Feds - Women duped into sex; singer Bobby Vee dies; guns banned
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Odd and interesting news from the Midwest.
- By JEFF BAENEN Associated Press
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Pop idol Bobby Vee, the boyish, grinning 1960s singer whose career was born when he took a Midwestern stage as a teenager to fill in after the 1959 plane crash that killed rock 'n' roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, has died. He was 73.
Vee, whose hits included the chart-topping "Take Good Care of My Baby" and who helped a young Bob Dylan get his start, died Monday of advanced Alzheimer's disease, said his son, Jeff Velline. Vee was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2011, and performed his last show that year.
Vee had been in memory care at The Wellstead of Rogers & Diamondcrest in Rogers, about 25 miles northwest of Minneapolis, for the past 13 months and in hospice care in recent weeks, his son said.
Vee died peacefully surrounded by family, Velline said, calling it "the end of a long hard road."
He said his father was "a person who brought joy all over the world. That was his job."
Born Robert Velline in Fargo, North Dakota, Vee was only 15 when he took the stage in Moorhead, Minnesota, after the Feb. 3, 1959, plane crash in Iowa that killed Holly, Valens and Richardson on their way to the concert. That dark day in rock history was commemorated by singer-songwriter Don McLean in his 1972 pop song "American Pie" as "The Day The Music Died."
The call went out for local acts to replace Holly at his scheduled show at the Moorhead National Guard Armory. Vee and his 2-week-old band volunteered, along with three or four other bands. The show's emcee, Charlie Boone, then a disc jockey at KFGO Radio, turned to Vee and asked him the name of his band. Vee looked at the shadows of his bandmates on the floor and answered: The Shadows.
"I didn't have any fear right then," Vee recalled in a 1999 interview with The Associated Press. "The fear didn't hit me until the spotlight came on, and then I was just shattered by it. I didn't think that I'd be able to sing. If I opened my mouth, I wasn't sure anything would come out."
Vee called his debut a milestone in his life, and "the start of a wonderful career."
Within months the young singer and The Shadows, which included his older brother Bill on lead guitar, recorded Vee's "Suzie Baby" for Soma Records in Minneapolis. It was a regional hit, and Vee soon signed with Liberty Records.
He went on to record 38 Top 100 hits from 1959 to 1970, hitting the top of the charts in 1961 with the Carole King-Gerry Goffin song "Take Good Care of My Baby," and reaching No. 2 with the follow-up, "Run to Him." Other Vee hits include "Rubber Ball," ''The Night Has A Thousand Eyes," ''Devil or Angel," ''Come Back When You Grow Up," ''Please Don't Ask About Barbara" and "Punish Her."
Besides his clear, ringing voice, Vee also was a skilled rhythm guitarist and occasional songwriter. He racked up six gold singles, but saw his hits diminish with the British Invasion of The Beatles and other English groups in the mid-1960s.
Vee kept recording into the 2000s, and maintained a steady touring schedule. But he began having trouble remembering lyrics during performances, and he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2011. He performed his last show that year, billed only as his retirement, during an annual community fundraiser that his family holds near their home in St. Joseph, Minnesota, about 65 miles northwest of Minneapolis. But he didn't announce his diagnosis until a year later on his website.
In a 2013 interview with The Associated Press, Vee said he knew his abilities were diminishing and he didn't want to put his family through a public decline.
"It's not getting any better, I can tell you that," Vee said. "But I'm doing the best I can."
Vee still released a new album, "The Adobe Sessions," a loose jam session recorded with family members in Vee's adobe garage north of Tucson, Arizona. The 2014 album featured some of Vee's favorite songs from Townes Van Zandt, Gordon Lightfoot and Ricky Nelson. It was released on the 55th anniversary of the Holly plane crash.
The album also included Vee's cover of Bob Dylan's "The Man in Me," a nod to the folk-rock legend who got his start in Vee's band in Fargo.
Dylan grew up in Hibbing, a town on northern Minnesota's Iron Range, and briefly played with Vee's band. Although their time playing together was short, Dylan had a lasting effect on Vee's career: It was Dylan, himself going by the name Elston Gunn when he hammered on the piano at a couple of The Shadows' gigs, who suggested Vee change his last name from Velline to Vee.
In his "Chronicles: Volume One" memoir, Dylan recalled that Vee "had a metallic, edgy tone to his voice and it was as musical as a silver bell." When Dylan performed in St. Paul in 2013, he saluted Vee in the audience and performed "Suzie Baby."
Vee and his wife, Karen, were married for more than 50 years. She died of kidney failure in 2015 at age 71. The couple had four children, including sons who performed with Vee.
Family members said Vee's memory wasn't affected so much by Alzheimer's as his speech. During the AP interview in 2013, he answered questions but would become tongue-tied searching for the right word. Vee tried unconventional methods to alleviate his Alzheimer's symptoms, from chiropractor visits to acupuncture, and also renewed his passion for painting.
And while he sometimes wished he could do the things that once came easily, Vee said he was "not going to cry about it."
