PAHOA, Hawaii
Lava flow advances, homes and structures threatened
Lava that’s slowly creeping into a rural Hawaii town is about the length of a basketball court from a house.
The molten stream so far has burned a shed, some tires and vegetation – but no homes.
Scientists from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory report the flow’s leading edge is 240 yards from Pahoa Village Road, which leads through downtown.
Dozens of homes, business and other structures are in the area of the flow’s path. .
The front was about 40 to 50 yards wide on Wednesday.
HOUSTON
City backs off order to see text of pastors’ speeches
Houston’s mayor says the city has withdrawn subpoenas seeking speeches and other information from five pastors who publicly opposed an ordinance banning discrimination of gay and transgender residents.
Mayor Annise Parker said Wednesday that the subpoenas weren’t intended to infringe on anyone’s religious freedoms, but rather to help the city defend itself against a lawsuit challenging the ordinance that the City Council approved in May.
The pastors said the subpoenas violated their First Amendment rights.
An attorney for ordinance opponents says the mayor is going in the right direction, but that voters should be allowed to vote on the ordinance.
City attorneys originally subpoenaed the pastors, seeking speeches, presentations or sermons related to efforts to repeal the ordinance. The city withdrew its request for the sermons Oct. 17.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.
Execution of killer on hold; Supreme Court may review
The execution of a Missouri man who killed a woman and her two children is on hold as the U.S. Supreme Court decides on reviewing the case.
The court on Tuesday issued a late stay of execution just hours before Mark Christeson was scheduled to die by injection.
That stay will remain in place until the court decides whether to hear Christeson’s appeal. His request cites concerns that his lawyers were ineffective and missed a deadline to appeal with a federal court in 2005.
—From news service reports
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