Lawyer questions military's handling of terror suspect

That attorney, Jeffrey Aaron, is now questioning authorities' handling of Kabir during his capture in Afghanistan and during the two weeks Kabir was held by the military before being turned over to the FBI.

"We think a lot of the injuries occurred during his arrest," Aaron said." "We're investigating what happened and why he wasn't hospitalized."

Federal prosecutors say Kabir, a naturalized American citizen, masterminded a plot to murder Americans abroad and to aid terrorist organizations. They have charged Kabir and three other local men in federal court.

All four defendants have pleaded not guilty.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22149545/lawyer-questions-militarys-handling-terror-suspect

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Pennsylvania

Lehigh University, Bethlehem police have worked together to serve the community

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan recently proposed that some local nonprofit institutions, including Lehigh University, make cash payments to the city to partially make up for a structural deficit in the city's budget due, in large measure, to unfunded pension liabilities.

Part of the justification for this is that the Bethlehem Police Department responded to a number of calls regarding our students living off campus. The cost of the city's response was estimated to be approximately $54,000, according to news reports.

The Lehigh community has great respect for the work of the Bethlehem Police Department, which performs a difficult job with great professionalism. Further, there has been a high level of cooperation between the city's law enforcement community and our own state-accredited campus police force.

We would like to point out, however, that the Bethlehem Police Department does not respond to incidents on the Lehigh campus. Our own police department provides patrols 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on campus and in areas directly bordering our South Side campus. Students who live in off-campus housing pay rent directly to landlords, who pay property taxes to the city.

http://articles.mcall.com/2012-12-05/opinion/mc-bethlehem-lehigh-university-smeaton-yv-1206-20121205_1_lehigh-campus-lehigh-police-officers-campus-police

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Florida

Compassion and empathy may not be the first two words that come to mind when people think of law enforcement.

But those two concepts are an important part of new Flowery Branch Police Chief David Spillers' community policing philosophy.

“A lot of police officer-citizen encounters are initially formed around a conflict,” he said. “The person may be accused of doing something, accused of a crime, a traffic violation, or people are arguing and the police are called to intervene and keep peace.

“Necessarily, those relationships start from a conflict point of view. Sometimes that can't be helped; they can only be resolved in conflict. But I think the majority of time they can be resolved with a bit more compassion, a bit more empathy.”

And it's a philosophy that works, Spillers said.

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/76801/

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From the FBI

Eco-Terrorist Surrenders -- Two Operation Backfire Fugitives Still at Large

After a decade as an international fugitive, Canadian citizen Rebecca Rubin gave up life on the run last week when she turned herself over to the FBI at the international border in Washington state.

The 39-year-old alleged member of the domestic terrorist cell called “The Family” will face federal arson charges for her role in the largest eco-terrorism case in U.S. history, known as Operation Backfire. With Rubin in custody, only two Family members remain at large.

Along with a dozen other conspirators, Rubin is charged with multiple crimes from 1996 through 2001 in the West and Pacific Northwest, including in Oregon, Colorado, and California. The Family committed an estimated $48 million worth of arson and vandalism under the names of the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front.

The cell's most notorious crime was the 1998 arson of a Vail, Colorado ski resort that caused more than $24 million in damages and drew international attention to eco-terrorists—those who break the law in the misguided attempt to protect the environment and animal rights. The FBI took the lead in the Vail investigation, working closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, and in 2004, multiple eco-terrorism investigations were condensed into Operation Backfire.

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/december/eco-terrorist-surrenders-two-fugitives-still-at-large/eco-terrorist-surrenders-two-fugitives-still-at-large

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Dec 8, 2012

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Los Angeles

Feds: Father-daughter Mexican Mafia duo indicted for allegedly running Los Angeles gang network

This was the culmination of a 2 1/2-year investigation, authorities said.

The investigation and arrests, dubbed Operation Roman Empire, outlined how Danny Roman, an alleged Mexican Mafia member sitting in Pelican Bay State Prison, reportedly held a grip on several South Los Angeles street gangs, including the Harpys gang, through his daughter, Vianna Roman, 37, and her husband, Aaron Soto, 40, according to three grand jury indictments.

