Thursday, September 14, 2006
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Update: Kyrgyz police: Major's story 'confused'
By LEILA SARALAYEVA, Associated Press Writer Mon Sep 11, 3:04 PM ET
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan - A U.S. servicewoman who reappeared as mysteriously as she vanished gave confused accounts of her three-day absence and refused to make further statements after consulting with the U.S. Embassy, a Kyrgyz police official said Monday.
Air Force Maj. Jill Metzger, who had been stationed at the U.S. base in Manas, outside the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, disappeared Sept. 5 while on a shopping excursion in the city. She resurfaced Friday night when she knocked on the door of a house in Kant, about 15 miles outside Bishkek, and claimed she had been kidnapped.
Metzger was flown out of Kyrgyzstan within a few hours of her reappearance and was admitted Sunday to a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. There was no immediate word on what she was being treated for, or how long she would remain hospitalized; officials had previously said she did not appear to have suffered serious injury during her disappearance.
Kyrgyz authorities have said that her swift departure could impede their investigation, because they wanted to question her further to clarify her account. According to investigators, Metzger said an object with a note saying it was a bomb was placed in her pocket in a Bishkek department store, and that she was kidnapped after following the note's instructions on where to go.
"It seemed to me that her testimony was little believable; she was confused in her evidence," Batmirza Dzhailobayev, head of the Kant police department, told The Associated Press.
"After she spoke with somebody from the embassy, she categorically refused to give testimony. Then people from the U.S. Embassy took her away," he said.
Dzhailobayev noted that although Metzger had told police that her abductors had stolen her necklace, she was still wearing an expensive-looking wedding ring.
Also Monday, a resident of the house where Metzger appeared said that the 33-year-old major was clearly in distress.
"Our first impression was that the woman was severely drunk ... (but) there was no smell of alcohol and we then understood that she was in shock," Svetlana Ivashenko told the AP. She said that Metzger was dressed in clothes that appeared to be several sizes too large for her.
Ivashenko said Metzger spoke only in English, which neither she nor her husband understand, so they awoke their daughter to try to help understand.
"Who had seized her, why and were they had held her all this time, she couldn't clarify," Ivashenko said. "As she told all this, she didn't weep — she just sobbed and held her head."
Ivashenko said there was blood on Metzger's feet and that she said she had walked a considerable distance. She also said the right side of Metzger's face appeared to be badly bruised, although Dzhailobayev said "it was my impression that there were no bruises on her face."
Metzger was serving a four-month stint with the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing at Manas, where the U.S. military has maintained a base since 2001 to support operations in nearby
Afghanistan. She had been scheduled to return Friday to her regular post at Moody Air Force Base, Ga.
Metzger phoned her parents in Henderson, N.C., early Saturday to let them know she was safe, The News & Observer newspaper of Raleigh reported. Her parents said the call left questions about her disappearance, and they still did not know why she vanished, where she was during her ordeal, or how she got back.
"She kept saying, "I'm fine, I'm OK, I'm OK," her mother, Jeanette Metzger, told the newspaper.
John Metzger, a retired Air Force colonel, said his daughter seemed to be in shock.
"Her tone of voice at the beginning was kind of distant, I would say, and then all of a sudden, I heard the old Jill come back," he said.
Metzger was married to Air Force Capt. Joshua Mayo on April 8 and she was deployed 10 days later. The couple had been set to leave Sept. 24 for a delayed honeymoon, her father said.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan - A U.S. servicewoman who reappeared as mysteriously as she vanished gave confused accounts of her three-day absence and refused to make further statements after consulting with the U.S. Embassy, a Kyrgyz police official said Monday.
Air Force Maj. Jill Metzger, who had been stationed at the U.S. base in Manas, outside the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, disappeared Sept. 5 while on a shopping excursion in the city. She resurfaced Friday night when she knocked on the door of a house in Kant, about 15 miles outside Bishkek, and claimed she had been kidnapped.
Metzger was flown out of Kyrgyzstan within a few hours of her reappearance and was admitted Sunday to a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. There was no immediate word on what she was being treated for, or how long she would remain hospitalized; officials had previously said she did not appear to have suffered serious injury during her disappearance.
Kyrgyz authorities have said that her swift departure could impede their investigation, because they wanted to question her further to clarify her account. According to investigators, Metzger said an object with a note saying it was a bomb was placed in her pocket in a Bishkek department store, and that she was kidnapped after following the note's instructions on where to go.