"God brought me home," he said. "And that's the deal."
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This story has been corrected to show it was Bob Dylan, not Vee, who used the stage name Elston Gunn.
- By ED WHITE Associated Press
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DETROIT (AP) — A judge cleared the way Monday for Michigan voters to take photos of their completed ballot in the Nov. 8 election, calling the state's ban a free-speech violation in the era of cellphone cameras and instant social media posts.
U.S. District Judge Janet Neff in Grand Rapids signed an injunction to block enforcement of the photo prohibition. In response, lawyers for Secretary of State Ruth Johnson predicted "chaos" at polling places and asked the judge to consider freezing her order by Tuesday while they pursue an appeal in a higher court.
Michigan's ban on exposing completed ballots has been in place since 1891 when ballots were first printed by county election officials instead of political parties.
Joel Crookston of Portage, who took a "ballot selfie" in 2012 while voting for a write-in candidate for Michigan State University trustee, filed a lawsuit after learning that a picture of his ballot could get him in trouble.
No action was taken against Crookston. But under Michigan law and state policies, election workers can throw out a ballot and a voter can be charged with a misdemeanor.
Assistant Solicitor General Ann Sherman argued in a court filing that selfies will lead to even more delays at polling places as voters take pictures — or avoid getting into another voter's shot.
"Camera phones and other photography and videography are acceptable in many circumstances and locations. But not in the voting booth," Sherman said. "It is not unconstitutional to ban them to preserve the decorum, integrity and sanctity of the polling place and to ensure that the needs of all voters are met."
Crookston, she said, has other options outside a polling place to immediately express his "civic pride or disgust" about his ballot.
But state Rep. Sam Singh, D-East Lansing, praised the judge's decision.
"When people are excited to vote, they should be encouraged to share that enthusiasm," he said.
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Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwhiteap
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City-area man is accused of duping dozens of women into having sex with him on camera as "rehearsal" for pornographic movies.
Federal prosecutors announced a 21-count indictment Monday against 33-year-old Mario Antoine, of Raymore. A federal grand jury returned the indictment earlier this month.
Antoine is accused of creating online aliases as a talent manager, photographer and videographer and claiming to work for fictitious companies in the pornography industry. Investigators say he promised to pay the women thousands of dollars.
Prosecutors say when the women complained about not being paid, Antoine forwarded images of the sexual activity to their employers or significant others.
A public defender will be appointed for Antoine, who made his first court appearance Monday.
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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Vinton woman has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge connected to the fatal accidental shooting of a 14-year-old girl.
U.S. District Court Judge Linda Reade sentenced the woman to three years and 10 month in federal prison after she pleaded guilty in May to providing a firearm to a prohibited person. Investigators found she provided a rifle to her 16-year-old son, who she knew used marijuana. The Associated Press generally doesn't name juveniles accused of crimes, so it's not using the name of the woman.
Authorities say a teen other than the woman's son was handling the gun at a Vinton home in February 2015 when it fired, hitting Emma Redlinger. She died four days later.
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RIVER FALLS, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin authorities say a Minnesota woman had both hands on her cellphone and apparently none on her steering when she lost control of her car and sent the vehicle behind her into a deadly rollover.
The St. Croix County Sheriff's Office says the crash Friday afternoon killed 16-year-old Kyra Faith Hayes, of Beldenville.
A statement says a 21-year-old from Big Lake, Minnesota, was driving in front of Hayes on Wisconsin Highway 35 near River Falls. Capt. Jeff Klatt says it appears she didn't have either hand on the wheel and wasn't steering at all before her car veered into Hayes' lane. The vehicles didn't touch, but Hayes took evasive action and her SUV rolled. She died at the scene.
The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate whether to recommend charges.
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CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge has issued an administrative order banning guns and other weapons in and around judicial offices in north Iowa courthouses.
Second Judicial District chief judge Kurt Wilke gave the order Oct. 12, according to the Globe Gazette (http://bit.ly/2eDkMms ). The ban covers the district's 22 counties.
Areas where weapons are prohibited include courtrooms, jury rooms, clerks' offices, judges' chambers, court reporter offices, juvenile court offices, judicial administrative offices, as well as hallways, lobbies and conference rooms.
Wilke said the goal of the ban is to remove weapons from situations where emotions are elevated and there could be an increased threat.
"The idea is, in the courtroom setting a lot of times emotions are very high, particularly when you get into domestic issues and that sort of thing," Wilke said.
Law enforcement and court officers are exempt from the ban, which is based on security recommendations by the Iowa State Association of Counties and the Iowa Judicial Council.
Iowa Firearms Coalition Board Member Richard Rogers said he understands the security concerns, but believes the order overreaches when it prohibits citizens from carrying weapons in public areas outside of court venues.
"Outside of the courtroom and court offices, what reason or right does the district court judge have to force Iowans ... to give up the defensive tools that they carry with them everywhere else?" Rogers asked.
