Local flavor - non political please

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Please share one thing that's happening or has happened in your local community.

A copy and paste from a local newspaper website, for example. Or anything.

Let's keep it non-political, if possible.

[almaty 19]

sad story

ALTON - A man planning a vigil this week in honor of his murdered son now is facing a new family tragedy - a pedestrian accident that seriously injured his daughter.

Scott Garner Sr. of Alton said the injuries to his daughter, Angela Willman, 25, are on his mind as he plans the candlelight vigil at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the 2500 block of Amelia Street. That is the site where Scott L. "Dink" Garner Jr. was slain in a drive-by shooting in June 2007.

The event will start with the release of 19 balloons and then a prayer, marking what would have been Garner's 19th birthday.

In the more recent tragedy, Scott Garner's daughter suffered a serious head injury, two broken bones in her left leg and two more fractures in her lower back and possibly other injuries at 10:30 p.m. Aug. 25 in Milwaukee, Wis.

A 16-year-old driver struck Willman as she walked in a four-way crosswalk, he said.

Garner, 47, said his daughter, of whom he has had custody since she was 3 years old, was in a coma two or three days, and in intensive care for four days. She still has bleeding on her brain, which must stop before her fractures can be treated.

Her prognosis is uncertain.

Willman lived in Alton until about five years ago, moved to Arizona and then relocated to Milwaukee three months ago.

Garner and his wife Darlene drove to Milwaukee on Aug. 27 to see Willman. He said she only recognized him from among her visitors, but could barely speak. He is trying to obtain legal guardianship in order to determine her treatment and any long-term care.

"It's going to take a long time, I know there will be some brain damage, it could be a coordination problem with her, a memory loss or loss on one side of the brain," he said.

When asked about how he is coping with two children's tragedies in less than 15 months' time, he said, "These three keep me going," of daughter Dana, 12, son Lucas, 10, and a 4-year-old step-granddaughter.

"At times I feel like I'm "just out there" and can't come back. This is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy," he said. Still grieving for his son, it was another blow to have someone come to his door and tell him a car hit his daughter.

"I was reliving last year, it was splashing in front of me," he said.

Garner and his wife have seven children between them.

He said he is willing to take care of Willman as long as she needs him.

"She's my daughter, I've already lost my son to a drive-by shooting, how difficult it was to walk in the room and see a 25-year-old who had been hit by a car," he said.

Friday's vigil for his son will be "something different" from those previous, Garner said.

"All day long we are going to have a blue sheet - blue was his favorite color - hanging from a fence and people can sign it. It will say, "Happy Birthday Dink." It will be something me and his mom can keep for the rest of our lives. We can see how many peoples' lives he touched while he was here."

Three 18-year-old men in a sport utility vehicle drove past the younger Garner as he talked with some friends, firing at Garner and a 19-year-old friend. The gunfire hit Garner in the chest and left thigh and wounded his friend, Charles Greer, in the left foot.

The suspects did not know the victims.

Garner died in a hospital emergency room at 12:25 a.m. June 11.

Coincidentally, the man accused of firing those shots is scheduled for sentencing today in 3rd Circuit Court in Edwardsville. A jury convicted the man, Nathanial Fleming, of first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm in June.

The conviction makes Fleming eligible for an enhanced penalty of 25 years to life.

"I'm hoping he won't walk out of there alive," Garner said of Fleming getting out of prison.

Garner has held vigils in the past for his son, including a tree-planting ceremony at the shooting site. "The vigil is done to make sure my son's memory is alive. Every year on his birthday I going to celebrate it even if he's not here, he's still in my heart. He can't walk through the door every day, but he's still deep in my heart."

He said even strangers come to the vigils. "They don't know me and they didn't know my son. They felt they should come and let me know they care. I don't know if there ever will be closure."

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Bay Bridge repairs proceed faster than expected

By Michael Dresser

2008/09/03 10:25

The Maryland Transportation Authority, which had said repairs on the Bay Bridge could extend well into the fall, is on track to complete work on the eastbound span within two weeks, an official said tonight.

Following an Aug. 10 fatal accident in which a tractor-trailer crashed through one of the bridge's concrete barriers and into the Chesapeake Bay, state officials announced they would need to conduct inspections and repairs that would result in lane closures over 10 weeks.

