Mom says boy, 12, accused in sister's death 'could never' hurt her

VALLEY SPRINGS, Calif. –  A day before a 12-year-old boy was arrested for the stabbing death of his 8-year-old sister, his mother described him as "protective" of his younger sibling.

Leila Fowler's killing last month shook the quiet community of Valley Springs, southeast of Sacramento, and set off an intense manhunt. Her brother was in the home at the time and told police he saw a man run from the scene.

Days later, the boy appeared with his father and stepmother at a vigil for his sister. On Friday, as speculation in the community built that perhaps the boy was involved, his biological mother told Sacramento television station KOVR her son "could never hurt his sister."

"I've never seen him be mean to her," said Priscilla Rodriquez.

Less than a day later, police delivered the stunning news: The 12-year-old boy had been arrested and will be charged with homicide.

For a community still reeling from the killing, the news was another blow.

"It's bad enough to lose a child. I can't imagine losing a child by one of my own children," Patti Campbell, a longtime area resident and owner of Campbell's Country Kitchen, told The Associated Press.

Campbell, a resident of the area for 33 years and the operator of the Valley Springs restaurant for 15 of them, said she had served Leila and her family in her restaurant.

"It's just shocking. I don't know what else to say," Campbell said.

Other residents expressed similar feelings of disbelief.

"I did not want to believe it. You kind of thought so, but it's not something you want to believe," resident Tammy Ainsworth told Sacramento's KCRA-TV.

Calaveras Unified School District Superintendent Mark Campbell said counselors will be available Monday at all schools.

The district "stands ready to provide whatever level of support and assistance is necessary to the Fowler family" and the community at large, he said Sunday.

Police released no information about what led them to arrest the unidentified 12-year-old for the April 27 attack. Following the crime, investigators did a door-to-door sweep of homes, storage sheds and horse stables scattered across the oak-studded hills foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Divers also searched two nearby reservoirs in search of clues.

Leila's brother told police he found his sister's body and encountered an intruder in the home while their parents were at a Little League game. He described the man as tall with long gray hair. A neighbor told detectives she saw a man flee the home, but she later recanted the story.

Police said there was no sign of a burglary or robbery. As part of the investigation, authorities seized several knives from the Fowler home, where Leila lived with her father, stepmother and siblings.

Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz said authorities spent more than 2,000 hours on the investigation before they arrested the boy at 5:10 p.m. Saturday.

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Louisville's Sara Hammond could have been playing for Geno Auriemma and UConn

NEW ORLEANS –  Louisville sophomore Sara Hammond had a tough choice when it came down to colleges. The Mount Vernon, Ky. resident was down to the Cardinals and UConn.

It came down to the ability of her family, notable parents Eddie and Roxanne, to watch her play that swayed her decision.

"I decided to stay at home because I wanted my family to watch me play," Hammond said. "I took a visit to Connecticut. I loved their program. I loved their campus. Geno Auriemma, besides Jeff Walz, was my next favorite coach. I saw the look on my mom and dad's face when they saw me excited.

"They loved it and they were happy for me. But I could tell they were going to be really sad if they couldn't watch me play basketball. And I knew 15 hours away from home would be heartbreaking to my family and me. So I think that was the main reason I stayed in Louisville. Instead of driving 15 hours they just had to drive only two hours down the road to watch me play."

It's worked out well so far as Hammond has thrived for the Cardinals getting them to the national championship game for the second time in five seasons.

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PLAYING THROUGH PAIN: UConn center Stefanie Dolson admitted that in the past she might not have been able to play through the level of pain that she is dealing with right now. She has a stress fracture in a non-weight bearing bone in her right ankle and plantar fasciitis in her left foot.

Dolson still played 29 minutes in Sunday's 18-point win over Notre Dame and finished with nine points and a career-high five blocks.

"Last year probably, the year before probably not," the junior said referring to whether or not she would have been able to play through these injuries.

"Obviously, maturity comes along with it. My teammates help a lot with just supporting me and making sure that I know that I'm not letting them down when I can't do things in practice or whatever, which is kind of a hard thing to swallow when you can't practice sometimes. But, yeah, I don't think I would've been able to handle it as well as I am."

Dolson said the only time she's not in pain is when she's sleeping. She said she's not looking into having surgery after the season.

"Just a lot of rehab and stuff," Dolson said.

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FREE THROWS: Notre Dame holds a distinct honor as the men's and women's teams were the last school to beat the eventual national champion. The men's team knocked off Louisville in the five-overtime thriller. It's the first time that's ever happened according to STATS. ... It's the third time that a school has had both its basketball teams play in the championship game. Both the Duke men and women lost in the 1999 championship games and Connecticut swept the 2004 titles. ... Louisville would be the lowest seed ever to win a national championship. One or two seeds have won the past 15 national titles and 29 of the 31 overall. ... Louisville is the third team to reach the championship game without a member of AP All-America first, second or third teams. Rutgers did it in 2007 and Michigan State achieved it in 2005. Both those teams lost. ... This will be the third time that the Big East holds both national championships. The Syracuse men won in 2003 as well as the UConn women. Connecticut swept the 2004 titles.

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AP Sports Writer Brett Martel contributed to this report.

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Richard Branson could be your flight attendant

Published April 08, 2013

FoxNews.com

• 

Sir Richard Branson is at it again. Branson, owner of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Racing Formula One team, is famous for his wild publicity stunts, but his latest stunt may be the craziest yet.