"It seemed to me that her testimony was little believable; she was confused in her evidence," Batmirza Dzhailobayev, head of the Kant police department, told The Associated Press.
"After she spoke with somebody from the embassy, she categorically refused to give testimony. Then people from the U.S. Embassy took her away," he said.
Dzhailobayev noted that although Metzger had told police that her abductors had stolen her necklace, she was still wearing an expensive-looking wedding ring.
Also Monday, a resident of the house where Metzger appeared said that the 33-year-old major was clearly in distress.
"Our first impression was that the woman was severely drunk ... (but) there was no smell of alcohol and we then understood that she was in shock," Svetlana Ivashenko told the AP. She said that Metzger was dressed in clothes that appeared to be several sizes too large for her.
Ivashenko said Metzger spoke only in English, which neither she nor her husband understand, so they awoke their daughter to try to help understand.
"Who had seized her, why and were they had held her all this time, she couldn't clarify," Ivashenko said. "As she told all this, she didn't weep — she just sobbed and held her head."
Ivashenko said there was blood on Metzger's feet and that she said she had walked a considerable distance. She also said the right side of Metzger's face appeared to be badly bruised, although Dzhailobayev said "it was my impression that there were no bruises on her face."
Metzger was serving a four-month stint with the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing at Manas, where the U.S. military has maintained a base since 2001 to support operations in nearby
Afghanistan. She had been scheduled to return Friday to her regular post at Moody Air Force Base, Ga.
Metzger phoned her parents in Henderson, N.C., early Saturday to let them know she was safe, The News & Observer newspaper of Raleigh reported. Her parents said the call left questions about her disappearance, and they still did not know why she vanished, where she was during her ordeal, or how she got back.
"She kept saying, "I'm fine, I'm OK, I'm OK," her mother, Jeanette Metzger, told the newspaper.
John Metzger, a retired Air Force colonel, said his daughter seemed to be in shock.
"Her tone of voice at the beginning was kind of distant, I would say, and then all of a sudden, I heard the old Jill come back," he said.
Metzger was married to Air Force Capt. Joshua Mayo on April 8 and she was deployed 10 days later. The couple had been set to leave Sept. 24 for a delayed honeymoon, her father said.
Wearing helmets 'more dangerous'
Cyclists who wear protective helmets are more likely to be knocked down by passing vehicles, new research from Bath University suggests.
The study found drivers tend to.... pass closer when overtaking cyclists wearing helmets than those who are bare-headed.
Dr Ian Walker was struck by a bus and a lorry during the experiment. He was wearing a helmet both times.
But the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said tests have shown helmets protect against injuries.
To carry out the research, Dr Walker used a bike fitted with a computer and an ultrasonic distance sensor to find drivers were twice as likely to get close to the bicycle, at an average of 8.5cm, when he wore a helmet.
The experiment, which recorded 2,500 overtaking motorists in Salisbury and Bristol, was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Dr Walker, a traffic psychologist from the University's Department of Psychology, said: "This study shows that when drivers overtake a cyclist, the margin for error they leave is affected by the cyclist's appearance.
Ian Walker
This study suggests wearing a helmet might make a collision more likely
Dr Ian Walker
"By leaving the cyclist less room, drivers reduce the safety margin that cyclists need to deal with obstacles in the road, such as drain covers and potholes, as well as the margin for error in their own judgements.
"We know helmets are useful in low-speed falls, and so definitely good for children, but whether they offer any real protection to somebody struck by a car is very controversial.
"Either way, this study suggests wearing a helmet might make a collision more likely in the first place," he added.
Dr Walker thinks the reason drivers give less room to cyclists wearing helmets is because they see them as "Lycra-clad street warriors" and believe they are more predictable than those without.
He suggests different types of road users need to understand each other.
"Most adult cyclists know what it is like to drive a car, but relatively few motorists ride bicycles in traffic, and so don't know the issues cyclists face.
"There should definitely be more information on the needs of other road users when people learn to drive and practical experience would be even better."
Wig wearing
To test another theory, Dr Walker donned a long wig to see whether there was any difference in passing distance when drivers thought they were overtaking what appeared to be a female cyclist.
While wearing the wig, drivers gave him an average of 14cm more space when passing.
In future research, Dr Walker hopes to discover whether this was because female riders are seen as less predictable than male riders or because women are not seen riding bicycles as often as men on the UK's roads.
However, a spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents insisted: "We wouldn't recommend that people stop wearing helmets because of this research. Helmets have been shown to reduce the likelihood of head and brain injuries in a crash.
