Beloit Daily News 04/15/2013
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Nation Beloit Daily News
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Monday, April 15, 2013
NASA’s Wallops Island preps for the spotlight WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. (AP) - On one of Virginia’s small barrier islands, a NASA facility that operates in relative obscurity outside scientific circles is preparing to be thrust into the spotlight. On Wednesday, Orbital Sciences Corp. plans to conduct the first test launch of its Antares rocket under a NASA program in which private companies deliver supplies to the International Space Station. If all goes as planned, the unmanned rocket’s practice payload will be vaulted into orbit from Wallops Island before burning up in the atmosphere on its return to Earth several months later. The goal of the launch isn’t to connect with the space station, but to make sure the rocket works and that a simulated version of a cargo ship that will dock with space station on future launches separates into orbit. Orbital officials say that should occur about 10 minutes after liftoff. In that short period of time, Wallops Island will transition from a little-known launch pad for small research rockets to a major player in the U.S. space program. The Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s rural Eastern Shore is small in comparison to major NASA centers like those in Florida, California and Texas. The site is near Maryland and just south of Chincoteague Island, which attracts thousands
of tourists each summer for an annual wild pony swim made famous by the 1947 novel “Misty of Chincoteague.” The Eastern Shore is dominated by forests and farmland, and Wallops Island’s isolated nature, with marshland to its west and the Atlantic Ocean to its east, has also made it home to a Navy surface warfare combat center. Those who work at Wallops Island joke that even people living on the Eastern Shore are surprised to learn about rocket launches there. In fact, more than 16,000 rockets have been launched from Wallops Island since 1945, but none has drawn the attention of Antares. Most of the launches are suborbital and focus on educational and research programs. “The real transformation here at Wallops is we’ve always been kind of a research facility,” said William Wrobel, the facility’s director. “So this transition is really kind of into an operational phase, where we’re going to be doing kind of regular flights out of here to the space station.” A successful launch would pave the way for Dulles-based Orbital to demonstrate that it can connect its unmanned Cygnus cargo ship with the space station this summer. If that’s successful, Orbital would launch the first of eight resupply missions.
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The new Guinness World Record for the largest Lincoln Log build, a replica of Nebraska’s state Capitol, included 10,036 Lincoln Logs and stands at 12 ft. 4 in., Saturday at the Lincoln Children’s Museum in Lincoln, Neb.
1 dead, 1 missing in avalanches SEATTLE (AP) — A female snowshoer has died hours after she was dug out of an avalanche by fellow hikers, and a man remained missing Sunday, one day after a pair of spring avalanches struck separate groups hiking in the Cascade Mountains east of Seattle, authorities in Washington state said. Sgt. Katie Larson with the King County Sheriff ’s Office said a team of rescuers worked through the night in blizzard-like conditions to carry the female snowshoer off the mountain just after midnight. Medics confirmed that she had died when they reached the base of the
mountain, Larson said. “The conditions yesterday were horrific,” Larson said Sunday. “It took 25 rescuers about five to six hours” to bring her off the mountain in a sled. The woman, whose identity was not known, had been hiking with her dog near a group of a dozen other people Saturday afternoon when an avalanche hit Red Mountain near Snoqualmie Pass east of Seattle. She was buried in five feet of snow but was dug out with the help of the group of snowshoers, who had also been caught in the avalanche. Members of that group
told authorities that it took them 45 minutes to find the woman. “They did their best to try to warm her up,” Larson said. This is the first avalanche fatality reported in Washington state for the 2012-2013 season, according to the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center in Seattle. Nationwide, 16 others have died avalanches this season, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Meanwhile, the search for a 60-year-old hiker who was swept down the mountain in a separate avalanche at Granite Mountain on Saturday was
suspended indefinitely due to the poor weather conditions. “There was a heavy snow dump last night, and conditions are still very hazardous,” Larson said. The man, from Kent, Wash., was with two other friends when the avalanche carried them more than 1,200 feet down the mountain. The two friends emerged from the snow, but their friend did not. The two men suffered injuries that were described as not life-threatening. One of them was taken to a hospital for treatment, but Larson did not know his condition.
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Joss Whedon, Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson and Tom Hiddleston, from left, accept the award for best fight for “Marvel’s The Avengers” at the MTV Movie Awards in Sony Pictures Studio Lot in Culver City, Calif., on Sunday.
‘The Avengers’ wins big at the MTV Movie Awards LOS ANGELES (AP) — The MTV Movie Awards spread the golden popcorn prizes around, and even included a touch of Bollywood. “The Avengers” won three awards, including the top prize, movie of the year. “Silver Linings Playbook” also collected three awards. Several stars, including show host Rebel Wilson, won a pair of prizes. “What’s the opposite of humbled? We’re Biebered to be standing here,” said “Avengers” writer-director Joss Whedon as he accepted the top prize Sunday. “This is the award that means the most to me. I am so grateful and very excited for 2015; we’re going to bring you ‘Avengers 2.’” “The Avengers” also won best fight and best villain for actor Tom Hiddleston. “Silver Linings Playbook” won best performance for stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence and best kiss for the on-screen smooch they share. Cooper accepted his award and the kiss prize. Lawrence was not at Sunday’s ceremony. Wilson, who opened and closed the show wearing Iron Man-style armor, won breakthrough performance for her work in “Pitch Perfect” and shared in the film’s award for best musical moment. Its stars, including Brittany Snow and Skylar Astin, opened the show with a mash-up medley. Other musical acts were Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Selena Gomez, who debuted her new song, “Come and Get It,” with a Bollywood-inspired performance. The MTV Movie Awards are as much about the anticipated movies of the upcoming summer season as they are about the finest films of last year. Fans vote online for the winners in traditional and irreverent categories such as best fight, best kiss
and best shirtless performance. “Twilight” heartthrob Taylor Lautner won the shirtless award. The show also included new footage from next month’s “Iron Man 3” and the world premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” trailer, introduced by one of its stars, Liam Hemsworth. Stars from other summer films— including Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana and Zachary Quinto from the “Star Trek” sequel and Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez from the “Fast & Furious” franchise — appeared as presenters during the ceremony. Other presenters included Brad Pitt, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Snoop Dogg/Lion and Kim Kardashian. Hollywood has increasingly used the fan-driven MTV Movie Awards as a platform to promote its summer product. This year, the show was moved up from June to April to incorporate the entire blockbuster season, which begins in early May. Honorees and presenters represent upcoming movies, and the ceremony is typically peppered with commercials for forthcoming films and DVD releases. Emma Watson, a star of this summer’s “The Bling Ring,” received the Trailblazer Award. Will Ferrell wore a three-piece suit covered in dollar bills to accept the Comedic Genius Award from “Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage. Jamie Foxx was a double winner, too. He shared the best WTF moment award with Samuel L. Jackson for their scenes together in “Django Unchained,” and later thanked his daughter, parents and siblings in the audience as he accepted the Generation Award for his career in film.
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