Joe Paterno Has Lung Cancer, Son Says
Scott Paterno, the Hall of Fame coach’s son, said in a statement provided Friday to The Associated Press that his father’s doctors are optimistic the 84-year-old Paterno will make a full recovery.
The news came shortly after Penn State said the NCAA would look into the school’s handling of a child sex abuse scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Paterno was fired by the board of trustees Nov. 9 for failing to do more about an abuse allegation against Sandusky than report it to his superiors.
“Last weekend, my father was diagnosed with a treatable form of lung cancer during a follow-up visit for a bronchial illness,” Scott Paterno said in the brief statement. The doctor’s visit came the same weekend the school played its first game since the 1960s without Paterno leading the Nittany Lions — Penn State lost, 17-14 to Nebraska.
“As everyone can appreciate, this is a deeply personal matter for my parents, and we simply ask that his privacy be respected as he proceeds with treatment,” Scott Paterno said. Read more
Firefighter burned, 25 homes damaged in Reno fire
RENO, Nev. — A cloud of grayish-white smoke settled over upscale homes and horse pastures at Reno’s edge Friday as firefighters from across Nevada came close to taming a sudden wildfire that sent 16 people to hospitals and destroyed or damaged 25 houses.
The unexplained blaze also gave a firefighter first- and second-degree burns and was blamed for the death of a 74-year-old man who had a heart attack while trying to flee, but authorities said the worst was likely over as growing snow flurries and falling temperatures stoked hopes that the remaining showers of ember and ash would die down.
Reno Fire Chief Mike Hernandez said firefighters had largely contained the blaze that sent nearly 10,000 people from their homes in the middle of the night and sent flames licking the edges of the region’s mountain roads. Read more
Scarlett Johansson naked pictures leaked on Web
Actress Scarlett Johansson has reportedly become the latest celebrity to fall victim to apparent leaked nude photos from her mobile phone, which appeared on a website on Wednesday.
The FBI has been drafted by “The Avengers” actress to investigate, according to celebrity news website TMZ. An FBI spokesman declined to confirm or deny the investigation, and a representative for Johansson was not immediately available to comment.
The photos show the 26 year-old actress in a towel with an exposed backside, while another shows her topless. They were posted on several celebrity gossip websites. Read more
