By RUSSELL CONTRERAS, Associated Press Writer Russell Contreras, Associated Press Writer
BOSTON – A Boston University medical student was arrested Monday in the shooting death in a hotel of a masseuse and the robbery of another woman who both advertised their services on Craigslist.
Phil Markoff, 22, was arrested during a traffic stop Monday afternoon on Interstate 95 in Walpole, south of Boston, Police Commissioner Ed Davis said at a news conference to announce the arrest. He is also suspected of being connected to an assault on a Las Vegas exotic dancer in Rhode Island last week.
"We are very, very happy to have this man off the street in such a timely way," Davis said.
Markoff's arrest came days after his image was shown on surveillance video at the hotels. Davis said that authorities had him under observation for days before making the arrest.
Authorities said Markoff was originally from upstate New York and now lives in Quincy, just south of Boston. A Facebook profile matching Markoff's identity, including his photograph, lists him as a 2007 graduate of State University of New York-Albany and in the 2011 class at BU.
A Boston University spokeswoman told Boston radio station WBZ-AM Markoff had been suspended from the medical school after his arrest.
Markoff is charged with killing Julissa Brisman, 26, who was found dead Tuesday at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. The New York City woman advertised massage services on Craigslist and had a massage table set up in the room where she was shot Tuesday, police said.
Markoff is scheduled to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on Tuesday.
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley said Markoff is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. In addition, Conley said Markoff is charged with kidnapping and armed robbery in a separate case involving another woman he met on Craigslist.
Police said they had long suspected that Brisman's killer was connected to a robbery at the Westin Copley Hotel in Boston.
Authorities believe Brisman's death also may be connected to the attempted robbery Thursday in Warwick, R.I., of an exotic dancer by a man responding to an ad she had posted on Craigslist. She was held at gunpoint before her husband entered the room and her attacker fled.
The four photos released Monday by Warwick police show a man in a dark jacket with a baseball cap pulled low, obscuring much of his face. The surveillance photos of the man were similar to those released from the Boston Marriott Copley Place.
Boston police said they've also received more than 150 tips about Brisman's killing.
OBAMA TO BOYCOTT UNITED NATIONS RACISM MEETING
US boycotting, Iran starring, at UNITED NATIONS racism meeting
By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER, Associated Press Writer Bradley S. Klapper, Associated Press Writer – Sun Apr 19, 8:55 pm ET
GENEVA – The United Nations opens its first global racism conference in eight years on Monday with the U.S. and at least seven other countries boycotting the event out of concern that Islamic countries will demand that it denounce Israel and ban criticism of Islam.
The administration of President Barack Obama, America's first black head of state, announced Saturday that it would boycott "with regret" the weeklong meeting in Geneva, which already is experiencing much of the bickering and political infighting that marred the 2001 conference in Durban, South Africa.
The Netherlands, Germany and New Zealand announced their boycotts Sunday and Monday, while Australia, Canada, Israel and Italy already had said they would not attend.
"I would love to be involved in a useful conference that addressed continuing issues of racism and discrimination around the globe," Obama said in Trinidad on Sunday after attending the Summit of the Americas.
But he said the language of the U.N.'s draft declaration risked a reprise of Durban, during which "folks expressed antagonism toward Israel in ways that were often times completely hypocritical and counterproductive."
"We expressed in the run-up to this conference our concerns that if you adopted all of the language from 2001, that's not something we can sign up for," Obama said.
"Hopefully some concrete steps come out of the conference that we can partner with other countries on to actually reduce discrimination around the globe, but this wasn't an opportunity to do it," he said.
Some European countries are still deciding whether to attend the U.N. conference, which runs through April 24. Britain said it will send diplomats, despite concerns the meeting could become a forum for Holocaust denial or anti-Semitic attacks.
At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI said the conference is needed to eliminate racial intolerance around the world. Asia News, a Catholic news agency that is part of the missionary arm of the Vatican, said of the pope's comment: "The Holy See is distancing itself from the criticisms of some Western countries."
"I am shocked and deeply disappointed by the United States' decision not to attend," said U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay, who is hosting the conference.
She conceded some countries were focusing solely on one or two issues to the detriment of the fight against intolerance, but said it is essential that the issue of racism be tackled globally.
The major sticking points regarding the proposed final U.N. declaration are its implied criticism of Israel and an attempt by Muslim governments to ban all criticism of Islam, Sharia law, the prophet Muhammad and other tenets of their faith.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — who repeatedly has called for the destruction of Israel and denied the Holocaust — is slated to speak on the first day.
He arrived in Geneva on Sunday evening and met privately with President Hans-Rudolf Merz of Switzerland, the country that represents the diplomatic interests of the United States in the Islamic republic.
