Search dogs take break from mudslide recovery
Search dogs take break from mudslide recovery
DARRINGTON, Wash. (AP) — Families coping with the loss of friends and neighbors sought comfort Sunday in church services, while crews searched for more victims of the mudslide that buried the mountainside community of Oso more than a week ago.
Many of the dogs that have been essential in the search will take a two-day break, rescue crews said. Days of working in the cold and rain have taken their toll on the animals, and officials say the dogs can lose their sensing ability if overworked.
“The conditions on the slide field are difficult, so this is just a time to take care of the dogs,” said Kris Rietmann, a spokeswoman for the team working on the eastern portion of the slide, which hit March 22 about 55 miles northeast of Seattle and is one of the deadliest in U.S. history.
Dogs from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that arrived more recently will continue working, said Heidi Amrine, another spokeswoman for the operation.
Late Saturday, authorities revised the number of people believed to be missing from 90 to 30, while the official death toll increased by one, to 18, said Jason Biermann, program manager at the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management.
Officials have said they had expected the number of missing to change as they worked to find people safe and cross-referenced a list that likely included partial information and duplicate reports.
Authorities have said they recovered more than two dozen bodies, but they won’t be added to the official tally until a formal identification is made. Underscoring the difficulty of that task, Biermann said crews are not always discovering complete remains.
‘Noah’ rises to the top with $44 million debut
LOS ANGELES (AP) — After weathering a sea of controversy, “Noah” arrived in first place at the weekend box office.
Paramount’s biblical epic starring Russell Crowe in the titular role opened with $44 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The imaginative take on the tale of Noah’s Ark from “Black Swan” director Darren Aronofsky led some religious groups to claim the story had been inaccurately depicted and prompted Paramount to add a disclaimer to marketing materials noting that “artistic license has been taken” in telling the story.
The polarizing attention apparently paid off for “Noah,” which features such additions to the well-known Bible story as angelic rock creatures and chic wardrobes for Noah and his family.
“Noah,” which also stars Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson, also sailed smoothly in 22 international markets, such as Russia and Australia, earning $33.6 million abroad.
“It certainly feels like the film has really connected with both mainstream moviegoers who are looking for a really sophisticated film and those folks who really want to see a movie that honors their faith,” said Rob Moore, Paramount vice chairman. “It’s been a very interesting journey to get to this point, but it’s definitely a spectacular launch.”
“Noah” is the latest faith-centric film to win over audiences this year. Others include the independently released “God’s Not Dead,” which earned $9 million in its second outing this weekend, and “Son of God,” whose domestic total now stands at $57.9 million since opening last month.
“I think these biblical-themed movies are like the next frontier in Hollywood,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak. “Hollywood hadn’t cracked the code on a biblical movie that would have mainstream appeal. Now, I think they’ve figured it out. We may see a flood — pun intended — coming down the pipeline. We already have ‘Heaven is for Real’ and ‘Exodus’ slated for later this year.”
Elsewhere at the box office, Lionsgate’s teen science-fiction thriller “Divergent” starring Shailene Woodley came in second place and earned $26.5 million in its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to $95.3 million.
“Muppets Most Wanted,” the globe-trotting Muppet sequel from Disney featuring Tina Fey and Ricky Gervais, captured third place with $11.4 million in its second weekend. The latest Muppet caper’s total domestic haul is now at $33.2 million.
The weekend’s other major new release, “Sabotage,” flopped in the seventh spot with $5.3 million. The Open Road action flick starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is the latest failure for the former California governor, whose “The Last Stand” and “Escape Plan” were box-office duds last year.
Disney’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” which opens in the U.S. on Friday, dominated 32 international markets by capturing $75.2 million. The sequel stars Chris Evans as the patriotic Marvel super-soldier.