Columbia County District Attorney Stephen Atchison on Friday said he would not pursue charges against an off-duty Portland Police Bureau officer who shot and killed a drug-crazed, gun-wielding man outside the officer's home.

SWAT party line leads to jail time

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Zipping along in Quebec's Laurentians

Fall slips gently into Quebec, like the sinking afternoon sun. Bugs disappear, steamy hot weather cools, crowds dwindle. Hotel rates inch downward too. Make no mistake, though, fun still runs full throttle.

Just an hour north of Montreal in the Laurentians, scream the entire 987 feet of North America's longest zip line, part of the adventure course at Acro-Nature at Ski Morin Heights. Zip lines, suspended ladders and wobbly wooden beams wind high in the trees on a four-zone, 58-station course.

College student instructors hook you up with lessons on how to use the lines, ensuring that you don't forget to latch your carabineer to the red "life line" of safety. And since the course gradually climbs, even if you're a bit squeamish about heights you probably won't notice until that last long zip line just how high up you are.

DNA matches, CCTV film and a pattern of sightings - the case against ...

Nicholls also had hyper-inflated lungs and bruising, but significantly, the QC told the jury, there was no evidence of drag or scratch marks on her body, suggesting her body had not been dragged through undergrowth. There was, however, a scratch on her face which could have shed blood "which may be highly significant".

Paula Clennell, 24

Paula's body was discovered some hours before the finding of Nicholls, on December 12, though she had not disappeared until two days after her, on December 10. She had died, the court heard, as a result of compression of her neck, consistent with being strangled in a headlock, though she had also taken a significant dose of opiates. Clennell's body was not posed, but appeared to have been "hurriedly dumped", a few hundred metres away from that of Nicholls.

First-ever Richard Wright tour to ramble through area Feb. 23

Natchez — For Charles Wright, 61, of Natchez, the first-ever “Richard Wright Ramble," a guided tour, is a natural progression of things.

More than two years in the making, the ramble is a culmination of Charles Wright's research into family genealogy and oral histories. The tour will visit sites in Natchez and Adams County associated with the author, his family and his works. The tour begins at 1 p.m.

Cyclist Nabbed For Motel Hallway Ride

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) -- A man clad in swim trunks was arrested after riding a bicycle through a motel's hallways and hitting two men. A woman showering after using the swimming pool at Best Western Soldiers Field Tower and Suites told police she heard a door open and saw a naked man at about 3:10 p.m. Sunday.

The man ran out of the room, pulled on swim trunks, hopped on a bike and road through the hallways, police said.

Police Lt. John Edwards said the man, 38, hit another man, 76, and his son, both of whom suffered minor injuries.

The son chased the bicyclist, tackled him and waited for police to arrive, Edwards said.

Charges against the man were pending Monday, police said.

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Question of the Week: Your E-mails

That being said, I believe that the new ultra-low sulfur diesel is the most underused real alternative to gasoline today, as we search for the ideal solution for the future of transportation fuels.

The new diesel fuel, when combined with the new 2007 diesel engines, reduces green house gases by almost 20% per mile driven vs. a comparable gasoline engine. Anyone who believes that diesel engines are noisy, smoky and slow has not had the opportunity to drive the recent turbocharged diesels with Bluetech emissions technology. Diesel engines have become perfected in Europe over the past two decades, and in Europe today more than 50% of new vehicles are diesels. Additionally, beyond using less fuel to travel longer distances, the comparatively lower vapor pressure of diesel and bio-diesel fuels reduces emissions during fueling by more than half when compared to gasoline or ethanol.

3 teens held in attempted bike theft in Massapequa

A group of three suspects Monday night attacked a 17-year-old boy on a bicycle in Massapequa and tried to snatch his backpack, but when he resisted the group threw him to the ground and stole his BMX bike, the Nassau police said.

The suspects were quickly arrested in the 10 p.m. Monday robbery on Merrick Road after a witness flagged down a passing police car. Officer Philip Brady, with the assistance of two other Seventh Precinct officers, David Tate and David Veverka, arrested all three and recovered the bicycle. No one was injured.

Ronell Jones, 18, of 577 Clocks Blvd., Massapequa; Nicholas Ford, 19, of 9 Harbor Rd., Massapequa; and Anwar Brewster, 18, of 51 Stone Blvd., East Massapequa, were charged with second-degree robbery.

Woman involved in dragging case dies

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in July 2007.

"Double jeopardy is attached," Harrington said. "It's ridiculous that under state law, what happened to Eva is the same punishment as stealing a $10 DVD."

That fact upsets Winter, the family friend.

"He's going to get out soon and be able to live his life," she said. "She won't. It's just frustrating."

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