ITT wins contract for air-traffic system

Washington

A team led by defense company ITT on Thursday won a government contract worth up to $1.8 billion to build the first portion of a new satellite-based air-traffic-control system.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which awarded the contract, said upgrading the system used to manage commercial and general aviation traffic will help reduce congestion on runways and in the skies, and reduce costs.

The upgrade of the air-traffic-control system is expected to cost more than $15 billion and take nearly 20 years to build. ITT beat out teams led by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

Boston

Restaurant blaze kills 2 firefighters

A fire began in a restaurant ceiling and smoldered above diners and employees for an hour or more before erupting, killing two firefighters and injuring 10 who became disoriented, officials said Thursday.

A paramedic was also injured, but no employees or customers were harmed in Wednesday night's four-alarm fire at the one-story Tai Ho Mandarin and Cantonese Restaurant. The blaze also damaged a block of businesses.

When workers first saw the fire, they quickly evacuated the restaurant and called 911.

But while the fire smoldered unnoticed in a grease-filled crawl space above the ceiling, toxic and flammable gases had collected, Fire Chief Kevin MacCurtain said, and what looked at first like a routine fire quickly turned deadly. The cause was being investigated.

Paul Cahill, 55, and Warren Payne, 53, were killed. One firefighter remained hospitalized.

Des Moines, Iowa

Judge strikes down gay-marriage ban

A county judge struck down Iowa's decade-old gay-marriage ban as unconstitutional Thursday and ordered local officials to process marriage licenses for six gay couples.

Gay couples from anywhere in Iowa could apply for a marriage license from Polk County under Judge Robert Hanson's ruling.

County attorney John Sarcone said the county will appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court and immediately sought a stay that would prevent gay couples from seeking a license until the appeal is resolved.

Also

Bracelet ruling: Former astronaut Lisa Nowak can remove an electronic monitoring bracelet from her ankle while she awaits trial on charges she attacked a romantic rival, a judge ruled Thursday.

Abu Ghraib penalty: A military jury recommended a reprimand for Army Lt. Col. Steven Jordan, 51, the only officer court-martialed in the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal, sparing him prison time for disobeying an order to keep silent about the abuse investigation.

Jewell death: Former security guard Richard Jewell, 44, who was wrongly linked to the deadly bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics, died of severe heart disease, Georgia's chief medical examiner said Thursday.

Seattle Times news services