New York

Messages flood Web site as Clinton recovers

As former President Bill Clinton recovered from surgery to correct a rare side effect of his recent heart operation, messages of love and support flooded his foundation’s Web site Friday.

“We all need you in our world,” a well-wisher told Clinton, who underwent a four-hour surgery Thursday at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in Manhattan.

The former president was expected to spend three to 10 days in the hospital, and doctors said he should be walking within 24 hours, said Dr. Herbert Pardes, the hospital’s president.

Fluid and scar tissue had built up in Clinton’s chest cavity since his September quadruple-bypass surgery, choking off half his left lung.

No official update on his condition was issued Friday.

Salt Lake City

Alleged kidnapper kicked out of trial for singing

The man charged with kidnapping teenager Elizabeth Smart was kicked out of his mental competency trial Friday after he began singing a religious hymn.

Brian David Mitchell sang, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven’s at hand” just minutes after the hearing began. This is the fourth time he has been removed from hearings for singing hymns.

Mitchell, who allegedly kidnapped Elizabeth in 2002 and kept her as his second wife, was ordered to undergo a new round of mental evaluations in December after he broke into a hymn during a hearing.

Friday’s hearing resumed with a defense expert testifying that Mitchell has become increasingly more mentally disturbed and unfit for trial.

Also scheduled to testify was a mental health expert for the prosecution who has concluded the homeless street preacher is fit for trial.

Mitchell, 51, and his wife, Wanda Barzee, 59, are charged with kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated burglary and attempted aggravated kidnapping.

Florida

Husband rejects offer to give up rights to wife

A man fighting to have a feeding tube removed from his brain-damaged wife on Friday rejected a California businessman’s offer to pay him $1 million to give up his right to decide her medical treatment.

Thursday’s offer, which the husband’s attorney labeled “offensive,” came hours after a judge refused to let the state’s social services agency intervene — a move that would have delayed next week’s scheduled removal of the tube.

Other such offers, including one for $10 million, had already been made and rejected by Michael Schiavo, said his attorney, George Felos.

Terri Schiavo’s parents are trying to keep her alive, but Michael Schiavo contends he had once promised his wife he would not keep her alive by artificial means before she suffered a heart attack 15 years ago.

West Virginia

Lottery winner faces wrongful death lawsuit

The businessman who won the nation’s richest undivided lottery jackpot was sued Friday by the family of a teenager who died of a drug overdose at his home in September.

The wrongful death lawsuit said Jesse Joe Tribble was led astray by Jack Whittaker’s late granddaughter, and it said he should have had more control over her because she was in his custody.

Tribble, 18, was found dead Sept. 17 at Whittaker’s home in Scott Depot.

The night before, according to the lawsuit, Tribble had used drugs at the home with 17-year-old Brandi Bragg. When Tribble passed out on a bed, the lawsuit said, Bragg left him there instead of seeking medical help.

Bragg died less than three months later. The cause of death has not been determined.

The lawsuit accused Whittaker of negligence, saying he knew or should have known that Bragg was using money he gave to her to buy illegal drugs and supply her friends with drugs.

Phone calls to Whittaker and his attorney, Norm Daniels, were not immediately returned Friday.

Trouble has dogged the already-wealthy Whittaker since he won the $314.9 million Powerball jackpot on Christmas Day 2002.