Chad Colby of Hart Weaponry in Mason City said that the ban won't stop a non-law-abiding person from using a gun in the courthouses. Wilke still stresses that the ban is not about taking away gun rights, but putting emphasis on safety for the area.
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Information from: Globe Gazette, http://www.globegazette.com/
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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man has pleaded no contest to felony theft in the disappearance of Louie the Clown and other items from the former Joyland Amusement Park.
The Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office says 41-year-old Damian Mayes entered the plea on Friday. The items were found in February 2015 at Mayes' home. Mayes was an employee of the park who helped build and repair organs. The nearly life-sized carved clown played an automated organ near Joyland's entrance for decades before the park closed in 2006.
The clown statue disappeared from Joyland sometime in 2005 or 2006 and was officially reported stolen in 2010.
Mayes is already serving a sentence in for a 2010 conviction on child sex crimes.
He will be sentenced for the Joyland thefts Dec. 13.
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WEDRON, Ill. (AP) — Authorities say a person has died while skydiving in Illinois.
The LaSalle County sheriff's department says in statement that the male skydiver drifted off course on Sunday and struck a large sign in the Wedron area, where his parachute became entangled. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The skydiver's name wasn't immediately released. The (LaSalle) News Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/2endepm ) the sheriff's office is investigating.
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Information from: News-Tribune, http://www.newstrib.com
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TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's Toledo Museum of Art is selling 68 antiquities from its collection, a move drawing criticism from a nationally known archaeologist and Egyptian officials.
About half the items are from Egypt, The Blade newspaper (http://bit.ly/2eZXFGa) reported. Others come from Cyprus, Greece and Italy. They're being sold at a New York auction on Tuesday and an online sale closing the same day.
"It's just, for me, puzzling and distressing to see this shortsighted decision," said Joan Connelly, a renowned art expert and Toledo native. "As an archaeologist I'm just astounded any museum would sell off items with good provenance, which can be held forever."
According to the newspaper, the Egyptian government indicated in news coverage in that country that it's seeking to stop the sales.
Brian Kennedy, the museum's director, said its board approved selling the items that didn't meet the quality of the current collection. The museum conducted a two-year review of its collection before the sale was approved.
The process is called deaccession, which the Toledo Museum of Art similarly used in whittling down its modern contemporary collection in 2002, its Old Masters collection in 2006 and its Asian art collection in 2008.
Many of the objects either haven't been put on display in decades or appeared only sporadically.
The items at auction include Egyptian pottery and shabtis, or funeral figurines. Also for sale online is a first or second century Roman bronze strigil, which is a curved blade used to scrape sweat and dirt off the skin following a bath or exercise.
Kennedy said the museum acquired most of the artifacts directly from their countries of origin during the 1910s and 1920s.
Connelly said international cultural heritage laws have made it impossible for museums to acquire such antiquities these days. The items are unlikely to be replaced once the museum discards them.
Kennedy expects the sale to generate about $500,000, which can be used on other acquisitions.
Connelly remembers the antiques from childhood visits to the museum and said she felt absolutely sick when first learning of the auction. She called the sale "a great loss to Toledo."
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Information from: The Blade, http://www.toledoblade.com/
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HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) — Grand jurors in northwest Indiana have indicted a former Gary city administrator, accusing her of stealing more than 1,000 Apple iPads and other computer equipment.
Federal prosecutors in Hammond said Monday more than 44-year-old Monique Bowling, also known as Monique Boyd, of Merrillville faces counts of theft, identity theft and mail fraud.
Bowling is accused of stealing the computer equipment, which belonged to the city of Gary. The indictment also accuses her of participating in a scheme to use a dead person's state identification card to obtain pension checks.
Bowling does not have a listed phone number in Merrillville where she could be reached for comment. A phone listing at a previous address in Gary was disconnected.
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MILWAUKEE (AP) — The backlog of needed repairs in the University of Wisconsin System has grown to an estimated cost of $2 billion.
The system is asking for $713.3 million in the next two-year state budget, and also asking the state to give the Board of Regents authority to manage projects that are funded by program revenues, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/2exKZXj ) reported.
Regent Margaret Farrow said the changes would help the system save students and taxpayers money.
The capital budget request would cover more than 25 major projects; other maintenance, repair, and renovation projects; funding for reconfiguring instructional spaces to meet current needs; and planning funds for three projects.
"We want to ask for and undertake a reasonable amount of work each year," said Alex Roe, the UW System's associate vice president for capital planning and budget, said at a recent Board of Regents meeting. "Our feeling is if we can stay on a steady path with committed funding, we can plan for and renovate. Our first choice is how can we make what we have work better."
The school's Milwaukee campus is seeking $7 million of the total capital projects request to renovate its chemistry building, which was constructed in 1972 and still has the original building systems. Several of the system's campuses have residence hall renovations on the table.
The proposal for the system to manage its own program revenue supported projects also will be considered during the state's budget deliberations next year. Projects such as residence halls, recreational facilities and student unions that generate their own money don't involve state funding.
