Nation in brief
N.J. puts slogan on back burner
New Jersey: We’re Not So Good With Slogans.
The state has jettisoned “Come See For Yourself,” its second attempt at a tagline in less than a year. It was the product of a statewide contest set up by then-acting Gov. Richard J. Codey last fall, after he rejected a consultant’s offering: “We’ll Win You Over.”
State tourism officials said legal issues led them to scrap the latest slogan, explaining that West Virginia and other states previously used “Come See For Yourself.”
“We are proceeding without the slogan. We will revisit the next steps at the end of the year,” Karen Wolfe, a spokeswoman for the state Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism Commission, told the Press of Atlantic City for Saturday editions.
Salt Lake City
Polygamist leader on FBI’s Top 10 list
The FBI announced Saturday it has placed polygamist church leader Warren Jeffs on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, hoping the additional exposure and reward money leads to an arrest in the long-running investigation.
Jeffs, 50, is the leader of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, based in the stateline communities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz.
The sect split from mainstream Mormonism after the broader church renounced polygamy in 1890. The mainstream LDS church excommunicates members found to be practicing polygamy.
Jeffs is wanted in Arizona on criminal charges of sexual conduct with a minor. He also was charged in Utah with rape as an accomplice. He is accused of arranging marriages between underage girls and older men.
San Francisco
Nine hurt when ferry hits pier
Nine people suffered minor injuries when a ferry crashed into a pier in a bustling tourist area Saturday, authorities said.
The Baylink ferry, carrying 138 people, plowed into Pier 43 in the city’s Fisherman’s Wharf district around 4:20 p.m., according to city fire officials.
The boat had just left Pier 41 and was heading to Vallejo when it apparently lost control of its steering and veered into the wood pilings of nearby Pier 43. The exact cause of the crash remained under investigation.
Denver
General’s e-mail may violate rules
The Air Force said Saturday it is investigating whether a general violated military rules by sending an e-mail touting a veteran and conservative Christian who is running for Congress in Colorado.
Copies of the e-mails were made available to media by Mikey Weinstein, an Air Force Academy graduate who has sued the military in federal court over what he says is the growing dominance of the religious right in the Air Force.
The e-mail by Maj. Gen. Jack J. Catton was sent Thursday to more than 200 members of the academy class of 1976, including some still serving. It refers to Bentley Rayburn, a Republican seeking the seat of GOP Rep. Joel Hefley, who is stepping down after 10 terms.
“We are certainly in need of Christian men with integrity and military experience in Congress,” Catton’s e-mail says. “Please … join me in supporting his bid to continue serving our country.”
The e-mail came with a contribution form.