ATLANTA: Derailed train leaks hazardous materials

Eight cars of a 79-car train derailed Saturday, and at least one car was leaking a hazardous chemical, officials said. The rail line is near a major water reservoir.

Fire officials evacuated about 100 people from three residential streets near the derailment, CSX spokesman Craig Camuso said. Hazardous materials specialists were at the site Saturday.

The railroad spokesman said the five cars on the train carried a corrosive chemical used in the production of nylon. The substance, hexamethylenediamine, can cause burns to respiratory tracts, eyes and skin.

The train was traveling from New Orleans to Hamlet, N.C., CSX said.

DENVER: Satirical mascot garners wide attention

The idea started among some University of Northern Colorado students as a satirical commentary on a local high school’s American Indian mascot.

The students named their intramural basketball team, made up of American Indians, Hispanics and whites, “The Fighting Whities.”

Now, “The Fighting Whities” have taken on a life of their own.

More than 1,600 e-mails have flooded into the university in Greeley, north of Denver, about the nickname.

Team members have gotten phone calls from around the country and invitations to appear on television. They were mentioned by Jay Leno on the Tonight Show on Tuesday.

The American Indian Movement has weighed in supporting the name.