COPIAPO, Chile — Just 35 inches (90 centimeters) around the waist — that’s how skinny Chile’s 33 trapped miners have been told they need to be to squeeze through the escape tunnel, the health minister said Wednesday.
Busiest construction summer wrapping up
Students living on campus during the busiest construction summer in St. Thomas history watched as the metal frameworks of new buildings took shape.
Best college rankings draw mixed emotions
U.S. News & World Report magazine released its “America’s Best Colleges” survey and ranked St. Thomas at No. 124 – an increase of 13 positions from last year’s ranking.
Rallies over mosque near ground zero get heated
NEW YORK — The proposed mosque near ground zero drew hundreds of fever-pitch demonstrators Sunday, with opponents carrying signs associating Islam with blood, supporters shouting, “Say no to racist fear!” and American flags waving on both sides.
Israel, Palestinians to resume peace talks Sept. 2
WASHINGTON — Israel and the Palestinians will resume long-stalled direct peace talks in Washington early next month with the aim of reaching a settlement in a year’s time, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday.
BEC coffee shop leaving on Rockey Grounds
The university made the decision this spring as part of a plan to use internal service providers.
Graduation coming back to campus this spring
Instead of walking under cardboard arches at the Metrodome, students will walk under the same cardboard arches on the St. Thomas football field and then take photos under the real arches with their classmates after the spring 2011 undergraduate commencement ceremony.
ATV deaths on the rise across Minn.; toll hits 16
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Officials are concerned about a recent rise in all-terrain vehicle deaths in Minnesota.
Sixteen people have died in ATV accidents across Minnesota this year. That compares with 14 for all of 2009. A record 24 occurred in 2004.
AP IMPACT: Border Patrol sees spike in suicides
FORT HANCOCK, Texas — After a bad day on the job as a Border Patrol agent, Eddie DeLaCruz went home and began discussing with his wife how to celebrate her upcoming birthday. Then he casually pressed his government-issued handgun under his chin and pulled the trigger.
Jobs picture dims as unemployment claims rise
WASHINGTON — The economy is looking bleaker as new applications for jobless benefits rose last week to the highest level in almost six months.
It’s a sign that hiring remains weak and employers may be going back to cutting their staffs. Analysts say the increase suggests companies won’t be adding enough workers in August to lower the 9.5 percent unemployement rate.
Cold night crept by after crash killed Stevens
DILLINGHAM, Alaska — Former Sen. Ted Stevens lay dead in the mangled fuselage of the plane. A 13-year-old boy escaped death but his father died a few feet away. Medical workers spent the miserable night tending to survivors’ broken bones amid a huge slick of fuel that coated a muddy mountainside.
Law professor hopeful in Tuesday’s primaries
One St. Thomas law professor hopes to secure her spot as Republican candidate for the 4th Congressional District in Tuesday’s primary election.
Adding exercise to routine could help GPA
St. Thomas students might want to hit the treadmill instead of the books, with hopes of achieving better grades this fall, according to a recent study.
Saudi reaches deal on BlackBerry, avoiding ban
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia and the makers of the BlackBerry have reached a preliminary deal on granting access to users’ data that will avert a ban on the phone’s messenger service in the kingdom, Saudi officials said Saturday.
Freedom for Minn. man convicted in Toyota crash
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Minnesota man who spent more than 2½ years in prison for a fatal Toyota crash walked free Thursday, after a judge ordered a new trial and a prosecutor said she wouldn’t prolong the case reopened in the wake of the carmaker’s widely publicized sudden acceleration problems.