SOUTHWEST

AUSTIN COMPANY CLONES CHAMPIONSHIP HORSE

PURCELL, Okla. – Cloned offspring have been produced from two top-earning cutting horses, according to an Austin company serving customers who want exact duplicates of their performance horses.

ViaGen Incorporated announced yesterday that a mare at a ranch near Purcell has delivered a clone of Royal Blue Boon, a leading international producer of cutting horses, on February 19. Another mare delivered a clone of Tap O Lena, another top earner, on March 9, the Austin, Texas-based company said. Both foals were doing well.

Elaine Hall of Weatherford,Texas, who owns Royal Blue Boon, said the foal is the image of its mother.

– Associated Press

WASHINGTON

FEINGOLD ASKS WATERGATE FIGURE TO TESTIFY ON CENSURE

Watergate figure John Dean is one of two witnesses tapped by Senator Feingold to testify at a hearing Friday on Mr. Feingold’s resolution to censure President Bush. Mr. Dean was White House counsel under President Nixon at the time of the Watergate scandal, and he testified before the Senate committee investigating the events that ultimately led to Nixon’s impeachment. Mr. Dean wrote a recent column comparing Mr. Bush’s conduct to Nixon’s, saying both authorized warrantless wiretapping and both broke the law.

– Associated Press

MIDWEST

JAMES DEAN MUSEUM IN INDIANA CLOSES

GAS CITY, Ind. – The museum chronicling the short life of James Dean has closed after struggling financially since its opening in 2004. David Loehr, owner of the James Dean Gallery, announced in December that he planned to close the museum, but an outpouring of contributions led him to give it another try. It ultimately shut down at the end of February, though, and Mr. Loehr has packed up and placed the memorabilia in storage.

– Associated Press