"Danny Roman exerted significant control over a number of street gangs that caused havoc across a significant section of South Los Angeles," said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles. "Today's takedown has significantly impacted the command structure he used to direct the criminal activities of hundreds of gangsters. Hopefully this case will cut down on the violence and drug trafficking that plagues these neighborhoods."

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22142473/feds-father-daughter-mexican-mafia-duo-indicted-allegedly

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Ohio

Details revealed in Ohio man's Taser-related death

CINCINNATI (AP) — An unarmed, mentally ill Ohio man who died during a confrontation with police was shocked with a Taser stun gun seven times, kicked and repeatedly hit with a baton, all mostly after he had fallen face-first onto cement and stopped moving, according to newly released court documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Police in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason previously said only that 39-year-old Doug Boucher died after he was shocked by a Taser, but hadn't revealed how many times or many other details surrounding the Dec. 13, 2009, incident, including the fact that an unresponsive Boucher was lying face-down on the ground for five of the seven stuns he received.

Now lawyers for Boucher's parents and the police department are preparing to square off in federal court in Cincinnati on Jan. 10. The department is pushing for the case to be dropped; Boucher's parents want their lawsuit against them alleging excessive force and unreasonable seizure to move forward to a jury trial set for February.

Hundreds of pages of newly filed court documents in the case reviewed by The Associated Press reveal the moments leading up to Boucher's sudden death.

http://www.reviewonline.com/page/content.detail/id/271597/Details-revealed-in-Ohio-man-s-Taser-related-death-.html?isap=1&nav=5038

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California

Sheriff Vows No Spying With Use of Drone

OAKLAND, Calif. | A Northern California sheriff has vowed that his department won't use an aerial drone to spy on ordinary people, but civil liberties groups say there still needs to be some guidelines to ensure privacy.

Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern said Tuesday that a drone his department is pursuing would be used for search and rescue missions, responding to wildfires and to capture fugitives, not for surveillance and intelligence gathering on civilians.

"This device is used for mission-specific incidents," Ahern told the San Francisco Chronicle. "We strive to gain the public's trust in everything we do, and I would never do anything of this nature that would destroy the public's trust beyond repair."

Ahern's comments came after privacy advocates raised concerns Tuesday to the county's Board of Supervisors prior its vote on whether to approve a $31,646 state grant to purchase the drone. Several groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, accused have accused the Sheriff's Office for months of trying to get the device approved without full public discussion.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20121207/NEWS/121209386/1410?Title=California-Sheriff-Vows-No-Spying-With-Use-of-Drone-

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Dec 7, 2012

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California

Pasadena Episcopal church hosting Muslim convention gets hate emails

PASADENA - An Episcopal church in Pasadena has been receiving "hateful" messages from other Christians over its decision to host the annual convention of a Muslim American civil rights organization on Dec. 15, according to church leaders.

Officials from All Saints Church in Pasadena and the Muslim Public Affairs Council scheduled a news conference at the Euclid Avenue church this morning to discuss the attacks prompted by the upcoming MPAC convention, the first the group will be holding at a church.

The church has received more than 25 hate emails and threats since Friday, Rev. Susan Russell, senior associate for communications at All Saints, told The Huffington Post. One compared Islam to Nazism and called Muslims "Body Snatchers." Another quote reads, "You are Consorting with the Enemy that is Killing Christians Worldwide."

One message, sent from South Carolina, says: "The problem is that by providing cover and legitimacy to an organization dedicated to overthrowing the Constitution, and substituting Sharia law therefore, you endanger my country and my grandsons' future."

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22137565/pasadena-episcopal-church-hosting-muslim-convention-gets-hate

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Florida

Zimmerman Sues NBC For Edited 911 Call

Murder suspect George Zimmerman sued NBC on Thursday, alleging that the network and its reporters manipulated the 911 tape in which he was heard to create “a racial powder keg” that would be sure to generate ratings in the wake of the death of black teenager Trayvon Martin.