The pullout of Germany is significant since it has played a leading role in U.N. anti-racism efforts as a result of its troubled historical legacy. In recent meetings, it has expressed dismay about some governments' attempts to downplay the significance of the Holocaust.
Germany said Sunday that it made its boycott decision after consulting with other European Union nations.
"This decision was not easy," said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. "As in Durban in 2001, this conference could be abused by others as a platform for their interests. We cannot accept that," he said.
New Zealand's Foreign Minister Murray McCully said Monday he was not satisfied the wording of the draft statement would prevent the conference from "descending into the same kind of rancorous and unproductive debate that took place in 2001."
The bland U.N. draft statement does not mention Israel by name, but it reaffirms the Durban statement and its reference to the plight of Palestinians. That document was agreed after the United States and Israel walked out over attempts to liken Zionism — the movement to establish a Jewish state in the Holy Land — to racism.
Israel and Jewish groups have lobbied hard against Western participation in the meeting, arguing that the presence alone of American and European negotiators would give legitimacy to what they fear could become an anti-Semitic gathering.
On Sunday, Israel's Foreign Ministry thanked the boycotters and predicted the conference would "once again serve as a platform to denigrate Israel and single it out for criticism."
Still, after years of preparations there appears little evidence to validate these fears. The statement of 2001 that is so contentious now was cheered in Israel at the time, as it recognized the Jewish state's right to security.
Regarding its boycott, the Obama administration said it could not endorse any statement that singled out Israel or included passages demanding a ban on language considered an "incitement" of religious hatred. Such calls "run counter to the U.S. commitment to unfettered free speech," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood.
Many Muslim nations want curbs to free speech to prevent insults to Islam they claim have proliferated since the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. They cite the 2005 cartoons of Muhammad published by a Danish newspaper that sparked riots in the Muslim world.
European countries also have criticized the meeting for focusing heavily on the West and ignoring problems of racism and intolerance in the developing world.
By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER, Associated Press Writer Bradley S. Klapper, Associated Press Writer – Sun Apr 19, 8:55 pm ET
GENEVA – The United Nations opens its first global racism conference in eight years on Monday with the U.S. and at least seven other countries boycotting the event out of concern that Islamic countries will demand that it denounce Israel and ban criticism of Islam.
The administration of President Barack Obama, America's first black head of state, announced Saturday that it would boycott "with regret" the weeklong meeting in Geneva, which already is experiencing much of the bickering and political infighting that marred the 2001 conference in Durban, South Africa.
The Netherlands, Germany and New Zealand announced their boycotts Sunday and Monday, while Australia, Canada, Israel and Italy already had said they would not attend.
"I would love to be involved in a useful conference that addressed continuing issues of racism and discrimination around the globe," Obama said in Trinidad on Sunday after attending the Summit of the Americas.
But he said the language of the U.N.'s draft declaration risked a reprise of Durban, during which "folks expressed antagonism toward Israel in ways that were often times completely hypocritical and counterproductive."
"We expressed in the run-up to this conference our concerns that if you adopted all of the language from 2001, that's not something we can sign up for," Obama said.
"Hopefully some concrete steps come out of the conference that we can partner with other countries on to actually reduce discrimination around the globe, but this wasn't an opportunity to do it," he said.
Some European countries are still deciding whether to attend the U.N. conference, which runs through April 24. Britain said it will send diplomats, despite concerns the meeting could become a forum for Holocaust denial or anti-Semitic attacks.
At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI said the conference is needed to eliminate racial intolerance around the world. Asia News, a Catholic news agency that is part of the missionary arm of the Vatican, said of the pope's comment: "The Holy See is distancing itself from the criticisms of some Western countries."
"I am shocked and deeply disappointed by the United States' decision not to attend," said U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay, who is hosting the conference.
She conceded some countries were focusing solely on one or two issues to the detriment of the fight against intolerance, but said it is essential that the issue of racism be tackled globally.
The major sticking points regarding the proposed final U.N. declaration are its implied criticism of Israel and an attempt by Muslim governments to ban all criticism of Islam, Sharia law, the prophet Muhammad and other tenets of their faith.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — who repeatedly has called for the destruction of Israel and denied the Holocaust — is slated to speak on the first day.
He arrived in Geneva on Sunday evening and met privately with President Hans-Rudolf Merz of Switzerland, the country that represents the diplomatic interests of the United States in the Islamic republic.
The pullout of Germany is significant since it has played a leading role in U.N. anti-racism efforts as a result of its troubled historical legacy. In recent meetings, it has expressed dismay about some governments' attempts to downplay the significance of the Holocaust.
