2A THE RICHFIELD REAPER
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Walking Out of the Darkness
What Do You Think?
The second annual Salt Lake Comic Con drew more than 100,000 people to the Salt Palace Thursday, Friday and Saturday. People from throughout the state turned out in droves to meet celebrities like Stan Lee, Danny Glover and cast members of “The Big Bang Theory.” Many came dressed in superhero regalia, also called cosplay, to celebrate pop culture in Utah. The Reaper asked six people to share their thoughts about why they attended the event.
What drew you to the convention? “Lou Ferrigno is here and he’s the Incredible Hulk and I love the Incredible Hulk.” — Brandon Chambers
Springville
“Beep. Beep.” — R2-D2
Tatooine
“I’m here for Cary Elwes.” — Gavin Wolfe
Springville
“My mom cosplays with me. It’s kind of my thing and it’s fun that she’ll do it with me.” — Lexi Johnson
Helper
SANDY PHILLIPS/RICHFIELD REAPER
Nearly 200 people take to the streets of Richfield Saturday morning for the inaugural Out of the Darkness community walk for suicide prevention and awareness. More than $2,500 was raised during the event, the proceeds of which go toward research and education programs designed to prevent suicide and save lives. Organizers and participants have expressed a desire to make the walk an annual event — the first Saturday after Labor Day — as well as taking the idea of a community support group into consideration. For more information, contact Renee Ford at (435) 979-6643.
Felonies continued from front page The investigation reached into records dating back as far as 2008, but most of the criminal charges are from the period of 2010 to 2012. The thefts were not found by annual audits of the county due to normal procedures, in which cash flow and equipment is all accounted for, Pearson said. However, since the majority of the fraud deals with expendable supplies, those items are not generally covered in annual audits. Charges filed include three counts of theft, two counts communication fraud, forgery, misuse of public money and failure to keep or pay public money, all felonies. The charges also include an additional count of theft, official misconduct and falsification or alteration of a government record, all misdemeanors. “All of us are extremely disappointed in what this person has allegedly done,” said Gordon Topham, Sevier County commissioner. “It shows that we have to be more vigilant in watching over taxpayers’ resources.” With charges filed, a formal summons to Sixth District Court is expected later this week. Johnson’s arraignment and trial dates are pending following the summons. Johnson retired from the position of mosquito abatement director in 2012.
Chase continued from front page At approximately 8:30 p.m., the female suspect was reported by local residents as having been spotted within a few blocks of the vehicle crash site. Officers found her hiding in some bushes in the backyard of a residence, Pratt said. The woman, Ariel Anderson, 27, Moreno Valley, Calif., was taken into custody without incident before being transported to a local hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the vehicle collision. The male, William Giorgi, 28, Winchester, Calif., was not injured. Pratt said charges against the suspects include felony evading and drug possession. “Salina City is very grateful for the assistance of the Sevier County and Millard County sheriff’s departments, Gunnison PD, as well as to the UHP for their help on the ground and in the air,” Pratt said. He said the Richfield Communications Center, which dispatches emergency services in the region, did excellent work managing radio traffic and relaying information throughout the incident.
Choir “Just showing and selling some art.” — Dan DeMille Richfield
“I haven’t been to a con since 2001, so I really wanted to go and I really love cosplaying.” — Chelsey Aldridge
Richfield
continued from front page “I came in after all these things had been planned, so I have to tip my hat to the past mayor, Brad Ramsay, and the committee who got the ball rolling on all of these things more than a year ago,” Ogden said. SVC director Joe Anderson said though the turnout was a little shy of what the choir and the city were planning, he felt it was good. “It’s hard to predict exactly how many people will come to a show,” Anderson said. “All things considered, it was a worthwhile performance.”
Shooting continued from front page The bullet went through Stewart’s right thigh and into his left, Lloyd said. Stewart was treated for the injuries at Sevier Valley Medical Center and released the same day. The first accidental shooting this year occurred March 18 on Richfield’s Main Street when a 9-year-old was accidentally shot by a cousin while riding in a vehicle. The second also occurred on Richfield’s Main Street. It resulted in a 34-year-old Sigurd man being injured when a gun fell out of the cab of a pickup and went off May 31.
Bombing run, making memories B-25 proves to be a well Maid piece of aviation history By David Anderson Associate Editor
It’s not often that one can actually reach out and touch a piece of history. For Circleville resident George Whittaker, the opportunity to touch history also included climbing up inside of it, and reliving something he hasn’t experienced for more than 60 years. During World War II, Whittaker, who turns 92 in October, was in the U.S. Army. From 1942 to 1946, he was a motor transportation noncommissioned officer and served in the reconnaissance and intelligence platoon of Headquarters Company 334 Infantry. During his time in the service, he participated in the Battle of the Bulge. Following the war, Whittaker took a course where he learned how to work on bombers. “We were allowed to taxi them out to the end of the runway and back,” Whittaker said. He said during the class, he wasn’t ever allowed to fly in one of the bombers. However, his chance to fly in a WWII bomber came Monday when he rode seated behind the pilot of the Maid in the Shade, a B-25. The B-25 is perhaps best known for its role in the Tokyo Raid following the attack on Pearl Harbor. “We were always glad to see them overhead,” Whittaker said. As the plane cut through the sky above Richfield, Whittaker gave the thumbs up sign and a big smile. The noise generated by the aircraft’s twin engines, each producing 1,700 horsepower, drowned out any verbal exchanges. “This plane was built for your freedom, not your comfort,” said Col. Daniel Baker, part of the Commemorative Air Force crew. The half hour flight gave passengers a taste of what it would have been like to fly over the Pacific or European theaters of the world’s largest conflict.
DAVID ANDERSON/RICHFIELD REAPER
The view of Sevier Valley as taken from the bombardier’s seat of a B-25 flying overhead Monday afternoon. The plane is in the area as part of the grand opening celebration for the Richfield Regional Airport.
B-25s flew over Japan and Germany during the war. The Maid in the Shade specifically flew 15 missions against Germany, bombing railways and other pieces of infrastructure needed by the Axis powers. “She’s a veteran,” said Col. Russ Gilmore, the pilot of Monday’s excursion. He pointed out three different bullet holes that had been repaired, the result of German efforts to stop Maid from delivering her payload.
“This plane was built for your freedom, not your comfort.” — Daniel Baker Gilmore showed the bomb bay doors where people had signed the aircraft, including one man who actually flew in it as a tail gunner during the war. Other notable signatures included two of the men involved in the Tokyo Raid, and three women who helped build B-25s. Two of the “Rosie the Riveter” signatures are from women who helped build Maid at a plant in Kansas City, Kan. “This plane was designed for low level missions,” Gilmore said. He said during one of the Maid’s
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bombing runs, she was the only one of four bombers to return to base. “George is the reason we do this,” Gilmore said. He said the sacrifice of veterans during WWII was immense, and that many people who piloted planes like the B-25 never returned home. “The plane is a tool to reach out, especially to young people and let them learn about history and the sacrifice veterans made for them,” Gilmore said. Maid is set to be on display at the Richfield Regional Airport throughout the weekend. The display is scheduled to be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., each day. The CAF is selling rides on the B-25 as a way to raise money for the nonprofit organization. Flights range from $395 to $650. Cockpit tours are also being offered for a $5 donation, with all money going toward helping the CAF keep its squadron of historic planes preserved for future generations. The CAF also brought the B17G Sentimental Journey to Richfield in 2007. A fly-in and open house are also slated for Saturday, Sept. 13, as a way to celebrate the grand opening of Richfield’s refurbished airport. For more information, log onto azcaf.org.
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