2008 Woodie Awards
News From Around the States
Courtney Roy
Issue date: 3/23/05 Section: News
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According to Pentagon officials, 425 military bases across the country are under consideration for closure, which has caused a strong response from communities. The possible closures are a result of the recent military effort to cut down from the old Cold War network with 25 percent more capacity than the armed forced need. The cuts are the result of a two year study conducted by Pentagon officials, and will be presented to a nine member independent commission by the Secretary of Defense, Donald H. Rumsfeld. Along with cutting costs, this study is also an effort to make the military more responsive to threats. This set of closures would be the fifth round since 1988. The previous rounds only eliminated 97 bases total, as well as several hundred smaller facilities, reducing capacity by 20 percent. This round would be the final in the series cuts, which puts even more pressure on decision makers to choose which bases to close.
On the state level there is much opposition to the closures because these bases employ thousands and bring in billions of dollars to the local and state economy. Also making the decisions more complicated are the US commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the plans from the Pentagon to begin bringing soldiers home, as well as the review of military forces and missions, as required by Congress every four years.
CHILDREN STILL MISSING AFTER COLORADO EXPLOSION
After an explosion in a remote Colorado mountain lodge, the Electric Mountain Lodge, on 19 March three children are still missing and 16 people were injured. Aged 3-15, all of the children are from the same extended family. The explosion was most likely caused by a propane leak under one of the buildings. A family reunion was scheduled for that building, but most had not yet arrived.
Active searches for the children have been called off because the charred remains of the lodge are still too hot for searchers to enter, and the snow has made it impossible to get search equipment to the site. Although officials are declining to say if the children are presumed dead, Delta County Sheriff Fred McKee has said that, "This situation is certainly very grave. We have no one actively looking anywhere but at the scene.'' The lodge is located in Gunnison National Forest, and is isolated, resulting in the need for the injured to be taken away in helicopters. Injuries were varied, ranging from burns and smoke inhalation to compound fractures, according to county officials.
ANTI-WAR PROTESTS CONTINUE
Anti-war demonstrators continue to protest the American-led invasion of Iraq, which was two years ago, mobilizing in small groups around the country demanding the withdrawal of forces and condemning the war. In New York a group of about 350 joined in Times Square, while in San Francisco, the number swelled to several thousand. This year, protests were solemn and very low-key, consisting mainly of demonstrators carrying cardboard coffins to the beat of funeral drums and rally speakers. Americans were joined by thousands in Europe holding similar protests and rallies. Some 725 US cities or towns were involved in varying degrees-ranging from the gathering of thousands in San Francisco, to a "Bring Home the Troops" demonstration in Algoma, Wisconsin consisting of just eight people.
As a whole, the protests were passionate, but still peaceful, and much smaller than the rallies of February 2003 just before the war when demonstrators encouraged President Bush not to attack. Despite the more subdued tone, those present were staunch in their beliefs, calling arrest a "small sacrifice to make." Though there were some exchanges between protestors and counter-protestors, no serious injuries or major clashes with police were reported.
EFFORTS TO PROTECT FERRIES FROM TERRORISM BEGINS
A terrorist attack on a commuter ferry, which are quite common in the Northwest as well as the Northeast, could result in disastrous consequences, and the Coast Guard is attempting to develop a plan to keep ferries secure. According to Joseph J. Myers, a Coast Guard risk analyst, the probability of an attack, combined with damage that it could do, makes securing ferries a high priority. If a large commuter ferry was targeted, it could result in the loss of 400 lives, more than double the amount of deaths in an airplane attack. Ferries are also more susceptible because they often carry cars and large trucks, where bombs could easily be hidden. Adding to this is the fact that ferries run on a set schedule and are not screened as rigorously as airplanes.
There have been no reported threats to any ferry in the US, but the FBI has reported that there have been at least seven incidences of surveillance of a ferry in Washington State, which relies heavily on its ferry system. Since July ferry operators have been required to screen a minimum amount of vehicles and passengers, the number changing with the Homeland Security alert level.
Nytimes.com