Boston

Wintry mix creates havoc along East Coast

A storm spread sleet, freezing rain and more than a foot of snow along the Eastern Seaboard, knocking out power Monday to thousands in New England, stranding hundreds of motorists along icy highways in the Carolinas and causing airport delays.

At least two traffic deaths were blamed on the weather in North Carolina.

Fourteen inches of snow had fallen Monday in Virginia, and 18 inches fell in eastern Massachusetts as the storm skimmed the coast on a northeasterly track. Up to 20 inches of snow was possible in southeastern Massachusetts, the National Weather Service said. Just over 8 inches fell on the eastern tip of New York’s Long Island.

Kentucky

Airlines struggling to send travelers home

Luggage was stacked in rows longer than a football field Monday as airlines struggled to recover from the delays and mix-ups caused by regional carrier Comair’s systemwide cancellations during the holiday weekend and the failure of US Airways’ baggage system.

Comair said it would operate 60 percent of its flights Monday but would need at least two more days to restore a full schedule. Its planes were grounded over the busy holiday weekend by a computer failure and fallout from a paralyzing snowstorm.

The Delta subsidiary was giving priority to customers flying to airports not served by Delta and trying to find alternate flights for other passengers, said Nick Miller, a spokesman for Comair, based at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Hebron.

Los Angeles

U.S. Greek Orthodox leader, 69, dies

Metropolitan Anthony Gergiannakis, spiritual leader of Greek Orthodox Christians in California and six other Western states, died Saturday of cancer. He was 69.

A resident of San Francisco, he had been hospitalized for several weeks at the University of California-Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, where he died, according to the Rev. Paul Schroeder, chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco.

Metropolitan Anthony, as he was widely known, became the first bishop of the newly created Metropolis, or diocese, in 1979 and was named metropolitan, a title similar to that of a Roman Catholic cardinal, in 1997.

Colorado

Coach in jail hangs self in cell

A girls basketball coach charged with having sex with three of his underage players was found dead in his jail cell of an apparent suicide.

Rick Lopez, 37, former coach of the Colorado Hoopsters, was discovered hanging Sunday in a cell he had to himself at the Douglas County Detention Facility, police said. A note was found nearby, but officials would not discuss its contents.

Lopez was charged in August with 59 counts of sexual assault and child abuse. He had an arraignment hearing scheduled for Feb. 11.

Officials said his death was under investigation.

Cleveland

Lottery ticket claimant pursuing boxing career

Ever since she claimed to lose a Mega Millions winning lottery ticket, Elecia Battle’s reputation has been on the ropes.

Now she’s planning a boxing career with the ring name “Mega Battle.”

The mother of four grabbed national headlines by saying she lost the ticket for the Dec. 30, 2003, drawing when she dropped her purse outside a convenience store in suburban South Euclid.

But after the real winner, hospital worker Rebecca Jemison, claimed the prize, Battle had some explaining to do.

She was convicted in April of filing a false police report, a misdemeanor, put on one year’s probation and paid a $1,000 fine and $5,596.71 in restitution.