Germany said Sunday that it made its boycott decision after consulting with other European Union nations.
"This decision was not easy," said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. "As in Durban in 2001, this conference could be abused by others as a platform for their interests. We cannot accept that," he said.
New Zealand's Foreign Minister Murray McCully said Monday he was not satisfied the wording of the draft statement would prevent the conference from "descending into the same kind of rancorous and unproductive debate that took place in 2001."
The bland U.N. draft statement does not mention Israel by name, but it reaffirms the Durban statement and its reference to the plight of Palestinians. That document was agreed after the United States and Israel walked out over attempts to liken Zionism — the movement to establish a Jewish state in the Holy Land — to racism.
Israel and Jewish groups have lobbied hard against Western participation in the meeting, arguing that the presence alone of American and European negotiators would give legitimacy to what they fear could become an anti-Semitic gathering.
On Sunday, Israel's Foreign Ministry thanked the boycotters and predicted the conference would "once again serve as a platform to denigrate Israel and single it out for criticism."
Still, after years of preparations there appears little evidence to validate these fears. The statement of 2001 that is so contentious now was cheered in Israel at the time, as it recognized the Jewish state's right to security.
Regarding its boycott, the Obama administration said it could not endorse any statement that singled out Israel or included passages demanding a ban on language considered an "incitement" of religious hatred. Such calls "run counter to the U.S. commitment to unfettered free speech," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood.
Many Muslim nations want curbs to free speech to prevent insults to Islam they claim have proliferated since the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. They cite the 2005 cartoons of Muhammad published by a Danish newspaper that sparked riots in the Muslim world.
European countries also have criticized the meeting for focusing heavily on the West and ignoring problems of racism and intolerance in the developing world.
DOES OBAMA'S ELECTION SET PRECEDENT FOR REVERSE DISCRIMINATION CASE?
Reverse discrimination case could transform hiring
By JESSE WASHINGTON, AP National Writer Jesse Washington, Ap National Writer
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Inside a burning building, fire doesn't discriminate between Matthew Marcarelli and Gary Tinney. Inside the New Haven Fire Department, however, skin color has put them on opposite sides of a lawsuit that could transform hiring procedures nationwide.
This week, the Supreme Court will consider the reverse discrimination claim of Marcarelli and a group of white firefighters. They all passed a promotion exam, but the city threw out the test because no blacks would have been promoted, saying the exam had a "disparate impact" on minorities likely to violate the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Besides affecting how race can be considered in filling government and perhaps even private jobs, the dispute also addresses broader questions about racial progress: Do minorities and women still need legal protection from discrimination, or do the monumental civil rights laws that created a more equal nation now cause more harm than good?
Also, beneath the specific details of the firefighters' lawsuit lies an uncomfortable truth: On most standardized tests, regardless of the subject, blacks score lower than whites.
Reconciling that reality with efforts to ensure "justice for all" remains a work in progress — one that will be molded by the Supreme Court.
New Haven's population is 44 percent white, 36 percent black and 24 percent Hispanic (who can be any race). At the time of the 2003 test, 53 percent of the city's firefighters, 63 percent of lieutenants and 86 percent of captains were white. Blacks were 30 percent of the firefighters, 22 percent of lieutenants and 4 percent of captains.
The promotion exams were closely focused on firefighting methods, knowledge and skills. The first part had 200 multiple-choice questions and counted for 60 percent of the final score. Candidates returned another day to take an oral exam in which they described responses to various scenarios, which counted for 40 percent.
Tinney, a black lieutenant who has been a firefighter for 14 years, was seeking a promotion to captain when he took the exam.
He says both the test and his fire department have hidden biases against minorities: The department is historically white, with the first blacks joining in 1957, and jobs, relationships, knowledge and choice assignments are passed on from friend to friend and generation to generation.
"I just call it 'the network,'" Tinney says.
The white firefighters' attorney, Karen Torre, said they would not be interviewed for this story. In a conversation on Fox News' "Hannity" program, Marcarelli said it was "gut wrenching" to learn that he was No. 1 on the test but would not get promoted.
"It's something that shakes what you believe in. Because you believe if you work hard, you're rewarded for that, and that's not necessarily the case," Marcarelli said.
Torre said whites have no special advantage in promotions because of laws requiring use of a race-blind, score-based system. She added that many blacks have relatives on the force, including high-ranking officers.
One hundred and eighteen people took the tests; 56 passed. Nineteen of the top scorers were eligible for promotion to 15 open lieutenant and captain positions. Based on the test results, the city said that no minorities would have been eligible for lieutenant, and two Hispanics would have been eligible for captain. (The lawsuit was filed by 20 white plaintiffs, including one man who is both white and Hispanic.)
