HOBART | Joe Negron and his 7-year-old son, Nicholas, wore matching smiles Tuesday as the two were reunited after nearly eight months."It's great to be back," beamed Joe Negron, a Navy serviceman who completed his fourth tour of duty in the Persian Gulf on Friday.Joe Negron's visit to John Wood Elementary School at the end of the day was done to surprise Nicholas, a second-grader, who hadn't seen his father since June."It's super Tuesday for the Negron boys," quipped Cheryl Negron, Nicholas' mother.Joe Negron couldn't fly into Chicago Midway Airport on Monday night as planned because of the fog, said Maryann Reynolds, Cheryl Negron's mother.But Joe Negron arrived in the area Tuesday morning and wanted to surprise his oldest son, who had been bummed out by the delay, she said.The surprise was a hit with Nicholas, who couldn't stop looking at his father and giving him an occasional hug."It's awesome," Nicholas said of his father's return.Cheryl Negron and her sons, Nicholas and Michael, 4, have been staying with her parents, Maryann and Gordon Reynolds, who live in rural Crown Point.The Reynolds family moved there from Lansing, where Cheryl Negron attended high school."This is a wonderful thing," Maryann Reynolds said while videotaping the father-and-son reunion.In coming days, the Negron family plans to get reacquainted by dining out at Joe's favorite pizza place, the Home Run Inn in Chicago, and hanging out at home playing video games.Cheryl Negron said family members have a lot of catching up to do since they didn't spend Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's together."This is very surreal.

Bus Owner says Driver Suffered From a Blood Clot Before Accident

BALDWIN--The owner of a bus that veered off Interstate 94 last week and plowed into a snow-covered ditch says the 39-year-old bus driver suffered from a blood clot. Dave Ebertowski, the owner of Turco Travel in Minneapolis, says Curtis Prindiville came very close to passing out and was able to steer the bus but not apply the brakes. Ebertowski says his driver did a miraculous job in reacting to his sudden medical problem. The Wisconsin State Patrol says Prindiville was driving for Tourco's Northern Tours of Eau Claire when the crash happened near Baldwin last Thursday. Ebertowski says the bus, with 49 passengers, was a charter from Minneapolis to Chicago. Some passengers suffered minor injuries.



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Hendry sits out Fan Fest

LOVES PARK, Ill. Randy Bush has been called upon to pinch-hit once again. The former Minnesota Twin, now the assistant general manager of the Chicago Cubs, has been announced as the new featured guest for Rockford RiverHawks FanFest 2008. Bush will fill in for Cubs GM Jim Hendry, who will be unable to attend. FanFest will be held 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7 at Giovannis Restaurant, 610 N. Bell School Rd. Tickets for the event are $25 and includes dinner, with tables for 10 available. Ticket proceeds will benefit the Rockford Boys and Girls Clubs. Tickets can be purchased at Road Ranger Stadium, Giovannis, Rock Valley Federal Credit Union, Tom Harmer Sports, and Got Quarters in Cherry Vale Mall. A limited amount remains. Bush spent his entire 12-year major-league playing career with the Twins and was part of the 1987 and 1991 world championship teams.

PAKISTAN: 'Missing Teenagers Lured by Islamist Militants'

Unfortunately Gul Afzal is not the only father searching for his lost son. There are many families who are desperate to get news of missing brothers and sons in the autonomous North and South Waziristan, and Tank, Dir, Buner and Mardan districts in NWFP.

Intelligence officials told IPS that one year ago, some militants took a 15-year-old boy from Shabqadar village to South Waziristan Agency where he was given training to be a suicide bomber.

His parents who were searching for their missing son received a message one day from a militant group that they should consider themselves lucky that their son had blown himself up in an attack killing five foreign troops in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan.

Chief of city police in Peshawar, capital of NWFP, Abdul Majeed Marwat says the militants kidnap teenaged boys because they are easy to brainwash.

Bulls hope Gordon can help end Kings' reign

You can forget those rumors about the Bulls going after Pau Gasol before the trading deadline after the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and two first-round draft picks.

For Kristi Yamaguchi, show is a delicate dance

RALEIGH, N.C. Things are about to get mighty hectic in Raleigh's relatively tranquil Hedican-Yamaguchi household.

She's a fan of the program, in which celebrities are paired with professionals to perform ballroom dances. One couple is voted off each week, based on judges' scores and viewers' votes.