A drug investigator says authorities delayed the arrest of a woman tied to governor Sarah Palin's family until after the November election, in which Palin was the repugican vice presidential candidate.
Sherry Johnston - whose son Levi Johnston is engaged to Palin's daughter, Bristol - was arrested December 18, 2008, on six felony drug counts.
She is accused of selling Oxycontin, a strong prescription painkiller, and pleaded not guilty Monday.
Investigator Kyle Young sent an e-mail to the Public Safety Employees Association saying the search warrant of Johnston's house was delayed for political reasons -"It was not allowed to progress in a normal fashion, the search warrant WAS delayed because of the pending election and the Mat Su Drug Unit and the case officer were not the ones calling the shots," Young wrote in the December 30, 2008, e-mail.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Today's readers
Today readers in:
Mexico, Canada, England, Turkey, Germany, Scotland, Sweden, Hungary, Singapore, Taiwan, South Africa, Australia, Israel, Finland, Japan and the United States
have stopped by Carolina Naturally.
And over at our sister blog readers in:
England, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Brazil, Italy, the Czech Republic, France, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Egypt, Iraq and the United States
have stopped by The Naked, The Nude and The Nekkid.
Mexico, Canada, England, Turkey, Germany, Scotland, Sweden, Hungary, Singapore, Taiwan, South Africa, Australia, Israel, Finland, Japan and the United States
have stopped by Carolina Naturally.
And over at our sister blog readers in:
England, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Brazil, Italy, the Czech Republic, France, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Egypt, Iraq and the United States
have stopped by The Naked, The Nude and The Nekkid.
Five Surgeons
Five Surgeons in England playing the 'up-man -ship' game
The first, a Manchester surgeon, says: 'I like to see accountants on my operating table, because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered.'
The second, a Liverpool surgeon, responds: 'Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color coded.'
The third, a Newcastle surgeon, says: 'No, I really think librarians are the best; everything inside them is in alphabetical order.'
The fourth, a Birmingham surgeon, chimes in: 'You know, I like construction workers...those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over.
But the fifth, a London surgeon, shuts them all up when he observed: You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on.
There's no guts, no heart, no balls, no brains and no spine, and the head and the arse are interchangeable
But the fifth, a London surgeon, shuts them all up when he observed: You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on.
There's no guts, no heart, no balls, no brains and no spine, and the head and the arse are interchangeable
Timber company drops road deal with Forest Service
From the "Maybe, they saw the writing on the wall" Department:
The nation's largest owner of timberland disclosed Monday that it will no longer pursue changes in agreements governing its use of U.S. Forest Service roads - changes that critics complained could transform forests into housing subdivisions.
Critics of the proposed changes had included President Barack Obama and Montana's junior senator.
Changes in the agreements would benefit the public, but "given the lack of receptivity, we have decided not to go forward," Plum Creek Timber Co. Chief Executive Officer Rick Holley wrote in a letter to Missoula County, which opposed altering the agreements.
Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey indicated as recently as last week that the changes negotiated privately by the Forest Service and Plum Creek would become final before he leaves office when the Bush administration ends this month.
Rey, a former lobbyist for the timber industry, said the company's decision is "not good news for the federal government or the public at large."
He had maintained the changes secured new benefits for the government rather than for Plum Creek.
Rey declined to comment further.
Critics argued that the changes sought by Plum Creek would have allowed it to pave Forest Service roads and make it easier for the company to develop vacation homes in Montana's mountain forests.
Such housing tracts could saddle local governments with costly services such as fire protection in remote places, they said.
Soon after a Montana campaign appearance, Obama said in July that the planned changes would further jeopardize public access to hunting and fishing areas.
Plum Creek owns more than 7 million acres nationwide, of which about 1 million acres are in Montana.
Company spokeswoman Kathy Budinick said the decision to drop its support for changing the agreements would have little impact beyond Montana because company's use of national forest roads is not widespread outside the state.
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., had focused his criticism on the private nature of the negotiations between Plum Creek and the Forest Service and instigated a review of the talks by the federal General Accountability Office.
"This is about transparency in government and making sure everyone impacted is at the table so they have their piece heard," he said. "This is, after all, public land."
Tester and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, have asked the Agriculture Department's inspector general to investigate the private negotiations.
That request remained pending when Seattle-based Plum Creek sent its letter.
Missoula County officials were "as surprised as anyone" by Plum Creek's letter, said Jean Curtiss, a county commissioner.
"Our concern was that Rey was going to sign this at the last minute, as a "here's what you get as I go out the door' kind of thing," Curtiss said.
