The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Monday, October 26, 2009 - 3A
NEWS BRIEFS
DETROIT
*No Worker Left
Behind is working
Most of those who completed job
retraining duringthe first 18 months
of Michigan's No Worker Left Be-
hind program either kept their jobs
or gained new employment, accord-
ingto astate review.
Of the nearly 34,360 people who
finished training between August
2007 and February 2009, about
24,700, or 72 percent, either retained
work or got a new job, while about
9,660, or 28 percent, were still look-
ing for a job, according to the report
being released today. It found more
than16,840kepttheirjobs and about
7,860 foundnewemployment.
No Worker Left Behind offers up
to $10,000 over two years to workers
who attend community colleges or
other training programs. It's over-
seen by the Michigan Department
of Energy, Labor and Economic
Growth, which compiled the review.
"We really may be on to some-
thing here in terms of putting more
people into training and especially
into longer-term training," Andy
Levin, the agency's deputy director,
told The Associated Press ahead of
the report's release.
PALM BEACH, Fla.
Friend of Madoff
found dead at the
bottom of his pool
Jeffry Picower, a philanthropist
accused ofprofitingmorethan$7bil-
lion from the investment schemes of
his longtime friend Bernard Madoff,
was found at the bottom of the pool
at his oceanside mansion and died
yesterday, police said. He was 67.
Picower'swifediscoveredhis body
and pulled him from the water with
help from a housekeeper, authori-
ties said. He was pronounced dead at
Good Samaritan Medical Center at
about1:30 p.m.
Palm Beach police are investigat-
ingthe death as adrowning,buthave
not ruled out anything on the cause
of death.
Picower's body showed no visible
injuries, said Joseph Sekula, spokes-
man for the Palm Beach Fire Depart-
ment.
"There wasn't anything noted
as far as trauma or anything to
the body," he said, adding that "it
did appear that he was swimming
because he was wearing swimming
trunks."
TEHRAN, IRAN
UN inspectors visit
secret Iranian site
U.N. inspectors entered a once-
secret uranium enrichment facility
with bunker-like construction and
Wheavy military protection that raised
Western suspicions about the extent
and intent of Iran's nuclear program.
The visit yesterday by the four-
member International Atomic Ener-
gy Agency team, reported by state
media,was the firstindependentlook
inside the planned nuclear fuel lab, a
former ammunition dump burrowed
into the treeless hills south of Teh-
ran and only publicly disclosed last
month. The inspectors are expected
to study plant blueprints, interview
workers and take soil samples before
wrappingup the three-day mission.
No results from the inspection are
expected until the team leaves the
country, but some Iranian officials
hailed the visit as an example that
their nuclear program was open to
international scrutiny.
"IAEA inspectors' visit to Fordo
shows that Iran's nuclear activities
are transparent and peaceful," the
official IRNA news agency quoted
lawmaker Hasan Ebrahimi as say-
Jury acquits
Milano of felony
assault charges
Former football
walk-on convicted
of misdemeanor
By DEVON THORSBY
Daily StaffReporter
Former University football
walk-on Mike Milano was
acquitted Thursday of felony
assault charges stemming from
a confrontation between him
and a University hockey player
last October. But the Washt-
enaw County jury did convict
him of aggravated assault, a
misdemeanor charge.
Circuit Judge David Swartz,
however, recommended
Milano file an order to have
the misdemeanor conviction
expunged, and that he would
be willing to sign it, according
to John Shea, Milano's defense
attorney.
Milano will be eligible to
have the misdemeanor convic-
tion expunged five years from
the date of sentencing, accord-
ing to Michigan law.
In an interview after the
trial, Shea explained the ben-
efits of expunging the convic-
tion from Milano's record.
"Expunging the conviction
does not only remove it from
his record, but Mike would
also be able to truthfully say
he has never been convicted of
that crime," Shea said.
Shea continued to say that
expunging the conviction is a
good option for Milano, though
it may not be the only one.
"I'm quite certain that Mike
will seek to have (the convic-
tion) set aside once the five
years passes," Shea said. "That
is, unless we find a way to
remove the conviction before
then."
Milano's sentencing is
scheduled for Dec. 3, where
he could face up to one year
in county jail for aggravated
assault, as opposed to the
maximum of 10 years in prison
that he would have faced with
a felony conviction.
The misdemeanor convic-
tion comes after a confronta-
tion that occurred between
Milano and former University
hockey player Steve Kampfer
on Oct. 12, 2008, which result-
ed in Kampfer's hospitaliza-
tion and him missing hockey
activities for two months.
The incident began when
Kampfer got into an argument
with his ex-girlfriend outside
of Rick's American Caf6 on
Church Street, according to an
annarbor.com article. Milano
then confronted Kampfer and
the two began to argue them-
selves.
During the trial, Washtenaw
County Assistant Prosecutor
Paul Barnett said the argu-
ment appeared to be over until
Kampfer said one final word
and angered Milano, according
to the annarbor.com article.
