1 dead, captain missing after Sandy sinks ship

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) ? When the Bounty set sail last week, the captain running the ship made famous in Hollywood adventure films believed he could navigate around Hurricane Sandy and weather the storm. After two days in rough seas, he realized his journey would be far more difficult.

"I think we are going to be into this for several days," Robin Walbridge said in a message posted Sunday on the vessel's Facebook site, which reads like a ship's log of her activities. "We are just going to keep trying to go fast."

By Monday morning, the vessel had started taking on water, its engines failed and the crew of the stately craft had to abandon ship as it went down in the immense waves. One crew member died and Walbridge was still missing.

Most of the sailors were plucked from life rafts shortly after the ship went down, but Claudene Christian was found hours later, unresponsive and floating in the water. She was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital, Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class David Weydert said.

The rest of the crew was in good condition.

By the time the first rescue helicopter arrived, all that was visible of the replica 18th-century sailing vessel was a strobe light atop the mighty ship's submerged masts. The roiling Atlantic Ocean had claimed the rest.

The final hours of the HMS Bounty, as it was officially named, were as dramatic as the movies she starred in.

"When a crew decides it's safer in an inflatable than it is on deck, then you know she's in peril," said Bill Foster, mayor of St. Petersburg, Fla., a frequent winter port for the ship and where it had been expected to arrive in November.

The ship was originally built for the 1962 film "Mutiny on the Bounty" starring Marlon Brando, and it was featured in several other films over the years, including one of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.

Rochelle Smith, 44, met Christian this summer when they sailed the HMS Bounty in Nova Scotia.

"She loved the Bounty. She absolutely loved it. She was so happy to be on it and doing something that she found that she loved to do," said Smith, a medical transcriptionist who lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

The vessel left Connecticut on Thursday with a crew of 11 men and five women, ranging in age from 20 to 66. Everyone aboard knew the journey could be treacherous.

"This will be a tough voyage for Bounty," read a posting on the ship's Facebook page that showed a map of its coordinates and satellite images of the storm. Photos showed the majestic vessel plying deep blue waters and the crew working in the rigging or keeping watch on the wood-planked deck.

As Sandy's massive size became more apparent, a post on Saturday tried to soothe any worried supporters: "Rest assured that the Bounty is safe and in very capable hands. Bounty's current voyage is a calculated decision ... NOT AT ALL ... irresponsible or with a lack of foresight as some have suggested. The fact of the matter is ... A SHIP IS SAFER AT SEA THAN IN PORT!"

But as the storm gathered strength, the Facebook posts grew grimmer. By mid-morning Monday, the last update was short and ominous: "Please bear with us ... There are so many conflicting stories going on now. We are waiting for some confirmation."

Tracie Simonin, director of the HMS Bounty Organization, said the ship tried to stay clear of Sandy's power.

"It was something that we and the captain of the ship were aware of," Simonin said.

Coast Guard video of the rescue showed crew members being loaded one by one into a basket before the basket was hoisted into the helicopter.

When they returned to the mainland, some were wrapped in blankets, still wearing the blazing red survival suits they put on to stay warm in the chilly waters.

"It's one of the biggest seas I've ever been in. It was huge out there," said Coast Guard rescue swimmer Randy Haba, who helped pluck four crew members off one of the canopied life rafts and a fifth who was bobbing alone in the waves.

A helicopter pilot said the waves appeared to be 30 feet high during the rescue. The Coast Guard said in a news release that waves in many places topped out around 18 feet.

The survivors received medical attention and were to be interviewed for a Coast Guard investigation. The Coast Guard did not make them available to reporters.

Gary Farber was watching crewman Doug Faunt's house while his friend sailed. He hasn't heard from Faunt directly, but made sure he relayed Faunt's Facebook postings he made as the ship went down, including "The ship sank beneath us, but we swam free and mostly got into two rafts."

"Doug is a jack-of-all-trades, but I am surprised he was able to get his cellphone and send messages as the ship went down," Farber said by telephone of his friend.

The mother of another crew member, 20-year-old Anna Sprague, said her daughter had been aboard the Bounty since May.

Mary Ellen Sprague, of Savannah, Ga., said she had spoken with her daughter twice but didn't know many details because her daughter, normally talkative and outgoing, was being uncharacteristically quiet.