The exams were designed by a professional testing firm that followed federal guidelines for mitigating disparate racial outcomes, the plaintiffs say.
But after the results came back, the city says it found evidence that the tests were potentially flawed. Sources of bias included that the written section measured memorization rather than actual skills needed for the jobs; giving too much weight to the written section; and lack of testing for leadership in emergency conditions, according to a brief filed by officers of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
"I'm sure there are numerous reasons why (blacks didn't do as well), and not because we're not as intelligent," Tinney says. "There's a lot of underlying issues to that ... these folks are saying, 'We studied the hardest, we passed the test, we should be promoted.' But they're not talking about all the other things."
Torre argues that discarding a test because no minorities would have been promoted violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which forbids discrimination because of race.
Call it a legal riddle only the Supreme Court could solve: The white firefighters say Title VII prohibits discrimination against them for being white; New Haven says Title VII prohibits it from using a test that has a disparate impact against blacks.
"All were afforded the same notice, the same study period, the same exam syllabi, etc.," said Torre, who would only answer questions by e-mail. "The rest was up to the individual."
There are long-standing divisions over the concept of hardworking, qualified whites being "victimized" by laws or practices designed to help minorities overcome America's history of racism. What's different today is that the landscape has shifted in many ways, big and small.
The biggest is the election of President Barack Obama, and the support he received from millions of white voters.
"It is not white racism that plays the deciding role in the success of minorities any more," says Edward Blum, a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute who believes that race should not be considered in employment decisions.
"That was the case in the '60s and '70s and maybe even part of the '80s," he says. "But it is no longer the case in the 21st century that because you are black you are being held back from achieving what your parents and your ambitions will allow you to achieve. I think that has been crystallized with the election of President Obama."
Obama's election has been a boon to the movement that developed years ago seeking to reshape civil rights laws designed to remedy discrimination.
Besides the firefighters' lawsuit, the Supreme Court will soon hear a case seeking to overturn a Voting Rights Act requirement that all or parts of 16 states with a history of discrimination must get approval from the Justice Department before changing election procedures. And in 2007, the court struck down voluntary integration plans in two public school districts.
Even though it may result in less opportunities for qualified minorities, "the use of race does greater harm to our social fabric by being there than by being eliminated," Blum says.
Another major shift has been in the balance of the Supreme Court. Conservatives gained a 5-4 majority during the Bush administration, although Justice Anthony Kennedy is seen as a potential swing vote.
In Chief Justice John Roberts' majority opinion in the 2007 school ruling, one line rang loudest: "the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race."
That statement was seen as a harbinger of future rulings that would end the use of race in employment, voting and awarding government contracts. It also rebutted a famous statement by Justice Harry Blackmun in the landmark Bakke affirmative action case: "In order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them differently."
Mary Frances Berry, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania and head of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights during the Clinton administration, said the firefighters' case has broad implications.
"This is about whether we are going to see a sea change in how the judiciary looks at the need for these (protections), and how the popular culture and electoral politics influence their perceptions," Berry said.
The Obama administration has said such laws are needed and it is committed to enforcing them. The Justice Department's brief in the firefighters case supports New Haven's position that the city acted properly in throwing out the tests.
But in what many call a political maneuver designed to avoid taking sides, the Justice Department stopped short of saying the firefighters' case should be dismissed, instead recommending that it be remanded to a lower court to determine if city's decision was a pretext for intentional discrimination.
Polls show varying levels of support for affirmative action programs.
In an AP-Yahoo poll conducted in December 2007 through January 2008, one-quarter of respondents favored affirmative action programs and 37 percent opposed them. Another 36 percent neither favored nor opposed them.
A September 2007 Pew poll, which did not give people the option to say they had no opinion, found that 46 percent of people said they favored affirmative action programs that give special preferences to qualified blacks in hiring and education, while 40 percent opposed such programs.
Last November, Colorado voters became the first in the nation to reject a ban on state affirmative action programs. Similar measures have been approved in Nebraska, California, Michigan and Washington.
Supreme Court observers predict the firefighters' lawsuit will be decided by a 5-4 margin, with Justice Kennedy casting the deciding vote.
His past decisions give hope to both sides.
In the recent Voting Rights Act decision that made it harder for some minority candidates to win election when voting districts are redrawn, Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion that "racial discrimination and racially polarized voting are not ancient history. Much remains to be done to ensure that citizens of all races have equal opportunity to share and participate in our democratic processes and traditions."
"It would be an irony, however," Kennedy continued, if civil rights laws were used to "entrench racial differences."
