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Show IMn/slssue Today is Friday, April 4, 2008. Today's issue of The Utah Statesman is published especially for Joshua Taylor, a junior majoring in broadcast journlism from Corona, California. ClarifyCorrect The policy of The Utah Statesman is to correct any error made as soon as possible. If you find something you would like clarified or find unfair, please contact the editor at 797-1762 or TSC 105. AfofZBriefs" United Church of Christ begins race conversation CHICAGO (AP) - The United Church of Christ, the parent denomination of Barack Obama's church, announced Thursday that it will begin a conversation on racial issues beginning next month in response to sermons by Obama's pastor that were critical of the U.S. Leaders of Obama's church. Trinity United Church of Christ, meanwhile, asked reporters for respect, saying threats and a media onslaught are disrupting worship at the South Side church. The church has increased security in response to threatening telephone calls, letters and e-mails, they said. At a news conference, the United Church of Christ's national leadership said the furor over comments by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright demonstrated the complexity of racial issues in the country and the need for churches to talk about them. "The members of Trinity United Church of Christ are going through a very difficult Would-be bank robber leaves ID at the scene WARREN, Mich. (AP)- A would-be bank robber came away empty-handed but left behind something useful for police: her photo identification. The woman was arrested less than an hour later on a charge of attempted armed robbery. Police Commissioner William Dwyer said. The woman filled out an account application Thursday morning, then pulled a handgun and demanded cash, Dwyer said. She panicked and fled without getting any money; police found an address on the account application, along with her photo ID. The address was for an apartment near the bank. The manager gave the woman's new address to police, who arrested her without incident. "We're probably not dealing with the smartest person in the world," Dwyer told The Detroit News. Utah man pleads guilty to aggravated assault SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A man accused of chaining his girlfriend to an engine block has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. Online court records show Fernando Orozco-Trevizo pleaded guilty Thursday in exchange for the dismissal of two other charges, kidnapping and criminal mischief. Inmates get early release PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -Lawmakers from California to Kentucky are trying to save money with a drastic and potentially dangerous budget-cutting proposal: releasing tens of thousands of convicts from prison, including drug addicts, thieves and even violent criminals. Officials acknowledge that the idea carries risks, but they say they have no choice because of huge budget gaps brought on by the slumping economy. "If we don't find a way to better manage the population at the state prison, we will be forced to spend money to expand the state's prison system — money we don't have," said Jeff Neal, a spokesman for Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri. At least eight states are considering freeing inmates or sending some convicts to rehabilitation programs instead of prison, according to an Associated Press analysis of legislative proposals. If adopted, the early release programs could save an estimated $450 million in California and Kentucky alone. A Rhode Island proposal would allow inmates to deduct up to 12 days from their sentence for every month they follow rules and work in prison. Even some violent offenders would be eligible but not those serving life sentences. A plan in Mississippi would Celebs&People LOS ANGELES (AP) - An executive producer for "How I Met Your Mother" says he's open to having Britney Spears return for another cameo. "We always said, 'You know, if her character pops, we'll bring her back,'" Carter Bays told The Associated Press on Thursday. "I thought she was SPEARS great. 1 was very proud of that episode." POLICE OFFICER T O R I - L Y N N H E A T O N , whose ex-husband prebiously spent Spears, 26, garnered good reviews for time in prison for beating her, opposes early release programs in order to her guest starring role as a goofy recepprotect the safety of the victims. AP photo tionist in the March 24 episode of the cult CBS sitcom. The show ended with inmates who had less than 20 ings offers little comfort to ToriSpears' character flirting with womanmonths remaining on their senLynn Heaton, a police officer in izer Barney (Neil Patrick Harris). tences. Violent and sex offenders a suburb of Providence whose exOn the following episode, which aired husband went to prison for beating would not be eligible. Monday, the show introduced a "mystery her. He has already finished his Laying off prison guards and woman" who's been sabotaging Barney's prison term, but would have been making it more difficult to send usually successful attempts to pick up eligible for early release under the parole violators back to state pris- ladies. current proposal. on would account for part of the Asked if Spears might turn out to be savings. "You're talking about victim the saboteur, Bays said: "Could be. Law enforcement officials and safety. You're talking about comThere's no reason why not." He also sugRepublican lawmakers immedimunity member safety," she said. gested actress Sarah Chalke, who guest ately criticized Schwarzenegger's "You can't balance the budget on starred alongside Spears. proposal, which would apply to the backs of victims of crimes." Bays said it was surreal to see Spears on r But prisons "are one of the most car thieves, forgers, drunken driv- the set. i expensive parts of the criminal-jus- ers and some drug dealers. Some "It was totally weird.... I think we would never serve prison time tice system," said Alison Lawrence, because the standard sentence for have a very, like, kind of Midwestern who studies corrections policy for those crimes is 20 months or less. homey vibe here on the show, and it was the National Conference of State strange to suddenly have helicopters cirLegislatures. "That's where they "To open the prison door and cling," he said. look to first to cut down some of release prisoners back into comEAST HAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) -Jerry those costs." munities is merely placing a state Seinfeld was in a harrowing rollover burden onto local governments Rhode Island Corrections wreck but was unhurt after the brakes on and will ultimately jeopardize safeDirector AT. Wall was not sure one of his vintage cars failed. ty in communities," said Fresno how many prisoners could be Seinfeld was driving alone when Police Chief Jerry Dyer, who could freed early. The payoff for doing the brakes on his 1967 Fiat BTM see 1,800 inmates released in his so may be relatively small: less stopped working Saturday evening, East area. than $1 million for the first fiscal Hampton Town Police Chief Todd Sarris told the New York Post. Seinfeld tried the emergency brake, to no avail, and then swerved to keep the car from careening into an intersection, Sarris said. The sedan flipped over and came to a stop just yards from the highway. Father allegedly kills his three kids VIENNA, Va. (AP)-The mother of three young children who were allegedly drowned by their father in a Baltimore hotel room said Thursday that her estranged husband had become angrier in the weeks preceding the children's deaths. Still, Amy Castillo said she did not notice anything out of the ordinary on Saturday when she turned her children over to Mark Castillo for a regularly scheduled visitation. It was the last time she saw her children — Anthony, 6; Austin, 4; and Athena, 2. Mark Castillo is charged with murder. Police say he drowned his children one by one in the bathtub of the hotel room Saturday, then called the front desk the next day to report the killings when he realized his attempt at suicide had not worked. Amy Castillo, of Silver Spring, Md., said she is devastated but "it gives me peace that no one can harm them again and that they are with Jesus in heaven." She said Mark Castillo was increasingly troubled in recent weeks — a judge stopped alimony payments he had been receiving from her, and he was falling behind on financial obligations. "All around he was in trouble," she said. "I think he was getting more and more angry." The Castillos fought a bitter and lengthy court battle over their divorce and custody over the three children. They were granted a limited divorce in February, and Mark Castillo retained visitation rights to the children. Amy Castillo had asked judges to suspend those rights on at least two occasions, citing her husband's mental instability and alleged threats. In December 2006, she wrote in a petition for a protective order that her husband told her "the worst thing he could LateNiteHumor Top Ten messages left on the pregnant man's answering machine 10- "I thought you said you were using protection" 9 - "It's Angelina Jolie. I'd like to adopt the baby." 8 - "This is your wife, can I borrow your Gillette Mach 3 razor." ANTHONY, AUSTIN AND ATHENA CASTILLO, 7- It's Maury. I'd love to test to see if you're the mother and/or the father." photo do to me is to kill the children, not me, so I could 6- "Ralph Nader here. I've had sex with live without them." myself for years, never got pregnant." Montgomery Circuit Court judges denied her requests, saying there wasn't enough evidence that 5 - "It's Maury, again. Seriously, how fast Mark Castillo was a threat to the children. At one can you get here?" point, Amy Castillo was fined by the court for keeping her husband from seeing the children. 4 - "No number 4, writer still stuck on Asked about the court rulings Thursday, Amy JetBlue flight.what s it been, like a year?" Castillo said that "there were some people who would not listen to me." She said she did not want to talk about the legal 3 - "Michael Moore here. People ask me if issues too much, but said the legal system needs a I'm pregnant too" better understanding of mental-health issues. One of the judges, Joseph Dugan, declined to 2 - "This is Dr. Phil. We should talk." comment Thursday but his office referred calls to a Rockville divorce attorney who had reviewed the 1- "Michael Jackson here, just wanted to case, at the request of the Maryland judicial branch. reach out to another androgynous freak Judges generally cannot comment publicly on cases. show" Get a Manicure 1085 N, Main Ste. 100 shown, were allegedly drowned by their father Thursday.AP |