European Winter Described as ‘Tragic'
While there is little to talk about in the U.S. when it comes to snow this winter, it's a different story in Europe. Heavy snow in Italy left a number of villages without power this past weekend as temperatures continued to fall. According to CNN, the power outages occurred when an electric pylon fell due to the heavy snow. The mayor of Aniene Valley, a village near Rome, called the situation "tragic" and noted that many emergency personnel cannot reach the area due to the winter weather. However, Italy is not alone. Westward in England, Heathrow Airport cancelled nearly half of its flights Sunday after four inches of snow fell on London. Hundreds of deaths have been reported across Europe due to the winter weather, including a staggering 122 people who have frozen to death in Ukraine.
Family Found Alive in Oregon Forest
Lost for six days in an Oregon forest, a family of three was found Saturday after a long search and rescue operation. According to Fox News, Belinda and Daniel Conne, and their 25-year-old son Michael survived by drinking water from nearby streams and taking shelter in a hollowed out tree. The three were able to crawl to a clearing Saturday where they were spotted by a search helicopter. They were then airlifted to a hospital for evaluation. Daniel suffered a back injury, his wife Belinda had obtained hypothermia and Michael had a sprained foot along with minor frostbite. The three were lost in the Klamath Mountain range, a rugged area some 330 miles south of Portland.
Hacker Group to Unleash Iraq War Emails
The FBI announced last week the well-known hacker group Anonymous had intercepted a confidential conference call between the FBI and Scotland Yard. After the FBI's announcement, Anonymous said they would release a number of emails regarding the deaths of two-dozen unarmed Iraqi civilians during a raid in Haditha by the U.S. military in 2005. Anonymous claimed to have stolen 2.6 gigabytes of emails belonging to a law firm that represented the staff sergeant who led the Marine raid. A spokesperson for the law firm's website said the site was down Friday, but did not confirm or deny if it had been hacked. Anonymous hacked Brazil's largest bank's website last week and also posted a protest against Greece's justice ministry on Friday.
Junior High School Student Sells ‘Magic' Brownies
A Queens, New York public school saw a student trade her Girl Scout cookies for a backpack full of marijuana-laced brownies. The Daily News reported that twenty students were spotted biting into the magic treats that the girl sold for $3 apiece, or two for $5. A parent of one of the students estimated the preteen dealer made about $250. The same parent questioned why school officials at the K-8 establishment didn't realize some of the students were getting half-baked. The buzz was short lived after a student tipped off a dean. According to Department of Education Spokeswoman Margie Feinberg, the students who took a bite of the brownies will face a hearing to determine their punishment. Feinberg said officials will bring in a counselor to speak to the school community about substance abuse and prevention.
Castro Releases 1,000-page Memoir
CNN reported this weekend that former Cuban president and leader of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro has released a two-volume memoir of his life. Castro made the announcement in a six-hour presentation Friday with a panel of cultural and literary officials. The two volumes, called "Fidel Castro Ruz: Guerrilla of Time," are based on discussions with journalist Katiuska Blanco. The memoir covers the 85-year-old's life from birth to December 1958, right before the Cuban Revolution began. Castro gave power of the presidency to brother Raul in 2008. "I have to take advantage now, because memories fade," Castro told the Granma newspaper. "I am willing to do everything possible to share everything I remember well."