Father tried to sell 'Slumdog Millionaire' girl
LONDON (AFP) - The father of "Slumdog Millionaire" child actress Rubina Ali tried to sell his nine-year-old daughter for adoption in a bid to escape the Mumbai slums, a British newspaper said Sunday.
News of the World alleged that Rafiq Qureshi wanted 20 million rupees (400,000 dollars, 310,000 euros) for the girl, who played the young Latika in the British hit film set in India.
"Slumdog Millionaire", a rags-to-riches tale of children from the slums of Mumbai, won eight Oscars in February, including the best picture Academy Award.
News of the World said its reporters posed as a wealthy family from Dubai, employing its regular "fake sheikh" sting tactic.
The weekly tabloid said a Mumbai informant told them that Qureshi was touting for the highest offer, having already been approached by a Middle Eastern family.
The newspaper published pictures of the actress, her father and uncle posing with their undercover reporter, plus video clips of Qureshi and his brother-in-law during their meeting last week.
"Yes, we are considering Rubina's future," Qureshi was quoted as saying.
He put the reporter in touch with his brother-in-law Rajan More.
"We are interested in securing our girl's future," the star's uncle was quoted as saying.
"If you wanted to adopt we could discuss this, but her parents would also expect some proper compensation in return.
"Whatever money is agreed by Rajan, I will accept.
"We can discuss everything about this deal when we meet. There's a lot of interest in Rubina."
Qureshi, Ali, More and some other relatives met the British reporters in a Mumbai hotel, the newspaper said.
"We need two or three months," Qureshi allegedly said. More added: "Until then we can negotiate the amount. We'll come to Dubai, the girl will come and go."
"It's 20 million rupees," the uncle was quoted as saying.
"This discussion will not go beyond the three of us."
Qureshi proudly carried Ali through the Mumbai slums in February after she returned from the Oscar glory of Hollywood.
News of the World alleged that Rafiq Qureshi wanted 20 million rupees (400,000 dollars, 310,000 euros) for the girl, who played the young Latika in the British hit film set in India.
"Slumdog Millionaire", a rags-to-riches tale of children from the slums of Mumbai, won eight Oscars in February, including the best picture Academy Award.
News of the World said its reporters posed as a wealthy family from Dubai, employing its regular "fake sheikh" sting tactic.
The weekly tabloid said a Mumbai informant told them that Qureshi was touting for the highest offer, having already been approached by a Middle Eastern family.
The newspaper published pictures of the actress, her father and uncle posing with their undercover reporter, plus video clips of Qureshi and his brother-in-law during their meeting last week.
"Yes, we are considering Rubina's future," Qureshi was quoted as saying.
He put the reporter in touch with his brother-in-law Rajan More.
"We are interested in securing our girl's future," the star's uncle was quoted as saying.
"If you wanted to adopt we could discuss this, but her parents would also expect some proper compensation in return.
"Whatever money is agreed by Rajan, I will accept.
"We can discuss everything about this deal when we meet. There's a lot of interest in Rubina."
Qureshi, Ali, More and some other relatives met the British reporters in a Mumbai hotel, the newspaper said.
"We need two or three months," Qureshi allegedly said. More added: "Until then we can negotiate the amount. We'll come to Dubai, the girl will come and go."
"It's 20 million rupees," the uncle was quoted as saying.
"This discussion will not go beyond the three of us."
Qureshi proudly carried Ali through the Mumbai slums in February after she returned from the Oscar glory of Hollywood.
10 Affordable Places to Retire
By Emily Brandon, US News
But there's a lot you can do to boost your retirement prospects by picking a low-cost locale. There are plenty of places where you can scale back your cost of living without reducing your quality of life. If you move to a city with a lower cost of housing than where you live now, it's a quick boost to your nest egg. In some cases, retirees can even get a better house for less money and reduce their tax bill, both of which will help your remaining retirement dollars stretch farther. "There's two factors that account for most of the difference in cost of living between two areas: housing and taxes, and housing more than taxes," says David Savageau, author of Retirement Places Rated. "You could flip a house in D.C. and go to Albuquerque or Iowa City and be better housed for one third the money and bank the rest and fund your retirement."
To find a few affordable retirement spots, we fired up our U.S. News best places to retire search tool. We sought out places with a low cost of living, giving considerable weight to affordable housing. But far from being out in the boonies, these places also offer access to arts and culture, sports, healthcare, and other amenities that retirees want and need in a retirement location. Every spot on our list has a median home price below $150,000, and many have important tax perks for retirees.
