Wade's World

Fifteen horses dead at Norfolk Downs Race Track in Chicago after fire explodes in barn, one day before the opening of racing season.

The suspected cause of the fire is arson and an arson squad has been called to the scene.

Dan Bucci, assistant general manager of the track, stated, “It could have been of an incendiary nature because it started in the middle of the barn, not at the end. The only heaters and electrical outlets were in the tack rooms at the ends of the barns.”

Jim Connery, fire chief adds, “The fire exploded near the center of the barn. Flames were shooting out of the building when we got here. The fire is definitely suspicious.”

The other 10 horses escaped including two horses who stampeded through the barnyard with their backs on fire.

The barn was a one–story, wooden structure. Only several rows of charred wooden supports remain after the fire.

A jockey, Albert Ramos, Miami, FL, watched workers as they cleaned up the area.

“That’s my best friends,” he said, pointing to the surviving horses. “I love horses more than I do people. I feel like I want to cry.”

Arrest

Daughter of locally prominent attorney Jim Wensen, arrested for driving under the influence for the third time in six months, last night.

Cathy Wensen, a 22 year old senior, was this years homecoming queen, and has also been a cheerleader with straight A’s. She is currently going to Vanderbilt University for graduate study in biology.

I don’t believe that the fact about her mother living in Ontario matters for the story.

Curriculum Changes

University President, David French announces new graduation requirements, making students entering in 2023 to take one math, computer science, and foreign language course.

A recent study showed only 15 percent of students took a foreign language course and only 20 percent took a math course while at Backwater State University. French states, “We feel that these new course requirements will allow us to turn out better-educated persons.”

Plane Crash

Five people were killed in a plane crash during takeoff at Kennedy International Airport Thursday night. Professor John Dumont and George Johnson from Backwater University escaped injury.

Forty-five passengers were on board the aircraft when the two professors were on their way home from separate conferences in New York that Thursday evening.