In the recording heard by NBC viewers on the “Today Show”, Zimmerman seemed to say without prompting: “This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks black,” according to the Washington Post.

Edited out was the 911 dispatcher asking Zimmerman whether the person he was suspicious of was “black, white or Hispanic.”

Zimmerman, a 29-year-old volunteer neighborhood watch captain, faces second-degree murder charges for shooting Martin, 17, during a confrontation in Sanford, Florida on Feb. 26. Martin was unarmed and walking back to his father's girlfriend's house when Zimmerman first confronted him.

Zimmerman is claiming self-defense under Florida's controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, but the incident has sparked outrage across the nation.

http://atlantablackstar.com/2012/12/07/zimmerman-sues-nbc-for-edited-911-call/

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Washington

Files from father-in-law's home contain nearly 4,500 images of missing Utah mom

TACOMA, Wash. – Thousands of images seized from the home of Susan Powell's father-in-law show the missing Utah mother as she walks in public and sits in her car — apparently unaware that someone is taking her picture.

The photos — some of which are sexually suggestive — were obtained under public records laws Thursday by The Associated Press, three years after Powell went missing.

Authorities uncovered the files while serving a search warrant last year at the home where her husband, Josh Powell, and father-in-law, Steve Powell, were living. Josh Powell killed himself and the couple's two young children earlier this year.

Some of the images seized during the search, including those of bathing young girls who lived next door to Steve Powell, were used earlier this year to convict him of voyeurism charges.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/06/apnewsbreak-files-from-father-in-law-home-contain-numerous-images-missing-utah/

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Illegal immigration down in U.S.

Apparently, not as many immigrants are coming to America. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the number of illegal immigrants has dropped from twelve million to 11.1 million. It is the first drop in more than a decade.

This can't be good news for former President George W. Bush, who has rejoined the fight for immigration reform, says, “America is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants have helped build the country that we have become and immigrants can help build a dynamic tomorrow”

Making census of it all, fewer Mexican workers are coming to the U.S., which could impact the already shrinking U.S. labor force.

Researchers don't expect immigration numbers to increase any time soon, thanks to a weak economy and stricter border enforcement; but many illegal immigrants are returning home because they're ‘aging out' of programs like the dream act. Also, working immigrants aren't offered a legal way to become citizens.

Officials are afraid it will impact farming, home health care and other low-wage jobs that Americans just don't want. It looks like our melting pot is becoming a little less fluid.

http://newsfixnow.com/2012/12/07/10877/

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Ohio justices: DNA proof must be kept

Ohio law-enforcement agencies must retain all biological evidence in rape and murder cases, the state Supreme Court ruled yesterday. Justices said agencies and crime labs that wanted to be able to toss everything from all cases except those begun after a 2010 law took effect are wrong.

“Because DNA and biological evidence play such significant roles in the judicial system, it is imperative that law-enforcement agencies handle all evidence with extreme care,” Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor wrote in the court's opinion.

Kristopher A. Haines, an assistant public defender, said the ruling is good news for “any number of innocent people who could have had their evidence destroyed."

Before yesterday's decision, authorities could have destroyed any evidence that existed before the law's enactment, which could have made it impossible for people to appeal their convictions. That ruling was one of two unanimous decisions by the high court yesterday that could have far-reaching effects on wrongful-imprisonment claims.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/12/07/ohio-justices-dna-proof-must-be-kept.html

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Connecticut

New Haven program aims to change kids' view of police

NEW HAVEN — For some city kids, seeing a police officer in uniform is a frightening experience, but the New Haven Police Department and Superintendent of Schools Reginald Mayo want to change that image by bringing community-based officers into schools on a weekly basis to strengthen community ties.

At a press conference Wednesday, students, teachers and staff at Hill Central School joined Assistant Police Chief Luiz Casanova and Mayo to introduce this initiative, which hopes also to strengthen community policing efforts and complement the district's newly expanded community- and parent-engagement efforts.

