Casey Talking Freely With Parents

Friday, August 22, 2008

ORLANDO -- The Anthony family spokesman, Larry Garrison, said Caylee Anthony’s mother, Casey, is talking freely with her parents, and helping with new leads into the whereabouts of the missing 3-year-old.

Casey Anthony was released Thursday after spending over a month in jail.

Garrison said he has no doubt the child was kidnapped, and Casey is worried about her well-being.

He also said she was providing more details she couldn't give in jail, but he refused to go into details.

Prairie dogs possibly help aquifer

BY LAURA BAUER
Kansas City Star

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Jeffrey Harsh admits he would try just about anything to save the prairie dog.

Not content to sit and watch counties and landowners across the Plains wipe the land clean of the critters, he wants to do something -- plead the case of the prairie dog, if you will.

His recent plea has some wildlife preservationists nodding their heads in agreement but others chuckling.

The theory -- espoused by others over the years -- is that by burrowing the land above one of the world's largest underground water supplies, prairie dogs loosen the soil and allow rain to seep through and recharge it.

More prairie dogs throughout the Plains would mean more rainwater into the dwindling Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies water to eight states, including Kansas.

"Prairie dogs can penetrate the zone (of the Ogallala) that rainwater can't do on its own," said Harsh, who owns an animal refuge in western Kansas' Logan County. "People have deemed them as being from the dark side... but, yes, the prairie dog is a major player in allowing the aquifer to be replenished."

Some say that's just a myth, one more effort to save the prairie dogs. Many farmers and ranchers have maintained that the animals cause havoc on their land. Through the years, their population has been significantly scaled back to a fraction of what it was.

The war over the critters has become so fierce it landed in a Logan County courtroom last year. One farmer, Larry Haverfield, understands the need for prairie dogs and wants them on his land. But when other farmers complained, the county intervened and did what state law allows counties to do: lay poison when landowners won't.

But as for that theory about the water supply? "Help recharge the (Ogallala) aquifer?" Joel Schneekloth, a regional water resource specialist with the Colorado State University extension, said with a laugh. "I've heard a lot of wild, goofy ideas, and this is one of them."

Schneekloth says there's no scientific evidence that one of cattle ranchers' worst nightmares could be a water-supply blessing. As Schneekloth put it: "In our business, we have to go with science and what you can prove."

OK, Harsh and some wildlife preservationists said, then do some analysis. See whether it's true. And do it soon.

"Do it before it's too late, before they're all gone," Harsh said. "My goal is to lighten up on the poor critters. they are being obliterated."

Rare Ferrets Thriving

Rare ferrets seem to thrive
BY BECCY TANNER AND TRAVIS HEYING
The Wichita Eagle

Love blossomed on the Kansas prairie this spring and summer.

Some of the 24 rare black-footed ferrets reintroduced to western Kansas last December survived -- and at least four reproduced, wildlife volunteers confirmed after attempting to count the ferrets last week.

"The results have been superb," said Ron Klataske, executive director of Audubon of Kansas. The exact count is unknown. Klataske is hopeful that a third to half of the ferrets released in December survived.

The newest residents of Logan County are grouchy and reclusive. They can be spotted only briefly at night and are often tricky enough to avoid human contact.

But Thursday night, volunteers finally captured one of the ferret young. They checked his health, gave him a microchip and released him.

"He was chattering at us and barking at us. He was feisty," said Samantha Wisely, assistant biology professor at Kansas State University. "The moms are more mellow. They were captive raised and have seen people before. It was really nice to see a wild-born acting up and not wanting to be around people. He was doing his thing."

That's the best officials could have hoped for.

The young ferret is probably from the first litter of ferrets born in Kansas in more than 50 years.

Black-footed ferrets were believed to be extinct, until a small colony was found near Meeteetse, Wyo., in 1981. A successful captive breeding program has led to the reintroduction of the endangered species in several Plains states.

Federal wildlife officials hope to establish 10 self-sustaining populations across the nation by 2010, with 1,500 breeding adult ferrets. They plan to release an additional 30 ferrets on the same Logan County land in October.

Wildlife experts checked in on the ferrets last week to see how they were getting along.
All week long, beams of light scanned western Kansas cattle pastures like floodlights searching a prison yard.