The Legislature would authorize a bond ceiling under the proposal, and the State Building Commission would release the bonds in amounts requested by the university. The State Department of Administration would handle the sale of revenue bonds, while the university would manage the projects.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation already uses the process to secure bonding for roads.
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Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com
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OVERLAND, Mo. (AP) — What was supposed to be a joyous day turned into tragedy for a suburban St. Louis police officer and his girlfriend.
KSDK-TV (http://on.ksdk.com/2eZZMd8 ) reports that Overland officer Shaun Terry planned to proposed to his girlfriend, Holly Williamson, on a dirt bike track on Oct. 15. Both are avid dirt bike riders.
Terry and a friend of the couple planned to pretend there was a bike malfunction. He was going to give her the ring when she came over to help.
But just moments before the surprise would have taken place, Williamson crashed. She was airlifted to a hospital with a spine injury, a fractured skull and other injuries. Her prognosis is uncertain because, more than a week later, she remains sedated.
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Information from: KSDK-TV, http://www.ksdk.com
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Police in Ohio's capital say a 10-year-old boy was accidentally shot and wounded at a home while playing with friends when they somehow got ahold of a gun.
WCMH-TV (http://bit.ly/2f8pZp4 ) reports the boy's injuries from the Sunday afternoon shooting weren't considered life-threatening.
Authorities didn't immediately release details about how the group got the gun, who fired it or how severely the boy was hurt. There was no immediate word on any potential charges.
The shooting happened in a residential neighborhood about 3 miles west of downtown.
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Information from: WCMH-TV, http://www.nbc4i.com
- By ELOISE MARIE VALADEZ The (Northwest Indiana) Times
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MUNSTER, Ind. (AP) — The Rev. David J. Simonetti poured a thick, aromatic spaghetti sauce over pasta and meatballs as he put the finishing touches on a recent Italian meal at his home.
On his dining room table sat four jars of special blends that star in Simonetti's line of Communio Sauces. Simonetti, associate pastor of St. James the Greater Church in Sauk Village, recently debuted his Communio Sauces, which are being sold for charity.
The Communio line was introduced in the Chicago area and Northwest Indiana last March. The recipes for the various sauces were developed by Simonetti, who has enjoyed cooking since he was a child. He learned the culinary craft from his mother and grandfather.
"The whole point of this is it's for charity," said Simonetti, about the nonprofit sauce company. He said the money goes to help organizations in the areas where the sauces are sold. Organizations include shelters, pantries and other groups. "This is a creative way for me to be charitable," he said.
Communio Sauces are currently sold locally at The Shrine of Christ's Passion in St. John, Rob's Chop & Deli in Dyer, Walt's Foods in Dyer and Welch's Stop & Shop in St. John as well as various places in Illinois. The sauces also can be used for school fundraisers and other event fundraisers.
Simonetti, who grew up in Chicago Heights, said cooking for others is something that definitely brings him much joy.
"I like everything to be an event," said the priest, as he placed a large plate of spaghetti and a large platter of roasted chicken on the table for three guests, including this reporter. Paul Anderson, general manager of The Shrine of Christ's Passion, also joined Simonetti for lunch that day.
Simonetti, who is a convivial host with a joking sense of humor, said he usually cooks to a musical soundtrack. One often will find him playing varied tunes from Pavarotti and Bocelli to Sinatra and Springsteen.
The priest explained he named the product Communio, which, in Latin, is translated to "communion together in love." The term also relates to the act of Communion and the sharing of the body of Christ in the Catholic faith.
"What I wanted to do with the Communio sauces is recreate an experience," Simonetti said. He calls the sauces "more than a meal, it's the way back home."
"I want people to be able to go home again, and to (recall) being there at their grandparents' (or family's) table where they are loved and feel loved," he said.
The recipes for the Communio Sauces have been perfected by Simonetti over the past year or two. He said he likes to experiment with different flavors and has fine-tuned his recipes.
"The first ingredient is love," said the priest, as he pointed to the back of the jar and its list of ingredients. Sure enough, listed there is "love" in the No. 1 spot.
Four different versions of sauce are now available. They are Rustic Home Spaghetti "Gravy" Sauce; Fresh Mushroom Spaghetti "Gravy" Sauce; Pizza, Parmesan & Sandwich Sauce; and Padre's Special Blend Vodka Sauce. A Creole Sauce and a Chunky and Spicy creation are also in the works.
While the sauces are Simonetti's recipes, the product is manufactured in a plant in the Chicago area. He said he's always on hand to taste test the product before it's bottled. Simonetti also seeks out various stores and outlets to carry the sauces. He'll often do tastings and demos at the stores where Communio is carried.
Communio, Simonetti explained, is made with high-quality ingredients, including San Marzano tomatoes, which are imported from Italy.
His mother taught him the basics of cooking, and Simonetti said he also learned about "the love of cooking for others and the (importance) of being together" from his family.
"When you eat together, it changes everyone. You go from a 'me' mentality to a 'we' mentality," he said. "And when people feel loved and eat together, that opens you up more to the love of God."
