Olympia had nearly a foot of new snow on the ground by late morning. Nearly 11 inches was measured at the airport Wednesday. The record is 14.2 inches on Jan. 24, 1972.
Severed hands, feet discovered
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles police looked for more human body parts Wednesday after searchers discovered two hands and two feet in the same area of a park where dog walkers found a severed human head inside a plastic bag.
The first hand was found as dozens of officers and homicide investigators combed the brush along a winding trail in the Hollywood Hills. A coroner’s cadaver dog came upon it about 50 yards from where the head was discovered on Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The second hand and both feet were found nearby later Wednesday afternoon. No details were immediately available on the condition of the body parts.
The remains were believed to belong to the same man, but police were working to confirm that through testing.
The man may have been killed elsewhere in recent days and his body dumped in the park, police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said. Wild animals in the park may have other body parts, he said.
Authorities said the head came from a man in his 40s, 50s or 60s.
Ground is broken for shuttle display
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s retired space shuttle Atlantis is a step closer to completing its final journey.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex broke ground Wednesday for Atlantis’ permanent home, a $100 million exhibit due to open in summer 2013. Schoolchildren waved red, white and blue Atlantis flags — 33 flags representing each of Atlantis’ space missions — as state and local dignitaries joined former shuttle staff at the construction site.
The astronaut who commanded Atlantis’ final spaceflight, Christopher Ferguson, told the more than 100 guests that Atlantis will serve as “a reminder of the limitless potential” of Americans and also inspire children, some of whom will become future space travelers.
Ferguson, who now works for Boeing on new space vehicles, made note of the effort to preserve the past while working toward the future: “I’d like you all to stay tuned as we turn to the next chapter of the journey that will never end.”
Shuttle Discovery will actually be the first to ship out to museums. In April, it will head to the National Air and Space Museum’s display hangar outside Washington. Shuttle Endeavour will travel to the California Science Center in Los Angeles in the second half of the year.
Snowstorm hits Northwest states
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A winter storm that packed winds of 100 mph and dumped more than a foot of snow in the Pacific Northwest could soon give way to another threat: warmer weather and the potential for flooding.
On Wednesday, at least, some residents in Washington state’s capital tried to find a way to enjoy the abundance of snow in a region not used to huge snowfalls.
“I love it,” said teenager Emily Hansen, who had the day off from high school and spent the morning with her mother taking photos of the growing piles of snow outside the Capitol.
Her mother, however, was more measured, mindful of what the days ahead could bring. “A day or two it’s fun, but after a while you start looking at accidents and slush and flooding,” Pat Hansen said.
From Olympia to the Oregon coast, the storm closed schools, caused dozens of flight cancellations and clogged roads with snow and hundreds of accidents.
Olympia had nearly a foot of new snow on the ground by late morning. Nearly 11 inches was measured at the airport Wednesday. The record is 14.2 inches on Jan. 24, 1972.