In brief: Zimmerman had guns, ammo at time of arrest

Sanford, Fla. – George Zimmerman had five guns and more than 100 rounds of ammunition with him when deputies arrested him earlier this month on domestic violence charges, according to court documents released Tuesday.

A search warrant made public by the Seminole County court clerk shows that Zimmerman had a 12-gauge shotgun, an AR-15 assault rifle and three handguns when he was arrested Nov. 18 at his girlfriend’s house. The girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe, told deputies that Zimmerman pointed a shotgun at her during an argument and also used it to smash her coffee table.

Zimmerman is free on $9,000 bail on charges of aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief. He is not allowed to have guns as a condition of his bail. He has entered a written plea of not guilty.

Zimmerman, 30, was acquitted of murder in July in the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a confrontation in the community where Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch volunteer. The shooting sparked accusations that Zimmerman had racially profiled Martin, who was black and unarmed, and led to nationwide debates over self-defense laws.

Unlicensed vaccine to be available at Princeton

Princeton, N.J. – A meningitis vaccine not yet licensed for use in the U.S. will be made available to nearly 6,000 students starting Dec. 9 at Princeton University, which had previously said it was considering the move.

The Ivy League school has experienced an outbreak of type B meningococcal disease, which is sometimes life-threatening. Since March, seven Princeton students and one student visitor have been stricken by the bacterial illness.

Princeton said Tuesday that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has now officially recommended that the new vaccine go to all undergraduate students; graduate students living in dorms; the Graduate College and annexes; and employees with certain medical conditions.

The first dose will be available Dec. 9 through 12, and the second dose in February. The CDC said two doses are needed for maximum protection.

Under New Jersey law, students who live in dorms must have vaccinations against other strains of meningitis, but a different type is needed for the B strain of the illness.

The vaccine to be given at Princeton is licensed for use in Europe and Australia but not in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration is allowing its use at Princeton.