Nation briefs 12/30/04

Surrogate turns grandma with birth of triplets

RICHMOND, Va. -- A 55-year-old woman who gave birth to triplets for a daughter who was medically unable to conceive said Wednesday she was "a caring incubator" and was awe-struck when she learned she was carrying three children. Tina Cade delivered her own grandchildren -- two boys and a girl -- by Caesarean section Tuesday at Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital. She served as a surrogate for her oldest daughter, Camille Hammond, and Hammond's husband, Jason.

Storm strikes the West for third straight day

A slow-moving, powerful storm battered the West for a third straight day Wednesday, forcing people out of low-lying sections of a scenic Arizona town, blacking out thousands of homes in Southern California and flooding the streets of Las Vegas. Nineteen inches of snow fell at the Brian Head Resort in Utah, but skiers couldn't take advantage of it because 70 mph wind prevented the resort from starting its chair lifts.

Wis. deer hunter pleads not guilty to six murders

HAYWARD, Wis. -- A man accused of shooting six fellow deer hunters to death and wounding two others after he was caught trespassing in the woods pleaded not guilty Wednesday. Chai Soua Vang, 36, waived his right to a preliminary hearing and will stand trial on six counts of murder and three of attempted murder. A judge set a trial date of Sept. 12. Vang's attorney, Steven Kohn, said the defense was considering whether Vang should change his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. Kohn would not elaborate.

Dog steals truck, crashes into auto parts store

SPRINGDALE, Ark. -- Michael Henson left the auto parts store with more problems than when he arrived. For that, he can thank his dog. Henson, whose truck had been experiencing a sticking throttle, left his dog in the truck when he went into the O'Reilly Auto Parts store in Springdale on Sunday. "He'd left the truck running ... and the dog jumped over and knocked the truck into gear," police Sgt. Billy Turnbough said. The truck raced into the building, though no one was hurt and no citations were issued, police said.

Metal plant explosion throws debris 10 blocks

MUSKOGEE, Okla. -- A scrap metal plant in eastern Oklahoma exploded Tuesday evening, sending fiery debris into the air and blowing out windows of nearby homes. Two of the four people working at the Yaffe Iron and Metals plant at the time remained unaccounted for, and at least 14 people were injured, four seriously, officials said. Debris from the plant was tossed up to 10 blocks away and a nearby shopping center was damaged, said Michelann Ooten, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.

New drug approved by FDA one-ups morphine

WASHINGTON -- Patients who suffer severe chronic pain and are no longer helped by morphine will soon have a new option. The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the first in a new class of drugs that blocks the nerve channels responsible for transmitting pain signals. It will be marketed as Prialt and should be available by the end of January. The drug is part of a new class known as N-type calcium channel blockers. It is known chemically as ziconotide. Morphine is standard treatment for severe pain from cancer, AIDS, amputations and other significant illnesses, but its effects eventually wear off and the dosage must be increased.