HONOLULU (AP) - The National Transportation Safety Board has issued its final report in the case of a go! airlines flight from Honolulu that overflew Hilo International Airport by 30 miles. The NTSB yesterday confirmed an initial finding that the captain and first officer inadvertently fell asleep while the plane was on autopilot. The board says a contributing factor was the captain's previously undiagnosed severe obstructive sleep apnea. The flight ended with the plane landing safely.
O.J. SIMPSON
LAS VEGAS (AP) - A trio of Nevada Supreme Court justices is considering whether
to let O.J. Simpson and a former golfing buddy out of prison while the full
court reviews their convictions for a gunpoint hotel room heist. Simpson and
co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart weren't in the courtroom, but their lawyers
say they deserve to go free while they work to prove that they were denied a
fair trial. Clark County District Attorney David Roger argued that a jury had
spoken, and the two men should continue to serve their sentences for kidnapping
and armed robbery.
52 ZOOS IN 52 WEEKS
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - It's been a wild year for members of an Ohio family, who
say they've accomplished a goal of visiting 52 zoos in 52 weeks. Columbus
resident Marla Taviano, her husband and three daughters began last August with
the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky and spent weekends and vacations going to zoos
across the U.S. Their visits included the Dallas Zoo, New York's Central Park
Zoo and the San Diego Zoo. Their Web site shows they wound up hitting 55 animal
parks to see giraffes, reindeer and snow leopards. The family's 22,000-mile tour
ended Saturday with a visit to their hometown Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
ILLINOIS VILLAGE-BANKRUPTCY
WASHINGTON PARK, Ill. (AP) - The village of Washington Park, Illinois -- best
known for its strip clubs -- has filed for bankruptcy protection for the second
time in five years. The St. Clair County community of roughly 5,300 people filed
for Chapter 9 protection last month, citing assets of less than $50,000 and debt
of more than $1 million. The village - home to nine strip clubs - says its two
largest creditors are the Illinois Department of Employment Security and former
public safety chief John "Chico" Matt, who is owed $300,000. Washington Park
also owes trash haulers, the police pension fund and even one of its topless
nightclubs.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA-COLORADO
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - A medical marijuana user is on trial in Colorado, accused
of possessing too much of the drug. Thirty-eight-year-old Jason Lauve was
arrested in June 2008 after police say they found more than 30 marijuana plants
in his home. Colorado's medical marijuana law allows people to have six
marijuana plants and two ounces of usable marijuana. However it also allows
patients to prove they need more to treat their condition. Lauve has said that
he had trouble growing marijuana and that dozens of the plants were unusable.
CHRONIC CHICAGO SHOPLIFTER
CHICAGO (AP) - Authorities say an 86-year-old woman charged with shoplifting
wrinkle cream and other items from a Chicago grocery store has been arrested 61
times since 1956. Ella Orko was arrested Sunday afternoon on the North Side
after she allegedly stuffed $252 worth of groceries into her pants, including
cosmetics, salmon, batteries and instant coffee. She was charged with felony
shoplifting. Police say Orko has gone by as many as 20 aliases in the past.
Court records indicate that she has now been arrested 61 times and has 13
convictions for shoplifting. She's being held on $10,000 bail.