The nation's largest owner of timberland disclosed Monday that it will no longer pursue changes in agreements governing its use of U.S. Forest Service roads - changes that critics complained could transform forests into housing subdivisions.
Critics of the proposed changes had included President Barack Obama and Montana's junior senator.
Changes in the agreements would benefit the public, but "given the lack of receptivity, we have decided not to go forward," Plum Creek Timber Co. Chief Executive Officer Rick Holley wrote in a letter to Missoula County, which opposed altering the agreements.
Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey indicated as recently as last week that the changes negotiated privately by the Forest Service and Plum Creek would become final before he leaves office when the Bush administration ends this month.
Rey, a former lobbyist for the timber industry, said the company's decision is "not good news for the federal government or the public at large."
He had maintained the changes secured new benefits for the government rather than for Plum Creek.
Rey declined to comment further.
Critics argued that the changes sought by Plum Creek would have allowed it to pave Forest Service roads and make it easier for the company to develop vacation homes in Montana's mountain forests.
Such housing tracts could saddle local governments with costly services such as fire protection in remote places, they said.
Soon after a Montana campaign appearance, Obama said in July that the planned changes would further jeopardize public access to hunting and fishing areas.
Plum Creek owns more than 7 million acres nationwide, of which about 1 million acres are in Montana.
Company spokeswoman Kathy Budinick said the decision to drop its support for changing the agreements would have little impact beyond Montana because company's use of national forest roads is not widespread outside the state.
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., had focused his criticism on the private nature of the negotiations between Plum Creek and the Forest Service and instigated a review of the talks by the federal General Accountability Office.
"This is about transparency in government and making sure everyone impacted is at the table so they have their piece heard," he said. "This is, after all, public land."
Tester and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, have asked the Agriculture Department's inspector general to investigate the private negotiations.
That request remained pending when Seattle-based Plum Creek sent its letter.
Missoula County officials were "as surprised as anyone" by Plum Creek's letter, said Jean Curtiss, a county commissioner.
"Our concern was that Rey was going to sign this at the last minute, as a "here's what you get as I go out the door' kind of thing," Curtiss said.
Testing Bio-Fuel
Air New Zealand, along with Boeing, Rolls-Royce, and Honeywell, retooled one of the four Rolls-Royce RB211 engines on a Boeing 747-400 to run on an unusually fruity blend of half Jet A1 fuel and half jatropha oil, according to Air New Zealand.
Read the rest here.
Just in case you missed it ...
... as the global financial crisis grew more severe this summer, foreigners sold almost $90 billion of U.S. securities — the greatest quarterly fire sale by overseas investors since the government began keeping track in 1960.
Full story here
Golf can be bad for your hearing
Golfers using a certain kind of titanium clubs are apparently at risk of hearing loss.
According to a study in the British Medical Journal, golfers using "thin-faced titanium drivers" should probably wear earplugs.
From the BBC News:
According to a study in the British Medical Journal, golfers using "thin-faced titanium drivers" should probably wear earplugs.
From the BBC News:
"There has been a tendency to make booming clubs for drivers," (said sports equipment engineering expert Dr Martin Strangwood at the University of Birmingham.) But if this were a problem it would be easy to remedy by filling the head of the club with foam to reduce the sound."
He said wearing earplugs was another solution, but said players use the noise as feedback to assess how they are playing and how well their equipment is performing. "So it might not work for all."
Thor Scares Thief
A would be burglar in Edinburgh, Scotland got a little closer to a deity than he really wanted to when he tried to burgle one particular home New Year's Eve.
The home's owner, Torvald Alexander, 38, returned from a New Year's party dressed as the Norse god of thunder and surprised the thief.
From The Telegraph:
The home's owner, Torvald Alexander, 38, returned from a New Year's party dressed as the Norse god of thunder and surprised the thief.
From The Telegraph:
Mr Alexander said: "As soon as he saw me his eyes went wide with terror.
"He looked like he had had a few drinks and decided to do a late night break in, but he hadn't counted on the God of Thunder living here."
He added: "I had just got back from a fancy dress New Year's party and because I have a Norwegian name I decided to go as Thor.
"It took ages making the cape, helmet and breast plate, and I must admit it was a bit chilly walking home, but when I saw that guy I just went mad and charged at him, my cape flying behind me.
And I Quote
The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness.
You have to catch it yourself.
~ Ben Franklin.
You have to catch it yourself.
~ Ben Franklin.
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
You're getting luckier financially, but this is not a blank check.
Interesting.
You're getting luckier financially, but this is not a blank check.
Interesting.
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