NEWARK, N.J. — Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey will be the first major airport to test new technology aimed at reducing chronic flight delays. The Ground Based Augmentation System uses global positioning data instead of radar to pinpoint aircraft positions. Officials hope it will reduce congestion at the airport by allowing planes to fly closer together without compromising safety. The system, made by Honeywell, will cost the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey about $2.5 million.
Anti-porn crusader indicted for porn
A former New Jersey lawmaker who had championed bills aimed at fighting child pornography was indicted in Trenton on Wednesday on child porn charges. A grand jury indicted Neil Cohen, 57, on four counts that include possessing, reproducing and distributing the illegal images. He also faces an official misconduct charge. If convicted of the most serious counts, Cohen could be sentenced to more than a decade in prison and $150,000 in fines.
Florida: Space shuttles up for grabs
NASA’s soon-to-be-retired space shuttles are up for grabs. The space agency said Wednesday it’s looking for ideas on where and how best to display its space shuttles once they stop flying in a few years. It’s put out a call to schools, science museums and “other appropriate organizations” that might be interested in showcasing one of the three remaining shuttles. Beware: NASA estimates it will cost about $42 million to get each shuttle ready and get it where it needs to go, and the final tab could end up much more.
Colorado: Obama-threat suspect
One of three men arrested after allegedly making racist threats against Barack Obama before the Democratic National Convention has pleaded guilty to a weapons charge in Denver federal court. Nathan Johnson pleaded guilty Tuesday in Denver federal court to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He faces up to 3 years, 1 month in prison at his March 20 sentencing. Johnson and two others were arrested in Aurora on Aug. 24, the day before the convention began. Authorities said they had methamphetamine, bulletproof vests and guns with them when arrested.
Georgia: Charges for head scarf
A Muslim woman arrested for refusing to take off her head scarf at a courthouse security checkpoint said Wednesday that she felt her human and civil rights were violated. A judge ordered Lisa Valentine, 40, to serve 10 days in jail for contempt of court, said police in Douglasville, a city of about 20,000 people on Atlanta’s west suburban outskirts. Valentine violated a court policy that prohibits people from wearing any headgear in court, police said after they arrested her Tuesday.
California: Road rage by musician
A Swedish hip-hop artist pleaded not guilty Wednesday to killing a jazz pianist in what police described as road rage. David Moses Jassy, 34, is accused of killing John Osnes, 55, in a Hollywood crosswalk last month. Osnes was walking across the intersection when a sport utility vehicle driven by Jassy edged into his path, authorities contend. After Osnes smacked the front of the vehicle with his hands, Jassy jumped out of the vehicle, punched and kicked Osnes and then drove over him, authorities said.
Texas: Six years for cyanide sale
Federal officials say a Texas Panhandle man who tried to sell a 25-gallon drum of cyanide to an FBI informant will serve nearly six years in prison. Jeffrey Don Detrixhe, 38, was sentenced to 70 months Wednesday in Amarillo on one count of prohibition against chemical weapons. An FBI affidavit showed agents taped conversations with an informant in which Detrixhe offered to sell 62 pounds of cyanide earlier this year for $10,000, a thermal imager and an assault rifle. The affidavit alleged Detrixhe bragged he could “kill a city” with the cyanide.
Forklift used in theft of ATM
Beaumont police on Tuesday arrested a suspect in an ATM theft in which a forklift apparently was used to put the electronic money dispenser into a truck. Police before dawn responded to an alarm at a Wells Fargo branch. They discovered an exterior ATM was gone and the forklift nearby, with its motor running. A white truck had been seen near the bank as officers responded to the alarm. Police later spotted the vehicle and detained the 42-year-old Houston man who was driving. Police are trying to figure out where he got the forklift.
Chile: British ship loses power
The Chilean navy said Wednesday that a British navy ice-patrol ship that lost engine power at the eastern mouth of the Strait of Magellan on the southern tip of South America is now safely anchored. A navy spokesman said 10 civilians aboard the HMS Endurance were evacuated by helicopter early Wednesday and the 128 crew members on board “are not in danger.” The passengers were transferred to a nearby lighthouse while at least one Chilean tugboat and a Norwegian cruise ship sailed to help the idled vessel. The British military said a flood in the engine room affected the ship’s power.
From Herald news services
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