“This initiative puts us in a position where we can listen and learn from students, as we will no longer be strangers but trusted representatives of the community,” said Casanova. “We need to know each other, whether in good situations and sometimes the not-so-good situations.”

The Police Department in fall committed to visiting each school on opening day, and the new program follows that effort and is part of an ongoing plan to cultivate and nurture positive relationships between officers and students at schools throughout the city, officials said.

“I want our young people to look at police officers as role models, mentors and friends,” said Mayo. “When we build relationships between our police and our schools, we strengthen the fabric of our community.”

http://nhregister.com/articles/2012/12/05/news/new_haven/doc50c02108d7db6912571680.txt

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Dec 6, 2012

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New Hampshire

Police, Town to Hold Public Meeting to Address Safety and Security

Bedford officials announce community informational meeting.

The town of Bedford and Bedford Police Department are inviting residents to a community meeting to address concerns regarding "public safety and sense of security" following last week's reported home invasion on Proclamation Court. The informational session is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at the Bedford High School Theatre.

On Monday night, Bedford Police held a meeting with residents in the immediate vicinity of Proclamation Court to address concerns specific to that neighborhood as well as provide general information related to safety and security.

The Thursday meeting is intended to provide an opportunity to reach a greater number of residents seeking information regarding the investigation as well as enable police to convey their message concerning safety and security.

The town of Bedford and Bedford Police Department issued an announcement tonight stating, in part: ... this crime and the subsequent dissemination of information caused Bedford residents to question their safety. Both the physical safety and security of our residents as well as the sense of safety and security are of paramount concern. The Bedford Police Department, in conjunction with supporting agencies, continues to work tirelessly in pursuit of the person(s) responsible for this act. The December 6 community meeting is an effort to assist residents in understanding what has been done, what is being done and what residents themselves can do to help the Police Department improve the overall safety of the community.

http://bedford-nh.patch.com/articles/town-to-hold-public-meeting-to-address-safety-and-security

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From the FBI

Stopping a Would-Be Terrorist Who was One Chemical Away from Building a Bomb

The 20-year-old Saudi Arabian man living in Lubbock, Texas was intent on waging jihad against Americans—possibly even a former U.S. president—and he was one ingredient away from being able to build a powerful bomb.

But Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari's deadly plans began to unravel when a shipping company's suspicions were raised—illustrating once again how the FBI relies on private industry and the general public in the fight against terror.

In early February 2011, a Lubbock shipping firm received a package from a North Carolina chemical company containing 10 bottles of phenol intended for Aldawsari. Combined with just two other chemicals, phenol can be used to make a potent explosive. Delivering such poisonous chemicals to an individual's home is not common, so the shipping company contacted the North Carolina firm. Both decided that the phenol should not be delivered and that local law enforcement should be alerted. A Lubbock Police Department officer was called to the scene.

“That officer and his supervisor—because of their relationship with the FBI (see sidebar)—decided that this was something we needed to know about,” said Special Agent Frazier Thompson, who works in our Dallas Division. “Our initial focus was to identify Aldawsari to see if he had a legitimate reason for purchasing phenol.”

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/december/would-be-terrorist-was-one-chemical-away-from-building-bomb/would-be-terrorist-was-one-chemical-away-from-building-bomb

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Two Most Wanted Terrorists Named Third Man Sought for Questioning

Two individuals—one a United States citizen who allegedly provided support to a foreign terrorist organization, the other wanted for his alleged role in the overseas kidnapping of an American—have been added to the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list.

A third man wanted for questioning in connection with providing material support to terrorists has been added to our Seeking Information—Terrorism list.

Most Wanted Terrorists

Omar Shafik Hammami, formerly from Alabama, has reportedly been a senior leader in al Shabaab, an insurgency group in Somalia. Al Shabaab was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department in 2008; it has since repeatedly threatened terrorist actions against America and American interests. Hammami allegedly traveled to Somalia in 2006 and joined al Shabaab's military wing, eventually becoming a leader in the organization. Hammami—who has been indicted in the U.S. on various terrorism charges—is believed to be in Somalia.

