WEST

MARINE GETS NEW LIVER AFTER 12-HOUR SURGERY LOMA

LINDA, Calif. – With little time left before his organs would likely fail, an American Marine received a new liver yesterday for a mysterious ailment doctors said would kill him if he didn’t get a transplant.

Doctors operated on Lance Corporal Christopher LeBleu, who had been in a coma and on life support, for nearly 12 hours yesterday after an unidentified donor from New Mexico was found late Saturday night. Doctors said the procedure went well, said Sergeant Jennie Haskamp, spokeswoman at Twenty-nine Palms, where Mr. LeBleu was stationed. He was in critical condition late yesterday. In the hospital lobby, his 21-year-old wife, Melany, found comfort in photos of her wedding last fall, shortly after Mr. LeBleu returned from Iraq. Despite her fears, she has remained optimistic since her husband’s illness was discovered earlier this month.

Several of Mr. LeBleu’s commanding officers, fellow Marines, and other family members huddled with his wife yesterday as they awaited the outcome of the operation. The cause of the infection is unknown. Dr. Donald Hillebrand, a liver specialist, said Mr. LeBleu most likely caught a virus or was exposed to a toxin or chemical in Iraq or after his return.

Mr. LeBleu, 22, was a rifleman in Iraq for seven months as part of a 2,200-man task force that lost 21 people and had nearly 200 wounded in action. His battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Lopez, said he wasn’t aware of any other members of the unit with similar ailments to Mr. LeBleu.

– Associated Press

MIDWEST

CARSON’S HOMETOWN TURNS OUT FOR MEMORIAL

NORFOLK, Neb. – More than 1,000 people gathered in Johnny Carson’s hometown yesterday to remember the man who sent millions of Americans to bed every night as host of “The Tonight Show” for 30 years.

Far from a somber tribute, the event was mostly high-spirited and included a monologue, a jazz ensemble playing the “Tonight Show” theme, and stage props like a desk and guest chairs where those who had known Carson were asked to talk about him.

Carson died last Sunday of emphysema at his Malibu, Calif., home. He was 79.

At Carson’s request, there was no public memorial in Los Angeles. The king of late-night television was a fiercely private man who made few public appearances following his retirement from the “Tonight Show” in 1992. However, residents in Norfolk said they wanted a chance to say goodbye. Many had known the late-night comic from high school. The memorial was held in the high school theater that bears his name. Fame did not diminish Carson’s fondness for his hometown. His known donations to causes in the town amounted to more than $5 million, including $2.27 million for a regional cancer radiation center.

– Associated Press

NORTHEAST

EXECUTION SCHEDULED TO GO FORWARD

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A defense attorney for a serial killer who wants to die said yesterday that he will remain on the case, a decision that officials said keeps the inmate on track to become the first person executed in New England in 45 years.

State officials said the execution of Michael Ross remained scheduled for tonight at 9 p.m. Ross had been scheduled to receive a lethal injection Saturday, but defense attorney T.R. Paulding asked for a delay so he could explore a possible conflict of interest. Mr. Paulding did not say yesterday what he had concluded, but legal experts had speculated that if there was a conflict Mr. Paulding would step down. Mr. Paulding’s request came hours after a federal judge criticized the attorney, saying he was not adequately investigating claims that Ross was mentally incompetent to make the decision to die.

– Associated Press