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Source: The (Northwest Indiana) Times, http://bit.ly/2enJxCm
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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com
This is an Indiana Exchange story shared by The (Northwest Indiana) Times.
- By JEFF BAENEN Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Pop idol Bobby Vee, the boyish, grinning 1960s singer whose career was born when he took a Midwestern stage as a teenager to fill in after the 1959 plane crash that killed rock 'n' roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, has died. He was 73.
Vee, whose hits included the chart-topping "Take Good Care of My Baby" and who helped a young Bob Dylan get his start, died Monday of advanced Alzheimer's disease, said his son, Jeff Velline. Vee was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2011, and performed his last show that year.
Vee had been in memory care at The Wellstead of Rogers & Diamondcrest in Rogers, about 25 miles northwest of Minneapolis, for the past 13 months and in hospice care in recent weeks, his son said.
Vee died peacefully surrounded by family, Velline said, calling it "the end of a long hard road."
He said his father was "a person who brought joy all over the world. That was his job."
Born Robert Velline in Fargo, North Dakota, Vee was only 15 when he took the stage in Moorhead, Minnesota, after the Feb. 3, 1959, plane crash in Iowa that killed Holly, Valens and Richardson on their way to the concert. That dark day in rock history was commemorated by singer-songwriter Don McLean in his 1972 pop song "American Pie" as "The Day The Music Died."
The call went out for local acts to replace Holly at his scheduled show at the Moorhead National Guard Armory. Vee and his 2-week-old band volunteered, along with three or four other bands. The show's emcee, Charlie Boone, then a disc jockey at KFGO Radio, turned to Vee and asked him the name of his band. Vee looked at the shadows of his bandmates on the floor and answered: The Shadows.
"I didn't have any fear right then," Vee recalled in a 1999 interview with The Associated Press. "The fear didn't hit me until the spotlight came on, and then I was just shattered by it. I didn't think that I'd be able to sing. If I opened my mouth, I wasn't sure anything would come out."
Vee called his debut a milestone in his life, and "the start of a wonderful career."
Within months the young singer and The Shadows, which included his older brother Bill on lead guitar, recorded Vee's "Suzie Baby" for Soma Records in Minneapolis. It was a regional hit, and Vee soon signed with Liberty Records.
He went on to record 38 Top 100 hits from 1959 to 1970, hitting the top of the charts in 1961 with the Carole King-Gerry Goffin song "Take Good Care of My Baby," and reaching No. 2 with the follow-up, "Run to Him." Other Vee hits include "Rubber Ball," ''The Night Has A Thousand Eyes," ''Devil or Angel," ''Come Back When You Grow Up," ''Please Don't Ask About Barbara" and "Punish Her."
Besides his clear, ringing voice, Vee also was a skilled rhythm guitarist and occasional songwriter. He racked up six gold singles, but saw his hits diminish with the British Invasion of The Beatles and other English groups in the mid-1960s.
Vee kept recording into the 2000s, and maintained a steady touring schedule. But he began having trouble remembering lyrics during performances, and he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2011. He performed his last show that year, billed only as his retirement, during an annual community fundraiser that his family holds near their home in St. Joseph, Minnesota, about 65 miles northwest of Minneapolis. But he didn't announce his diagnosis until a year later on his website.
In a 2013 interview with The Associated Press, Vee said he knew his abilities were diminishing and he didn't want to put his family through a public decline.
"It's not getting any better, I can tell you that," Vee said. "But I'm doing the best I can."
Vee still released a new album, "The Adobe Sessions," a loose jam session recorded with family members in Vee's adobe garage north of Tucson, Arizona. The 2014 album featured some of Vee's favorite songs from Townes Van Zandt, Gordon Lightfoot and Ricky Nelson. It was released on the 55th anniversary of the Holly plane crash.
The album also included Vee's cover of Bob Dylan's "The Man in Me," a nod to the folk-rock legend who got his start in Vee's band in Fargo.
Dylan grew up in Hibbing, a town on northern Minnesota's Iron Range, and briefly played with Vee's band. Although their time playing together was short, Dylan had a lasting effect on Vee's career: It was Dylan, himself going by the name Elston Gunn when he hammered on the piano at a couple of The Shadows' gigs, who suggested Vee change his last name from Velline to Vee.
In his "Chronicles: Volume One" memoir, Dylan recalled that Vee "had a metallic, edgy tone to his voice and it was as musical as a silver bell." When Dylan performed in St. Paul in 2013, he saluted Vee in the audience and performed "Suzie Baby."
Vee and his wife, Karen, were married for more than 50 years. She died of kidney failure in 2015 at age 71. The couple had four children, including sons who performed with Vee.
Family members said Vee's memory wasn't affected so much by Alzheimer's as his speech. During the AP interview in 2013, he answered questions but would become tongue-tied searching for the right word. Vee tried unconventional methods to alleviate his Alzheimer's symptoms, from chiropractor visits to acupuncture, and also renewed his passion for painting.
And while he sometimes wished he could do the things that once came easily, Vee said he was "not going to cry about it."
