Man Arrested on Amtrak Train After Alleged Threat

An Amtrak passenger who alarmed fellow passengers by talking about terrorist threats on a cell phone was pulled from the train and is being held in Colorado.

Ojore Nuru Lutalo, 64, was arrested Tuesday on an Amtrak passage from Los Angeles to Chicago. Passengers on the train alerted authorities after hearing the man from Elizabeth, N.J., mention al-Qaida and make threats in a cell phone conversation.

Police said in an affidavit that passengers overheard Lutalo saying he hadn’t killed anyone yet and talking about going to jail.

Passengers say the man said, “We have to work in small groups. They can hold you for 18 months. Do they have security on these trains? Are you with me or not?”

One passenger said he heard Lutalo mention al-Qaida, saying, “17th century tactics won't work, we have 21st century tactics.”

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EPA Says ‘All Clear’ After Phoenix High School Mercury Spill

The Environmental Protection Agency has completed its emergency response following a mercury spill at Agua Fria High School in Phoenix.

An EPA news release Friday said mercury contamination has been cleaned up at the school and at homes that were affected.

The EPA’s Emergency Response program was mobilized on February 13 after being notified of the spill.

Over the past 11 days, the belongings of approximately 450 students and staff were screened for mercury. Mercury screenings were also conducted at 66 homes of students and staff whose belongings were found to be contaminated with mercury.

Six of the inspected homes had moderate levels of mercury contamination and three of the homes required more extensive decontamination with two families temporarily relocating. The families displaced by the decontamination returned to their homes February 24.

The EPA said, at the school, mercury contamination in all classrooms, locker rooms, outside areas and buses impacted by the spill has been cleaned up. However, restoration of these areas is not complete.

The Avondale Police Department is leading the ongoing investigation in the February 12th spill. Federal law allows the EPA three years to investigate the cause of the spill and recover costs.

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