The ferrets live in prairie dog holes and prey on prairie dogs. "Their eyes will be bright green," Klataske said. "Almost teal, really, and brighter than any other eyes you'll see out here." Wednesday night, volunteers like Klataske had little luck.

Klataske figured his best chance was to return to a prairie dog hole where a ferret had been seen the previous night. Much to his surprise, the hole had been filled in by prairie dogs attempting to entomb the small predator before it got to them.

Klataske dug out the hole, planted a trap, and hoped for the best, knowing it was unlikely the ferret would emerge from the same hole and into his trap.

The traps were checked hourly. In the meantime, Klataske continued searching the landscape for the bright green eyes. There was no shortage of jackrabbits, coyotes, deer and even a burrowing owl. But no ferrets.

Finally, at 5:30 a.m., Klataske's searchlights revealed what looked like two bright emeralds.
"It's a ferret!" he exclaimed. "And he's in the trap."

The ferret was a male. A microchip confirmed that it was one of the original 24 released last December. The ferret was sedated while biologists and veterinarians looked it over for ticks and parasites, vaccinated it and judged how it had been doing. All indications were that the animal was thriving.

Two hours after its capture, the ferret was taken back to the hole in a pet carrier and released. After a quick look around, it scurried into the hole.

Casey Anthony meets with lawyer for several hours

Susan Jacobson and Sarah Lund

Sentinel Staff Writers
August 23, 2008

A day after her release from jail with a monitor strapped to her ankle, Casey Anthony stayed out longer than the terms of her home-confinement allow but was given a one-time reprieve.

"We won't be doing this again," Orange County Corrections Department spokesman Allen Moore said.Anthony was scheduled to meet with her attorney, Jos� Baez, at his Kissimmee office, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. The office called to ask for an extension to 5:30 p.m. and again at 5:27 p.m. to request 45 more minutes because of rain and traffic, Moore said. Anthony, 22, got home at 6 p.m., he said.

Meanwhile, Anthony is talking freely with her parents and helping them with new leads into the whereabouts of her missing daughter, Caylee Marie, 3, the family's spokesman said.

"There is no doubt that this child has been kidnapped," said spokesman Larry Garrison, who would not elaborate.Anthony, who is charged with child neglect and filing a false report, was released Thursday from the Orange County Jail.

Baez said in an e-mail: "The only person who Casey has made any statements concerning her case [to] since being arrested is myself."

Detectives have not received new information from Anthony or her attorney, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.Caylee was reported missing July 15 -- after Anthony said she hadn't seen the child for 31 days.Garrison also released a statement from Anthony's mother, Cindy, about media coverage.

"At what cost are you going to allow this media frenzy to affect my husband, my son and our well-being? All you want is your next picture. I refuse to see you cast aside the search for Caylee."

Bloggers Scouring Blanchard Park Woods In Missing Girl Mystery

Group Of Bloggers Find Clothes, Book Bags
August 17, 2008

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A group of Internet bloggers following the case of a missing Orlando girl have united and are searching wooded areas of Central Florida for the child in a mystery that continues to grab the nation's attention.

The group of bloggers scoured several wooded areas of Blanchard Park over the weekend for clues into the disappearance of missing Caylee Anthony.

The group found what they believe may be items of interest; two colorful book bags and some clothing hidden in the woods about a mile from a location where a car belonging to the Casey Anthony (Caylee's mother) was abandoned.

"Everyone's heart dropped," searcher Wyatt Locke said. "This is the first time in our search that everyone unanimously was like, 'Oh my gosh, this might be something.'"

A yellow sandal, a size-five pair of pants and a small tank top were also found in the woods.
Sheriff's deputies took possession of the found items and were trying to determine if they could be linked to the case.

The group plans to continue investigating the case.

"It is heart-wrenching," Locke said. "This is a little girl who has disappeared and been gone for two months. We want to help and want to find closure for this case. We are looking for anything. Anything and all that might give any type of information as to the whereabouts or what happened to her."

Searching for Bigfoot group to sue Georgia hoaxers

By CHRISTIAN BOONE, KATHY JEFCOATS
Wednesday, August 20, 2008

They claim their hoax was not for profit, but Atlanta residents Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer received $50,000 from a California Bigfoot tracker who now plans to sue to get the money back.

