TEACHER BURNED IN SCIENCE EXPERIMENT ACCIDENT: PALO ALTO (AP) — Fire officials in the San Francisco Bay Area say a high school teacher suffered first- and second-degree burns in a science experiment accident.
The teacher at Palo Alto High was transported to a hospital burn unit Wednesday morning with burns covering about 20 percent of her body.
Battalion Chief Kevin McNally with the Palo Alto Fire Department says the burns did not appear to be life threatening.
No students were hurt.
The fire, which had been put out before the arrival of the firefighters, caused minimal damage to the classroom.
Details of the experiment were not released.
EX-STANFORD STUDENT CHARGED WITH TRYING TO POISON CLASSMATES
STANFORD (AP) — A former Stanford University graduate student has been charged with trying to poison several classmates.
A complaint filed in November says 26-year-old Xiangyu Ouyang tampered with the water bottles of fellow lab students four times last year. The students told police that their drinking water smelled funny, and some reported a burning sensation after drinking.
At least one student reported a serious adverse reaction. Students were exposed to paraformaldehyde, a chemical that can cause skin irritation, respiratory illness and even death.
Ouyang, who acknowledged tampering with two water bottles, told police she was sorry and didn’t mean to harm others. She said she had suffered from insomnia and dizziness.
SMALL EARTHQUAKE SHAKES SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA: SAN RAMON (AP) — A small earthquake rattled the San Francisco Bay Area early Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of any problems.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 3.5 temblor struck at 12:06 a.m. and was centered near San Ramon and about 15 miles east of San Francisco. The quake occurred 6 miles underground.
The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s office said it had no reports of any injuries or damages from the quake.
The USGS website had hundreds of hits from people in the Bay Area saying they felt it.
THOUSANDS MOURN SLAIN SAN JOSE POLICE OFFICER : SAN JOSE (AP) — Thousands of mourners and law enforcement officials from across the country paid their respects to a Northern California police officer killed in the line of duty.
A solemn motorcade of patrol motorcycles slowly escorted the body of Michael Johnson from a funeral home in suburban Los Gatos, California to a San Jose arena for the memorial services.
The 38-year-old was fatally shot March 24 while responding to reports of a suicidal man with a gun.
Scott Dunham shot Johnson from a second-floor balcony with a high-powered rifle. Another officer shot and killed the 57-year-old Dunham.
Johnson is survived by his wife, parents, grandmother and sister.
NIXON’S WESTERN WHITE HOUSE FOR SALE AT $75 MILLION: SAN CLEMENTE (AP) — The seaside California estate dubbed the Western White House when it was owned by Richard Nixon is for sale at $75 million.
The San Clemente property is being sold by retired Allergan CEO Gavin Herbert, who has owned it for 35 years.
Nixon bought the 5½-acre spread on a secluded coastal bluff in 1969 and called it La Casa Pacifica.
The president said he liked watching surfers during walks on the beach.
When Nixon resigned from office, he returned to the retreat to write his memoirs. He moved to New York in 1980 and sold it to Herbert.
The newspaper reports the estate, set behind private walls, has some 15,000 square feet among all the structures, including a 9,000-square-foot main residence.
