WASHINGTON – Placing bets over the Internet was effectively criminalized by the federal government Friday, as lawmakers work to eliminate an activity enjoyed by as many as 23 million Americans who wagered an estimated $6 billion last year. President Bush on Friday signed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which prohibits online gamblers from using credit cards, checks and electronic fund transfers to place and settle bets. The law puts enforcement on the shoulders of banks and other U.S. financial institutions, some of which fought the legislation.
Florida: Plane lands on freeway
A small plane that landed on Interstate 4 on Friday, creating a spectacle near downtown Orlando that snarled traffic, was piloted by the Reform Party’s candidate for governor, a campaign spokeswoman said. Max Linn, a former flight instructor and the only person aboard the Cessna 172, was taken to a hospital and expected to be kept overnight, but his injuries were not life-threatening, a campaign assistant said. The plane did not suffer extensive body damage.
Colorado: Ski area opens early
Arapahoe Basin let skiers and snowboarders carve turns in man-made snow on a ski run and terrain park Friday, winning the public relations battle to open the nation’s ski season. Loveland ski area, Arapahoe Basin’s neighbor along the Continental Divide 70 miles west of Denver, had been the first to open for continuous operation the past six years. “We have wanted this title for a very long time and we’re excited to see it finally come to fruition,” the general manager at Arapahoe Basin said.
Wyoming: Cutting back on howitzer
Officials plan to trigger controlled avalanches at Sylvan Pass in Yellowstone National Park this winter by dropping explosives from a helicopter while cutting back on the use of an aging 105 mm howitzer. Park officials have been trying to reduce the use of the howitzer for years because they say it’s unsafe for employees and often shoots shells that do not immediately explode, but could detonate later. Park officials estimate there are as many as 300 unexploded howitzer shells in the hills around Sylvan Pass from years of using the howitzer.
Ohio: Trooper was legally drunk
A highway patrolman was legally drunk when his cruiser crashed into another vehicle last month, killing him, another trooper and the other driver, officials said Friday. The State Highway Patrol said a blood test on trooper Joshua Risner showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.08, the level considered drunk under Ohio law. Neither Risner’s passenger, trooper Sgt. Dale Holcomb, nor the driver of the other car, 32-year-old Lori Smith, had been drinking before the crash Sept. 28 near Gallipolis, the patrol said.
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