Lethal injection cannot be performed due to unsuitable veins

CHICAGO, Illinois: Death row inmate Romell Broom was given a week’s reprieve from his execution after the executioners could not find a suitable vein to insert the lethal injection. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland issued the stay of execution upon the warden’s request. Broom was convicted of the rape and murder of Tryna Middleton in 1984. Prison spokesperson Julie Walburn said prison officials would consult medical personnel about the future performance of the execution. In 2006, convicted murderer Joseph Clark sat up to inform his executioners the lethal drugs were not working, according to Reuters. The prison then added a step to its execution procedure where the warden attempts to rouse the condemned after an initial injection of sedatives.

Farmers crying over spilt milk

CINEY, Belgium: In an act of protest, Belgian farmers dumped 3 million litres of fresh milk onto pastures and roads across the country. The farmers are protesting a decrease in dairy prices, which have fallen 40 per cent since the spring. CBC reported farmers dragged milk containers with tractors through fields and pastures, leaving the equivalent of a day’s worth of milk in their wake. Last week farmers also closed the Belgian border crossings with Germany and the Netherlands to drive home their demands. Milk prices are a contentious issue in the European Union. Most nations agree there is a problem with prices but cannot agree on a solution.

Woman regains sight after tooth implant

MIAMI, Florida: Doctors used a woman’s tooth to help her regain her sight. Sharron Thorton had her eye tooth, or cuspid, implanted into her eye socket as a base for a prosthetic lens. Thorton lost her sight nine years ago after an illness. She qualified for the procedure at University of Miami Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the first of its kind in the United States. To date, the procedure has only been performed 600 times worldwide. CNN reported that after two weeks, Thorton’s visual perception was 20/70. The surgery involved both dentists and ophthalmologists, and took several months to complete.

Slumbering teen narrowly misses death on train track

PARIS, France: A French teen was nearly killed by a high-speed train after passing out on a railway track. The teen passed out face down on the track near Saint Nolff in Brittany. The driver of the Paris-bound train saw the body lying on the tracks but was unable to stop in time and halted metres past the slumbering man. According to Reuters, the police department credits his slumbering state with keeping him alive. Unconscious, he was like a dead body, allowing the train to pass merely 20 centimetres above him. Only grease stains were found on his jacket. Police and firefighters were able to wake the teen, who flipped the finger before rolling over to go back to sleep. According to the police, the young man was returning home from the Saint Nolff music festival when he decided to nap on the rail line.

Published in Volume 64, Number 4 of The Uniter (September 24, 2009)