Recently in Notable Category

By Justin Reis

Rep. Tom Emmer is urging his attorneys to withdraw thousands of ballots his supporters have challenged during the recount of the governor's race, according to the Star Tribune..

Emmer said he is not going to prolong the recount for weeks or months. He is however, planning arguments if opponent Mark Dayton is declared the winner.

Reconciliation, which means to match the number of votes to the number of voters and remove any excess votes, and may be used against Dayton in court.

According to the Star Tribune, state GOP chair Tony Sutton suggested last week that reconciliation could be the foundation of a court challenge if Dayton prevails in the recount.

By Justin Reis

MADISON, Wis.--At WYOU Community Television, "the future is bleak", Barbra Bolan, the WYOU executive director, said.

The state did not grant the station the anticipated $140,000 that helped supply the station with musical, cooking, and other community programming, Bolan said. According to USA Today, Bolan has laid off staff and the station moved to a smaller office.

The problems at WYOU occur at other stations across the nation. Public support and new technology are main contributors to the downfall of many newsrooms, reported USA Today.

Within the last five years, around 600 community access stations have shut down, Sue Buske, a telecommunications consultant, said. Buske said roughly 5,000 stations similar to WYOU remain.

Community TV problems originated when changes made in 21 states.

By Justin Reis

A British couple was released Sunday after being held captive for over a year by Somali Pirates, their family said in a statement.

Paul and Rachel Chandler were forced off their yacht on October 23, 2009 after they sailed from Seychelles Islands for Tanzania, according to CNN.

The Chadler's family confirmed the couples arrival in Kenya Sunday afternoon. "The two retired people on a sailing trip on a small private yacht and not part of a major commercial enterprise involving tens of millions of pounds of assets," the family of the Chandler's said.

A ransom of roughly $750,000 was paid to the pirates, however the family did not comment or confirm this number released by local elders in Somalia.

According to CNN, the Chandler's relatives said, ""would like to thank those in the Somali community especially, both locally and in the UK, who did so much to help secure their release."

Paul Chandler said after they were captured, the pirates said they would be killed if they were not paid $7 million in ransom, reported CNN.

By Justin Reis

Sunday morning's time change due to daylight savings time resulted in a glitch that will effect iPhone 4 users for the rest of the week.

This news comes from iPhone users in Australia and Europe experienced a delay in their cell phone alarms to sound an hour later then intended.

A glitch in the phones alarms will cause all other alarms not to ring until an hour after needed. Users need to go into the phone and manually create new alarms to bypass the error.

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison told CNN that users create "nonrepeating alarms" and reset after November 7. Harrison assures customers this will resolve the issue.

"Later this month, Apple will release an updated version of its mobile software, iOS 4.2, which will permanently fix the problem," Harrison said.

By Justin Reis

After more than eight years from the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart, the alleged kidnapper in set to stand trial in federal court, according to CNN.

Brian David Mitchell, 57, is suspected of threatening then 14 year-old Smart at knifepoint in June of 2002 from her family's home in Salt Lake City, UT.

Mitchell is accused of kidnapping and transporting a minor across state lines for improper purposes. The trial's jury selection is set to begin on Monday.

Mitchell had done some maintenance in the Smart's home.

In March 2003, Smart was found walking down a street in Sandy, UT with Mitchell and his wife Wanda Eileen Barzee.

CNN reported that Utah prosecutors charged Mitchell with six felony charges of kidnapping, sexual assault and burglary, however were later indicted.

In November 2009, Barzee was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for the unlawful transportation a minor and kidnapping. She was sentenced an additional 15 years in federal prison for the plot to also kidnap Smart's cousin.

By Justin Reis

Hurricane Richard made impact south of Belize City Sunday night.

At around 7:45 p.m. ET is when the the hurricane made landfall said CNN Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. The storm gained momentum in the Caribbean moving its status to tropical storm to Category 1 hurricane with wind gusts reaching 90 mph.

The storm is expected to move to inland to Guatemala and southern Mexico, however, it is believed it will loose momentum, according to CNN.

On Sunday, the Belize National Emergency Management Organization said bussed are not running and cars are off the road. People living in southern Belize were urged to seek shelter immediately, said CNN.

The storm is expected to regain intensity when it reaches the Bay of Campeche and become a tropical depression.

Members of the hurricane center say this is not a matter that should involve the U.S.

By Justin Reis

COPIAPO, Chile--Rescied miners are happy to be alive and home and ask the media to keep their distance.

Together, the miners decided not to discuss the details of their 69 days underground. They do not want to lessen the importance of the book they are going to publish, according to the Pioneer Press.

Many of the miners returned to impoverished neighborhoods, gang violence, and many have doubts on it getting any better, reported the Star Tribune.

One-by-one, each miner became an international celebrity when rescued.

Many believe the media went overboard when covering the homecoming of Johnny Barrios with his lover and wife when he was greeted with television cameras.

By Justin Reis

In a recent Democratic survey, results show Republicans would rather see a strip club rather than the highly discussed mosque near Ground Zero.

Results show four percent of Republicans surveyed they would support a mosque near the site of the former World Trade Center towers site. 21 percent said they would favor a strip club, according to The Huffington Post.

49 percent of democrats are in support of the mosque and 33 percent are fine with a strip club.

While in debate of constructing a multicultural center, specially a mosque which caters to the Islamic faith, media has defined the ground to many lass moral institutions. The Huffington Post reported a strip club, The Pussycat Club" just two blocks from the site.

Sergio Reyes won the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon with a time of 2:14:02 for the 26.2 mile distance.

This is Reyes's second run in the marathon when five years back when he came in 59th place. This is his second win next to the 2009 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon, the Pioneer Press said.

Reyes our ran two runners at the 23 1/2 mile mark where he maintained the lead position, winning him the 2010 title.

The weather made for a crisp clean run which may have added to Reyes's win, the Star Tribune reported.

By Justin Reis

Georgia megachurch pastor denies accusations that he approached young men into engaging in sexual relationships.

Bishop Eddie long, 57, of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church of Lithonia, Georgia, is being sued by four men all saying Long seduced them. MSNBC reports that two of the young men were a part of the LongFellows Youth Academy, run by the church, which teaches teens about sexual and financial obedience.

"I'm not a perfect man, but this thing I'm going to fight," Long said to his 25,000-member congregation. According to MSNBC the crowd roared Sunday when he said, "I am not the man portrayed on television."

Long has been a long-time opponent of gay marriage.

According to The Washington Post and the lawsuits, Long persuaded the four men into homosexual acts with jewelry, cars, vacations, and access to celebrities.

"I will fight this" paired with "I am not a perfect man" gives him room to settle the accusations, The Washington Post reported.