Raddulan Sahiron, a native of the Philippines, is wanted for his alleged involvement in the 1993 kidnapping of an American in the Philippines by the Abu Sayyaf Group, designated a foreign terrorist organization in 1997. Sahiron, believed to be the leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group, was indicted on federal hostage-taking charges and may currently be in the area of Patikul Jolo, Sulu, Philippines.

It's hard to believe I have been working alongside our disaster relief team in New Jersey for more than a month. Thirty-five days have passed since Hurricane Sandy first made landfall on the New Jersey coast on October 29 th . This marked one of the most damaging disasters in state history – battering the coastline with greater than 14-foot waves and wind gusts up to 88 mph. Even more unsettling were the 122,000 structures affected across 21 New Jersey counties – many of them damaged or destroyed. I've traveled to these hardest hit neighborhoods, met with the heartbroken of those who lost their homes, talked to children who were out of school, and committed to working with state and local officials to aid in the recovery efforts. As we move past this one month milestone, my primary focus remains on these people – the survivors of the storm.

When families and businesses begin to recover, whole communities begin to recover, and that is how New Jersey will revive and become stronger than ever. More than $730 million in federal disaster recovery money has been disbursed to start rebuilding the Garden State. Today we have more than 2,600 federal specialists working to support recovery in New Jersey, and our work is far from done.

State and federal disaster response teams were standing by with supplies even before Hurricane Sandy hit. As Sandy made its way up the east coast, FEMA and the Department of Defense established Incident Support Bases at Westover, Mass. and Lakehurst, New Jersey to position supplies and other resources close to areas in the hurricane's path. Following the storm, more than 1.7 million meals and 2.6 million snacks have been served to survivors and first responders.

http://www.dhs.gov/blog/2012/12/04/one-month-new-jersey%E2%80%99s-road-recovery-sandy

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Dec 5, 2012

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Chino Hills home small part of birth tourism industry

Called "birth tourism," wealthy pregnant women from foreign countries come to America on a temporary visa with the intention of having their child here. The 14th Amendment says if a child is born in the United States he or she should receive a birth certificate and is therefore granted citizenship.

However, the unanswered question is does this pertain to children of illegal immigrants or children born to parents who are temporary visitors, said Steven Camarota, director of research for the Center for Immigration Studies.

"There has never been a Supreme Court ruling or an act of Congress or a executive order that has really cleared this up," Camarota said. "The courts have ruled that the children of an legal immigrant, a green card holder, are automatically U.S. citizens, but temporary visitors remain a vague area."

Chino Hills officials have been dealing with the fallout from this loophole as an alleged Chinese maternity hotel is being operated out of a large house at 15250 Woodglen Drive.

The monitors of all that is good, just, right, humane, healthful and nonfattening had a field day last year when the NYPD arrested Ahmed Ferhani and an associate in a plot to blow up city synagogues and churches.

Ferhani had no capability to do anyone harm, they declared, and the department had overzealously targeted him in an undercover sting that entrapped the schmo.

Oh so knowingly, they saw proof in the fact that the FBI had declined to participate in the Ferhani case. Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance would never win a conviction.

Defense attorney Elizabeth Fink said the police were “looking for people to target so they can justify their illegal and unconstitutional actions against Muslims.”

Perhaps relying on the same FBI whisperers who tried to discredit the full breadth of the Police Department Intelligence Division's work, radio station WNYC reported:

“Two federal law enforcement sources . . . said the FBI did not take the case . . . because the undercover operation was problematic and the end result was being overhyped. They also expressed concern the case would ultimately not hold up in court as a terrorism case.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/dead-rights-article-1.1213476?localLinksEnabled=false

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Ohio lawyer sues mugshot websites

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio attorney is taking on Internet websites that post mugshots of people who get arrested.

Toledo lawyer Scott Ciolek filed a class-action lawsuit against five such websites in Lucas County this week. He argues that the sites charge a fee to remove photos — even if an individual has been found not guilty or the charges were dismissed.

