WASHINGTON
Ted Strickland apologizes
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Ted Strickland of Ohio is apologizing for remarks appearing to celebrate the death of late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. In audio of an appearance Monday before the AFL-CIO in Cleveland, the former Ohio governor is heard saying he didn’t “wish anyone ill” but Scalia’s death “happened at a good time” for union workers. The crowd laughs. Scalia’s son, Christopher, tweeted: “Stay classy, @Ted — Strickland and you ghouls giggling along.” Strickland said in a statement Wednesday the remark was insensitive “and I apologize.” The high court deadlocked four times after Scalia’s death, including in a major union case over a nearly four-decade-old practice that lets public-sector unions collect fees from non-members to cover collective bargaining costs.
KANSAS CITY, Kan.
Decapitation is reported
The 10-year-old killed during a ride on the world’s tallest waterslide was decapitated in the accident, a person familiar with the investigation said Wednesday. Authorities have yet to explain how it happened. The person was speaking on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly about the death of Caleb Schwab Sunday on the raft ride at the Schlitterbahn WaterPark. The park reopened Wednesday except for a large section that includes the waterslide. A funeral for Caleb, the son of Republican state Rep. Scott Schwab and his wife, Michele, is scheduled for Friday.
CALDWELL, W.Va.
Flood victim identified
A search team has recovered the body of a teen who had been missing since flooding in June swept her away. State police Sgt. Drew Pendleton said the state medical examiner’s office identified the body as that of 14-year-old Mykala Phillips. She had been missing and presumed dead since June 23. The body was found Tuesday afternoon in Greenbrier County, about 6 miles from the girl’s home.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.
Many meteors expected
The heavens will be bursting Thursday night into early Friday as the annual Perseid (PUR’-see-ihd) meteor shower is expected to peak with double the normal number of meteors. Scientists call this an outburst, and they say it could reach up to 200 meteors per hour.
Compiled from wire reports.