Retired hospital administrator Cynthia Nesson, 62, left behind a pricey suburb of Atlanta for a trendy loft with a private rooftop terrace offering up a view of Lookout Mountain in downtown Chattanooga, Tenn. "This would have cost four times as much in Atlanta as it did here," she says. Since retiring four years ago, Nesson has formed a yarn co-op, and she sells the shawls and bags she creates. It helps that there's no state income tax in Tennessee. Dividends from stocks and interest from bonds and notes are taxed, but residents over age 65 bringing in less than $16,200 annually from their portfolio ($27,000 for couples) are exempt.
Florida also doesn't levy personal income, inheritance, or gift taxes. And the sales tax rate hovers at 6 percent. Real estate can be quite expensive in many parts of the state, though. Retirees with an eye on their bottom line might do well to pass over high-cost Orlando and give nearby Cocoa, where the median home price is just $121,250, a closer look. "If you can live a little further out, you are going to find some great bargains," says Bert Sperling, founder of BestPlaces.net.
Multibillionaire Warren Buffett bought a five-bedroom stucco house in Omaha for $31,500 in 1958. He still lives there. The median home price in Omaha has risen a bit since then—to $ 113,044—but that's still an affordable price for most Americans. Plus, you won't have to travel far to attend the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders' meeting, known as "Woodstock for capitalists."
College towns also generally offer a great value for the money. "You will be able to see live plays, hear world-famous performers of music, and get all kinds of things that only big, expensive cities would normally support, and you can get them in a much less expensive place in a college town," says Andrew Schiller, founder and CEO of NeighborhoodScout.com. Seniors get a discount on tickets to Carnegie Mellon School of Music concerts in Pittsburgh, for example, and some shows are even free. State residents age 60 and older can even audit classes free at both the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Binghamton University in New York. "We have a performing arts center, and they put on operas, and we go to games at the university and to the theater department. They have a good symphony orchestra," says Cornelius Lorden, 77, a retired high school principal, about Binghamton, N.Y. He and his wife, Eleanor, 73, a retired nurse, have considered moving to pricey White Plains, N.Y., to be closer to their son and daughter-in-law, but the low cost of living, coupled with a great quality of life, is keeping them upstate. To boost their pension and Social Security income, the couple recently downsized from a house to a condo. "We sold our house for double the amount we paid for the condo," says Cornelius.
Sports fans will be drawn to the Division I sports at the University of Notre Dame. Admirers of the Fighting Irish have a block party in downtown South Bend, Ind., every Friday evening before a home football game. Ray McFadden, 88, a retired Dow Chemical Co. manager and his wife, Marion, 85, recently moved from Arizona to Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame, a retirement community affiliated with the university. "We are within walking distance of three colleges: Notre Dame, Holy Cross College, and St. Mary's," he says. "The activity level here is almost more than one person can handle at a time." Affordable housing is just an extra perk. The median South Bend home price, $81,396, will give you plenty left over to spend on hot dogs.
Yet, many baby boomers will not be able to give up working entirely. "People are living longer in retirement, and you may need to live in a location where you might be able to pick up some employment, should you need it," says Schiller. But work can be difficult to find, unless you live in San Antonio—one of just three large areas in the United States that saw significant gains in employment in the past year. And with a median home price of just $142,310 and no state income tax in Texas, your nest egg will stretch even farther.
Affordable transportation should also be an important consideration, especially if you can't or don't want to drive. Downsizing from two cars to one or even going automobile free can boost your budget if there are other ways to get around town. Senior citizens age 65 and over in Pittsburgh can ride Port Authority buses and trains for free at all times if they have a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Senior Citizen Identification card or a Medicare card. And Montgomery, Ala., seniors who need to can take a cab to medical appointments or the nearest pharmacy for just $3 each way, and the Montgomery Area Council on Aging funds the remaining fare. But while housing, taxes, and transportation costs are important, a variety of other factors should be weighed before you move. Consider the quality of healthcare available, proximity to grandchildren, access to an airport if you plan to travel, and even the weather, before you move.
Many of the most exciting activities, of course, cost barely anything at all. Be on the lookout for low-cost and free things to do, like learning about comets, quasars, black holes at the Goddard Planetarium or hiking through the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Roswell, N.M. And don't forget to ask for a senior discount. One of 67-year-old Jan Clarkowski's favorite things to do in Eau Claire, Wis., is go out for a simple drive with her husband, Richard. He drives his antique Harley, and she rides in the sidecar.
Here are 10 great affordable places to retire.
