NEWS OF THE DAY
1 Earthquake: A 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Kentucky on Saturday and shook residents from northern Ohio to North Carolina and Alabama. The quake, centered about eight miles west of Whitesburg, Ky., did not appear to cause any major structural damage in the Ohio Valley. Earthquakes in Kentucky are not uncommon, mainly occurring along its western border, along the New Madrid fault zone. The state’s biggest temblor was a 5.2 in 1980 in Sharpsburg.
2 Mushroom poisonings: Two residents of an assisted living center in Loomis (Placer County) died and four others were hospitalized after eating soup with wild mushrooms, authorities said. Barbara Lopes, 86, and Teresa Olesniewicz, 73, residents of Gold Age Villa, died after eating the soup that had been prepared by a caregiver at the facility. The person who prepared the soup was among the people sickened. Deputies determined the incident was an accident.
3 Deadly fire: A house fire in Orrington, Maine, killed a father and his three children early Saturday, while the mother escaped and was taken to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, authorities said. The victims were identified as Benjamin Johnson III, 30, and the couple’s children, 9-year-old Ben, 4-year-old Ryan, and 8-yearold Leslie, said a spokesman for the state Public Safety Department. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
4 Jet mishap: A Southwest Airlines jet slid off a taxiway at Denver International Airport on Saturday amid light snowfall and freezing temperatures. Airport spokeswoman Jenny Schiavone confirmed that the aircraft slid off the taxiway shortly after 5 p.m. No one was reported injured. The Boeing 737 had departed Saturday afternoon from Oakland International. Schiavone said passengers of Flight 1905 were bused from the taxiway to the concourse. Flight schedules and overall airport operations were not disrupted after the incident.
5 Election dispute: Firebrand Florida Republican Rep. Allen West was defeated by Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy, according to the state’s updated vote count Saturday, but the incumbent refused to concede. The state issued complete but unofficial results showing Murphy with a lead of 2,442 votes, or 50.4 percent. West’s campaign is concerned that some votes may have been counted twice and have asked to review sign-in books from the polls. “We’re simply not going to just walk away from the race until we see that the numbers add up,” West campaign manager Tim Edson said. West was elected in 2010 on a wave of Tea Party support.
6 Labor pact: Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers approved a five-year contract with Bombardier Learjet on Saturday, putting an end to a monthlong walkout. Workers could return to the Wichita, Kan., plant as soon as Monday. The union represents about 825 workers.