'Bridge to nowhere' has met its end

JUNEAU - Alaska has decided that the bridge sometimes called "the bridge to nowhere" really was going nowhere, officially abandoning the Ketchikan project that became a national symbol of federal pork-barrel spending. Governor Sarah Palin said Friday that the project was $329 million short of full funding. "We went through political hot water, tons of it, and not just nationally but internationally," said Joe Williams, Ketchikan-Gateway Borough mayor. "We have nothing to show for it." The $398 million bridge would have connected Ketchikan, on one island in southeastern Alaska, to its airport on another island. "We will continue to look for options for Ketchikan to allow better access to the island," the Republican governor said. (AP)

DOVER - Tension between rival groups of friends from New Jersey and Washington, D.C., preceded the late-night shooting at Delaware State University in which two people were wounded, students said yesterday. While investigators worked to find the shooter who opened fire early Friday as several students left a campus dining hall, a classmate recalled how the violence had escalated from altercations during the week. "They've been getting into it, New Jersey people and D.C. people," said James Dillion, 23, of Cleveland. "Everybody's still astonished about what happened." University and city police questioned two students described as persons of interest, but released them yesterday. Nathaniel Pugh, 17, was in stable condition with an ankle wound. Shalita Middleton, 17, was shot in the abdomen and in serious condition. (AP)

PORTLAND - An F-15 fighter jet pilot was disoriented during an Oregon Air National Guard combat training exercise when he crashed into the Pacific in June, according to an Air Force review. Major Gregory Dean Young, 34, of St. Helens, died on impact about 40 miles west of Cannon Beach. The crash occurred while jets from the Portland-based 142d Fighter Wing were dogfighting with Marine Corps pilots from Texas. Young, a veteran pilot known for his emphasis on flight safety, spoke calmly to his wingman on his radio just two seconds before impact. His radio transmissions that morning betray no signs of distress or alarm. The military attributed the crash to "spatial disorientation." (AP)

ALTON - The police chief in this southern Texas town has been fired weeks after he was accused of sexually assaulting two male employees. Jose Luis Vela was suspended after his Aug 29. arrest on two charges of sexual assault. Three more current and former Police Department employees have since accused Vela of sexual harassment. City Manager Jorge Arcaute fired Vela on Friday, accusing him of poor record keeping. He said allegations surfaced accusing Vela of stealing alcohol confiscated by his department. Vela said he never took

confiscated beer, nor was he involved in logging items. He is out on bail. (AP)