But the authority announced last weekend that it had completed repairs to strengthen the parapet on the right-side of the 2-lane eastbound span. And Geoffrey Kolberg, chief engineer of the authority, told a community meeting of about 200 people at Kent Island High School in Stevensville tonight that work on the left side would be completed by mid-September.

Kolberg's comments came hours after the authority said that it had found corrosion in some of the bolts that anchor the concrete barrier walls lining the left-hand lane of the eastbound span -- confirming the agency's suspicion that the same problem existed on both sides of the structure.

The authority announced Aug. 26 that it had found similar corrosion on the right side of the span near where a tractor-trailer broke through the barrier. The truck driver was killed in that crash.

After the finding, Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari ordered the immediate closing of one lane of the eastbound span to permit emergency repairs.

The authority closed the left lane yesterday and opened the right lane to traffic, saying the reinforcement work on the right side was complete.

While the left lane of the eastbound span is closed, the authority expects to open the westbound span to two-way traffic from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday.

At night, between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., the authority will close both lanes of the eastbound span when needed. At those times, it will also open the westbound span to two-way traffic. All three lanes of the westbound span will be open to traffic from the Eastern Shore at morning peak hours and on Sundays.

[IAMX 3,055]

Die, biker gang scum.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...K.DTL&tsp=1

Hells Angels leader in S.F. shot dead in fight

The president of the San Francisco chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was shot and killed Tuesday night on a Mission District street, police said Wednesday.

Mark "Papa" Guardado, 45, was shot at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday near 24th Street and Treat Avenue, about a mile from the group's clubhouse where he lived. He died at San Francisco General Hospital.

Witnesses told investigators that Guardado and the gunman struggled before the shooting.

"They had a wrestling match first," said Lt. Mike Stasko of the San Francisco police homicide detail. Then "the guy shot him, and he got on his motorcycle and left."

Police have made no arrests, but said one avenue they are exploring was that Guardado was fighting with a rival in another motorcycle group. "We're looking at all the options," Stasko said.

An attorney who was defending Guardado in a battery case in Sonoma County said that he was "absolutely devastated" by the killing and that "Mark was a wonderful human being."

"His friends loved him," said the attorney, Patrick Ciocca. "He really was an all-around good guy. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of people who are going to miss him dearly."

Members of the Hells Angels at the group's clubhouse on Tennessee Street in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco declined to talk about the killing.

At the street corner where Guardado was shot, across from a bar and a nail salon, there was a makeshift memorial where someone had written in large, black letters, "RIP Papa Frisco."

Nearby, others wrote "never forget" and "we will always love you." Five burned-out candles lay nearby.

Ciocca was unable to say how long Guardado had headed the local chapter. But he stressed that the Hells Angels had been unfairly harassed over the years by authorities who have raided the clubhouse in search of evidence that the group is a criminal enterprise.

"It's outlandish," Ciocca said.

The group's San Francisco chapter - or "Frisco," as its members call it - is the second-oldest Hells Angels club in the country, after Fontana in San Bernardino County. In 2004, it celebrated its 50th anniversary with a party that attracted about a thousand bikers from around the world.

The Hells Angels have long feuded with another motorcycle group, the Mongols. In 2002, a brawl between dozens of members of the two groups in a Laughlin, Nev., casino resulted in the deaths of three bikers and 13 injuries.

Edited September 4, 2008 by SRVT

[Ban Hammer 13,692]

zomg what horrible news!

link

[Mononoke28 137]

This one has been all over the news here in Denver: Prosecutor gunned down outside his home

Prosecutor gunned down outside his home

Police search for the gunman as the Adams County employee's colleagues mourn his loss.

By Howard Pankratz

The Denver Post

As law officers track the gunman who killed an Adams County prosecutor, the victim's colleagues are praising his dedication, supporting his family and wondering whether his work contributed to his death.

Sean May was gunned down Wednesday night outside his home in northwest Denver's Highland neighborhood. A man in his late teens or early 20s shot the 37-year-old chief deputy district attorney in the head and abdomen.

Adams County District Attorney Don Quick said May leaves a wife who is six months pregnant with their first child.

