JURY SELECTION CONTINUES FOR WRIGHT TRIAL

Jury selection in the Daphne Wright trial should wrap up this week, a week later than first hoped, said the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Argus Leader. Thirty-nine potential jurors have been accepted, about two-thirds of the number needed. Questioning has been slowed by Wright’s minority attributes – she’s black, deaf and a lesbian – and by the fact that the death penalty is in play. Wright, 43, is accused of kidnapping and killing Darlene VanderGiesen, also deaf, in February 2006. If Wright is found guilty, the same jury will decide if she should spend her life in prison or be put to death. source

STUDENTS TO PRESS LAWMAKERS ON INTERPRETING NEEDS

Eighteen students from Land O’Lakes (Fla.) High School plan to attend a rally today on the Capitol steps in Tallahassee and visit area lawmakers to discuss issues of importance to the deaf. Specifically, they want lawmakers to pass House Bill 991 and Senate Bill 926, which require sign language interpreters to be licensed. “We thought it would be a great idea for the people to, rather than see numbers on a report, see the people who it affects,” said Lisa Schaefermeyer, the school’s lead interpreter and president of the Florida Registry for Interpreters for the Deaf. The students were looking forward to making their case. “We need certified interpreters,” said Jessica Marrero, 15. “It’s our life.” source

DEAF COUPLE’S DAUGHTER DIES IN HIGHWAY CRASH

A group of nearly 300 grieving teenagers who gathered on the Lakewood, Colo. roadway where Samantha Stricklen was killed in a car accident 24 hours earlier heard from the victim’s mother, who told them in sign language, “Please don’t drink and drive!” Samantha, 17, was a passenger in a car hit head-on by a 16-year-old driver who investigators say may have been drinking. Samantha’s parents, Michelle and Bill Stricklen, are both “deaf and mute,” said the Rocky Mountain News, and they spoke at the candlelight vigil through interpreter Bert Kondrotis. “Samantha loved all of you very much,” said Michelle. “You were really wonderful to her.” Added Bill: “She is now here with us.” source

PLAN TO COMBINE DEAF, BLIND SCHOOL CAMPUSES OPPOSED

A plan by Ohio state officials to combine the campuses of the schools for the blind and the deaf has come under fire by alumni, reported The Columbus Dispatch. The Ohio State School for the Blind and the Ohio School for the Deaf are located next to one another in Columbus, separated by a ravine, and officials have proposed a five-year, $40 million project to consolidate the two campuses on the deaf school’s 130-acre property to save on operating costs. Forcing blind and deaf students to share the same facilities such as gym and cafeteria could lead to teasing and bullying, said Richard Huebner, president of its alumni association, and will destroy the deaf school’s culture. “We’ll fight this to the bitter end to keep them separate,” he said. source

NAD: TIME FOR ACTION ON CAPTIONING IS NOW

It’s time to take action on closed captioning, said the National Association of the Deaf last week. After the Federal Communications Commission ruled in September that nearly 300 TV programs could be shown without captions, the NAD joined other advocacy groups and hundreds of consumers to successfully have the FCC overturn the decision. The FCC then identified 494 programs that requested a waiver of captioning requirements, and advocates filed comments/oppositions to 449 of the requests. (They’ll get to the other 45 soon.) But “these TV programs and the FCC need to hear from you!” said the NAD, and they need to hear from you by March 27. Simply go to www.nad.org/opposeTVwithoutCC and Take Action NOW! source

MAN ARRESTED FOR INTERNET LURING OF CHILD

A deaf Colorado man was arrested Friday in an Internet sex sting, reported the Rocky Mountain News. Carmen Mascitelli III, 25, of Colorado Springs, drove 60 miles to Parker believing he was going to meet an underage girl he met through online chat a week earlier but was arrested by Douglas County deputies when he got there. He was booked into a detention center for investigation of Internet luring of a child, enticement of a child and criminal attempted sex assault on a child. source

VIRGINIA MAN GETS 12 MONTHS FOR CHURCH FIRE

A homeless deaf man was found guilty Friday of starting a fire that destroyed a Charlottesville, Va. church last May. Jason Santos was sentenced to 12 months in prison for burglary, arson and petty larceny and ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to the church, the amount not covered by the church’s insurance, said WCAV. An earlier report indicated that Santos started the fire by accident while cooking in the church kitchen. The fire caused $1.5 million in damage. With time served, Santos, 25, may be released soon. source

COLLEGE STUDENTS PROTEST SCARCITY OF CLASSES

About 15 students gathered Monday at Sierra College in Sacramento, Calif. to protest the scarcity of classes for people majoring in deaf studies. According to the Sacramento Bee, the students complained that the classes they need to graduate are not always available. “If they offer a degree,” said Sierra graduate Sarah Hoffman, “we have a right to have classes to finish that degree.” Sierra spokeswoman Sue Michaels said limited class scheduling is a common problem at community colleges and a result of funding issues. “We’re very happy they’re helping highlight this very important issue,” she said. source

RED CROSS BRANCH SEEKS OUT DEAF VOLUNTEERS

The American Red Cross branch in Rochester, N.Y. is reaching out to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community to recruit more volunteers, reported 13WHAM. Right now the Red Cross has about 30 such volunteers, but officials want to recruit 20 more. Deaf volunteer Pam Hatch goes out to fires and floods and has helped in Louisiana, working with all hearing people and using an UbiDuo portable wireless device to help communicate. Volunteer Kathy Dollinger-Meyer, also deaf, joined for the challenge. “I wanted to do something different, not just the deaf,” she said. “I wanted to do something in the community.” source

SHERIFF IN MISSOURI COUNTY OFFERS EMAIL ACCESS

Deaf people in Cole County, Mo. can now contact the Sheriff’s Department by sending an email via their cell phones, reported the Jefferson City News Tribune. The email address – leetext@colecounty.org, standing for Law Enforcement Emergency Text – will be monitored constantly by several computers in the sheriff’s office and cost the taxpayers almost nothing. Some say this service may be a first of its kind. “I’ve never seen a law enforcement agency reach out to the deaf community like this,” said Nick Dignan, a church pastor whose parents and grandparents are deaf. source