Trucker flies in lawn chair with 45 balloons to 16000 feet
Larry Walters of North Hollywood lifted in a chair strapped to 45 weather balloons and rose to 16000 feet before crashing into a power line. He was uninjured and faces possible FAA charges for violating federal aviation rules.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Long Beach
Calif
Rod Mickelson
Larry Walters
North Hollywood
Federal Aviation Administration
Neal Savoy
TWA
Delta
Savoy
Balloon incident stirs CB channel mayday confusion
A caller describes a mock emergency in a CB channel claiming a rapid ascent to 16 000 feet and subsequent balloon damage. The speaker reports numbness and gunfire on balloons but remained calm, sounding worried rather than panicked.
Man uses balloons to lift chair in San Pedro stunt
Walters inflated 456 foot balloons with helium tethered to an aluminum lawn chair and rose with friends holding the tethers. The last rope broke and the chair shot up to about 16 000 feet before drifting down as ballast failed. He later called for help over a CB radio and the ropes tangled in a power line causing a brief blackout in Long Beach.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Walters
San Pedro
Doug Dixon
Orange County
Long Beach
Sri Lankan hijacker funds spree with $300000 ransom
Sepala Ekanayake, 33, freed after hijacking an Alitalia 747, spent the ransom on clothes, toiletries, a celebratory meal, and a hotel stay in Colombo. He held a news conference and said the hijack was to teach Italy a lesson, warning of further action if challenged. Italian officials seek extradition. Colombo says court action and diplomatic steps precede.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Colombo
Sri Lanka
UPI
Sepala Ekanayake
Ekanayake
Alitalia
Bangkok
Franco Micieli de Biase
Italy
Tax surge boosts Iowa year end balance but no recovery
Iowa state tax receipts rose 26.1 percent in June lifting the year end balance to an estimated 15 to 20 million dollars, aided by spending cuts and a larger than expected intake. State Comptroller Ronald Mosher cautions the rise may reflect early July collections and says there is no sign of a broader recovery.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Judy Daubenmier
Gazette
Des Moines
Bureau
Ronald Mosher
Mosher
Iowa
First Iowa driver arrested under new drunk driving law
Stephen J. Thompson, 20, of Des Moines, is the first arrest reported after Iowa's new drunk driving law took effect at midnight. He was arrested at 2:12 a.m. for backing into a car after attending a party, as law allows confiscation of licenses at the scene and 20 day license surrogate issued after release for appeal.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Iowa
Linn County
Polk County
Stephen J. Thompson
Des Moines
Iowa Department of Transportation
IDOT
Len Schulke Thompson
Thompson
Stamps Expensive and Slow Mail Increases Storage Costs
Readers note rising stamp prices and slow delivery lead to higher storage costs as mail sits in transit. The message highlights frustration with postal service performance and the financial impact on households.
Hatter found guilty of kidnapping by Linn County jury
A Linn County District Court jury convicts 20 year old Bruce Hatter of first degree kidnapping after three hours of deliberation. He faces a life sentence without parole. sentencing is set for August 12. Attorney Mark Meyer says an appeal will challenge Iowa kidnapping and sexual abuse statutes.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Azette
Linn County
Bruce Hatter
Hatter
Mark Meyer
Meyer
Iowa
Also Mentioned on This Page
Sears
Hijacker
Ransom
Abby Money
U.S
Marion
By Chip Magid
Harding Junior High
Cedar Rapids
Ames
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