Man Convicted Of Slaying LDS Missionaries In 1974 Faces English Charges

Robert Elmer Kleasen, once convicted of killing two LDS missionaries, will face charged Friday in a British court for lying to police when he applied for a gun dealer's license. Kleasen, a U. S. citizen and former LDS Church member, spent time on Texas' death row for the murder of Elder Mark Fischer and Elder Gary Darley in 1974. Released when a search warrant was declared invalid, Kleasen spent 15 years in prison for gun charges in New York. When he was released, Kleasen went to England.

Two Buses of LDS Members, Missionaries Were On Bridge That Collapsed

A temporary Bailey-type bridge connecting the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa with its sister city, Comayaguela, collapsed early in March, endangering 98 LDS Church members and missionaries on two buses on the bridge. The bridge, constructed by the U.S. military last year to replace the Juan Ramon Molina bridge washed away by Hurricane Mitch, collapsed as the busses, two trucks, a taxi, a pick-up truck and a jeep combined to exceed the 40-ton weight limit on the bridge by 20 tons.

LDS Doctor Had Cache Of Illegal Weapons, But Nothing Connected To Attack On Business Partner

When police searched the home of the late Larry C. Ford, the LDS Church member and Biofem executive suspected in the attack on his business partner, they did find a cache of 17 illegal weapons, 40 to 50 more legal weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition. But the weapons were rusting and hadn't been used for several years, leaving investigators without any connection between the weapons and the attack on Biofem's James Patrick Riley. The weapons did not include the gun used on Riley.

Utah adding pornography czar

A new Utah state law expected to be signed today by Governor Mike Leavitt will create the first pornography 'czar' in the United States. While the position has little prosecutorial power and no ability to change materials that come from out-of-state like the Internet or cable television, the person that fills the position, the obscenity and pornography complaints ombudsman, a deputy state attorney general, is expected to define and help "restrict, suppress or eliminate" pornography.

Mormons Building Chapel And Support in N. Manhattan

The island of Manhattan will see its 2nd LDS Chapel, a newly constructed building on Riverside Drive across the street from Fort Tryon Park in upper Manhattan. The building is the first constructed by the Church in more than 25 years, and represents the growth of the Church here. The Daily News' Juan Gonzalez, who doesn't suffer fools lightly, calls the new chapel "a marvelous new building" that is bound to be "the chief attraction in the neighborhood."

Mormon church now a party to U District light-rail talks

The LDS Church has been dragged into negotiations between the University of Washington and Sound Transit over a rail station near the University's campus. Sound Transit wants to put an underground entrance to its rail system near the LDS student center near campus. The student center is a 40-year-old Institute of Religion building used for worship, classes and recreation by hundreds of LDS students.

Man Who Tried To Firebomb LDS Chapels Found Innocent But Insane

James Carbullido, who tried to firebomb more than nine LDS chapels in the Las Vegas Valley starting in July, 1998 was found innocent by reason of insanity Thursday in a Las Vegas court. According to testimony, Carbullido suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, but prosecutors were unable to determine his motive for trying to firebomb the LDS chapels. Fortunately, only three of the devices ignited, and even those three were quickly extinguished.

Ex-LDS Couple's Fast Ends In Starving Death

The wife in a couple that left the LDS Church to found their own cult starved to death when the two entered a protracted fast, according to media reports. Jason Samuel Lee, 30, and his wife Eda Diane Lee, 26, had been excommunicated from the LDS Church three years ago because of their beliefs.

Self-styled prophet calls wife's starvation 'God's will'

Excommunicated cult leader's wife's death from a fast in the Alberta Rockies earlier this week was "God's will," according to her surviving husband, Jason Samuel Lee, who calls himself "Jacob." He faces charges for improper disposal of human remains in Canmore, Alberta, west of Calgary, on March 22.

LDS Democrat After Hatch's Seat

Senator Scott Howell, Utah's top Senate Democrat and a member of the LDS Church, announced on Monday that he will leave his seat in the Legislature to challenge Republican U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch. The Democrat from Sandy announced his plans at a Capitol news conference. Charlie Luke, who will share campaign manager duties with Ben McAdams said, "He is going to retire from the state Senate and will be announcing his candidacy for the U.S. Senate.

LDS Politician Bill Orton enters Utah governor's race as Democratic candidate

In his anncouncement speech Wednesday in the Capitol rotunda, former Democratic Congressman Bill Orton entered the race against Republican Governor Mike Leavitt. The 5l-year-old lawyer who represented the 3rd Congressional District for six years until January 1997, agreed not to enter the race until September and won't raise much money. These two requirements by Orton are seen as a handicap by some.

Nauvoo is trying to juggle growth, influx of tourists

City Fathers stop growth of Nauvoo! A temporary halt to issuing building permits for commercial and multi-family dwellings placed Nauvoo on hold for 90 days. The planning commission has met twice monthly hoping to hammer out an ordinance which will reconcile the interests of tourists in the historic sites and the rebuilding of the Nauvoo Temple with the zoning laws about to be put into place.

LDS Teacher Who Used Students To Harass Loses License

The Utah State Board of Education revoked the teaching license of the West High School choir teacher who led students in harassing a craft store owner last year. Richard Torgerson's license was revoked after the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission was unable to contact him. Torgerson was suspended last spring after he led his students in a "sing-in" at a craft store during school hours, following a dispute he had with the store owner. He later resigned.

Fresno Temple Open House Begins

The Modesto Bee noticed that the Fresno Temple open house will begin March 25th. The Bee included the Temple's location, district size and the open house times in its notice. It also referred readers to a website for further information.

Families must strive for ideals

This is a summary of a talk given by a member of the LDS church, John E. Christensen, who serves in the stake presidency of the Topeka Kansas Stake. He and his wife, Carol, former president of Interfaith of Topeka, are the parents of one son and seven daughters. They have lived in Topeka since 1979, where John is library director and professor at Washburn University School of Law.

BYU's MBA Program Recognized

Recently, polls have ranked the MBA school at BYU among the best in the world. Two high-profile lists, The Financial Times and Forbes Magazine,ranked BYU's Marriott Business school high in several categories when compiling its list of top business schools.

LDS Community Sinks Sunday Swimming

Community values prevailed as the City Council went against the advice of its leisure-services board and voted 4-1 to keep the three year old city pool closed on Sundays. A letter signed by local residents asked the council to "spare them from one day of the pool's traffic, congestion and noise".

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