"God brought me home," he said. "And that's the deal."
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Online:
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This story has been corrected to show it was Bob Dylan, not Vee, who used the stage name Elston Gunn.
- By ED WHITE Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — A judge cleared the way Monday for Michigan voters to take photos of their completed ballot in the Nov. 8 election, calling the state's ban a free-speech violation in the era of cellphone cameras and instant social media posts.
U.S. District Judge Janet Neff in Grand Rapids signed an injunction to block enforcement of the photo prohibition. In response, lawyers for Secretary of State Ruth Johnson predicted "chaos" at polling places and asked the judge to consider freezing her order by Tuesday while they pursue an appeal in a higher court.
Michigan's ban on exposing completed ballots has been in place since 1891 when ballots were first printed by county election officials instead of political parties.
Joel Crookston of Portage, who took a "ballot selfie" in 2012 while voting for a write-in candidate for Michigan State University trustee, filed a lawsuit after learning that a picture of his ballot could get him in trouble.
No action was taken against Crookston. But under Michigan law and state policies, election workers can throw out a ballot and a voter can be charged with a misdemeanor.
Assistant Solicitor General Ann Sherman argued in a court filing that selfies will lead to even more delays at polling places as voters take pictures — or avoid getting into another voter's shot.
"Camera phones and other photography and videography are acceptable in many circumstances and locations. But not in the voting booth," Sherman said. "It is not unconstitutional to ban them to preserve the decorum, integrity and sanctity of the polling place and to ensure that the needs of all voters are met."
Crookston, she said, has other options outside a polling place to immediately express his "civic pride or disgust" about his ballot.
But state Rep. Sam Singh, D-East Lansing, praised the judge's decision.
"When people are excited to vote, they should be encouraged to share that enthusiasm," he said.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City-area man is accused of duping dozens of women into having sex with him on camera as "rehearsal" for pornographic movies.
Federal prosecutors announced a 21-count indictment Monday against 33-year-old Mario Antoine, of Raymore. A federal grand jury returned the indictment earlier this month.
Antoine is accused of creating online aliases as a talent manager, photographer and videographer and claiming to work for fictitious companies in the pornography industry. Investigators say he promised to pay the women thousands of dollars.
Prosecutors say when the women complained about not being paid, Antoine forwarded images of the sexual activity to their employers or significant others.
A public defender will be appointed for Antoine, who made his first court appearance Monday.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Vinton woman has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge connected to the fatal accidental shooting of a 14-year-old girl.
U.S. District Court Judge Linda Reade sentenced the woman to three years and 10 month in federal prison after she pleaded guilty in May to providing a firearm to a prohibited person. Investigators found she provided a rifle to her 16-year-old son, who she knew used marijuana. The Associated Press generally doesn't name juveniles accused of crimes, so it's not using the name of the woman.
Authorities say a teen other than the woman's son was handling the gun at a Vinton home in February 2015 when it fired, hitting Emma Redlinger. She died four days later.
RIVER FALLS, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin authorities say a Minnesota woman had both hands on her cellphone and apparently none on her steering when she lost control of her car and sent the vehicle behind her into a deadly rollover.
The St. Croix County Sheriff's Office says the crash Friday afternoon killed 16-year-old Kyra Faith Hayes, of Beldenville.
A statement says a 21-year-old from Big Lake, Minnesota, was driving in front of Hayes on Wisconsin Highway 35 near River Falls. Capt. Jeff Klatt says it appears she didn't have either hand on the wheel and wasn't steering at all before her car veered into Hayes' lane. The vehicles didn't touch, but Hayes took evasive action and her SUV rolled. She died at the scene.
The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate whether to recommend charges.
CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge has issued an administrative order banning guns and other weapons in and around judicial offices in north Iowa courthouses.
Second Judicial District chief judge Kurt Wilke gave the order Oct. 12, according to the Globe Gazette (http://bit.ly/2eDkMms ). The ban covers the district's 22 counties.
Areas where weapons are prohibited include courtrooms, jury rooms, clerks' offices, judges' chambers, court reporter offices, juvenile court offices, judicial administrative offices, as well as hallways, lobbies and conference rooms.
Wilke said the goal of the ban is to remove weapons from situations where emotions are elevated and there could be an increased threat.
"The idea is, in the courtroom setting a lot of times emotions are very high, particularly when you get into domestic issues and that sort of thing," Wilke said.
Law enforcement and court officers are exempt from the ban, which is based on security recommendations by the Iowa State Association of Counties and the Iowa Judicial Council.
Iowa Firearms Coalition Board Member Richard Rogers said he understands the security concerns, but believes the order overreaches when it prohibits citizens from carrying weapons in public areas outside of court venues.
"Outside of the courtroom and court offices, what reason or right does the district court judge have to force Iowans ... to give up the defensive tools that they carry with them everywhere else?" Rogers asked.
Chad Colby of Hart Weaponry in Mason City said that the ban won't stop a non-law-abiding person from using a gun in the courthouses. Wilke still stresses that the ban is not about taking away gun rights, but putting emphasis on safety for the area.
