News In Brief

WHAT, NO AFTER-DINNER MINT?

If you're keeping score at home, the new record for making up a bed in Super 8 lodging-chain ranks belongs to Rebecca Tobar. The housekeeper at the motel in Spearfish, S.D., defeated 39 other finalists from regional competitions across the US and Canada in last weekend's International Bed-making Championship at Bloomington, Minn. Starting from scratch, she fitted a queen-size mattress with two sheets, a blanket, and a comforter - and two pillows with cases - in 2:02. (That's two minutes and two seconds.) Wrinkles, cockeyed alignment, or improper tucks each added five seconds to a contestant's time. Grand prize: the winner's choice of $25,000 in cash or a new Dodge Caravan.

Andrew was without peer as US's worst hurricane so far

A "normal" hurricane season is predicted this year by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, meaning that as many as 11 tropical storms - including five to seven hurricanes - could threaten the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts between June 1 and Nov. 30. The costliest hurricanes to hit those coasts since 1900, in billions of dollars of damage:

1. Andrew, 1992 $26.5

2. Hugo, 1989 7.0

3. Fran, 1996 3.2

4. Opal, 1995 3.0

5. Frederic, 1979 2.3

6. Agnes, 1972 2.1

7. Alicia, 1983 2.0

8. Bob, 1991 1.5

9. Juan, 1985 1.5

10. Marilyn, 1995 1.5

- Reuters

(c) Copyright 2001. The Christian Science Monitor