Flood-prone New Orleans hit by 8 inches of rain

Heavy rains lashed the flood-prone city Monday, inundating areas that had only recently recovered from Hurricane Katrina and leading the Army Corps of Engineers to close a gate on a suburban canal where the waters threatened to top the walls.

After more than 8 inches of rain fell on parts of New Orleans by late Monday afternoon, Mayor Ray Nagin shut City Hall early, and schools also closed. People were asked to stay indoors until the flood potential subsided. More rain was expected overnight.

Waist-high water in parts of eastern New Orleans soaked businesses, some of which had recently reopened after being damaged by 2005's hurricane.

All the city's pumps were working properly, emergency-preparedness officials said. Still, they urged motorists to stay off the streets to avoid creating wakes that could send water into homes and businesses.

Officials closed a gate on the Harvey Canal in Jefferson Parish; it was one of several in the area placed under new safety guidelines after Katrina floodwaters breached two New Orleans canals in August 2005, causing catastrophic flooding.

Kansas City, Mo.

Insanity defense rejected in slaying

A woman whose attorneys had argued that she was delusional when she killed an expectant mother, cut the baby from her womb and took the infant home was found guilty Monday.

Jurors convicted Lisa Montgomery, 39, of kidnapping resulting in death in the 2004 attack on 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore.

The jury deliberated for about four hours before rejecting Montgomery's insanity defense. Prosecutors said they plan to seek the death penalty.

New Orleans

News groups seek access to Jena 6 trial

A group of news organizations is seeking to open juvenile-court proceedings for a black teenager charged with beating a white classmate in a case that sparked a huge civil-rights demonstration in central Louisiana last month.

More than two dozen organizations, including newspapers, television networks and network affiliates, filed a court petition Monday challenging a judge's decision to seal Mychal Bell's case and close court proceedings.

The group seeks permission to attend upcoming hearings, review transcripts of previous hearings and other court records, and lift a gag order against participants in the case.

Lawyers for the news organizations filed the petition in the 28th Judicial District Court in Lasalle Parish, the court where Bell's case is being heard.

Criminal cases involving juveniles in Louisiana are usually sealed. But Bell, 17, is charged with aggravated second-degree battery, which under state law is one of the violent offenses that allows a juvenile court case to be opened to the public, according to Mary Ellen Roy, a lawyer for the news organizations.

Bell and five other black students were arrested in December and charged with attacking Justin Barker, a white classmate at Jena High School, and knocking him unconscious. The case fueled allegations that the district attorney was treating blacks more harshly than whites.

Alto Bonito, Texas

7 die when car collides with van

A car collided with a van from an adult day-care center Monday, killing seven people in the van, authorities said.

The driver of the car, who wasn't hurt, failed to yield to the van and faces seven counts of negligent homicide, said Johnny Hernandez, Department of Public Safety spokesman.

The van from La Fuente Home Health Services was carrying nine people, some of whom were thrown out in the collision. It was unclear whether they were wearing seat belts. Five people died at the scene, and two died later at hospitals, authorities said.

Also

Bicyclists killed: Lee Anne Barry, who was on the last leg of a cross-country bicycle ride to raise awareness for brain injuries, was killed along with fellow cyclist Thomas Hoskins after an SUV collided with them Sunday on a rural highway near Columbia, S.C., officials said Monday.

Girl stabbed: A 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death Friday night during an attack by a 17-year-old girl and the older teenager's family members, Cleveland police said.

Seattle Times news services