"She's very upset," Sprague said by telephone.

The crew was eager to return to St. Petersburg ? and to calmer waters.

"I know they were very much looking forward to being here," said Carol Everson, general manager of the pier where the vessel docks. "They were very excited about coming down."

The Bounty's captain was from St. Petersburg, she said.

Wallbridge learned to sail at age 10, according to his biography on the Bounty's website. Prior to the Bounty, he served as first mate on the H.M.S. Rose ? the Bounty's sister ship.

"The ship was almost like his home," said Smith, who met Walbridge in 2010 when she sailed the Bounty. "That's where he spent most of his time was aboard the ship. He was so full of history and so interesting to talk to. And he knew his sailing stuff."

A man who answered the door at a home listed as being owned by the captain and his wife said: "Not a good time," and closed the door.

___

Associated Press writers Bruce Smith in Charleston, S.C.; Jeannie Nuss in Little Rock, Ark.; Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg, Fla.; Greg Schreier in Atlanta, and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, S.C., contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/1-dead-captain-missing-sandy-claims-ship-064141085.html

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Athens residents get opportunity to participate in cancer study

A partnership between Athens Regional Medical Center and the American Cancer Society?s Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3), which is aimed at understanding cancer better, will offer Athens residents the opportunity to participate in the study Nov. 7-8.

?We are really excited about this,? said Rachel Joiner, mission delivery manager for the American Cancer Society.

?It?s a great opportunity for the community, and we are hoping it will answer some of our questions about what causes cancer,? she said.

Men and women who have never been diagnosed with cancer are needed to participate in CPS-3, which will enroll a diverse population of up to half a million people across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

The study is open to anyone who is 30-65 years old; who has never been diagnosed with cancer (not including basal or squamous cell skin cancer); and who is willing to make a long-term commitment to it, which involves completing periodic follow-up surveys at home for the next 20-30 years.

?There are no other exclusions that would keep someone from participating,? Joiner said.

CPS-3 will help researchers better understand the lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer.

?Many individuals diagnosed with cancer struggle to answer the question, ?What caused my cancer?? and in many cases, we don?t know the answer,? said Alpa V. Patel, principal investigator of CPS-3.

?CPS-3 will help us better understand what factors cause cancer, and once we know that, we can be better equipped to prevent cancer. Our previous cancer prevention studies have been instrumental in helping us identify some of the major factors that can affect cancer risk. CPS-3 holds the best hope of identifying new and emerging cancer risks, and we can only do this if members of the community are willing to become involved,? Patel said.

To enroll in the study, participants should go to Athens Regional Medical Center to sign an informed consent form, complete a brief survey, have their waist circumference measured and give a small blood sample.

The in-person enrollment process takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Folks at home can complete a comprehensive survey packet that asks for information on lifestyle, behavioral and other factors related to their health. Upon completion of this process, the Cancer Society will continue to send periodic follow-up surveys to update participant information and annual newsletters with study updates and results.

The initial and follow-up surveys completed at home will take an hour or less to complete and are expected to be sent every few years.

Researchers will use the data from CPS-3 to build on evidence from a series of American Cancer Society studies that began in the 1950s that have involved millions of volunteer participants.

The commitment by participants is voluntary, but long-term.

?Taking an hour or so every few years to fill out a survey ? and potentially save someone from being diagnosed with cancer in the future ? is a commitment that thousands of volunteer participants have already made. We?re looking for more like-minded individuals in Athens and surrounding areas to join this effort that we know will save lives and improve the outlook for future generations,? said Patel.

Joiner said at least 350 people from Athens and the surrounding area already have signed up to participate.

?We can see ... up to 500 people ... so there is at least 150 more slots to fill. It grows exponentially every week, so we are looking to recruit about 100 people (this week) and then leave room for walk-ins,? she said.

For more information or to learn how to become involved with CPS-3, visit www.cps3Athens.com, email rachel.joiner@cancer.org or call (888) 604-5888.

Source: http://onlineathens.com/health/2012-10-29/athens-residents-get-opportunity-participate-cancer-study

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Sprint seeks majority control of Clearwire

NEW YORK (AP) ? Flush with the promise of cash from a Japanese investor, Sprint Nextel Corp. on Thursday said that it wants to buy out the founder of Clearwire Corp. to gain majority control of the wireless network operator.