"[The research] highlights a gain in vulnerability of cyclists on our roads and drivers of all types need to take more care when around them."
The study found drivers tend to.... pass closer when overtaking cyclists wearing helmets than those who are bare-headed.
Dr Ian Walker was struck by a bus and a lorry during the experiment. He was wearing a helmet both times.
But the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said tests have shown helmets protect against injuries.
To carry out the research, Dr Walker used a bike fitted with a computer and an ultrasonic distance sensor to find drivers were twice as likely to get close to the bicycle, at an average of 8.5cm, when he wore a helmet.
The experiment, which recorded 2,500 overtaking motorists in Salisbury and Bristol, was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Dr Walker, a traffic psychologist from the University's Department of Psychology, said: "This study shows that when drivers overtake a cyclist, the margin for error they leave is affected by the cyclist's appearance.
Ian Walker
This study suggests wearing a helmet might make a collision more likely
Dr Ian Walker
"By leaving the cyclist less room, drivers reduce the safety margin that cyclists need to deal with obstacles in the road, such as drain covers and potholes, as well as the margin for error in their own judgements.
"We know helmets are useful in low-speed falls, and so definitely good for children, but whether they offer any real protection to somebody struck by a car is very controversial.
"Either way, this study suggests wearing a helmet might make a collision more likely in the first place," he added.
Dr Walker thinks the reason drivers give less room to cyclists wearing helmets is because they see them as "Lycra-clad street warriors" and believe they are more predictable than those without.
He suggests different types of road users need to understand each other.
"Most adult cyclists know what it is like to drive a car, but relatively few motorists ride bicycles in traffic, and so don't know the issues cyclists face.
"There should definitely be more information on the needs of other road users when people learn to drive and practical experience would be even better."
Wig wearing
To test another theory, Dr Walker donned a long wig to see whether there was any difference in passing distance when drivers thought they were overtaking what appeared to be a female cyclist.
While wearing the wig, drivers gave him an average of 14cm more space when passing.
In future research, Dr Walker hopes to discover whether this was because female riders are seen as less predictable than male riders or because women are not seen riding bicycles as often as men on the UK's roads.
However, a spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents insisted: "We wouldn't recommend that people stop wearing helmets because of this research. Helmets have been shown to reduce the likelihood of head and brain injuries in a crash.
"[The research] highlights a gain in vulnerability of cyclists on our roads and drivers of all types need to take more care when around them."
Monday, September 11, 2006
Another article for the "Duh" file--Americans Think Wars Are Creating More Terrorists: Angus Reid Consultants
Americans Think Wars Are Creating More Terrorists: Angus Reid Consultants (click here for full article): "Many adults in the United States believe their government’s policies are having a negative effect, according to a poll by CBS News. 54 per cent of respondents believe the Bush administration’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan is creating more terrorists who are planning to attack.
Afghanistan has been"
Afghanistan has been"
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Friday, September 08, 2006
Incumbents will face 3 challengers
By GORDON WEIXEL
Bismarck Tribune
Three candidates have come forward to challenge three recalled Mandan officials in the Nov. 7 general election.
But unless further petitions are turned in by 4 p.m. today, at least one of the commission candidates is assured a seat on the commission following the vote.
Wes Eisenmann and Susan Beehler turned in their petitions to.... run for mayor to deputy auditor Phyllis Hager on Tuesday. On Thursday, Kathy Parkes filed petitions to run for a city commissioner seat.
*
Mayor Ken LaMont and Commissioners Dan Ulmer and Sandra Tibke are the subjects of the recall, which was organized by attorney Ben Pulkrabek. Recall petitions cited the city's settlement with BNSF Railways as the reason for the recall. On Thursday, LaMont, Ulmer and Tibke announced their names will be on the ballot and predicted the election will validate the commission's efforts.
All three challengers say they had nothing to do with the recall, and for the most part are not critical of the BNSF settlement for cleanup of the downtown diesel fuel contamination that brought the city $30 million. Each has their own issue and believes he or she can make a difference if elected.
Eisenmann is a 67-year-old retired rail worker, having been with BNSF for 38 years. He has lived in Mandan for 37 years on and off, raising a family of six with his wife.
"When I see people, retired people, forced out of their homes because they can't afford property taxes ... something has got to be done with property taxes," Eisenmann said. "Mandan is the No. 1 highest in property taxes among the state's largest cities. Taxes are my main gripe, and the way our local commission is so fiscally irresponsible."