The two Georgia men’s tale of having found a Bigfoot carcass in the North Georgia woods really started to stink when California Bigfoot enthusiasts finally examined the body and found it was just a costume.

“There will be legal action” said Catherine Ortez, who works for Searching for Bigfoot, Inc. in in Menlo Park, Calif. The organization paid for rights to the men’s story and their find. “If this was a joke, it was very methodical and thought-out,” she said.

The Searching site was founded by Tom Biscardi, who authenticated and promoted the alleged Georgia Sasquatch. Biscardi, who did not return calls requesting comment, has his own credibility issues, according to a police officer in a nearby jurisdiction.

“He was involved in a similar hoax a few years back,” said Agent Dan Ryan with the Palo Alto (Calif.) Police Department.

In an interview with WSB-TV Wednesday night, Whitton and Dyer’s attorney, Steve Lister, blamed Biscardi for blowing his clients’ joke out of proportion.

“It started off as some YouTube videos and a Web site,” said Whitton, “We’re all about having fun.”

Whitton, 28, a Clayton County police officer for six years, was fired Tuesday after news of the hoax spread. Dyer, 31, is a former Clayton County corrections officer.

Though, according to their site, the pair are not averse to making money off their amusement. For $500, you can join them for a Bigfoot expedition. They also sell Sasquatch-related T-shirts and caps.

Repeated attempts to reach both men were unsuccessful, and Lister did not return calls seeking comment

Former La. police officer arraigned in Taser death

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

Associated Press Writer

August 21, 2008

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A former police officer accused of repeatedly jolting a handcuffed man with a Taser before he died pleaded not guilty Thursday to a manslaughter charge.

Scott Nugent, 21, also pleaded not guilty to a charge of malfeasance in office during his arraignment in court. The former Winnfield police officer was freed on $45,000 bond last week after a grand jury indicted him on both charges in connection with the death of Baron Pikes, 21.
Nugent faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted of the charges. Fired in May, he is appealing his dismissal.

Nugent allegedly shocked Pikes nine times with a 50,000-volt Taser while arresting the handcuffed man on a drug possession warrant Jan. 17, according to authorities.
Winn Parish coroner Randolph Williams ruled Pikes' death was a homicide.

George Higgins, one of Nugent's attorneys, called it "nonsense" for the coroner to conclude that the Taser jolts caused Pikes' death.

"It's not supported by science," Higgins said in a telephone interview after the arraignment.
A study released in June by the National Institute of Justice didn't find any "conclusive medical evidence" that exposure to so-called conducted energy devices, including Tasers, carries a high risk of serious injury or death.

Taser International Inc. spokesman Steve Tuttle said he couldn't discuss the Winnfield case because it involves an "ongoing legal matter."

"However, it should be noted that there are facts in this case that are disputed, including the findings of the medical examiner, and urge that judgment be withheld until the legal proceedings are complete," Tuttle said in a statement.

Taser International says it has sold more than 365,000 of its devices to more than 13,000 law enforcement agencies.

Amnesty International has identified 332 cases in the U.S. since 2001 in which people died after police struck them with a Taser, Amnesty researcher Angela Wright said Thursday.

Autopsy reports in more than 40 of those cases cited the Taser as a contributing factor in the death, but medical examiners usually attributed the cause of death to other factors, such as drug intoxication, Wright said.

"It's very rare that officers are charged" with a crime in connection with a Taser death, she added.

Nugent is scheduled to return to court Oct. 23 for a hearing on motions in the case. A tentative date for his jury trial is also expected to be set then, authorities said.

Last week, the mother of Pikes' 4-year-old son filed a wrongful death suit in federal court against city officials, Nugent and Taser International.

Taser International says it has a nearly perfect record in product liability lawsuits, with all but one of those 73 cases resulting in a dismissal or a verdict favoring the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company.

In June, a federal jury in San Jose, Calif., held Taser International partially liable for the death of a man who had a Taser used on him during an arrest. The company was ordered to pay $1 million in compensatory damages and $5.2 million in punitive damages.