"Sean May had been with the office for seven years and was responsible for the supervision and training of new deputy district attorneys," Quick said in a statement. "Sean was a talented prosecutor, a loving husband and a steadfast friend.

"Sean was a part of our office, and the loss is immeasurable. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family."

Stan Garnett, a former prosecutor in the Denver DA's office who will become Boulder's new DA in January, said he was with Quick and Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey on Wednesday night, celebrating Quick's birthday.

"It is just shocking," Garnett said. "It is very rare. I can't even remember a murder of a prosecutor in Colorado. This is a very heinous act. I've already talked to a number of state and federal prosecutors. Everyone is very focused. This is a reminder of how important the work of prosecutors is and that they are involved with dangerous and violent people."

Morrissey said May's death was a tragedy for both May's family and the prosecutors of Adams County.

He called May a "committed public servant" who served the citizens of the 17th Judicial District "with honor and dedication."

May was admitted to the bar in 1998 and was a deputy in the child-victims unit, according to the Adams County district attorney's website.

After the 6:20 p.m. shooting, a massive search was launched for the gunman.

Neighbor Bob Nelson said he was taking a shower at the time and heard nothing.

After he got out, he saw a fire engine and ambulance pull up. A short time later, squad cars started arriving.

Police responded in force; at least 10 patrol cruisers blocked streets and alleys, and a crime scene van was parked in the middle of the block near the house where the shooting occurred.

In citywide broadcasts, the suspect was described as a white or Latino man in his late teens to early 20s.

He is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall with a medium build and a dark-colored mustache and goatee. He was wearing a black baseball cap, white T-shirt and khaki-colored, knee-length cargo-style pants.

Denver police Lt. Ronald Saunier said that the motive of the killer is unknown but that the attack on a well-known prosecutor raises concerns.

John Walsh, a Denver lawyer and former federal prosecutor, said May's death will be "incredibly traumatic for the people around him."

Such murders, Walsh said, are exceedingly rare. They energize police and make prosecutors "incredibly diligent," he added. "It is so important that you don't have prosecutors or law enforcement feel they are hunted or are going to be attacked."

[Dan J 277]

The new I-35W bridge, is nearing completion. About 2 months ahead of schedule.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The new I-35W bridge, is nearing completion. About 2 months ahead of schedule.

This is the bridge that had collapsed?

This story made me laugh:

Firefighters save fisherman stuck up to neck in mud

The Associated Press • September 4, 2008

MAURICE RIVER TOWNSHIP —Firefighters rescued a fisherman who got stuck up to his neck in mud for about two hours in Cumberland County.

An official says Wayne Cox was in his boat along Thompsons Beach in Maurice River Township when the tide went out.

He got out of his boat and tried to walk to the shoreline. That's when he sunk in the mud.

It took firefighters about 45 minutes to get Cox out.

[alienlovechild 75]

'Jilted bride' case: Ex-fiance wants a new trial

Wayne Gibbs alleges fraud regarding engagement ring

Read the motion for a new trial filed in Hall County Superior Court by attorneys for Wayne Gibbs.

By Stephen Gurr

sgurr@gainesvilletimes.com

POSTED Sept. 3, 2008 11:47 p.m.

A jilted bride should not have been awarded $150,000 by a Hall County jury because she defrauded a bankruptcy court by concealing the value of an engagement ring she now is trying to sell for $15,000, according to lawyers for the man who broke off the engagement.

RoseMary Shell’s lawyer, meanwhile, said the ring, which she described as "flawed," isn’t worth much and that it was uncertain who owned it when her client filed for bankruptcy.

Shell failed to tell a U.S. Bankruptcy Court about the existence of the ring, which defendant Wayne Gibbs gave her in a promise to marry in November 2006, according to a motion for a new trial filed in Hall County Superior Court by Gibbs’ attorneys. The motion also maintains that Shell had a legal obligation to get the bankruptcy court’s approval before going forward with the lawsuit against Gibbs.

Shell’s bankruptcy filing was presented in court as evidence that Shell made a financial sacrifice by quitting an $80,000-a-year job in Florida to move to Gainesville and be with Gibbs. Gibbs backed out of the proposed marriage a few days before the planned wedding date in early December 2006. Shell later filed for bankruptcy and ended up working a $31,000-a-year job.

