the money and recruits to strike again whenever and wherever it wants because a global campaign and U.N. sanctions have failed to stop the financing and support for Osama bin Laden's backers, a U.N. draft report said today. Nearly a year after the Sept. 11 attacks, the report said the measures adopted by the international community "have had a marked impact on al-Qaida, causing it to go to ground, to reposition its assets and resources and to seek new recruits."