The (Toledo) Blade reports the suit names two plaintiffs and five commercial sites that post photos of people who are arrested.

Ciolek said more plaintiffs and defendants could be named.

One man told the newspaper that while his 2011 failure-to-disperse charge was dismissed earlier this year, his mug shot remains online.

Arrest photos are considered public record and are often published on police agency websites.

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Dec 4, 2012

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CDC says US flu season starts early, could be bad

Health officials on Monday said suspected flu cases have jumped in five Southern states, and the primary strain circulating tends to make people sicker than other types. It is particularly hard on the elderly.

"It looks like it's shaping up to be a bad flu season, but only time will tell," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The good news is that the nation seems fairly well prepared, Frieden said. More than a third of Americans have been vaccinated, and the vaccine formulated for this year is well-matched to the strains of the virus seen so far, CDC officials said.

Higher-than-normal reports of flu have come in from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. An uptick like this usually doesn't happen until after Christmas. Flu-related hospitalizations are also rising earlier than usual, and there have already been two deaths in children.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22115275/us-flu-season-starts-early-could-be-bad

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Los Angeles

Did 'Knock-Knock' burglars hit you? See on Web if LAPD has your stuff

Since busting some 70 gang members and their fences in September, the police have itemized and photographed more than 10,000 purloined pieces.

"Now, we've moved into the prosecution phase of this case, and in the process of doing that we'd like to identify more victims -- and see if we can return some of the stolen jewelry to their rightful owners," explained Detective Joe Esquivel of the Valley Bureau.

To identify your jewelry online, follow these steps:

Go to www.lapdonline.org. Click on "newsroom". Under "Top Stories," scroll down to 11/19/12, "LAPD Knock-Knock Task Force..." Double click. Scroll down a bit, click on "Click here for pictures of stolen items."

http://www.dailynews.com/crime/ci_22118548/did-knock-knock-burglars-hit-you-see-web

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Arizona

Authorities say the girl, Emily, had been receiving chemotherapy at Phoenix Children's Hospital for about a month, Phoenix police Sgt. Steve Martos said Monday.

An infection forced doctors to amputate her right arm and insert a catheter in her heart. The device was set to be taken out before her mother removed an IV from the girl, changed her clothes, and walked her out of the hospital Wednesday night.

Police said if the catheter is left in too long, it could lead to a deadly infection.

"If she contracts an infection, it really could just be a matter of days that could result in the young girl's death," Martos said. "It's pretty serious."

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/us/article/Sick-girl-sought-after-mom-takes-her-from-hospital-4088679.php

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Florida

George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin case update, bloody nose photo:
New photo shows bleeding Zimmerman

A photo posted online Monday shows George Zimmerman with blood on his nose and lips. His attorneys say it was taken the night unarmed teen Trayvon Martin was killed in Sanford, Florida.

Zimmerman says he shot Martin in self-defense. Martin's attorneys say he was shot and killed "in cold blood." Prosecutors have charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder for the February 26 killing.

The picture, posted Monday on Zimmerman's defense website, was taken by a police officer, Zimmerman's attorneys wrote.

The state had previously provided a black-and-white copy of the image, the attorneys wrote on the website. "This high resolution digital file was finally provided to the defense on October 29."

A police report from the night of the incident said Zimmerman was "bleeding from the nose and back of his head."

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/national/george-zimmerman-trayvon-martin-case-update-bloody-nose-photo-new-photo-shows-bleeding-zimmerman

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Ohio

Ohio town helps post office keep Rudolph postmark

RUDOLPH — The most famous postmark of all has been saved, thanks to volunteers in the northwest Ohio village of Rudolph.

Thousands of letters flood the village post office every December so they can be stamped with a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer postmark. But the tradition was in danger of ending when the post office staff was cut down to one person, and the work became too much to handle.

“I struggled with it for a little bit, but then I just realized no matter what I wanted, it couldn't be done by me alone,” said Charlotte Lamb, who is in charge of the Rudolph post office.