The loser in a bet between two airline bosses, Branson will be flying the friendly skies dressed as a female flight attendant on AirAsia's first flight D7-237 from Perth to Kuala Lumpur.

Two years ago Branson and Tony Fernandes, owner of AirAsia X and Lotus Racing, made a wager that whichever boss’s racing team finished lowest in the 2010 racing championships would have to don the flight attendant regalia of the rival company.

Both teams ended the season with zero points, but Fernandes' Lotus F1 team outplaced Branson's Virgin Racing by securing better race finishing positions.

Two years later, Branson will finally fulfill his end of the deal. He has agreed to serve passengers, dressed as a female flight attendant, on AirAsia X’s flight D7 237 from Perth to Kuala Lumpur on May 12.

"The day of reckoning for Sir Richard has finally arrived," Fernandes told the Daily Mail. "As an AirAsia X’s flight attendant, he has to comply with our grooming standards and that includes shaving his legs, donning high heels, putting on some makeup and slipping into the AirAsia’s famous red uniform."

Tickets for the flight can be booked online at www.airasia.com from April 8 to May 12 (or until seats are sold out). 

Fares will cost from $400 one way, and $100 from each sale will be donated to the Starlight Children’s Foundation in Australia.

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Investors in $7B swindle could soon get payout

Published March 15, 2013

Associated Press

HOUSTON –  Investors in a $7 billion Ponzi scheme orchestrated by former Texas tycoon R. Allen Stanford could in the next few months finally begin getting back some of what they lost. The process has dragged on for more than four years.

However, the amounts returned to many who lost their life savings ultimately will be only a pittance of what they put in.

The recovery process got a boost this week as the Justice Department and other parties that had been battling for control of about $300 million in Stanford's frozen foreign bank accounts and other assets agreed to work together.

The legal battle over the assets has frustrated investors, who have not received any money so far.

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Airlines' new pricing plan could take frequent fliers for a ride, say critics

Being a frequent flier is supposed to bring rewards, not penalties. 

But there’s a growing concern by some in the travel industry that airlines are planning to offer customers individualized fares based on how regularly they fly—and their best customers could end up paying the highest fares.

The change in pricing structure is a result of a quiet resolution made in October between the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and its 240 member airlines.  

Airlines already base fares on factors such as the route, travel date and when the ticket was purchased. But according to a new pricing model, called the “new distribution capability,” airlines will soon present customized fares based on host of personal data. Customers looking for special rates would have to provide information including passenger names, frequent flier numbers, contact details and other information before being quoted a fare, either online or through an agent. Kevin Mitchell ,of Business Travel Coalition, told FoxNews.com he’s concerned that these customized fares could result in higher fares for some –especially frequent fliers. 

“This personal information can be used to extract higher prices from less price-sensitive consumer – such as business travelers,” said Mitchell. 

Not only that, he says, but the agreement raises a host of privacy concerns. 

“This level of personal data intrusion is without precedent,” says Mitchell. 

Travel lawyer Al Anolik agrees.

“This worries me because gathering this information immediately tells me that the business travelers are going to be subjected to possible higher fares because the airline says, ‘I know who you are.’”

Where brand loyalty and history of flying has traditionally been rewarded, the new deal would reverse that, according to Anolik.

“They will say, ‘You are going to have to pay more and more because we’ve seen you’ve done it before,” he said. 

IATA officials say the change will add value for airline customers, providing them with more information about each airline. For example, one airline might allow free checked bags and meals, perks shoppers could consider before buying. They also claim that the added personal information only helps to identify each passenger and add value to their trip. 

“NDC provides a framework for airlines to sell in a more effective manner,“ says Henry Harteveldt a travel industry analyst at Hudson Crossing. “[They are] enabling framework that will allow airlines and the travel agencies they work with to be better, more effective sellers, providing tangibly better value.” 

Harteveldt said that the personal information provided will not be stored by an airline and used only to generate fares.  

“Just as a salesperson would take into consideration factors about a person who wants to buy clothes, a travel agent can provide some pertinent information to an airline before a shopping session starts that will allow an airline to understand who’s shopping for flights.” 

IATA also points out that customers can look for fares anonymously –but they won’t be able to take advantage of special offers and fares.

“If a customer does present themselves, they could have special offers,” Perry Flint, IATA assistant director of corporate communications, told FoxNews.com. 

The new pricing plan is expected to take effect in the next few years, with each airline deciding which aspects to implement for their travelers. 

But first, the resolution must be formally filed with and then approved by the federal Department of Transportation, which oversees consumers’ rights in the travel industry. That process will include an opportunity for the public to weigh in.

“DOT has implemented unprecedented rules to protect consumer rights when traveling, including requiring airlines to post their full fare so consumers can accurately compare prices,” Department of Transportation spokesman Bill Mosley told FoxNews.com in an e-mail. 

But travel experts say the DOT tends to stay out of the way with anything involving fares.

“The DOT is pretty good at protecting consumers,” said Anolik. “But they won’t touch fares. It’s like the cross to the vampire. You say, 'fare, fare, fare,' and the DOT won’t touch it.”

Mary Quinn O'Connor is part of the Junior Reporter program at Fox News. Get more information on the Junior Reporters Program here.

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