 80-year-old woman lands plane after husband passes out Apr 3rd 2012, 19:47  An 80-year-old woman with no flying experience made an emergency landing after her husband fell unconscious behind the controls of his Cessna airplane. By Elizabeth Chuck, msnbc.com An 80-year-old woman with little experience flying planes was forced to make an emergency landing Monday when her husband, a certified pilot, slumped over the controls of his twin-engine Cessna in the skies of northeastern Wisconsin on Monday. "He developed a medical emergency," Door County, Wis., Sheriff Terry Vogel said of John Collins, 81. "He died as a result." His wife, Helen Collins, remained calm despite not knowing how to fly a Cessna, and called the sheriff's dispatch center for help. "She was circling for an hour-and-a-half when the tanks were actually registering no fuel," Helen and John Collins' son, Richard, 55, told msnbc.com. "Usually you have 45 minutes. She had to be running on fumes, and I mean fumes." The Collins, who live in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., were flying back from a weekend fishing trip to Florida. After fueling up in Georgia and calling Richard, who lives next door to them in Sturgeon Bay, they continued their flight. Six miles south of Door County's Cherryland Airport, though, trouble struck: John had a heart attack mid-flight and fell unconscious, said Richard Collins. Richard and another brother, who knows how to fly, heard the news, and raced to airport's dispatch center just after 5 p.m. With his father passed out at the controls and his mother weak from two open-heart surgeries of her own, Richard began to worry about the fate of both of his parents. "She can hardly walk up steps," Richard said. As authorities down on the ground debated whether it was best to try to direct Helen to Cherryland Airport or to the larger Green Bay Airport for what would undoubtedly be a rough landing, a local pilot flew up to be by Helen's side, figuring it would be easier to radio in instructions on how to land if he could gauge her speed in the air. The situation got more dire when shortly after 6 p.m. Helen radioed in more bad news: The Cessna's right engine had lost power because it was out fuel. "She said, 'Look, I gotta land, I'm outta fuel,'" Richard said. Somehow, in what Richard describes as "a miracle," Helen managed to touch down safely at Cherryland. "She didn't even know how to drop the landing gear," Richard said. "I can't even tell my mom how to run a computer!" Amazingly, Helen didn't suffer any major injuries, Richard said. While the plane landed nose-first, and Helen got some bruises in the process, she is expected to be OK. "She landed it. It was absolutely incredible. She had an elevated heartbeat, and they were trying to bring down that scuff mark on top of her head and the bruise on top of her forehead. She will probably have two black eyes, but she's up and alert," he said. 'We prayed over him, and we said our goodbyes'
The relief the family felt when they saw Helen was alive was matched by their grief when they realized their father didn't survive his heart attack. "The EMTs extracted my dad. We prayed next to dad," Richard said. "She held his hand, and the priest said some prayers. We prayed over him, and we said our goodbyes. It was a really trying time." John Collins had a passion for flying and owned multiple airplanes, Richard said, adding that he's proud of what his mom did. "This twin [Cessna] is one of a few that won't go into a spin when you lose an engine. She brought it down and she did a wonderful job." More content from msnbc.com and NBC News: Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook |  Gay couples, where spouse is a foreigner, sue over DOMA Apr 3rd 2012, 19:42  Courtesy of Immigration Equality Tim Smulian, a 65-year-old British and South African citizen, and Edwin Blesch, a 71-year-old American, met in 1999 and have been together ever since – though that has entailed moving countries every six months at an enormous financial cost since they can't legally marry in the US. Despite years of stress, both said it has all been worth it and feel being part of the lawsuit is an "obligation to continue the struggle." By Miranda Leitsinger, msnbc.com Same-sex couples, in which one partner is a foreigner, have filed a lawsuit challenging a federal law that prevents them from getting a green card for their spouses, just ahead of the start of a related court battle that some predict could bring the issue of gay marriage to the Supreme Court. The lawsuit, filed Monday on behalf of five binational gay couples, targets Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which blocks federal benefits for same-sex couples -- including the right of an American to sponsor their foreign spouse for a green card. The lawsuit claims that DOMA violates their constitutional right to equal protection. “Our couples can’t just wait any longer … we’ve spent the past year