When word spread, pleadings from local politicians and townsfolk persuaded the U.S. Postal Service to allow volunteers to stamp the special Reindeer Station postmark on the 80,000 letters and cards that come in from across the country.

http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/viewart/20121204/NEWS01/312040014/Ohio-town-helps-post-office-keep-Rudolph-postmark

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Dec 3, 2012

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Louisiana

'True Blood' town evacuated after 6 million pounds of explosives found

Police have evacuated a town in northwest Louisiana while they move out around 6 million pounds of illegally stored explosives.

About half of the approximately 800 residents of Doyline were evacuated Friday after authorities discovered around 1 million pounds of explosive powder stored by Explo Systems Inc. at Camp Minden, a former army ammunition plant.

Authorities moved to evacuate the town of its remaining residents Sunday after discovering up to six times more M6 artillery propellant -- 6 million pounds -- at the site, according to NBC station KTAL in Shreveport.

Police and Explo employees have moved just under 1 million pounds of the explosives into 18-wheelers, and have segregated another 250,000 pounds of the material for future removal, KTAL reported late Sunday.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/03/15637369-true-blood-town-evacuated-after-6-million-pounds-of-explosives-found?lite

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Illinois

Gacy's blood may solve old murders

CHICAGO (AP) — Detectives have long wondered what secrets serial killer John Wayne Gacy and other condemned murderers took to the grave when they were executed — mostly whether they had other unknown victims.

Now, in a game of scientific catch-up, the Cook County Sheriff's Department is trying to be creative: They've created DNA profiles of Gacy and others and figured out they could get the executed men entered in a national database shared with other law enforcement agencies because the murderers were technically listed as homicide victims themselves when they were put to death by the state.

The department's hope is to find matches of DNA evidence from blood, semen or strands of hair, or skin under the fingernails of victims that link the long-dead killers to the coldest of cold cases. And they're hoping to prompt authorities in other states to submit the DNA of their own executed inmates or from decades-old crime scenes.

Three vials of mass murderer John Wayne Gacy's blood recently discovered by Cook County Sheriff's detective Jason Moran are seen in Chicago on Friday.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/03/gacys-blood-may-solve-old-murders/1742045/

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Ohio

Ohio hospital shows how to make toys for disabled

Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Toys with small switches and buttons can be a challenge for a lot of children and impossible to operate for many with disabilities.

So far the past two years, the staff at Nationwide Children's Hospital has worked with families to teach them how to modify toys so that they can be used by all children.

They showed about 25 families on Saturday how to take apart a Talking Elmo, a dump truck that moves, and a drum. They also demonstrated how to add a wire so that buttons of varying sizes can be attached by a cord, allowing children to play without holding the toy.

A big button added to a bubble making toy will allow 9-year-old Emma Buchwald to use it by herself. She has cerebral palsy and would need help otherwise.

http://www.reviewonline.com/page/content.detail/id/270064/Ohio-hospital-shows-how-to-make-toys-for-disabled-.html?isap=1&nav=5038

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Missouri

The Marionville Board of Aldermen and the Aurora City Council will meet in a joint session at 6:30 p.m., December 4, in the meeting room at the Aurora Fire/Police Station, to discuss the idea of community policing. The meeting is open to the public.

The two boards met on September 20 to discuss the topic. While it is a new idea to this area, both groups voted to pursue and investigate the idea. They agreed that once more information is available, they will decide whether or not it is feasible to combine police departments.

According to a memo issued jointly by police chiefs Richard Witthuhn (Aurora) and Mark Webb (Marionville) and dialog at the meeting, the joint venture could be done on a two- to three-year trial basis, if the respective boards agree. The chiefs suggested, as well, that an independent board evaluate the continuance of the program.

One idea voiced at the meeting involved creating a police district for funding purposes. However, by the September 25 meeting of the Aurora City Council, City Manager Tony Stonecypher had investigated further. He reported the state of Missouri does not allow for the creation of a police district.

http://www.auroraadvertiser.net/article/20121129/NEWS/121128786/1001/NEWS

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