1. Binghamton, NY
2. Chattanooga, Tenn.
3. Cocoa, Fla.
4. Eau Claire, Wis.
5. Montgomery, Ala.
6. Omaha, Neb.
7. Pittsburgh, Penn.
8. Roswell, NM
9. San Antonio, Tex.
10. South Bend, Ind.
But there's a lot you can do to boost your retirement prospects by picking a low-cost locale. There are plenty of places where you can scale back your cost of living without reducing your quality of life. If you move to a city with a lower cost of housing than where you live now, it's a quick boost to your nest egg. In some cases, retirees can even get a better house for less money and reduce their tax bill, both of which will help your remaining retirement dollars stretch farther. "There's two factors that account for most of the difference in cost of living between two areas: housing and taxes, and housing more than taxes," says David Savageau, author of Retirement Places Rated. "You could flip a house in D.C. and go to Albuquerque or Iowa City and be better housed for one third the money and bank the rest and fund your retirement."
To find a few affordable retirement spots, we fired up our U.S. News best places to retire search tool. We sought out places with a low cost of living, giving considerable weight to affordable housing. But far from being out in the boonies, these places also offer access to arts and culture, sports, healthcare, and other amenities that retirees want and need in a retirement location. Every spot on our list has a median home price below $150,000, and many have important tax perks for retirees.
Retired hospital administrator Cynthia Nesson, 62, left behind a pricey suburb of Atlanta for a trendy loft with a private rooftop terrace offering up a view of Lookout Mountain in downtown Chattanooga, Tenn. "This would have cost four times as much in Atlanta as it did here," she says. Since retiring four years ago, Nesson has formed a yarn co-op, and she sells the shawls and bags she creates. It helps that there's no state income tax in Tennessee. Dividends from stocks and interest from bonds and notes are taxed, but residents over age 65 bringing in less than $16,200 annually from their portfolio ($27,000 for couples) are exempt.
Florida also doesn't levy personal income, inheritance, or gift taxes. And the sales tax rate hovers at 6 percent. Real estate can be quite expensive in many parts of the state, though. Retirees with an eye on their bottom line might do well to pass over high-cost Orlando and give nearby Cocoa, where the median home price is just $121,250, a closer look. "If you can live a little further out, you are going to find some great bargains," says Bert Sperling, founder of BestPlaces.net.
Multibillionaire Warren Buffett bought a five-bedroom stucco house in Omaha for $31,500 in 1958. He still lives there. The median home price in Omaha has risen a bit since then—to $ 113,044—but that's still an affordable price for most Americans. Plus, you won't have to travel far to attend the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders' meeting, known as "Woodstock for capitalists."
College towns also generally offer a great value for the money. "You will be able to see live plays, hear world-famous performers of music, and get all kinds of things that only big, expensive cities would normally support, and you can get them in a much less expensive place in a college town," says Andrew Schiller, founder and CEO of NeighborhoodScout.com. Seniors get a discount on tickets to Carnegie Mellon School of Music concerts in Pittsburgh, for example, and some shows are even free. State residents age 60 and older can even audit classes free at both the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Binghamton University in New York. "We have a performing arts center, and they put on operas, and we go to games at the university and to the theater department. They have a good symphony orchestra," says Cornelius Lorden, 77, a retired high school principal, about Binghamton, N.Y. He and his wife, Eleanor, 73, a retired nurse, have considered moving to pricey White Plains, N.Y., to be closer to their son and daughter-in-law, but the low cost of living, coupled with a great quality of life, is keeping them upstate. To boost their pension and Social Security income, the couple recently downsized from a house to a condo. "We sold our house for double the amount we paid for the condo," says Cornelius.
Sports fans will be drawn to the Division I sports at the University of Notre Dame. Admirers of the Fighting Irish have a block party in downtown South Bend, Ind., every Friday evening before a home football game. Ray McFadden, 88, a retired Dow Chemical Co. manager and his wife, Marion, 85, recently moved from Arizona to Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame, a retirement community affiliated with the university. "We are within walking distance of three colleges: Notre Dame, Holy Cross College, and St. Mary's," he says. "The activity level here is almost more than one person can handle at a time." Affordable housing is just an extra perk. The median South Bend home price, $81,396, will give you plenty left over to spend on hot dogs.
Yet, many baby boomers will not be able to give up working entirely. "People are living longer in retirement, and you may need to live in a location where you might be able to pick up some employment, should you need it," says Schiller. But work can be difficult to find, unless you live in San Antonio—one of just three large areas in the United States that saw significant gains in employment in the past year. And with a median home price of just $142,310 and no state income tax in Texas, your nest egg will stretch even farther.
