Airman who fell from C-130 identified
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- An airman who is presumed dead after an unplanned parachute jump from a C-130 aircraft off Florida's panhandle has been identified.
According to a military news release, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cole Condiff, 29, was a special tactics combat controller with 24th Special Operations Wing, part of the Air Force Special Operations Command.
Condiff is survived by his wife and their two daughters, as well as by his parents, sister and two brothers.
On Tuesday morning, Condiff fell into the Gulf of Mexico south of Hurlburt Field while performing a planned static-line jump.
Coast Guard air and boat crews spent over 130 hours on scene and searched more than 4,909 square nautical miles but were unable to locate him.
The Pensacola News Journal reports Condiff was a Dallas native who attended Utah Valley University and served a two-year mission with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Spokane, Wash.
"Cole was a man with deep-rooted beliefs who dedicated himself to God, our freedoms, peace, and his family. He was a devoted family man within our squadron, focused on teaching his girls to be adventurous like he was," said Air Force Lt. Col. Steven Cooper, commander of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, in the release. "This is a tragic loss to the squadron, the Special Tactics community and our nation. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and teammates at this time."
Condiff completed deployments to Africa and Afghanistan, and his awards and decorations include an Air Force Achievement Medal and an Air Force Commendation Medal with a combat device.
Search ends for man off California coast
BODEGA BAY, Calif. -- The Coast Guard has suspended a search for a man who disappeared after a fishing boat capsized off Northern California.
The search was called off Sunday after crews rescued three others who were on the boat and looked through the night for the missing man in the water about 30 miles northwest of Bodega Bay.
The Coast Guard said it received a distress call from the 54-foot vessel named Miss Hailee around 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
When a helicopter crew arrived, they located two men and a woman in the water and hoisted them aboard the aircraft.
Crews were told a fourth man believed to be wearing a life jacket was missing. They covered approximately 368 square miles over 16 hours before suspending the search.
New Orleans targets opioid overdoses
NEW ORLEANS -- The district attorney for New Orleans has launched two new initiatives to reduce opioid related deaths.
The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reports that Leon Cannizzaro pushed for the adoption of a mapping program that allows officials to track overdose cases in real time. The City Council approved the initiative last week.
Overdose information collected by emergency workers will be fed into the program, where it can be used to aid investigations. Examples include identifying overdose spikes caused by a bad batch of drugs or helping to track down drug dealers.
Cannizzaro also announced that his office has been awarded a two-year grant totaling about $357,000.
The grant will help bring additional resources to fatal overdose investigations by supporting a coroner's office investigator, an assistant district attorney and a case advocate.
Prosecutor race ends after 4-day count
SAN FRANCISCO -- Chesa Boudin has won San Francisco's tightly contested race for district attorney after campaigning to overhaul the criminal justice system.
The former deputy public defender declared victory Saturday night after four days of ballot counting determined he was ahead of interim District Attorney Suzy Loftus.
Loftus conceded and said she will work to ensure a smooth and immediate transition.
Boudin, 39, became the latest candidate across the nation to win district attorney elections by pushing for sweeping change over incarceration. He said he wants to tackle racial bias in the criminal justice system, overhaul the bail system, protect immigrants from deportation and pursue accountability in police misconduct cases.
"The people of San Francisco have sent a powerful and clear message: It's time for radical change to how we envision justice," Boudin said in a statement. "I'm humbled to be a part of this movement that is unwavering in its demand for transformation."
Boudin entered the race as an underdog and captured voters' attention with his life story: He was 14 months old when his parents, who were members of the far-left Weather Underground, dropped him off with a babysitter and took part in an armored car robbery in upstate New York that left two police officers and a security guard dead.
His mother, Kathy Boudin, served 22 years behind bars and his father, David Gilbert, may spend the rest of his life in prison.
-- Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports
A Section on 11/11/2019