COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.

Remains of victims found in aftermath of wildfire

Remains of two people have been found in an area burned by a wildfire that has destroyed at least 360 houses northeast of Colorado Springs.

El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said crews Thursday found the remains of one person reported missing. About an hour later they found the remains of a second person, he said.

The number of homes destroyed by the wildfire, driven in all directions by shifting winds, was likely to climb as the most destructive blaze in Colorado history burned for a third day through miles of tinder-dry woods.

PHILADELPHIA

Inspector had checked site of deadly building collapse

A veteran Philadelphia building inspector who apparently committed suicide had inspected the site of a deadly building collapse twice in February and an adjacent, related project in mid-May.

The June 5 collapse killed six people when a four-story building tumbled onto a small thrift shop.

City records show that Ronald Wagenhoffer inspected the site before work began on Feb. 12 and again on Feb. 25, after it got under way. He returned to the strip of attached storefronts on May 14 after a citizen complained about the demolition being conducted at the building next door to the one that collapsed. Wagenhoffer found the complaint unfounded.

Wagenhoffer was not the person who approved the demolition permit. He died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot to the chest.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.

NFL tightens security starting with preseason

Bring yourself to the game. Leave the cooler and backpack at home.

The NFL is tightening stadium security starting this preseason, limiting the size and type of bags fans can bring to the game. The restrictions are designed to enhance security while speeding up entry into stadiums.

Banned items will include purses larger than a clutch bag; coolers; briefcases; backpacks; fanny packs; cinch bags; seat cushions; luggage; and computer bags.

WASHINGTON

Massive storm system moves into Mid-Atlantic

A massive storm system that started in the Upper Midwest brought soaking rains and heavy winds to the Mid-Atlantic on Thursday, causing widespread power outages, flash flooding and extensive flight delays.

The storm came and went in the Washington, D.C., area ahead of the evening rush hour, bringing winds and thunderstorms that knocked trees onto houses, cut power to thousands of homes and traffic signals and led to the brief closure of a bridge that leads to the beaches on Maryland’s Eastern shore.

The storms were blamed for two deaths.

Three tornadoes were reported in Maryland, although there were no immediate reports of damage.

TEHRAN, Iran

Presidential election hinges on whether boycott occurs

Iran’s presidential election may be defined by who doesn’t vote. Arguments over whether to boycott Friday’s ballot still boiled over at coffee shops and on social media among many liberal-leaning Iranians on the eve of the voting.

The rising fortunes of the lone relative moderate left in the race, former nuclear negotiator Hasan Rowhani, have brought something of a dilemma for many Iranians who faced down security forces four years ago: Stay away from the polls in a silent protest or jump back into the mix in a system they claim has been disgraced by vote rigging.

Which way the scales tip could set the direction of the election and the fate for Rowhani, the only fallback option for moderates in an election that once seemed preordained for a pro-establishment loyalist.

JERUSALEM

Video surfaces on YouTube showing dancing soldiers

The Israeli military is looking more and more like “Girls Gone Wild.”

A new video has surfaced on YouTube showing a group of female soldiers dancing suggestively around a rifle in what appears to be a military barracks. One of the young women is wearing little more than her underwear, and a female voice can be heard saying she plans to upload the video to Facebook. Their faces are blurred out.

The move comes days after a group of female Israeli soldiers posing for photos wearing nothing but underwear and combat gear surfaced on Facebook, prompting widespread media coverage.

VIENNA

Austrian hotel looking for colorful court jester for hire

Wanted: A jester. Wallflowers need not apply.

It’s no joke. An Austrian hotel is advertising for a modern-day court fool, who is communicative, extroverted, musical, creative and imaginative.

The hotel in Austria’s Styria province says the jester concept fits its colorful appearance.

— From news service reports

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