National briefs 5/8

Maryland tornado not as strong as estimated

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- The National Weather Service has downgraded last month's deadly tornado in southern Maryland from an F5, the most powerful, to an F4, and said it had wind speeds of up to 260 mph.

The April 28 storm killed three people and injured nearly 100 others, damaging or destroying hundreds of homes and businesses in Charles and Calvert counties. Days later, a 68-year-old man died from injuries he received, and a 72-year-old woman who suffered a heart attack during the storm also died.

The tornado produced damage consistent with less powerful storms before reaching its peak strength in downtown La Plata, said John Ogren, who led the assessment team.

Asked how long the tornado qualified as an F4, Ogren said, "We're probably talking a matter of a minute or two."

Missing girl political problem for Gov. Bush

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The disappearance of a 5-year-old girl while in state custody has led to political finger-pointing in Florida, where Gov. Jeb Bush is seeking re-election four years after taking office on a promise to fix the child welfare system. The Democratic Party has blamed the Republican governor in recent days after it was disclosed that it took the state Department of Children & Families 15 months just to realize little Rilya Wilson was missing.

Rilya, whose name was an acronym for "Remember I Love You Always," was last seen in January 2001.

Her caseworker allegedly lied about visits with the girl during the months she was missing. A woman who has identified herself as the girl's grandmother has said she thought Rilya was in the state's care.

Mom sentenced in plot to impregnate daughter

AKRON, Ohio -- A woman who helped her husband impregnate her 16-year-old daughter with a syringe of his semen was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison.

Narda Goff, 43, was convicted in a non-jury trial in March of child endangering and complicity to commit sexual battery. She could have gotten 10 years behind bars.

Her 40-year-old husband, John Goff -- the girl's stepfather -- has been charged with rape and sexual battery and is awaiting trial.

Discarded cell phones pose source of pollution

WASHINGTON -- A new kind of cell phone pollution -- and this one is silent.

Within three years, Americans will discard about 130 million cellular telephones a year, and that means 65,000 tons of trash, including toxic metals and other health hazards, a study says.

"Because these devices are so small, their environmental impacts might appear to be minimal," says Bette Fishbein, of Inform, an environmental research organization, who wrote the report.

But, she says, the growth in cell phone use has been so rapid and enormous "that the environmental and public health impacts of the waste they create are a significant concern."

Oklahoma governor signs tough water rules

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Gov. Frank Keating signed new water pollution standards Tuesday that Arkansas officials said would harm development in their state.

The rules are aimed at cutting levels of phosphorus in the Illinois River and five other Oklahoma waterways.

Environmental officials say phosphorus from sewage, animal waste and fertilizer promotes the growth of algae, which in turn threatens fish by reducing oxygen levels. The algae also turns the water green and creates a foul odor and taste.

Arkansas will be affected because the Illinois River flows from Arkansas to Oklahoma. A 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision said upstream states are subject to downriver water quality regulations.

-- From wire reports