In the news

Emanuel Jones, a Georgia senator, suspects racial motives are behind the state Senate's approval of measures to set new boundaries for predominantly black Stockbridge, which he represents, and include the carved-out territory in a new city called Eagle's Landing that would have more white residents.

Larry Flowers, the road manager for Warren County, Miss., said the county will temporarily shut down the Kings Point Ferry, the only access to an island of hunting camps and timber farms, as he works to hire new ferry pilots, after one pilot died and another quit.

Cara Lucy O'Connor, an Irish 6-year-old, wrote to NASA saying "you need to fix this problem for me" and make Pluto a planet again, which inspired a reply from a noncommittal James Green, the director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, who said "Pluto is a fascinating place that we need to continue to study."

Marion O'Malley's appointment as district attorney in Susquehanna County, Pa., is the basis of a court challenge by former assistant prosecutor William Urbanski, who had himself sworn in as district attorney when his predecessor died and argues that a judge misinterpreted a residency requirement used to remove him from the position.

Mohammad Imran, 24, was sentenced to death after confessing in court to killing eight girls in Pakistan, including a 7-year-old whose rape and murder led to violent protests last month in which two people died.

Phyllis Chikundura with Zimbabwe's Anti-Corruption Commission called for the University of Zimbabwe to produce a "paper trail" to prove that Grace Mugabe, the former first lady, actually studied for a doctorate that she received from the university.

Mike Crager, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2006, opened a boxing gym in Monroe City, Mo., that specializes in helping people with the disease try to slow its progression through flexibility, balance, light weight training and boxing drills.

Joseph Gaines was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to pay back $810,000 that he stole after persuading elderly clients of his Lubbock, Texas, insurance agency to buy annuities.

Marty Lester, the head of the private Brookstone School in Columbus, Ga., said parents' response to an announcement that the school would start drug-testing all students in grades 8-12 has been overwhelmingly positive.

A Section on 02/18/2018

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