California
Mars rover peeks over rim of crater
NASA's Opportunity rover peeked over the rim of the crater in which it landed and was able to see the clamshell holder and parachute it discarded just before hitting the flat, gray surface of Mars, scientists said Monday.
A color photograph from Opportunity, released at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, showed the two objects distinctly, on a largely featureless surface.
The photograph, when combined with pictures taken from orbit, helped confirm exactly where Opportunity landed on Jan. 24 on Mars. NASA planned for its orbiting satellite to begin looking for another spacecraft, Britain's ill-fated Beagle 2 lander, on Thursday.
NASA described the gray photograph shown Monday as an "approximate true-color image." Mars' iron-rich dust gives the planet its overall reddish color, but Opportunity landed in a relatively dust-free area.
New York
High school student shoots, wounds teacher
A 16-year-old student shot and wounded a special-education teacher in the leg Monday as he let off three shotgun blasts in a high school hallway, authorities in East Greenbush said.
Jon W. Romano, a junior, was arrested at the school, police said. He pleaded not guilty Monday night to a charge of attempted murder and was sent to jail.
His lawyer, E. Stewart Jones, said he would file a bail application later this week and further discuss Romano's case at that time.
Supt. Terrance Brewer said the student fired three rounds of birdshot from a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun, and one round hit teacher Michael Bennett in the leg. Assistant principal John Sawchuk stopped Romano and held him until police came, Brewer said.
Bennett was treated at Albany Medical Center and released about two hours later.
California
Kidnapper convicted of trying to buy boy
A man infamous for kidnapping a young boy 30 years ago was convicted Monday in Oakland of trying to buy a child last year in what a prosecutor described as the would-be "last hurrah" of a long criminal career.
Kenneth Parnell was convicted of trying to persuade a woman to procure him a young boy for $500. Now 72 and in a wheelchair, Parnell was convicted in 1980 of abducting 7-year-old Steven Stayner, changing the boy's name and keeping him for seven years.
Stayner's story was later told in a book and TV movie, "I Know My First Name is Steven."
There was no actual child in the current case. The woman, Diane Stevens, cooperated with police in setting up a meeting in which she was to give Parnell a birth certificate for $100 and procure a child for $400 more.
In addition to the Stayner kidnapping, Parnell was convicted of kidnapping 5-year-old Timmy White in 1980. He served five years for both abductions. Parnell also has a 1951 conviction for committing a lewd act on a minor.
Arkansas
Escapee tries to buy bolt cutter at Wal-Mart
James Cotton looked just like any other Wal-Mart customer buying a bolt cutter at 4:30 in the morning -- until the cashier noticed that Cotton was wearing handcuffs.
According to police, the clerk in Magnolia took Cotton's money, gave him the bolt cutter, then called officers. Cotton was caught minutes later Saturday, after he had gone into the bathroom and cut off the handcuffs.
Cotton had been arrested the night before by the Haynesville, La., police on charges of battery and possession of a narcotic, but he kicked out a window in a police car and fled, authorities said.
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