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Information from: Globe Gazette, http://www.globegazette.com/
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man has pleaded no contest to felony theft in the disappearance of Louie the Clown and other items from the former Joyland Amusement Park.
The Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office says 41-year-old Damian Mayes entered the plea on Friday. The items were found in February 2015 at Mayes' home. Mayes was an employee of the park who helped build and repair organs. The nearly life-sized carved clown played an automated organ near Joyland's entrance for decades before the park closed in 2006.
The clown statue disappeared from Joyland sometime in 2005 or 2006 and was officially reported stolen in 2010.
Mayes is already serving a sentence in for a 2010 conviction on child sex crimes.
He will be sentenced for the Joyland thefts Dec. 13.
WEDRON, Ill. (AP) — Authorities say a person has died while skydiving in Illinois.
The LaSalle County sheriff's department says in statement that the male skydiver drifted off course on Sunday and struck a large sign in the Wedron area, where his parachute became entangled. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The skydiver's name wasn't immediately released. The (LaSalle) News Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/2endepm ) the sheriff's office is investigating.
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Information from: News-Tribune, http://www.newstrib.com
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's Toledo Museum of Art is selling 68 antiquities from its collection, a move drawing criticism from a nationally known archaeologist and Egyptian officials.
About half the items are from Egypt, The Blade newspaper (http://bit.ly/2eZXFGa) reported. Others come from Cyprus, Greece and Italy. They're being sold at a New York auction on Tuesday and an online sale closing the same day.
"It's just, for me, puzzling and distressing to see this shortsighted decision," said Joan Connelly, a renowned art expert and Toledo native. "As an archaeologist I'm just astounded any museum would sell off items with good provenance, which can be held forever."
According to the newspaper, the Egyptian government indicated in news coverage in that country that it's seeking to stop the sales.
Brian Kennedy, the museum's director, said its board approved selling the items that didn't meet the quality of the current collection. The museum conducted a two-year review of its collection before the sale was approved.
The process is called deaccession, which the Toledo Museum of Art similarly used in whittling down its modern contemporary collection in 2002, its Old Masters collection in 2006 and its Asian art collection in 2008.
Many of the objects either haven't been put on display in decades or appeared only sporadically.
The items at auction include Egyptian pottery and shabtis, or funeral figurines. Also for sale online is a first or second century Roman bronze strigil, which is a curved blade used to scrape sweat and dirt off the skin following a bath or exercise.
Kennedy said the museum acquired most of the artifacts directly from their countries of origin during the 1910s and 1920s.
Connelly said international cultural heritage laws have made it impossible for museums to acquire such antiquities these days. The items are unlikely to be replaced once the museum discards them.
Kennedy expects the sale to generate about $500,000, which can be used on other acquisitions.
Connelly remembers the antiques from childhood visits to the museum and said she felt absolutely sick when first learning of the auction. She called the sale "a great loss to Toledo."
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Information from: The Blade, http://www.toledoblade.com/
HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) — Grand jurors in northwest Indiana have indicted a former Gary city administrator, accusing her of stealing more than 1,000 Apple iPads and other computer equipment.
Federal prosecutors in Hammond said Monday more than 44-year-old Monique Bowling, also known as Monique Boyd, of Merrillville faces counts of theft, identity theft and mail fraud.
Bowling is accused of stealing the computer equipment, which belonged to the city of Gary. The indictment also accuses her of participating in a scheme to use a dead person's state identification card to obtain pension checks.
Bowling does not have a listed phone number in Merrillville where she could be reached for comment. A phone listing at a previous address in Gary was disconnected.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The backlog of needed repairs in the University of Wisconsin System has grown to an estimated cost of $2 billion.
The system is asking for $713.3 million in the next two-year state budget, and also asking the state to give the Board of Regents authority to manage projects that are funded by program revenues, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/2exKZXj ) reported.
Regent Margaret Farrow said the changes would help the system save students and taxpayers money.
The capital budget request would cover more than 25 major projects; other maintenance, repair, and renovation projects; funding for reconfiguring instructional spaces to meet current needs; and planning funds for three projects.
"We want to ask for and undertake a reasonable amount of work each year," said Alex Roe, the UW System's associate vice president for capital planning and budget, said at a recent Board of Regents meeting. "Our feeling is if we can stay on a steady path with committed funding, we can plan for and renovate. Our first choice is how can we make what we have work better."
The school's Milwaukee campus is seeking $7 million of the total capital projects request to renovate its chemistry building, which was constructed in 1972 and still has the original building systems. Several of the system's campuses have residence hall renovations on the table.
The proposal for the system to manage its own program revenue supported projects also will be considered during the state's budget deliberations next year. Projects such as residence halls, recreational facilities and student unions that generate their own money don't involve state funding.
The Legislature would authorize a bond ceiling under the proposal, and the State Building Commission would release the bonds in amounts requested by the university. The State Department of Administration would handle the sale of revenue bonds, while the university would manage the projects.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation already uses the process to secure bonding for roads.
