Now Reading: The Racketeer By: John Grisham

Synopsis:

Given the importance of what they do, and the controversies that often surround them, and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of this country only four active federal judges have been murdered.

Judge Raymond Fawcett has just become number five.

Who is the Racketeer? And what does he have to do with the judge’s untimely demise? His name, for the moment, is Malcolm Bannister. Job status? Former attorney. Current residence? The Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland.

On paper, Malcolm’s situation isn’t looking too good these days, but he’s got an ace up his sleeve. He knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and he knows why. The judge’s body was found in his remote lakeside cabin. There was no forced entry, no struggle, just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied.

What was in the safe? The FBI would love to know. And Malcolm Bannister would love to tell them. But everything has a price—especially information as explosive as the sequence of events that led to Judge Fawcett’s death. And the Racketeer wasn’t born yesterday . . .

Nothing is as it seems and everything’s fair game in this wickedly clever new novel from John Grisham, the undisputed master of the legal thriller.

Grant aims to turn Acadia visitors into scientists

Published 7:00 a.m., Sunday, October 21, 2012

BAR HARBOR, Maine (AP) —The National Science Foundation has awarded a $250,000 grant aimed at turning Acadia National Park visitors into citizen scientists.

The grant was awarded to the Mount Desert Biological Laboratory, the National Park Service and the Schoodic Education and Research Center. It will be used to launch a project called "Pathway to BioTrails."

For the project, members of the public will verify the identities of animals and plants using DNA barcoding. Ultimately, a range of citizen science projects will be offered revolving around the park's hiking, bicycling and ocean kayaking trails.

Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory scientist Karen James hopes that once the concept is tested at Acadia, it can be expanded to other national parks and long-distance trails, such as the Appalachian Trail.

Baby kangaroo now on exhibit at Boston zoo

BOSTON - A joey has started peeking out of its mama's pouch at Franklin Park Zoo, and officials say the baby red kangaroo is ready for visitors.

The unnamed joey was born about six months ago, but its gender still isn't known.

Zoo officials say joeys are born after about a month of gestation and are about the size of a jelly bean then.

This joey is the offspring of 7-year-old kangaroo mom Skippy and 4-year-old kangaroo dad Binowee.

Also on exhibit on the zoo's Outback Trail is the joey's big sister, 1-year-old Ramiro.

Common in Australia, the marsupials can reach speeds of more than 30 mph with their bouncing locomotion.

Zoo officials are keeping an eye on Skippy as she hops around with the joey, and report both are doing well.

Keene calls on Granite Staters to help break pumpkin record

Pumpkin festival to be featured on TV show

KEENE, N.H. — The city of Keene is calling on Granite Staters to once again break a world record.

On Saturday, the city will hold its annual Pumpkin Festival. In past years, as many as 29,000 jack-o'-lanterns have lined Main Street, but this year, Keene has a new challenge of taking on the current record-holder.

The competition between Keene and Highwood, Ill., will be featured on HGTV's "Pumpkin Wars."

"We are going to compete with Highwood, Ill., to see who gets the most lit jack-o'-lanterns and breaks the world record," said festival volunteer Luca Paris.

Pumpkin competitions are a tradition in Keene, but volunteers said they need to step it up this year to reclaim the record.

"To break the world record, you have to have 32,000 pumpkins-plus," Paris said. "To win this thing, we need to do somewhere around 40,000 pumpkins, so we are all carving like crazy."

He said the festival is hoping people from across the state will help the city break the record.

"You do not understand how much we want pumpkins from all over New Hampshire," Paris said. "Without the people from the rest of New Hampshire, we will not win this thing."

There is also an added bonus that could benefit schoolchildren. Discover Card is offering $1 per pumpkin to the winner of the show to help local schools.

Organizers said anyone who wants to help can bring one or two carved pumpkins with candles to Keene before 6:30 p.m. Saturday.


Story Credit:  WMUR 9

Miner Gets 30 Days for Occupying Forest Land

Monday, David Duane Everist, 52, was sentenced to 30 days in jail for unlawfully maintaining a residence on National Forest lands, and using those lands without an approved operating plan and cutting trees without authorization. Everist was previously found guilty in a one day trial in Medford’s U.S. District Court.

In October of last year, Everist moved two trailers onto the Twin Cedars mining claim in Josephine County and conducted mining activities without approval from the forest service.

Everist insisted the claim was his private property and the Forest Service had no jurisdiction over his claim and warned them he could have them arrested for trespass by the local sheriff.

This is Everist’s third conviction for violations of Forest Service regulations involving the same mining site.

In addition to 30 days in jail, he must complete three years of probation with conditions prohibiting him from residing, occupying, or conducting any mining activity on Forest Service or BLM lands.

Source: KAJO AM1270