Oregon

Toga party marks ‘Animal House’ 25th

They put a wrecking ball through the building that was Delta House in the classic comedy “Animal House,” so what’s left?

Toga! Toga! Toga!

Fans of the film in Cottage Grove broke out the robes Saturday at a town-sponsored toga party, intended to be the world’s largest, to mark the 25th anniversary of the film, which was made in Cottage Grove and Eugene.

An “Animal House” parade crawled up Main Street, a small-town thoroughfare that still looks the same as it did in the wild fraternity comedy. Thousands lined the street in this town of about 8,000, chanting, “Toga, Toga!”

Dozens of residents who had bit parts in the film compared fading photographs and memories.

The National Lampoon-film, about drunken, unruly Delta House’s attack on the uptight ranks of Faber College, earned more than $140 million, as well as the No. 36 spot on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest film comedies.

Maryland

Baby llama euthanized after slashing at zoo

A baby llama was slashed and left to die at a zoo, and was in such bad shape by the time it was discovered that it had to be euthanized, police said.

Staff at the Salisbury Zoological Park found the llama Friday morning, covered in blood from a deep cut that went from the rectum to the left inner thigh, said zoo director Jim Rapp.

“We immediately took it to the vet,” Rapp said. “The vet had to euthanize the animal due to the severity of its wounds. He also said its injuries were not accidental.”

Salisbury police detectives closed the zoo for more than an hour to investigate. Police spokesman Capt. Mark Tyler said investigators believed someone climbed in using a trash can near the fence and walked to the llama exhibit.

Blood trails throughout the zoo suggest the attacker may have tried to take the llama before deciding to return it to its pen, Rapp said.

Police said they recovered a foot-long knife near the east gate where they believe the suspect hopped the fence and left the zoo.

New York

Math test regraded that most had failed

State officials have regraded a standardized math test that most New York high-schoolers failed this year, transforming failing marks into passing ones for thousands of students.

Rather than rescoring all the math Regents exams, the state Department of Education released tables Friday to regrade the tests to more closely match the 2002 test results. For example, a ninth- or 10th-grader who received a 47 percent or 48 percent score in June now has a passing grade of 65.

An independent panel appointed by the state Board of Regents calculated the table based on the results of the June 2002 test results. “It essentially corrects for the anomalies of the June 2003 exam,” state Education Commissioner Richard Mills said.

The panel was created because of high failure rates that prompted the state to throw out the test, which is usually required for graduation. Thousands of students in June faced the possibility of being held back from graduation days before the ceremony.