LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Looks like we’ve got us a Dragon by the tail.”
NASA astronaut Donald Pettit,
after the SpaceX Dragon became the first privately owned craft to dock with the International Space Station Article, this page
Edwards-case jurors sent home
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The judge in the John Edwards trial abruptly closed the courtroom Friday to talk to attorneys about a matter concerning a juror and sent the panel home after six days of deliberations with a stern warning not to talk about the case.
U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles did not indicate what the problem was after meeting with prosecutors and defense lawyers for about 35 minutes. But she admonished the jury before dismissing them until Tuesday.
“All of your deliberations should take place while you are in the jury room and together,” Eagles said.
The jury’s behavior drew attention Thursday when the four alternates all wore canary-yellow shirts. On Friday, they all wore bright red shirts, as did two of the 12 jurors deliberating the case.
One of the alternates, a young woman, has also frequently exchanged smiles with Edwards and nodded enthusiastically during closing arguments last week as the former presidential candidate’s lawyer urged jurors to find his client innocent.
N.M. fire’s smoke stirs air-quality alert
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - As smoke from a blaze in the southwestern New Mexico wilderness spread across the state Friday, health officials warned residents to limit outdoor activity because of concerns over air quality.
The privately owned ghost town of Mogollon was placed under a voluntary evacuation order as firefighters worked to tame the blaze, which had grown to 85,000 acres or more than 130 square miles.
Two lightning-sparked fires merged Wednesday to form the Gila Wilderness blaze, which has destroyed 12 cabins and seven small outbuildings. The Baldy fire was first spotted May 9 and the Whitewater blaze was sparked May 16, but nearly all of the growth has come in recent days, fanned by relentless winds.
The strong winds pushed ash from the blaze 35 miles to 40 miles away, while smoke from the giant fire spread across the state and into Arizona.
Senator’s conduct called ‘improper’
WASHINGTON - The Senate Ethics Committee admonished Republican Sen. Tom Coburn on Friday over his contact with a former top aide to ex-Sen. John Ensign, the Nevada lawmaker who resigned last year after lying about his affair with the staff member’s wife.
In a letter released Friday, the six-member panel said the Oklahoma Republican’s communications with Doug Hampton and his actions on behalf of the former administrative assistant “were improper conduct which reflects on the Senate.”
The committee said the contact warranted a public letter of qualified admonition. Specifically, the committee said a meeting between the two violated the Senate rule barring contact on legislative matters within the first year of a staff member’s departure, commonly known as the “cooling-off period.”
The panel said it considers the matter closed.
Coburn’s office challenged the criticism, calling it “gratuitous.”
Man at office shot himself, police say
VALPARAISO, Ind. - Police said Friday that a gunman who held captives at an Indiana real estate office died at a hospital after shooting himself in the head.
Valparaiso Police Chief Michael Brickner said the gunman shot himself twice while holed up in the Prudential Executive Group Real Estate office Friday.
Police said the gunman went to the office looking for someone he thought owed him money.
Valparaiso Police Sgt. Michael Grennes said there were fewer than 10 people in the building when the episode began about 10 a.m. and that the last of the two captives were released unharmed after 3 p.m.
SWAT team members stormed the office less than two hours after all the hostages were released. Two loud bangs were heard before officers broke window glass and rushed inside.
Front Section, Pages 3 on 05/26/2012