Family visits pond where students died
DICKINSON, N.D. — Family members and teammates of three North Dakota college softball players threw roses and softballs into a pond Wednesday where the students were found dead inside their Jeep.
The bodies of 22-year-old Kyrstin Gemar, of San Diego; 20-year-old Afton Williamson of Lake Elsinore, Calif.; and 21-year-old Ashley Neufeld, of Brandon, Manitoba, were found inside their white SUV on Tuesday. Authorities said it appears the three went on a stargazing trip when their vehicle slid into the pond in southwest North Dakota.
Police traced cell phone signals from the women’s frantic calls to friends late Sunday.

Officials: Swine flu confirmed in Iowa cat
DES MOINES, Iowa — A 13-year-old Iowa cat has been infected with swine flu, veterinary and federal officials said Wednesday in what is believed to be the first case of the H1N1 virus in a feline in the United States.
The domestic shorthaired cat was treated last week at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames and has recovered, officials said. The virus also has been confirmed in two ferrets — one in Oregon and the other in Nebraska — but they died.
‘‘We’ve known certainly it’s possible this could happen,’’ said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesman Tom Skinner. ‘‘This may be the first instance where we have documentation that transmission occurred involving cats or dogs.’’

Explosion shakes homes as fire erupts at refinery
WOODS CROSS, Utah — An explosion shook nearby homes as a fire broke out Wednesday at a refinery north of Salt Lake City. No injuries were reported, but one house was condemned.
The blast shifted one house off its foundation, prompting a building inspector to condemn it as unsafe, said Woods Cross Mayor Kent Parry.
Residents reported a ‘‘significant boom’’ with damage to several homes around the Silver Eagle Refinery in Woods Cross, South Davis Metro Fire Deputy Chief Jeff Bassett said.
Parry said several other houses were without natural-gas service because residents switched off valves as a precaution.

Fire worsens 2nd day of Philly transit strike
PHILADELPHIA — Commuters biked, walked, juggled carpool schedules and hitched rides as a strike ground the city’s transit system to a near halt for a second day Wednesday, a rush worsened when a regional rail train caught fire.
Regional rail lines are running because their workers are represented by a different union. But trouble hit about 7 a.m. when a car caught fire as it headed downtown, causing delays and confusion. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority officials said it was likely an electrical fire and was not suspicious.

Man sentenced for sex with horse
CONWAY, S.C. — A South Carolina man caught on video having sex with a horse was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison after pleading guilty for the second time in two years to abusing the creature.
Rodell Vereen was also ordered never to go near the stable where the horse’s owner caught him and held him for authorities at shotgun point over the summer. He apologized to the woman and to himself after admitting to buggery at the Horry County courthouse.
‘‘I’m sorry about what I’ve done. I didn’t mean to do it. It’s my fault. I’m sorry for what I’ve done to myself,’’ Vereen said during Wednesday’s court hearing.

Report: Kidnap suspect wasn’t supervised
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Corrections officials failed to properly supervise parolee Phillip Garrido and missed opportunities to discover the girl he allegedly kidnapped and held in his backyard for 18 years, a report summary released Wednesday said.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation also failed to refer Garrido for a mental health assessment, according to the report by the state Inspector General’s Office.
The summary said Garrido ‘‘committed numerous parole violations and that the department failed to properly supervise Garrido and missed numerous opportunities to discover his victims.’’
The department also failed to train parole agents to conduct parolee home visits, failed to properly supervise parole agents responsible for Garrido and failed to adequately classify Garrido, the summary said.