The four-day trial that
ended on Oct. 23 included the
testimonies of both Milano
and Kampfer, along with other
eye-witnesses and character
witnesses, according to the
annarbor.com article.
Milano testified that he
confronted Kampfer for being
rough with the woman he
was arguing with. Kampfer
told the jury that he could not
remember many details of the
assault itself, though he said
he had only grabbed his ex-
girlfriend's wrist in order to
keep her from walking away,
not to threaten her, according
to annarbor.com.
The article also said that
Milano's defense attorney,
John Shea, questioned the
credibility of eyewitnesses
to the incident, as there were
conflicting stories concerning
the manner in which Milano
grabbed Kampfer.
The jury deliberated for
almost seven hours before
announcing the acquittal of
the felony charges and the
conviction of the assault mis-
demeanor, according to the
article.
Shea told the Daily that
while Milano is happy to be
acquitted of the felony, he is
still disappointed that he was
convicted of the misdemeanor,
believing he did the right thing
the night of the incident.
Michigan Associate Athlet-
ic Director Bruce Madej said
over e-mail that the Athletic
Department would not com-
ment on result of the trial.
An Iraqi Army soldier stands guard as Iraqis gather at the site of a massive bomb attack at the Ministry of Justice in Baghdad
yesterday. Iraq police say that a pair of powerful explosions rocked downtown Baghdad.
Two suicide car bo-mbs in
Baghdad target government
Deadliest attack intwo three American contractors. The attacks occurred just hours
The street where the blasts before Iraq's top leadership was
years leaves 147 dead, occurred had just been reopened scheduled to meet with heads of
to vehicle traffic six months ago. political parties in order to reach a
at least 721wounded Shortly after, blast walls were repo- compromise on election guidelines
sitioned to allow traffic closer to the needed to holdthe January vote.
BAGHDAD (AP) - A pair of sui- government buildings. Such changes President Barack Obama, who
cide car bombings yesterday dev- weretoutedby Iraq's Prime Minister earlier this week reaffirmed the
astated the heart of Iraq's capital, Nouri al-Maliki as a sign that safety U.S:s commitment to withdrawing
killing at least 147 people in the was returning tothe city. its troops from the country, called al-
country's deadliest attack in more The Iraqileaderwalked amongthe Malikitoofferhis condolences.
than two years. The bombs target- mangled and blackened cars, which "Thesebombingsservenopurpose
ed two government buildings and lay in front of blast walls that had other than the murder of innocent
called into question Iraq's ability been decorated with peaceful street men, women and children, and they
to protect its people as U.S. forces scenes of Iraq. At the Justice Minis- only reveal the hateful and destruc-
withdraw. try, windows and walls on both sides tive agenda of those who would deny
The bombings show that insur- of the street were blown away, and the Iraqi people the future that they
gents still have the ability to launch blood pooled with water from burst deserve," Obama said.
horrific attacks even as violence has pipes. Thefactthatthevehicleswereable
dropped dramatically in Iraq. Many Al-Maliki has staked his political to get into an area home to numer-
fear such attacks will only increase reputation and re-election bid on his ous government institutions - just
as Iraq prepares for crucial January ability to bring peace to the country hundreds of yards from the heavily
elections. and pledged to punish those respon- fortified Green Zone where the U.S.
The dead included 35 employ- sible, who he said wanted to "spread Embassy and the prime minister's
ees at the Ministry of Justice and chaos in the country, undermine the office are located- sparked demands
at least 25 staff members of the political process and prevent the thatthoseinchargeofthecity'ssecu-
Baghdad Provincial Council, said holding of parliamentary elections." ritybe held accountable.
police and medical officials speak- But the Sunday attacks seemed "Those responsible for security
ing on condition of anonymity designed to paint the Iraqi leader as and intelligence should be checked
because they were not authorized incapable of providingsecurity to the and interrogated," said Sunni Iraqi
to speak to the media. At least 721 beleaguered city, undermining much lawmaker Wathab Shakir. "Why
people were wounded, including ofhis politicalsupport. should innocentpeoplebekilled?"
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H PV Fact:
It is estimated
that
US, there is a
new, case of
log.
CARACAS, Venezuela U H i U
Venezuela bodies
found, border
security increased 4 7 8 2
Ten men who belonged to the 3 1
same soccer team were slain exe-
cution-style nearly two weeks after
being abducted in a crime that Ven- 7 2 5
ezuela said yesterday could be the
work of warring factions in neigh- 7 1 5
boring Colombia.
Venezuelan troops stepped up 7 _
security patrols in the area near
the Colombian border after the
bodies of 10 men, most of them
Colombians, were found in multi-
ple spots in western Tachira state 3 9 8
Saturday, Vice President Ramon
Carrizalez said. 5 1
The victims were among a group
of 12 men who authorities say were 6 8 2
kidnapped Oct. 11 from a field where
they were playing soccer.
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports
There's somethini
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