NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
1 Teachers strike: The West Virginia teacher’s strike entered a new week Monday with no immediate resolution in sight. Teachers are waiting for state lawmakers to agree on a pay raise. The House approved a 5 percent pay hike last week, but the Senate cut it to 4 percent. The two chambers now must resolve the difference. The walkout over pay and benefits shuttered classrooms Feb. 22. Since then, angry teachers have gone to the Capitol in Charleston to lobby legislators. The strike affects 277,000 students and 35,000 employees.
2 High surf: Waves nearly 30 feet high slammed Puerto Rico on Monday, forcing authorities to evacuate dozens of homes and close roads and schools across the U.S. territory. The huge waves downed palm trees, knocked over cement benches and forced curious crowds to flee as saltwater flooded streets and homes along Puerto Rico’s northern and western coasts. More than a dozen streets remained closed, along with several beaches and two dozen schools in low-lying areas, a move that affected more than 6,000 students. The heavy swell also destroyed several docks and part of a government-owned boat terminal in Catano.
3 Earthquakes: Damage was reported from two 4.2-magnitude quakes that rattled northern Oklahoma. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quakes hit Sunday night near Breckenridge. Garfield County Emergency Management Director Mike Honigsberg said bricks fell from buildings, while cracks were reported in walls and ceilings. Smaller quakes struck the same area early Monday. No injuries were reported. The number of earthquakes in Oklahoma has spiked in recent years, with many linked to the underground injection of wastewater from oil and gas production.
4 Speeding tickets: A Rhode Island court was flooded with people contesting speeding tickets Monday after a new school zone speed camera program resulted in 12,000 tickets in 33 days. More than 2,600 tickets were on the docket at Providence Municipal Court, which most days has about 300. Municipal Court Judge Frank Caprio, who presided over a session, dismissed many of the tickets because of errors, according to the Providence Journal. The tickets cost $95 each. State Rep. Anthony Giarrusso introduced a bill last week that would end the use of traffic cameras in Rhode Island. He said the camera systems are “nothing more than a government cash grab.”
5 Arson spree: A Los Angeles jury on Monday found that a German man was sane six years ago when he torched cars and homes over several nights to avenge his mother’s deportation. Harry Burkhart, 30, was previously convicted of 50 arson counts for setting small blazes that spread fear in Los Angeles between Dec. 30, 2011 and Jan. 2, 2012. Prosecutors said Burkhart threatened to “roast America” after his mother, Dorothee Burkhart, was ordered extradited to Germany to face fraud charges there. Damage from the fires was estimated to be more than $3 million. Burkhart faces up to 90 years in prison at sentencing.