‘Infinity War’ opens with record $250M
NEW YORK — A whole lot of superheroes add up to a whole lot of ticket sales. The superhero smorgasbord “Avengers: Infinity Wars” opened with predictable shock-and-awe, earning $250 million in box office over the weekend and edging past “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to set the highest opening weekend of all-time.
“Infinity War,” which brings together some two dozen superheroes in the 10-year culmination of Marvel Studio’s “cinematic universe,” also set a new global opening record with $630 million, even though it has yet to open in China, the world’s second-largest movie market. It opens there May 11.
According to the Walt Disney Co.’s estimates Sunday, “Infinity War” overwhelmed the previous global best (“The Fate of the Furious” with $541.9 million) but narrowly topped “The Force Awakens” in North America.
The “Star Wars” reboot debuted with $248 million in 2015, which would translate to about $260 million accounting for inflation.
Massachusetts
Church from ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ reopens
GREAT BARRINGTON — A Massachusetts church building made famous by the 1967 Arlo Guthrie song “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” is reopening after some recently completed upgrades.
The building in Great Barrington is home of the nonprofit Guthrie Center and has been closed for about two months during the work.
The Berkshire Eagle reports the upgrades include the restoration of the circular stained-glass window at the front entrance, a new ceiling in the great room and insulation.
The building was to reopen with a memorial for a local journalist who recently died. Its regular schedule of community lunches, musical events and non-denominational services will start next week.
The building was known as the Old Trinity Church and dates to 1829. It’s where the Alice of song fame lived with her husband, Ray.
Maine
Suspect in deputy’s killing in max security
NORRIDGEWOCK — A man accused of killing a sheriff’s deputy was held in the state’s maximum-security prison on Sunday pending his initial court appearance.
John Williams was transferred to the Maine State Prison in Warren after his arrest on Saturday, the fourth day of a massive manhunt in the central part of the state.
Williams, who is expected in court on Monday or Tuesday, is accused of killing Somerset County Cpl. Eugene Cole, 61, early Wednesday after the two had an encounter on a darkened road in Norridgewock.
Helicopters, tactical vehicles and rifle-toting law enforcement officers poured into the region, putting residents on edge, but that gave way to relief when Williams was taken into custody outside a remote cabin.
Shirtless and shoeless when captured, Williams, 29, appeared to be exhausted when he was led out of the woods.
Oregon
Police: Missing trucker walked 14 miles home
LA GRANDE — An Oregon trucker who went missing for four days walked a shorter distance to get home than the 36 miles that was reported by the man’s employer, authorities said Sunday.
Oregon State Police Sgt. Kaipo Raiser said the agency’s investigation shows Jacob Cartwright, 22, walked about 14 miles over four days before he showed up Saturday near the town of La Grande.
His boss, Roy Henry of Little Trees Transportation, said Cartwright was driving a truckload of potato chips but the tractor-trailer got stuck after he took the wrong turn in an area with limited cellphone coverage.
The trucker started walking away from the direction he had come from without any food or water just after midnight Wednesday, wading through snow at some points.
He didn’t stop until Saturday morning when he neared La Grande, where he lives, Henry said. From there, the trucker got a ride from a motorist to his home.
Washington
2 shot dead, 5 others hurt in biker melee
SEATTLE — Authorities say two men were killed and five other people were injured after a shootout at a motorcycle club south of Seattle.
The King County Sheriff’s Office said the two men, ages 24 and 36, died early Sunday after a large fight broke out in the Family Motorcycle Club parking lot where bikers had gathered.
Two people were hospitalized with gunshot wounds, but they are expected to survive.
Meanwhile, three others were taken to a hospital for other injuries, including one person who crashed his car while fleeing and two people who were simply traumatized in the melee.
Nevada
Palms Casino staff votes to unionize
LAS VEGAS — Workers at a casino hotel west of the Las Vegas Strip have voted to unionize through a secret-ballot election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board.
During the two-day election, 614 workers at the Palms voted and 84 percent of them opted for the union.
About 900 Palms workers will be represented by the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165.
The Palms is the fifth Station Casinos-operated property to unionize since 2015.
Station Casinos says it is the third-largest private-sector employer in southern Nevada.
Minnesota
Several fall through
ice on Lake Superior
DULUTH — Authorities are warning people that the ice on Lake Superior near Duluth is not safe.
Several people fell through the ice off of Park Point on Saturday.
St. Louis County sheriff’s authorities said a 13-year-old boy fell in and was floating on an ice chunk. A man who tried to get the boy out also fell in. The man eventually got the teen and himself out of the water.
About two hours later, a 47-year-old Duluth woman was walking her dogs on the ice when one of the dogs fell through. The woman also fell in trying to rescue the dog.
Two deputies were able to keep the woman’s head above water, and firefighters and citizens pulled on the deputies’ legs to drag the woman out.
New Jersey
DeVito gets his own day in his hometown
ASBURY PARK — Danny DeVito has gotten his own day in his native New Jersey.
The Asbury Park Press reports the Asbury Park City Council honored the actor Saturday night by declaring his birthday, Nov. 17, as “Danny DeVito Day” in his hometown.
DeVito starred in the classic TV series “Taxi” and films including “Twins” and “Batman Returns.” The 73-year-old was born in Neptune Township and raised in Asbury Park.
