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Nation news briefs
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NJ BOY GETS NEW WAGON AFTER THEFT VIDEO GOES VIRAL: BELMAR, N.J. (AP) — The family of a disabled New Jersey boy whose wagon was stolen from their front yard says the thief has made amends after surveillance video of the heist went viral.

Tracy Bean, of Belmar, says one of two young women seen in the video showed up at her home Friday with a new wagon and a long apology note.

Bean had used the wagon to take her 6-year-old son Alex for walks around town. The boy has a rare brain disorder and can't walk or talk.

Home security video shows two young women entering the family's yard early Tuesday, stealing the wagon and running off.

Bean tells the Asbury Park Press she's doesn't plan to press charges. She adds she is overwhelmed by offers from strangers to replace the wagon.

NEW MEXICO KIDS KEPT IN SCHOOL WHILE BEAR IN TREE: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A school in Albuquerque kept students and staff inside for more than an hour until an adult male bear was removed from a nearby tree.

Police said the precautionary shelter-in-place order was lifted on Friday at Kennedy Middle School after state game and fish officers used a tranquilizer dart to subdue the 200-pound bear.

Officials said the animal was in good condition and would be returned to the wild.

Albuquerque and Santa Fe have seen numerous instances of bears entering those communities because of lack of food and water in nearby forests and hills.

CAT SURVIVES 11-STORY FALL AT ALASKA APARTMENT: JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A house cat in Alaska learned the hard way not to chase mosquitoes after following one out a window and falling 11 stories.

The 2-year-old cat, named Wasabi, survived but suffered a fractured leg and broken bones.

The Juneau Empire reports (http://bit.ly/155gwT4) the cat was chasing the mosquito Monday in her owners' apartment in Juneau, about two blocks from the state Capitol.

The mosquito escaped out a window, and Wasabi went after it. Stephanie Gustafson says her mother watched the female cat fall.

Wasabi landed in a parking lot, and Gustafson found her huddled nearby, bloody and wet from rain.

The cat underwent an operation, and has pins and wires holding together her fractured leg and broken bones in a joint. She also is sporting a pink cast.

LIBERACE EX BACK IN JAIL IN NEVADA AFTER DRUG TEST: RENO, Nev. (AP) — An ex-lover of Liberace who was the subject of a recent HBO film on the pianist's life is back in jail in Reno after failing a drug test.

Nevada Parole and Probation officials say Scott Thorson was arrested Thursday on a parole violation charge after he failed the court-ordered test.

He remained in the Washoe County jail on Friday pending a Wednesday hearing in Washoe County District Court.

Thorson was sentenced to probation in July after earlier pleading guilty to unlawful possession and use of a credit card stolen from a man at a motel next to a Reno strip club.

The 54-year-old Thorson also was sentenced to the county's outpatient drug court program.

He's author of the book "Behind the Candelabra" used as the basis for the HBO film.

3 STRANDED IN ICED HELICOPTER ON ALASKA VOLCANO: ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Two researchers and their pilot remained stranded on a remote Alaska volcano Friday, two days after freezing rain left thick ice on their helicopter.

Alaska State Troopers said bad weather was preventing rescuers from reaching the helicopter on Mount Mageik about 280 miles southwest of Anchorage at Katmai National Park and Preserve. Unsuccessful attempts have been made by helicopter company and Rescue Coordination Center, which was called in Thursday and has sent out a Blackhawk helicopter and a C-130 plane.

Everyone on board the Egli Air Haul helicopter was reported in good condition. They are well-equipped with survival gear and food, said Katmai chief ranger Neal Labrie, who has been in radio communication with them.

There were no reported injuries among the three, who were identified as pilot Sam Egli, USGS geophysicist John Paskievitch and University of Alaska-Fairbanks researcher Taryn Lopez. There also is no reported damage to the chopper, which was sitting at the 6,500-foot level of the mountain.

MORMON CHURCH, ANCESTRY.COM JOIN FORCES: SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Mormon church's family history research center has signed a new agreement with Ancestry.com in a project to make 1 billion new genealogical records available to the public.

The Deseret News reports (http://bit.ly/19nILvP) Family Search signed a five-year, $60 million deal with the Provo-based private company. Family Search is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' nonprofit organization dedicated to the research of family history.

The plan is for the two entities to work together to dig into the deep genealogical vaults of the Mormon church to digitize and index up to 1 billion new records that allow people around the world to research their family trees.

The two sides have worked together before, with millions of records already available to users on both ends.

ZIMMERMAN'S WIFE SEEKS LIFE INSURANCE POLICY: SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — George Zimmerman's wife is asking that he pay for a permanent life insurance policy with her named as the beneficiary, according to a divorce petition made public Friday.

Shellie Zimmerman said in the petition that her husband should pay the premiums on the policy since he "has the financial ability to obtain such life insurance at reasonable rates." She also asked for custody of the couple's 2-year-old Rottweiler, Oso, and 8-year-old Leroy, a mixed-breed dog. They have no children.

Shellie Zimmerman, 26, is seeking an equal distribution of their checking accounts, trusts, partnerships and any unknown assets, and asked that a judge prevent him from selling off any property. Among the unknown assets is any money George Zimmerman may get from a defamation lawsuit he has filed against NBC.

The couple, who have been married since November 2007, separated a month after Zimmerman was acquitted in July of any crime for fatally shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February 2012.