working with the Obama administration to encourage them to place green card applications for gay and lesbian couples on hold until DOMA is struck down by the courts or repealed by Congress, and they have declined to do that,” said Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality, which filed the lawsuit along with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. “As a result, we really have no choice but to sue.” The couples in the lawsuit have been together more than a decade – in some cases more than two – and have struggled to cope with the law while maintaining their relationships. “They’re at the end of their viable options to stay here as a family,” Tiven said Tuesday. “They’re out of visas … they’re out of work opportunities that would enable them to continue to stay.” DOMA, enacted by Congress in 1996, blocks federal recognition of same-sex marriage, thereby denying various benefits given to heterosexual couples, such as the right to immigrate. Thirty-nine states have defense of marriage acts, while six states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. There are an estimated 36,000 binational gay couples in the U.S. One of the couples in the lawsuit is American Edwin Blesch, 71, and his husband Tim Smulian, a 65-year-old British-South African. The couple married in South Africa in August 2007, where gay marriage is legal. Their union is also recognized in New York state, which approved same-sex marriage last year. For some gay couples, fight goes on to marry — and stay in the US “The last years have been probably the most exhilarating in our lives in that we’re together and we both now have the … soulmate that we’ve been searching for all of our lives,” he said. But the legal restrictions have made life more stressful for the couple, who live in Orient, NY. Smulian’s visa has expired, and though federal authorities have given him an additional year to stay in the country in what is known as “deferred action,” that time will be up Feb. 7, 2013. “We’re now in our retirement years … there’s not a whole lot of time for us to dawdle around waiting for things like this to be settled,” added Blesch, who says he has HIV/AIDS and needs to stay in the country for his medical care. The lawsuit notes that if the couples were heterosexual, the federal government would recognize the foreign spouse as an immediate relative of their American partner, who could apply for an immigrant visa for them. “Solely because of DOMA and its unconstitutional discrimination against same-sex couples, however, these Plaintiffs are being denied the immigration rights afforded to other similarly situated bi-national couples,” reads the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York. “This is an action to remedy that hateful, harmful, and unlawful discrimination.” Immigration Equality and other advocates of couples in this situation have urged federal authorities to put the green card applications on hold, rather than deny them outright, while the legality of gay marriage is addressed through legislation or by the courts. They note that immigration judges have opted to put some deportation proceedings on hold while the law is in flux. “There’s no requirement in any law that says a (green card) denial must come immediately,” said Lavi Soloway, a lawyer representing same-sex couples, whose law practice – Masliah & Soloway – created Stop The Deportations: The DOMA project. “Press the pause button, don’t destroy people’s marriages,” he added. “Even for a short period so that we make sure we don’t make any premature denials and cause irreversible harm to couples and families.” Soloway said two other cases were filed last year – one in Los Angeles and the other in Chicago – on the same issue as the Immigration Equality lawsuit, coming amid a number of legal challenges to DOMA. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court in Boston will hear an appeal over DOMA’s denial of federal benefits to married gay couples – a case Soloway said experts expect to make it to the Supreme Court. More content from msnbc.com and NBC News: Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook | | Ohio school district sued for banning 'Jesus Is Not a Homophobe' T-shirt Apr 3rd 2012, 19:16 By msnbc.com staff An Ohio high school student says school officials are violating his freedom of expression because they won’t let him wear a T-shirt bearing the slogan “Jesus Is Not a Homophobe.” The shirt, high school student Maverick Couch told the Cincinnati Enquirer, is designed to show support for the "Day of Silence," on April 20, a national event that puts a spotlight on how bullying keeps gay and lesbian students from speaking out. Couch’s mother filed a lawsuit against the Wayne Local Schools District in federal court on behalf of her 16-year-old son on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
