‘Granny brigade’ cleared of charges

Eighteen anti-war activists who call themselves the Granny Peace Brigade were acquitted Thursday of disorderly conduct charges stemming from a protest outside a Times Square military recruiting center last fall.

Judge Neil Ross said the evidence showed “there was no blockage of pedestrian traffic and anyone who wanted to enter the recruiting center could do so.”

The defendants – including several in their 80s and 90s – had been charged with two counts of disorderly conduct in the Oct. 17 protest against the war in Iraq.

Tampa, Fla.

Man may have left suicide note online

A 20-year-old soldier was found dead in his barracks the day after an apparent suicide note was posted on his MySpace.com Web page.

The Army has not released the cause of Pvt. Dylan Meyer’s death Tuesday at Fort Gordon, Ga.

But the last posting on the Tampa man’s Web page seemed to indicate that he had planned to end his life. MySpace.com said there is no way to determine whether Meyer wrote the message himself.

“Jesus, I don’t know if any of you have heard what has happened to me yet, but I just want to remind you not to be sad,” said the note, posted Monday.

Oshkosh, Wis.

No contest plea in baby’s death

A woman accused of smothering her infant after she drunkenly fell asleep atop the 4-month-old while breast-feeding pleaded no contest Thursday to child neglect resulting in death.

Lorinda Hawkins, 28, had been scheduled for trial next week. She could face up to 21 years in prison when sentenced July 11. Prosecutor John Jorgensen said he would recommend that she receive at least some prison time.

Hawkins had been drinking at a bowling alley in February 2005, and after her husband dropped her and the child off at home, she started breast-feeding the baby but fell asleep, a criminal complaint said. When she woke up about an hour later, the baby was pale and not breathing, the complaint said.