The industry, mauled by Hurricane Katrina, celebrated a victory yesterday when two boats arrived at the Old Hopedale Seafood Plant and unloaded hundreds of sacks of oysters.

"There's nothing wrong with the oysters," said Tony Tesvich, who lives on his boat because his home was destroyed by Katrina. "The waters are pristine, clear."

Harvesting had been off-limits because of contamination fears in the wake of the storm. But state health officials reopened waters east of the Mississippi River on Oct. 22.

GREENSBURG, Kan. - A rare 1,400-pound meteorite has been discovered seven feet underground by a collector in an area long known for producing prized space debris.

Using a metal detector mounted on a three-wheel vehicle, Steve Arnold of Kingston, Ark., found the meteorite two weeks ago in Kiowa County's Brenham Township in southern Kansas.

The meteorite is classified as an oriented pallasite, a type noted for a conical shape with crystals embedded in iron-nickel alloy. Only two larger ones of this type are known to have been found: a 3,100-pounder in Australia and a 1,500-pounder in Argentina.

Meteorites change shape as they enter the Earth's atmosphere. An oriented meteorite, which is rare, maintains a stable flight rather than tumbling.

PITTSBURGH - An international panel of Anglican archbishops called upon a gathering of their conservative American counterparts yesterday to split from the rest of the U.S. Episcopal Church.

"Yes, we will stand with you as long as you remain faithful, biblical, evangelical and orthodox," said Bishop Datuk Yong Ping Chung, who represents South East Asia.

Factions within the Anglican community have been divided since the Episcopal Church in the United States consecrated an openly gay priest, Gene Robinson, as bishop of New Hampshire and gave tacit approval to blessing services for same-sex couples.

NEW YORK - Clutching a goodbye card, a 4-year-old girl whose story captured the city's heart attended a funeral Mass yesterday for her mother, whose body was found in a landfill.

Monica Lozada-Rivadineira was mourned almost seven weeks after her daughter, Valery, was found wandering a Queens neighborhood in the middle of the night, alone, barefoot and frightened.

WASHINGTON - In an unorthodox move, the Senate has confirmed the appointment of Donald Winter as Navy secretary, but he will not formally take over until the current secretary's stalled promotion is cleared in an expected recess appointment by President Bush.

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