Eisenmann, making his first run at a public office, said he doesn't have any concerns about the BNSF settlement, and taxes are the basis of his campaign. He does believe that Beehler's run for mayor will hurt both of their chances to get a seat on the commission.
Beehler, 48, campaigned for Tibke and believes that longtime commissioner Ulmer will be very difficult to defeat at the polls, so she decided to run for mayor. A wife and mother of five, Beehler has lived in Mandan since 1992 and worked at her parents' business in Mandan four years prior to that.
"I wasn't part of the recall and don't even know who was involved," Beehler said. "What made me decide to get into the race was when I saw the recall petitions and saw there are a good number of people in Mandan who are not happy."
Beehler places a lot of importance on Mandan's history and has opposed the demolition of some of the downtown buildings as part of the remediation project. She said the Furniture First building could have been saved with the money that was paid for its buyout.
"We lost eight or nine buildings that are historic. The city commission doesn't understand the value of these historic buildings," Beehler said. "Business owners could have rented these buildings for less than what they'll pay for space in new buildings."
Beehler also said the mayor and commissioners haven't been as accessible to the public as they should during this time of transition in Mandan. If elected, she plans on spending a lot of time finding out what people think and want.
Parkes, 50, grew up in Mandan, only to move away after school, returning in 2005. She ran in the June regular election, finishing fourth behind Tim Helbling, Jerry Gangl and ousted incumbent Stan Scott. Parkes received 18.5 percent of the vote, just 3 percent behind Gangl and 0.03 of a percent behind Scott.
During her run in the municipal election, Parkes said she too was upset with city commission decisions leading to the demolition of historic downtown buildings. Parkes described the mood of the community as angry, but felt headway was being made to dissipate that anger through better communication efforts by the commission.
Parkes said she wasn't a part of the recall and sees the election as an opportunity to get in a position to help guide the direction the community is taking. She has few, if any, issues with the BNSF settlement.
"I plan to be a little more visible this time," Parkes said of her campaign. "I learned that there's a large number of people that vote in these elections, and that's encouraging. I want to get out and talk to more citizens and business owners, and get input on the issues and the direction they want the city to take."
The issues concerning Parkes most are property taxes and special assessments. With Mandan among the highest property taxes in the state, she said ways need to be found to alleviate the heavy burden being put on residents. Parkes also wants the city commission to make Mandan more business-friendly, helping to cut through the obstacles and red tape slowing them down.
(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)
Bismarck Tribune
Three candidates have come forward to challenge three recalled Mandan officials in the Nov. 7 general election.
But unless further petitions are turned in by 4 p.m. today, at least one of the commission candidates is assured a seat on the commission following the vote.
Wes Eisenmann and Susan Beehler turned in their petitions to.... run for mayor to deputy auditor Phyllis Hager on Tuesday. On Thursday, Kathy Parkes filed petitions to run for a city commissioner seat.
*
Mayor Ken LaMont and Commissioners Dan Ulmer and Sandra Tibke are the subjects of the recall, which was organized by attorney Ben Pulkrabek. Recall petitions cited the city's settlement with BNSF Railways as the reason for the recall. On Thursday, LaMont, Ulmer and Tibke announced their names will be on the ballot and predicted the election will validate the commission's efforts.
All three challengers say they had nothing to do with the recall, and for the most part are not critical of the BNSF settlement for cleanup of the downtown diesel fuel contamination that brought the city $30 million. Each has their own issue and believes he or she can make a difference if elected.
Eisenmann is a 67-year-old retired rail worker, having been with BNSF for 38 years. He has lived in Mandan for 37 years on and off, raising a family of six with his wife.
"When I see people, retired people, forced out of their homes because they can't afford property taxes ... something has got to be done with property taxes," Eisenmann said. "Mandan is the No. 1 highest in property taxes among the state's largest cities. Taxes are my main gripe, and the way our local commission is so fiscally irresponsible."
Eisenmann, making his first run at a public office, said he doesn't have any concerns about the BNSF settlement, and taxes are the basis of his campaign. He does believe that Beehler's run for mayor will hurt both of their chances to get a seat on the commission.
Beehler, 48, campaigned for Tibke and believes that longtime commissioner Ulmer will be very difficult to defeat at the polls, so she decided to run for mayor. A wife and mother of five, Beehler has lived in Mandan since 1992 and worked at her parents' business in Mandan four years prior to that.