Sprint said in a regulatory filing that it will pay wireless pioneer Craig McCaw and his holding company $100 million for a stake in Clearwire, pushing Sprint's voting stake in the Bellevue, Wash., company from 48.1 percent to 50.3 percent.

Clearwire has the right to use a large chunk of the nation's airwaves, but lacks the money to renovate and expand its network. Sprint has been struggling financially too, and hasn't been in a position to invest in Clearwire. That changed with Monday's announcement that Japanese cellphone company Softbank Corp. will buy 70 percent of Sprint for $20.1 billion.

Clearwire shares fell 15 cents, or 7 percent, to $2.11 in morning trading Thursday. They have already nearly doubled in price on speculation that the Softbank deal means Sprint will buy Clearwire outright.

Stifel Nicolaus analyst Christopher King said that while Clearwire shareholders may have preferred to have Sprint make an offer to buy all of the company, Thursday's proposal "does further inexorably tie the future of Clearwire to a more well-funded Sprint."

Sprint shares rose 5 cents to $5.78.

Sprint and Clearwire have had a hot-and-cold relationship. Sprint rolled part of its own operations into Clearwire in 2008, gaining a stake of just over 50 percent. But Clearwire's weak financials threatened to drag Sprint down with it, and Sprint reduced its stake to less than 50 percent.

Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint is also Clearwire's largest customer, buying wholesale access to its network and reselling it as "Sprint 4G." But Sprint is also building its own 4G network, and has previously shown little interest in supporting Clearwire for the long term.

King noted that Softbank has a 4G network in Japan that uses the same technology and range of frequencies that Clearwire's planned new network does. That sets the stage for joint development of the technology.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-10-18-Sprint-Clearwire/id-d449f4d51a4f4dad988bdb21561b09f9

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New York terror case: Is recruitment process for foreign students flawed?

The suspect, who arrived in New York this summer, initially attended college in Missouri after a commission agent was used to recruit him. One critic talks of 'a gold-rush mentality when it comes to foreign students.'

By Ron Scherer,?Staff writer / October 18, 2012

This courtroom sketch shows Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis (c.) and his attorney Heidi Cesare (l.) in Brooklyn Federal Court, Wednesday, Oct. 17, in New York.

Elizabeth Williams/AP

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The case of the Bangladeshi man who has been charged with attempting to blow up the New York Federal Reserve Bank raises some troubling questions related to the international-student process.

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This spring, Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis was studying cybersecurity at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.

How did he get from Bangladesh to the school, some 8,255 miles away? Who was responsible for screening him? And how did he end up in New York City where he was arrested, instead of Southeast Missouri State?

There are any number of ways a student like Mr. Nafis could have arrived at the school, education specialists say. He might have applied online or might have had a friend who attended it. The university might have gone to Bangladesh to recruit students. Or, it might have used an agent who gets paid per student to supply foreign students to the schools.

In Nafis?s case, Southeast Missouri State used a commission agent who was paid a fee for his enrollment, says Ann Hayes, a spokeswoman.

?The problem is the agents work for themselves, not for you,? says Barmak Nassirian, an independent consultant and former associate executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers in Washington.

?You are handing your institution?s name and credibility to someone overseas, and you don?t know what they are doing,? says Mr. Nassirian, who has been a critic of the practice.

One thing Southeast Missouri State didn?t know during Nafis?s application process: He had been enrolled at North South University in Bangladesh, Hayes says. Instead, he sent the US school his high school national exam data and his English test scores. Since they were above what is recommended for international students, he was accepted, she says.

Universities have turned to the agents because ?there is something of a gold-rush mentality when it comes to foreign students,? Nassirian says. They typically pay full tuition, so universities do not need to give them scholarships. In addition, schools can then tout that they have students from scores of foreign countries, giving US students a broader view of the world.

However, how is a university to know whether it has a potential terrorist arriving on campus if it has not even met the student?

This is an issue, Nassirian says. ?They don?t have the ability to screen for terrorism,? he says. ?The best they can do is judge academically.?

