The World - Sept. 3, 2009

THURSDAY

Police in Antioch, Calif., find a 29-year old woman who had been abducted at age 11 in 1991. Jaycee Dugard was found with two children fathered by her kidnapper living in tents and sheds behind his house.

The USDA reports farm income this year is forecast to plunge 38 percent to $54 billion due to lower commodity prices for crops and livestock. The 2009 forecast was $9 billion below the 10-year average of $63.2 billion in net farm income.

A Viking hoard of jewels and coins unearthed in 2007 go on display in museums next month. The Vale of York hoard, valued at $1.8 million and dated at 1,000 years old, includes objects from Afghanistan, Ireland, Russia and Scandinavia.

FRIDAY

In an effort to chip into a $31 billion budget deficit, California lists 6,000 surplus items on eBay and Craigslist in ‘The Great California Garage Sale.’ Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger autographed sun visors of cars being sold by the state to help boost their price.

A sheep has sold for a world record 231,000 pounds ($376,200) at a Scottish livestock auction. Deveronvale Perfection, a Texel breed admired by his new owner for his “great body and strong loin,” will be used for breeding.

A 13-year-old Dutch girl’s plans to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world were temporarily blocked when a court placed her under state supervision for two months. Laura Dekker had intended to begin a two-year voyage on September 1 on her 27-foot yacht Guppy.

Police in a Florida city used the promise of economic stimulus checks to lure 76 people to their arrest on a variety of outstanding warrants.

WEEKEND

Hurricane Jimena blew into an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm on Sunday as it roared up Mexico’s Pacific Coast. The storm’s winds increased to near 135 mph with higher gusts and further strengthening expected.

Space shuttle Discovery finally rocketed into orbit Saturday, carrying equipment and crew members for the International Space Station. Bad weather and a suspect fuel valve had delayed NASA’s 128th shuttle mission.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said he might refuse to speak with a prosecutor about CIA prisoner abuses. The cases under investigation include a mock execution, use of a power drill to scare a prisoner and the waterboarding of accused September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed 183 times.

With an expected 4.8 billion-liter wine output in 2009, France is set to surpass Italy as the world’s biggest wine producer. Italy overtook France last year and is forecast to make 4.7 billion liters of wine this year

MONDAY

The Washington Secretary of State’s office confirms R-71 has enough valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The measure would repeal the latest expansion of gay partnership rights.

Evelyn Arnold, long-time auditor from Chelan County, was named Superintendent of Elections in King County. The post had been vacant since Bill Huennekens was removed in 2005.

Yevgeny Dzhugashvili, grandson of Josef Stalin, sued the Novaya Gazeta newspaper for 9.5 million roubles for publishing an article saying Stalin personally signed orders to kill Soviet citizens.

At a sentencing hearing in Pennsylvania, 39-year-old Anthony Miller said he robbed a bank because he wanted to go to jail to leave his wife. Miller approached tellers with a BB gun, asked for money and told them to call the police. The couple later divorced.

TUESDAY

Robert Millage of Kamiah shot a wolf shortly after dawn Tuesday in the Lochsa area and may have been the first to claim success in the state’s wolf hunt. Millage, a real estate agent, said he was surrounded by a pack of wolves before dawn and waited until light to call them with a hand call that sounded like a wounded coyote. The wolf came at him fast. Millage shot him with his .243 rifle at 25 yards.

Iraqi authorities are seeking the return of 19 MiG-21 and MiG-23 fighter jets that were sent to Serbia in the late 1980s for servicing. Serbian officials say most of the jets are in pieces and are useless.

Zambia President Rupiah Banda has ordered scores of monkeys removed from the grounds of his official residence after one urinated on him during a press conference.

WEDNESDAY

A woman at WSU recanted her report of being assaulted on campus early Aug. 24. Another woman last week said she made two bogus reports of being assaulted on campus.

The U.S. and Cuba announced they will discuss a return to direct mail service between the two countries for the first time since 1963.