5 Things You May Have Missed This Weekend
From an American's North Korea captivity to a baby giraffe's $50k name.
— -- The crash of the Virgin Galactic experimental spaceship over the Mojave Desert and the midterm elections that will have Americans voting this Tuesday dominated the news this weekend. Here are 5 other things that made headlines.
1. American Held in North Korea Speaks Out After Homecoming
Chris Fowle says God has answered his prayers: The 11-year-old's father has come home after being held for six months in North Korea.
"We prayed to God and he answered our prayers, thankfully," said Fowle, the middle of three children.
His father, Jeffrey Fowle, was taken into custody in May after he left a Bible in a North Korean nightclub bathroom in the hopes a Christian might find it. The North Korea dictatorship has a strict law forbidding religions not approved by the state.
"I was motivated by the stories I had heard of the severe persecution of the underground Christian church there," said Fowle, whose wife Tatyana had told him not to bring the Bible into the country.
2. Surfer Bitten by Shark 'Blessed' After Friend Comes to Rescue
A woman bitten by a shark off the coast of Hawaii considers herself blessed that she and her friend weren't seriously injured.
McKenzie Clark and Brian Wargo were surfing off Halaula Lighthouse in North Kohala on Friday when she felt a bump in the water.
"At that point, his head was on my board and his jaws were chomping down," Clark said.
Wargo said he heard Clark screaming and saw her lifted out of the water by the shark, which he estimated to be about 12 feet long.
"I saw the dorsal fin and I saw the tail, kicking really hard, and she was screaming," he said. "I could tell right away it was a large shark."
3. Winter Comes Early for Tennessee Lodge
Winter came early.
Employees at the LeConte Lodge in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Tennessee dug themselves out of 22 inches of snow that fell Saturday.
The temperature on Saturday was 9 degrees, LeConte Lodge general manager Tim Line said. On Sunday the temperature was up to 10 degrees.
Guests at LeConte Lodge have been snowed in since Friday.
4. Alabama Man Accused of Robbing Subways Because 'Jared Diet' Failed
Every successful diet involves exercise. Robbing restaurants probably doesn't count.
Police in Hueytown, Ala., arrested Zachary Torrance on Friday, saying he robbed four Subway restaurants over four days.
Why?
"He stated to the detective he had attempted the 'Jared Diet' and it didn't work," Police Chief Chuck Hagler said. "He felt like he should get his money back."
Subway spokesman Jared Fogle made the diet famous, which was attributed to eating Subway sandwiches.
In a surveillance video posted on the Hueytown Police Department's Facebook page, police say Torrance, who weighs about 200 pounds, can be seen walking into a Subway restaurant on Wednesday, pulling out a gun and demanding that employees open the cash register. He allegedly stashed the cash in his pocket and walked away.
5. Naming Rights for Dallas Zoo's Baby Giraffe Sold for $50K
What's in a name? A lot of zeros if you're the anonymous person who bought the naming rights to a baby giraffe.
The adorable guy was born last week at the Dallas Zoo.
But he won't be so little for much longer. He already stands 6 feet tall.
The Dallas Zoo sold the naming rights for the baby giraffe for $50,000. The money will fund conservation efforts.