A quadriplegic skydiver plunged 18,000 feet to his death because he was unable to manually deploy his parachute, and his emergency chute was not set to automatically release, authorities said on Monday.

Jack Fogle, 27, of Kingston, Washington, died Saturday afternoon just minutes after he and seven others launched themselves from a plane during a celebrated skydiving event in northwest Montana that drew scores of parachutists, said Flathead County Undersheriff Jordan White.

Fogle, a veteran of 125 jumps over five years, was hampered by his physical disability from manually activating his primary parachute and was likely counting on his backup chute to deploy. He hit the ground from a fall estimated at 120 miles per hour, White said.

Investigators drew their conclusions from video of Fogle and statements by skydiving partners. An examination of Fogle’s equipment showed no malfunctions, suggesting the skydiver failed to properly set a device that would have caused his reserve parachute to open on its own.

Originally submitted at Adorama

Nikon 18mm – 105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX (VR) Vibration Reduction Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens – Refurbished by Nikon U.S.A.

Nikon 18mm – 105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX (VR) Vibration Reduction Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens – Refurbished by Nikon U.S.A.

Ok for the price

Pros: Easily Interchangeable, Lightweight

Cons: Blurry Focus, Poor in Low Light, Weak Casing

Describe Yourself: Semi-pro Photographer

Was this a gift?: No

I tried this as a general purpose walk around lens but found that it really didn’t have the range or image quality that I looked for. It’s a very non-typical Nikon lens in that it’s basically soft on every setting. It could be just the piece I received, but I would have a hard time recommending this lens to anyone.

(legalese)

The Petoskey News-Review reports officers went up on the roof about 12:40 a.m. and pulled the 31-year-old man back onto the building.

Public Safety Director John Calabrese says he believes the man “enjoys doing this.”

Officers confiscated a baton-like weapon, a can of chemical irritant spray and lead-lined gloves.

The Harbor Springs man is awaiting arraignment on charges of trespassing and possession of a dangerous weapon. He’s being held in the Emmet County jail.

Petoskey is in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula, about 225 miles northwest of Detroit.

via Man dressed as Batman charged with trespassing | Detroit Free Press | freep.com.

The company, California-based DineEquity Inc, said it would also change the way it serves juice to youngsters to eliminate the chance of any mixups that could result in any more toddlers receiving mixed drinks.

On Friday, Taylor Dill-Reese went to an Applebee’s in Madison Heights, Michigan, where — among other things — she ordered her 15-month-old son Dominick an apple juice.

What the little boy apparently got instead was a margarita. His mom told WDIV-TV that she only realized something was wrong when Dominick “kind of laid his head on the table and dozed off a little bit and woke up and got real happy.”

via Restaurant to retrain staff after mixed-drink mixup – Yahoo! News.

Hollywood studio funding problems, a threatened actors’ boycott and ulcer surgery for Jackson have plagued pre-production on the $500 million, two-movie project.

The director posted a studio news release on his website Monday saying production has commenced in New Zealand on the much-anticipated project.

British actor Martin Freeman will star as hobbit Bilbo Baggins alongside Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom in twin movies of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel about a short, hairy-footed hero.

The films are expected to take up to two years to make, with the first timed for release in late 2012.

via Cameras roll on ‘The Hobbit’ films in New Zealand – Yahoo! News.

Authorities said Geneva Ward told them she was being held hostage and her family would threaten her with a gun.

As deputies arrived, it turned out that the woman was immensely drunk and had intended to drive her grandchildren somewhere. Therefore, her family did not hand over her car keys. Ward now faces disorderly conduct charges.

ShortNews – the News-Community.

Police say the boy told them that 45-year-old Donna Ambrosio-Ruglio yelled at him that the cream cheese on the bagel would kill the dog.

The Daily Record of Parsippany reports Ambrosio-Ruglio was caring for the boy at her Randolph home. A criminal complaint says he sustained an abrasion to his head and bruises on his back.

Ambrosio-Ruglio is being held in the Morris County Jail on $75,000 bail, charged with child endangerment. It was not immediately clear whether she has an attorney.

via New Jersey Woman Accused of Hitting Boy Who Dropped Bagel – FoxNews.com.

The ink was barely dry on the PPACA when the first of many lawsuits to block the mandated health insurance provisions of the law was filed in a Florida District Court.

The pleadings, in part, read -

The Constitution nowhere authorizes the United States to mandate, either directly or under threat of penalty, that all citizens and legal residents have qualifying health care coverage.

State of Florida, et al. vs. HHS

It turns out, the Founding Fathers would beg to disagree.

In July of 1798, Congress passed – and President John Adams signed - “An Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seamen.” The law authorized the creation of a government operated marine hospital service and mandated that privately employed sailors be required to purchase health care insurance.

Keep in mind that the 5th Congress did not really need to struggle over the intentions of the drafters of the Constitutions in creating this Act as many of its members were the drafters of the Constitution.

The morning after the House voted to repeal the health-care law, Speaker John Boehner walked into a TV studio in the Capitol complex to announce his next act: “a ban on taxpayer funding of abortions across all federal programs.”

It “reflects the will of the people,” Boehner proclaimed. “It’s one of our highest legislative priorities.”

“First repeal health care, now this. . . .What about jobs?” the first questioner asked after Boehner finished his abortion rollout. “I thought that jobs was the highest priority.”

“Our members feel very strongly about the sanctity of human life,” Boehner answered. “We listened to the American people.”

Actually, Mr. Speaker, 63 percent of voters said the economy was the most important issue, according to exit polls during the November election. Voters asked for jobs – and you’re giving them a culture war.