Gwinnett Daily Post

Man pleads not guilty in Conn. missing girl case

HARTFORD, Conn. - The man accused in the disappearance of a missing teenager found locked in a storage room in his home was charged Tuesday with 11 counts of sexually assaulting her.

The assault charges against Adam Gault, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail, are in addition to several other charges he already faced in the case.

Gault pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the original charges of second-degree unlawful restraint, second-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree custodial interference, interfering with a police officer, risk of injury to a minor and three counts of second-degree forgery.

The girl, who had been missing for a year, was found June 6 when police officers searched Gault's home. An officer pushed aside a dresser blocking a door and found the girl, now 15, locked in the tiny room.

Strippers attend golf fundraiser for

local Dems in Ohio

TOLEDO, Ohio - A golf outing for local Democrats left some participants embarrassed after they found out strippers were handing out drinks at the event.

One participant said he saw a woman flash a group of golfers. Others at the fundraiser for the Lucas County Democratic Party said they didn't see any inappropriate acts.

'When the word got out that these girls are strippers, it gave the party a black eye,' said Clerk of Courts Bernie Quilter. 'Every elected official out there was embarrassed.'

Quilter said he did not see any improper behavior.

Ryan Kemp, a general manager for a local strip club, said he paid for four people to golf at the outing and had club waitresses staff it.

Gas accident kills

5 on Va. dairy farm

BRIDGEWATER, Va. - Deadly methane gas emanating from a dairy farm's manure pit killed five people - a Mennonite farmer who climbed into the pit to unclog a pipe, and then in a frantic rescue attempt that failed, his wife, two young daughters and a farmhand who tried to help.

'They all climbed into the pit to help,' Sheriff Donald Farley said. 'Before they hit the floor, they were probably all dead.'

Farmers typically take pains to ventilate manure pits where methane often gathers. A family member questioned whether cattle feed could have trickled into the pit and accelerated the formation of the gas.

Governor calling for natural gas pipeline building applications

JUNEAU, Alaska - The state of Alaska began calling for applications Tuesday to build a natural gas pipeline officials believe will ultimately deliver trillions of cubic feet of reserves to market.

A potential multibillion dollar pipeline carries implications for North America's long-term energy supply and has been widely discussed by lawmakers, energy regulators and company executives throughout North America since Gov. Sarah Palin outlined her plans in March.

Oil and independent pipeline companies have until Oct. 1 to submit an application that must outline details such as the pipeline's route, the market it will serve and how it will be built and how the builder will avoid cost overruns.

Jet carrying space

shuttle Atlantis lands in Florida

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A jumbo jet carrying the space shuttle Atlantis landed Tuesday at Kennedy Space Center after a trip that began in California.

A modified Boeing 747 with the shuttle mounted on its back touched down on the shuttle landing strip around 8:25 a.m. after taking off from a refueling stop in Kentucky.

The jet made several stops on its cross-country trip. On Monday, it landed in Fort Campbell, Ky., after stops at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska and Amarillo, Texas.

Atlantis, carrying seven astronauts, landed June 22 at Edwards Air Force Base in California after a 14-day construction mission at the international space station.

Ex-classmate helped suspect

dispose of Ohio woman's body

CANTON, Ohio - Prosecutors said a former classmate of a man suspected of killing his pregnant

girlfriend helped dispose of her body, then lied to

investigators.

Myisha Ferrell has been charged with obstruction of justice in the deaths of Jessie Davis and her fetus but could face additional charges, prosecutor Frank Forchione told a judge Monday.

Investigators have previously said Ferrell lied to authorities investigating the deaths, but have not given details.

- From wire reports