The lawsuit says Couch was threatened with suspension if he wears the shirt, which is emblazoned with a colorful logo of a fish traditionally used as a Christian symbol, as well as the slogan in large bold text. The suit asks that Couch be allowed to wear the shirt and receive unspecified damages. Maverick Couch told the Enquirer that school officials said the shirt was “indecent and sexual in nature.” Christopher Clark, Couch’s attorney, said the family for months tried to settle the dispute but school officials would not change their minds. "I do think what the school is doing is bullying," Clark told the Enquirer. "They’re trying to shame him into not wearing this shirt.” Wayne Local Schools Superintendent Patrick Dubbs told msnbc.com that the district has not yet reviewed the contents of the federal lawsuit and thus cannot comment at this time. More content from msnbc.com and NBC News: Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook |  'Tremendous damage' as 2 twisters tear through areas south of Dallas Apr 3rd 2012, 18:26 By Miguel Llanos and Jim Gold, msnbc.com Updated at 4:38 p.m. ET: At least two tornadoes touched down in areas south of Dallas on Tuesday, causing widespread damage. The National Weather Service described them as "large and extremely dangerous." With the storms still moving northeast through the region, many properties were damaged or destroyed and the Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport was hit by large hail, NBCDFW.com reported. Dallas flights were shut down and travelers were taken to shelters as the storms passed. American Airlines canceled nearly all its remaining flights Tuesday due to potential hail damage to aircraft. One tornado hit the Flying J Truck Plaza in Dallas, tossing two trucks, said driver Michael Glennon, who caught the destruction on his video camera. "The second trailer is ripped to pieces and thrown 50 to 100 feet into the air," Reuters quoted him as saying.
"This is a serious situation," the NBC affiliate reported over the air at the height of the storms, as meteorologists showed live footage of "debris balls" in Dallas, Ellis, Johnson and Tarrant counties, where officials were trying to get a tally of injuries and damage. Live video showed a huge funnel cloud moving through a populated area as flashes of exploding power lines lit the sky. Vehicles were thrown across a major highway. Large trucks were seen being flung through the air. "There's lots of 18-wheelers," said one NBC 5 reporter near Arlington. "I've never seen this before." Arlington's mayor declared a state of emergency, and many homes there were destroyed or damaged, NBC 5's Mola Lenghi reported. A local nursing home was hit hard, with one person hospitalized. In Lancaster, NBC 5 reporter Ken Kalthoff said "there's tremendous damage here." More than 100 children and adults inside a daycare center there appeared safe but the building was heavily damaged. No deaths were reported but an undetermined number of people were injured, he added. Tornado sirens went off ahead of the touchdown. A helicopter over South Dallas, Texas, catches a funnel cloud tearing through neighborhoods. "People have stumbled out of their houses surprised they survived,"reported Kalthoff, who saw the funnel cloud about a mile away. The Lancaster high school and a large water tank barely avoided damage, he added. Downtown Dallas was not in the eye of the funnel clouds, but the areas south of the city are also heavily populated. "Considerable damage" was also reported near Cleburne, a city of 30,000 some 30 miles south of Fort Worth, the National Weather Service said. The storms started near Cleburne, but most of the damage was to the north toward Dallas, city spokesman Charlie Hodges told msnbc.com. Schools south of Dallas were locked down, NBC's Charles Hadlock reported, adding that one of the funnel clouds touched down in the town of Red Oak. At least 35,000 customers lost power in the storms, which also dumped hail the size of golf balls across the area. In Dallas County, the storm pushed cars into fences and toppled trees. A motor home was torn apart and crumpled in a driveway where a home's roof was torn off. Mobile homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged in Kennedale and one person was hospitalized, the fire department said. The massive Parks at Arlington mall along Interstate 20 shut down and management ordered shoppers and others into the basement, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Employees at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington were moved into the tunnels, the newspaper said. At DFW Airport, American Airlines was having to inspect 68 planes for hail damage. Thirty-seven American flights were diverted and will stay in those cities overnight. American Eagle Airlines, the world’s largest regional airline, diverted 11 flights, and 33 of its planes will be inspected. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. More content from msnbc.com and NBC News: Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook | |
