Top News 6

Suspect in high-profile murder case kills himself

A Japanese businessman accused of conspiring to have his wife murdered 27 years ago in Los Angeles committed suicide less than 24 hours after he set foot in the continental United States to answer to the charges.

61 years old, Kazuyoshi Miura hanged himself with a piece of his shirt Friday night, police said.

His attorney, Mark Geragos, was notified early Saturday by prosecutors about his client's death.

"I'm shocked," Geragos said. "One of my lawyers was with him for 12 hours yesterday and he seemed in good spirits. He was looking forward to fighting this."

Miura arrived in Los Angeles on Friday after a trip from the U.S. commonwealth of Saipan, where he had been held since his February arrest on a 1988.

Miura was accused of plotting to have his wife killed during a visit the couple made to Los Angeles in 1981. A bullet hit Miura in the leg, and his wife, Kazumi Miura, 28, was shot in the head. She died of her wounds a year later in Japan.

Los Angeles County prosecutors contended Miura wanted his wife dead so he could collect about $750,000 on her life insurance policies. They argued that he signaled someone to shoot the couple, although no one else has been charged.

After the 1988 arrest warrant was issued, prosecutors in Los Angeles decided to work with Japanese authorities instead of trying to have him extradited. He was convicted of murder in Japan in 1994, but the verdict ultimately was overturned and Japan's highest court issued an acquittal.

Chief of Detectives Charlie Beck said Miura's body was discovered during a routine cell inspection at 9:45 p.m. Friday. Medical personnel were summoned and Miura was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, Beck said.

math for journalists

1. A local college releases figures showing that its total budget is $120 million. Most of that total at 67% comes from the state, 28% from fees, grants and gifts, and the remaining 5% from student tuition.

2. Of the people convicted for aggravated assault in San Jose in one month in 2006, the average prison term was a surprising 1 year and 10 months with a median of 1 year, according to an anti-crime group that is lobbying for tougher sentencing guidelines. The median number accurately depicts prison terms rather than the average because the numbers fluctuate from 8 months to 7 years.

3. The state legislature is considering exempting restaurant food sales from the sales tax in the same way grocery sales are exempt. With California's sales tax at .825%, fast-food patrons who pay $5.00 per meal would save $45.50 if they eat out once a week for a year. People who spend $20.00 per meal once a week for a year would save $182.00.

AP Exercise

1) When he heard the building scheme for the new high school had been rejected, Bill pulled out his stationery to write a letter of protest. (2)
2) Ben really knows his Scriptures, but he knows little about the Talmud or the Shariah. (3)
3) Her home in upstate New York is surprisingly ultramodern and rather unique for its middle-class neighborhood. (4)
4) To celebrate Veteran’s Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, troops of former soldiers will march down Main street carrying U.S. flags. (3)
5) Word-of-mouth has it that Ellen will wind up with the only “A” in the class. (2)
6) When Sara spotted the Louis L’Amour paperback, she asked whose book it was. She couldn’t believe it was John's; after all, nobody reads Westerns anymore. She had no idea he was so weird. (3)

Bonus:
• The man was arrested for brandishing a 12-gauge shotgun outside his home. (1)

Top News

A 90 year old woman shot herself as sheriff's deputies attempted to evict her from her foreclosed home in Akron, Ohio became a symbol of the nation's home mortgage crisis.

The 90 year old, Addie Polk's home was foreclosed by Fannie Mae, after acquiring the mortgage in 2007.

Addie Folk is being treated at Akron General Medical Center after she shot herself at least twice in the upper body on Wednesday afternoon, her city councilman said.

Neighbor Robert Dillon, 62, used a ladder to enter a second-story bathroom window of Polk's home after he and the deputies heard loud noises inside, Dillon said. "I was calling her name as I went in, and she wasn't responding," he said.

Dillon found her lying on a bed, and he could see she was breathing. He also noticed a long-barreled handgun on the bed. He assumed the gun was there for protection. He touched her on the shoulder.

"Then she kind of moved toward me a little and I saw that blood, and I said, 'Oh, no. Miss Polk musta done shot herself,' " Dillon said.

Deputies had tried to serve Polk's eviction notice more than 30 times before Wednesday's incident, Sommerville said. She never came to the door, but the notes the deputies left would always disappear, so they knew she was inside, he said.

"There's a lot of people like Miss Polk right now. That's the sad thing about it," said Akron City Council President Marco Sommerville, who had met Polk before and rushed to the scene when contacted by police. "They might not be as old as her, some could be as old as her. This is just a major problem."

"I'm glad it's not too late for Miss Polk, because she could have taken her life," Sommerville said. "Miss Polk will probably end up on her feet. But I'm not sure if anybody else will."

This story is newsworthy because of the impact. More people are facing similar problems daily due to the economic crisis our country is facing. I feel that since Addie Polk is 90 years old, although she is not a celebrity, that gives the story prominence.

News Story 5

A runaway truck knocked out the power in El Cerrito and neighboring cities, yesterday.

The asphalt truck, a 10-wheel hauler, overturned and smashed against somebody's house after destroying a power pole and severely damaging fire vehicles.

“First, I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable”, said Ruben Sharma, who lives across the street from the damaged house and witnessed the crash.

Among the first to the scene was Sgt. Shawn Maples who heard cries from the burning truck and house. He spotted the driver lodged between the wheels of the truck.

“We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there.” Maples said.

Other cars, including a Honda sedan crumbled after being hit by the truck, left the driver trapped inside. Another sport utility vehicle that trapped a man and boy inside, was stuck in shrubbery beside the burning house.

The San Jose driver, whose name was not released, broke both of his legs in the crash. He is listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

A.P. Style Exercise #4

1) He hopes to make $1 billion by the time he’s 40 years old. He already figures his net worth is between $2 and $3 million, depending on current stock prices. (3)

2) Lt. Col. John Carpenter was a cadet at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the 7th Fleet. (4)

3) Twenty-one winners were named 2 days after the third annual Procrastination awards ceremony. (3)

4) It was a one-sided game, and he was a poor loser. After losing the play-off when his ball went out-of-bounds, he made an off-color remark that could be heard in the stands. (4)

5) Hundreds of people attended Sunday’s race to watch 75 top bicyclists pedal across the finish line. (3)

6) Every winter, the Jones’ and the Kinneys pore over travel brochures, planning their summer trip together. This year they’re hoping to go to Panama City, Panama. (3)