In the Nation
HAWAII
Shark attack kills woman
off popular spot on Maui
A shark killed a 65-year-old woman in an attack off the shore of Maui on Wednesday, officials said.
The Maui Fire Department said in a statement that the unresponsive woman was found by snorkelers about 200 yards from shore and was taken to the beach at a popular surfing spot. Paramedics attempted lifesaving efforts but were unsuccessful.
Injuries on the victim's torso suggest she was attacked by a shark, fire officials said in the statement.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources released a statement saying the attack occurred in the Kanahena Cove area of Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve on Maui.
Kekoa Kaluhiwa, first deputy director of state Department of Land and Natural Resources, said at a news conference in Honolulu that the incident was being investigated. He said staff would be posting additional signage along the coast.
The area will be closed until at least noon Thursday, when officials will assess the scene and decide whether or not it is safe to reopen. - AP
ALABAMA
Third victim from boat IDd
Authorities on Wednesday identified the third person killed when a powerful storm struck a sailboat race off the Alabama coast and said they would search one more day for three boaters who remained missing.
The body of William Glenn Massey, 67, of Daphne, was found near a gas platform in Mobile Bay, the Coast Guard said. An angler spotted the body Tuesday and notified officials. Massey, who lived in his sailboat in a marina on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, was the third person confirmed dead since the boating disaster happened Saturday afternoon.
- AP
MISSOURI
Upgrade to arch starts
Construction is underway on the latest upgrade of St. Louis' iconic Gateway Arch, this time involving plans for an upgraded museum and visitor center. Dignitaries including Mayor Francis Slay and the National Park Service's deputy chief broke ground on those efforts Wednesday. Plans call for a 46,000-square-foot expansion of the visitor center and a redesigned, modernized Museum of Westward Expansion.
- AP