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Man Uses Knife for Self-Tracheotomy

An Omaha man struggling to breathe used a steak knife to perform an at-home tracheotomy. Steve Wilder said he thought he was going to die when he awoke one night last week and couldn't breathe.

Wilder said he didn't call 911 because he didn't think help would arrive in time. So, the 55-year-old says, he got a steak knife from the kitchen and made a small hole in his throat, allowing air to gush in.

"It just blocked all the way and I just got up and I panicked," he told a local TV station, WOWT in Omaha. "Got a knife and located it and pushed in and blood went gush."

Wilder suffered from throat cancer and related breathing problems several years ago. About that time, he had an episode where he couldn't breathe because his air passages swelled shut. He said that's what happened this time around.

Doctors don't expect Wilder to suffer any adverse affects from the tracheotomy once it's healed.

Congressman Admits Child From Affair

Rep. Vito Fossella of New York acknowledged on Thursday that he fathered a child from an extramarital affair, answering questions that arose from his arrest on drunken driving charges last week.

"My personal failings and imperfections have caused enormous pain to the people I love and I am truly sorry," said Fossella, a Republican, who has three children with his wife in Staten Island, N.Y.

Fossella is the only Republican member of Congress from New York City, and the paternity revelation could lead to the loss of a seat in Congress at a time when the House GOP faces the possibility of a second grim November of election setbacks.

Fossella's private life came under scrutiny after he was arrested last week in the Virginia suburbs of Washington.

When Fossella was pulled over, police said he told officers that he was going to see his daughter in the area. That prompted questions about who the daughter was.

"I have had a relationship with Laura Fay, with whom I have a 3-year-old daughter," Fossella said in his statement. It was Fay who got him out of jail after the arrest. She is a former Air Force lieutenant colonel and worked for a time as a liaison to Congress.

Police said Fossella's blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit, and he could face a mandatory five days in jail if convicted. A court appearance on the drunken driving arrest that had been planned for next week was canceled, and he is now not expected back in court until June.

Fossella said he had no immediate plans to resign. The disclosures are a crushing blow to the career of a lawmaker once seen as a potential candidate for mayor of New York City. He faced a surprisingly tough re-election challenge in 2006, and Democrats have been hoping to unseat him this year.

"While I understand that there will be many questions, including those about my political future, making any political decisions right now are furthest from my mind. Over the coming weeks and months, I will continue to do my job and I will work hard to heal the deep wounds I have caused," he said.

If he was looking for public support to remain in office, there was little in the wake of his announcement.

A spokeswoman for the House GOP campaign committee said only that it expects the district to continue to elect conservative-minded lawmakers. A spokeswoman for the Democratic campaign committee declined to comment.

Fossella, 43, was elected to Congress in 1997 in a special election to replace Rep. Susan Molinari, who resigned. His socially conservative positions squared nicely with his largely Catholic district. He serves as a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Fossella's work in Congress shifted dramatically following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Hundreds of Staten Island residents died in the attacks, and Fossella became a prominent advocate for families of those killed.

As more recovery and rescue workers got sick after toiling at the ground zero site, Fossella pushed for Washington to pay for their health care -- an effort that has met with short-term success but no long-term program.

Hogan Sentenced to 8 Months in Prison

The son of wrestler and reality TV star Hulk Hogan was sentenced to eight months in jail Friday for causing a car crash that seriously injured his passenger.

Nick Bollea, 17, pleaded no contest to a charge of reckless driving with serious bodily harm before he was sentenced by Pinellas County Judge Phillip Federico.

Bollea crashed his car into a tree in Clearwater, Florida, on Aug. 26 last year. Police said he was speeding and racing another car.

Bollea's passenger and friend, John Graziano, 22, suffered severe head injuries and remains in a semiconscious state in a hospital.

"I think there has to be some punishment," Federico said at the hearing. He also sentenced Bollea to five years probation and 500 hours of community service and suspended his driver's license for three years.

Graziano's parents asked that Bollea be sentenced to some jail time. They said their son would need medical care for the rest of his life and are suing Hogan and Bollea for millions of dollars in damages.

Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, defended his son.

"Nick is a good person. He's kind, gentle and compassionate," he told the judge.

Nick Bollea apologized to Graziano's family and his own. "I pray for John every day. I'm terribly sorry," he said.