Then again, maybe they should not be screening for potential terrorists. ?It?s not the responsibility of whoever is screening a student, nor the institution, to ascertain the intent or background of the student,? says John Deupree, executive director of the American International Recruitment Council (AIRC) in Bethesda, Md., which certifies student recruiting agencies overseas. ?It?s the responsibility of the institution and advising party to ensure the student has the proper academic and language background to succeed at the university.?

Screening out potential terrorists, Mr. Deupree says, is the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security.

Under 5 percent of institutions use agents to recruit foreign students, the National Association for College Admission Counseling found in an October 2010 survey. Slightly less than 20 percent say they use their own staff plus agents. Most of those who do use foreign agents pay a commission based on the number of students who enroll. (It is illegal in the United States for universities to pay agents to recruit students domestically.)

According to the State Department, 447,410 F-1 (student) visas were issued in fiscal year 2011. Another 175,253 were refused.

According to the Institute of International Education, more than 700,000 international students were in the US in 2010-11.

To obtain a visa, a student has to appear at a US embassy with proof of admission to a US school and a completed immigration form (I-20).

?The US consul has to be satisfied they can support themselves and the application is not just a backdoor way to immigrate to the US,? Nassirian says. ?They have to show an intent to return and in the case of Muslims and in regards to men, the possibility of other issues is present.?

As for Nafis, once he arrived at Southeast Missouri State, he asked to get credit for his courses at North South University in Bangladesh, Hayes says. Since he should have told the school about North South when he applied, his status was changed to ?transfer probation,? which meant he had to have at least a 2.0 grade-point average by the end of the semester. When that did not happen, he was academically suspended, Hayes says.

In July, Nafis asked to have his records transferred to a school in Brooklyn, she says. Southeast Missouri State did that and notified the DHS about the transfer.

In theory, this may have put him in violation of his visa. However, Nassirian says, the State Department recognizes that foreign students may want to transfer to another school. ?They must apply elsewhere and be accepted,? he says. ?But in practice, people drop out and disappear and show up elsewhere.?

That?s what apparently happened to Nafis. He arrived this summer in New York. According to the New York Daily News, he enrolled in English classes at the ASA Institute of Business and Computer Technology this fall. But, the paper says, he stopped showing up for classes this Tuesday, the day before he was arrested.

However, his alleged efforts to create mayhem apparently started this summer.

According to the complaint filed against him, he first contacted an undercover informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in early July. The agent was posing as a co-conspirator.

Nafis told the undercover agent that he came to the US to commit jihad, according to the complaint. He said he was an admirer of Osama bin Laden.

FBI undercover agents recorded hours of conversations with Nafis, who said he wanted to find other martyrs.

?I just want something big,? Nafis is alleged to have said. ?Something very big. Very, very, very, very big that will shake the whole country.?

On Wednesday, the FBI undercover agents helped him put together what he thought was a powerful car bomb, the complaint says. Instead, the bomb was a dud. When Nafis tried to set it off with a cellphone, it failed to work. That is when he was arrested.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/_uYJsfkSjZY/New-York-terror-case-Is-recruitment-process-for-foreign-students-flawed

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'Photographers Choice' is now | SeacoastOnline.com

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Photographers Choice exhibit at Irvine Gallery through mid-November

KENNEBUNK ? An exhibit featuring eight notable Maine photographers is on exhibit at the Irvine Gallery at River Tree Arts. The exhibit, "Photographers Choice," will run through Nov. 15.

The photographers whose work is on exhibit include local photographers Andrea Mabee, Mary Woodman, Joseph Barnett, and Brad Maushart, as well as Felice Boucher, Joseph Devenney, Beth Anne Gordley and Jim Nichelson.

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Each photographer participating in this show has a unique style and clearly presents their images with their own vision.

Rather than a more traditional photography exhibit that has a tight focus that revolves around a specific subject matter or genre, this exhibit has given each photographer the freedom to select whatever work they feel might best represent their talent.

As a result, there is great variety and creativity that is presented in this exhibit.

Fine art photography has limitless possibilities, and by design Photographers Choice has given the viewer a wonderful sampling of some extraordinary talent.

Many of the photographers in this show have won numerous national and international awards and their work can be found in museums and private collections.

For information, visit www.rivertreearts.org or call 967-9120.

We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Rules. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or fill out this form. New comments are only accepted for two weeks from the date of publication.

Source: http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20121018-ENTERTAIN-210180344

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