UVU names statistician to top admin. post

OREM-- Another top administrative post has been filled at Utah Valley University.

Mohammed A. El-Saidi, an Egyptian-born statistician, started Friday as the school's vice president of academic administration.

El-Saidi has spent two decades in university teaching, research and administration.

His last job was as department head and assistant dean of assessment at Michigan's Ferris State University.

Meanwhile, UVU legal scholar Jill Jasperson has been named associate director of the Center for the Study of Ethics.

Acid leak forces refinery evacuation

WEST BOUNTIFUL -- A leak of hydrofluoric acid forced the evacuation of the Holly Refinery on Friday.

About 600 workers were in the refinery at the time.

South Davis Metro Fire Chief Jim Rampton says refinery workers contained the leak before fire and hazardous materials crews arrived.

One man was taken to the hospital with minor acid burns.

Rampton says the refinery is shut down to undergo maintenance and upgrades.

170-year-old boat found in islands

HONOLULU -- Not exactly buried treasure, but a group of government scientists has found a 170-year-old whale blubber cauldron and parts of the boat that carried it.

It's the whaling vessel Gledstanes, which broke up on the reef at Kure Atoll in 1837. Parts of the boat were used to build a 38-foot boat called Deliverance which carried the stranded whalers to safety.

A team from the National Marine Sanctuaries made the discovery on Wednesday, halfway into a monthlong expedition searching for shipwrecks among the protected islands.

Government scientist Kelly Gleason says it's the oldest whaling vessel discovery in the islands.

Gleason says she's been looking for the Gledstanes wreckage for years but has always been turned back by bad weather and sea conditions.

Law officers arrest 20 protesters at Palace

HONOLULU -- State law officers have arrested about 20 people after the second takeover this year of the Iolani Palace grounds by Native Hawaiians.

About a dozen men in red shirts locked the gates of the 1882 palace Friday evening and posted signs that read: "Property of the Kingdom of Hawaiian Trust."

The takeover came on Admission Day, which marks Hawaiian statehood in 1959.

State law officers climbed the fence a couple of hours after the takeover and made the arrests.

Officials say the palace, which is normally open to tours, will remain closed during the weekend to assess any damage.

The Kingdom of Hawaii identifies its leader as King Akahi Nui, who was among those arrested.

A group called Hawaiian Kingdom Government occupied the grounds April 30.

Qwest union contract expiration nears

DENVER-- Qwest Communications International Inc. and members of its largest union kept negotiating Saturday night in the face of a midnight deadline, when a labor contract was to expire.

Workers represented by the Communications Workers of America have voted to authorize a strike if they can't reach a new contract.

The union represents about 20,000 Qwest workers in 13 states. Employees in Montana are represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which also is in talks with Denver-based Qwest.

Qwest spokesman Bob Toevs said company officials were hopeful the two sides would reach a tentative agreement this weekend.

The talks come a little more than a week before the start of the Democratic National Convention, where Qwest is providing phone and Internet services.

The CWA organizes Qwest workers in Colorado, Arizona, Iowa, Idaho, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.