"I wasn't part of the recall and don't even know who was involved," Beehler said. "What made me decide to get into the race was when I saw the recall petitions and saw there are a good number of people in Mandan who are not happy."
Beehler places a lot of importance on Mandan's history and has opposed the demolition of some of the downtown buildings as part of the remediation project. She said the Furniture First building could have been saved with the money that was paid for its buyout.
"We lost eight or nine buildings that are historic. The city commission doesn't understand the value of these historic buildings," Beehler said. "Business owners could have rented these buildings for less than what they'll pay for space in new buildings."
Beehler also said the mayor and commissioners haven't been as accessible to the public as they should during this time of transition in Mandan. If elected, she plans on spending a lot of time finding out what people think and want.
Parkes, 50, grew up in Mandan, only to move away after school, returning in 2005. She ran in the June regular election, finishing fourth behind Tim Helbling, Jerry Gangl and ousted incumbent Stan Scott. Parkes received 18.5 percent of the vote, just 3 percent behind Gangl and 0.03 of a percent behind Scott.
During her run in the municipal election, Parkes said she too was upset with city commission decisions leading to the demolition of historic downtown buildings. Parkes described the mood of the community as angry, but felt headway was being made to dissipate that anger through better communication efforts by the commission.
Parkes said she wasn't a part of the recall and sees the election as an opportunity to get in a position to help guide the direction the community is taking. She has few, if any, issues with the BNSF settlement.
"I plan to be a little more visible this time," Parkes said of her campaign. "I learned that there's a large number of people that vote in these elections, and that's encouraging. I want to get out and talk to more citizens and business owners, and get input on the issues and the direction they want the city to take."
The issues concerning Parkes most are property taxes and special assessments. With Mandan among the highest property taxes in the state, she said ways need to be found to alleviate the heavy burden being put on residents. Parkes also wants the city commission to make Mandan more business-friendly, helping to cut through the obstacles and red tape slowing them down.
(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Air Force woman missing from Kyrgyzstan mall
I suspect a marriage kidnapping!
--BBlebowski--
POSTED: 10:28 a.m. EDT, September 6, 2006
(CNN) -- A U.S. Air Force officer is missing after a trip to a shopping mall in Kyrgyzstan, a U.S. military statement said Wednesday.
Maj. Jill Metzger, with the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, was last seen shopping at the Zum Shopping Center with others from the Manas Air Base when she disappeared on Tuesday, the statement said.
"Major Metzger was last seen wearing a green sweater and blue jeans," the statement said.
"She has blonde hair and blue eyes. She is in excellent athletic condition."
Military Web sites describe Metzger as a top-flight marathoner.
An article about a race in May at Manas Air Base on Hilltoptimes.com calls Metzger a "two-time Air Force Marathon champion." Hilltoptimes.com is a Web site with news about personnel from Hill Air Force Base in Utah.
The Web site for the Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio shows Metzger as the top female in the 2004 race and top military female in 2005.
A task force made up of U.S. military personnel, U.S. Embassy personnel and local officials are trying to find her, the statement said.
The U.S. military has used Manas Air Base in the former Soviet republic since 2001 to support operations in Afghanistan. The U.S. and Kyrgyzstan approved a deal in July for continued U.S. use of the base.
--BBlebowski--
POSTED: 10:28 a.m. EDT, September 6, 2006
(CNN) -- A U.S. Air Force officer is missing after a trip to a shopping mall in Kyrgyzstan, a U.S. military statement said Wednesday.
Maj. Jill Metzger, with the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, was last seen shopping at the Zum Shopping Center with others from the Manas Air Base when she disappeared on Tuesday, the statement said.
"Major Metzger was last seen wearing a green sweater and blue jeans," the statement said.
"She has blonde hair and blue eyes. She is in excellent athletic condition."
Military Web sites describe Metzger as a top-flight marathoner.
An article about a race in May at Manas Air Base on Hilltoptimes.com calls Metzger a "two-time Air Force Marathon champion." Hilltoptimes.com is a Web site with news about personnel from Hill Air Force Base in Utah.
The Web site for the Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio shows Metzger as the top female in the 2004 race and top military female in 2005.
A task force made up of U.S. military personnel, U.S. Embassy personnel and local officials are trying to find her, the statement said.
The U.S. military has used Manas Air Base in the former Soviet republic since 2001 to support operations in Afghanistan. The U.S. and Kyrgyzstan approved a deal in July for continued U.S. use of the base.
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