In an unusual civil case, Shell sued Gibbs in July 2007, alleging breach of contract. A Hall County jury of six men and six women decided in July that Gibbs owed Shell after she quit her job and moved to Gainesville under the impression he would marry her. Her legal victory drew national media attention.

But according to Gibbs’ attorneys, Shell defrauded a federal bankruptcy court because she never informed it of the existence of her lawsuit against Gibbs or the ring, which she is now advertising for sale on the Internet at a price of $15,000. Gibbs is being represented by Hammond Law of Gainesville and Edward Hine Jr. of Rome.

"The verdict was contrary to the law, the evidence and justice as it was procured by fraud," the attorneys wrote in a motion for new trial submitted to Hall County Superior Court Judge Kathlene Gosselin. "The plaintiff obtained a discharge of her debts from the bankruptcy court and perpetrated a fraud on her creditors by failing to properly disclose the true value of the engagement ring and the existence of the cause of action against the defendant. The plaintiff then used the fraudulently obtained discharge and relied upon it in the evidence to obtain the verdict against the defendant, and the court should set aside the verdict as contrary to the law, the evidence and justice."

According to Gibbs’ motion, Shell had secured and unsecured debts of $198,000. In her bankruptcy petition, she listed her jewelry assets as being worth $500.

Shell has advertised the ring on the Internet with the description, "As seen on the ‘Today’ show," according to an exhibit attached to Gibbs’ motion. The listed asking price is $15,000.

There was no testimony during the trial as to how much Gibbs spent on the gold and diamond ring, which he bought at a local jewelry store. Gibbs did not ask to have the ring back after he broke off the engagement.

The motion also asks Gosselin to grant a new trial because, Gibbs’ attorneys maintain, the jury’s verdict was "excessive" in light of the evidence presented at the trial.

Reached Wednesday, Shell referred questions about Gibbs’ motion for new trial to her attorney, Lydia Sartain.

Sartain denied that Shell obtained a bankruptcy judgment fraudulently, noting that the suit against Gibbs wasn’t filed until months after the bankruptcy petition, and that the ownership of the engagement ring "wasn’t firmly established until the trial."

"I think the ownership was certainly questionable back in December (2006) when the bankruptcy was filed," Sartain said.

Sartain added that recent efforts by Shell to sell the ring have been fruitless.

"Several people have looked at the ring," Sartain said. "It has a lot of flaws and is probably not worth anything much. It’s really of poor quality."

Sartain said Gibbs’ lawyers were mixing rules and issues involving two distinctly separate courts.

"Even if there was some issue (in the bankruptcy filing), that would be something for the bankruptcy court to look into, not (the superior) court," Sartain said. "I don’t believe they’ve raised any issues that merit a new trial."

Gibbs could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Hine, one of his two attorneys, declined to comment beyond the contents of the motion.

Gosselin has set a November hearing date for the motion.

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/8425/

[natty bumppo 297]

news from todays Houston Chron ...

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Die, biker gang scum.

[Dan J 277]

The new I-35W bridge, is nearing completion. About 2 months ahead of schedule.

This is the bridge that had collapsed?

Yup, It was scheduled to be reopened in December, but they will be reopening within the next month.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The new I-35W bridge, is nearing completion. About 2 months ahead of schedule.

This is the bridge that had collapsed?

Yup, It was scheduled to be reopened in December, but they will be reopening within the next month.

Nice!

[Ban Hammer 13,692]

It took firefighters about 45 minutes to get Cox out.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Here's another one. This is actually a good idea!

Town offering 'work here, live here' aid

Interested home buyers in Woodbridge can now cut their commuting costs and get help buy ing a home through a new program that encourages people who work in Woodbridge to live in the township.

"Live Where You Work Home Buyer" program, a partnership between town officials and the state Department of Community Affairs, is geared toward single people and young families who are looking to put down roots in Woodbridge as workers and residents.

In the program, home buyers who work in the designated town can receive a low-interest, 30- or 40-year, fixed-rate mortgage from the HMFA, which will also offer assistance with down payments or closing costs in an amount equal to 5 percent of the mortgage loan.