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Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com
OVERLAND, Mo. (AP) — What was supposed to be a joyous day turned into tragedy for a suburban St. Louis police officer and his girlfriend.
KSDK-TV (http://on.ksdk.com/2eZZMd8 ) reports that Overland officer Shaun Terry planned to proposed to his girlfriend, Holly Williamson, on a dirt bike track on Oct. 15. Both are avid dirt bike riders.
Terry and a friend of the couple planned to pretend there was a bike malfunction. He was going to give her the ring when she came over to help.
But just moments before the surprise would have taken place, Williamson crashed. She was airlifted to a hospital with a spine injury, a fractured skull and other injuries. Her prognosis is uncertain because, more than a week later, she remains sedated.
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Information from: KSDK-TV, http://www.ksdk.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Police in Ohio's capital say a 10-year-old boy was accidentally shot and wounded at a home while playing with friends when they somehow got ahold of a gun.
WCMH-TV (http://bit.ly/2f8pZp4 ) reports the boy's injuries from the Sunday afternoon shooting weren't considered life-threatening.
Authorities didn't immediately release details about how the group got the gun, who fired it or how severely the boy was hurt. There was no immediate word on any potential charges.
The shooting happened in a residential neighborhood about 3 miles west of downtown.
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Information from: WCMH-TV, http://www.nbc4i.com
- By ELOISE MARIE VALADEZ The (Northwest Indiana) Times
MUNSTER, Ind. (AP) — The Rev. David J. Simonetti poured a thick, aromatic spaghetti sauce over pasta and meatballs as he put the finishing touches on a recent Italian meal at his home.
On his dining room table sat four jars of special blends that star in Simonetti's line of Communio Sauces. Simonetti, associate pastor of St. James the Greater Church in Sauk Village, recently debuted his Communio Sauces, which are being sold for charity.
The Communio line was introduced in the Chicago area and Northwest Indiana last March. The recipes for the various sauces were developed by Simonetti, who has enjoyed cooking since he was a child. He learned the culinary craft from his mother and grandfather.
"The whole point of this is it's for charity," said Simonetti, about the nonprofit sauce company. He said the money goes to help organizations in the areas where the sauces are sold. Organizations include shelters, pantries and other groups. "This is a creative way for me to be charitable," he said.
Communio Sauces are currently sold locally at The Shrine of Christ's Passion in St. John, Rob's Chop & Deli in Dyer, Walt's Foods in Dyer and Welch's Stop & Shop in St. John as well as various places in Illinois. The sauces also can be used for school fundraisers and other event fundraisers.
Simonetti, who grew up in Chicago Heights, said cooking for others is something that definitely brings him much joy.
"I like everything to be an event," said the priest, as he placed a large plate of spaghetti and a large platter of roasted chicken on the table for three guests, including this reporter. Paul Anderson, general manager of The Shrine of Christ's Passion, also joined Simonetti for lunch that day.
Simonetti, who is a convivial host with a joking sense of humor, said he usually cooks to a musical soundtrack. One often will find him playing varied tunes from Pavarotti and Bocelli to Sinatra and Springsteen.
The priest explained he named the product Communio, which, in Latin, is translated to "communion together in love." The term also relates to the act of Communion and the sharing of the body of Christ in the Catholic faith.
"What I wanted to do with the Communio sauces is recreate an experience," Simonetti said. He calls the sauces "more than a meal, it's the way back home."
"I want people to be able to go home again, and to (recall) being there at their grandparents' (or family's) table where they are loved and feel loved," he said.
The recipes for the Communio Sauces have been perfected by Simonetti over the past year or two. He said he likes to experiment with different flavors and has fine-tuned his recipes.
"The first ingredient is love," said the priest, as he pointed to the back of the jar and its list of ingredients. Sure enough, listed there is "love" in the No. 1 spot.
Four different versions of sauce are now available. They are Rustic Home Spaghetti "Gravy" Sauce; Fresh Mushroom Spaghetti "Gravy" Sauce; Pizza, Parmesan & Sandwich Sauce; and Padre's Special Blend Vodka Sauce. A Creole Sauce and a Chunky and Spicy creation are also in the works.
While the sauces are Simonetti's recipes, the product is manufactured in a plant in the Chicago area. He said he's always on hand to taste test the product before it's bottled. Simonetti also seeks out various stores and outlets to carry the sauces. He'll often do tastings and demos at the stores where Communio is carried.
Communio, Simonetti explained, is made with high-quality ingredients, including San Marzano tomatoes, which are imported from Italy.
His mother taught him the basics of cooking, and Simonetti said he also learned about "the love of cooking for others and the (importance) of being together" from his family.
"When you eat together, it changes everyone. You go from a 'me' mentality to a 'we' mentality," he said. "And when people feel loved and eat together, that opens you up more to the love of God."
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Source: The (Northwest Indiana) Times, http://bit.ly/2enJxCm
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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com
This is an Indiana Exchange story shared by The (Northwest Indiana) Times.
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