Affordable transportation should also be an important consideration, especially if you can't or don't want to drive. Downsizing from two cars to one or even going automobile free can boost your budget if there are other ways to get around town. Senior citizens age 65 and over in Pittsburgh can ride Port Authority buses and trains for free at all times if they have a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Senior Citizen Identification card or a Medicare card. And Montgomery, Ala., seniors who need to can take a cab to medical appointments or the nearest pharmacy for just $3 each way, and the Montgomery Area Council on Aging funds the remaining fare. But while housing, taxes, and transportation costs are important, a variety of other factors should be weighed before you move. Consider the quality of healthcare available, proximity to grandchildren, access to an airport if you plan to travel, and even the weather, before you move.
Many of the most exciting activities, of course, cost barely anything at all. Be on the lookout for low-cost and free things to do, like learning about comets, quasars, black holes at the Goddard Planetarium or hiking through the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Roswell, N.M. And don't forget to ask for a senior discount. One of 67-year-old Jan Clarkowski's favorite things to do in Eau Claire, Wis., is go out for a simple drive with her husband, Richard. He drives his antique Harley, and she rides in the sidecar.
Here are 10 great affordable places to retire.
1. Binghamton, NY
2. Chattanooga, Tenn.
3. Cocoa, Fla.
4. Eau Claire, Wis.
5. Montgomery, Ala.
6. Omaha, Neb.
7. Pittsburgh, Penn.
8. Roswell, NM
9. San Antonio, Tex.
10. South Bend, Ind.
Passenger lands plane in Fla. after pilot dies
FORT MYERS, Fla. – A passenger landed a twin-engine plane in Florida after the pilot died in flight with a total of six people on board.
Federal Aviation Administration officials say the pilot died after takeoff from an airport in Naples on Sunday. It was on autopilot and climbing toward 10,000 feet when the pilot died.
The passenger who took over is licensed for single-engine planes but isn't certified to fly the larger King Air craft.
An air traffic controller helped the passenger down by calling a friend in Connecticut who knows the King Air plane and relaying instructions. The plane landed safely at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers.
The plane had been headed to Jackson, Miss. The names of the pilot and passengers have not been released.
Federal Aviation Administration officials say the pilot died after takeoff from an airport in Naples on Sunday. It was on autopilot and climbing toward 10,000 feet when the pilot died.
The passenger who took over is licensed for single-engine planes but isn't certified to fly the larger King Air craft.
An air traffic controller helped the passenger down by calling a friend in Connecticut who knows the King Air plane and relaying instructions. The plane landed safely at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers.
The plane had been headed to Jackson, Miss. The names of the pilot and passengers have not been released.
Kidnapped US captain freed; snipers kill 3 pirates
By TODD PITMAN and LARA JAKES, Associated Press Writers Todd Pitman And Lara Jakes,
NAIROBI, Kenya – Navy snipers on the fantail of a destroyer cut down three Somali pirates in a lifeboat and rescued an American sea captain in a surprise nighttime assault in choppy seas Easter Sunday, ending a five-day standoff between a team of rogue gunmen and the world's most powerful military.
It was a stunning ending to an Indian Ocean odyssey that began when 53-year-old freighter Capt. Richard Phillips was taken hostage Wednesday by pirates who tried to hijack the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama. The Vermont native was held on a tiny lifeboat that began drifting precariously toward Somalia's anarchic, gun-plagued shores.
The operation, personally approved by President Barack Obama, quashed fears the saga could drag on for months and marked a victory for the U.S., which for days seemed powerless to resolve the crisis despite massing helicopter-equipped warships at the scene.
Negotiations with the three pirates were growing heated, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said.
One of them pointed an AK-47 at the back of Phillips, who was tied up and in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot, Gortney said. Navy snipers took aim at the pirates' heads and shoulders, he said. The lifeboat was about 25-30 yards away and was being towed by the Bainbridge at the time, he said.
A fourth pirate had surrendered earlier in the day and could face life in a U.S. prison.
The rescue was a dramatic blow to the pirates who have preyed on international shipping and hold more than a dozen ships with about 230 foreign sailors. But it is unlikely to do much to quell the region's growing pirate threat, which has transformed one of the world's busiest shipping lanes into one of its most dangerous. It also risked provoking retaliatory attacks.
"This could escalate violence in this part of the world, no question about it," said Gortney, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.
Abdullahi Lami, one of the pirates holding the Greek ship anchored in the Somali town of Gaan, said: "Every country will be treated the way it treats us. In the future, America will be the one mourning and crying," he told The Associated Press. "We will retaliate (for) the killings of our men."
Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old self-proclaimed pirate, told the AP from one of Somalia's piracy hubs, Eyl, that: "From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them (the hostages)."
"Now they became our number one enemy," Habeb said of U.S. forces.
Phillips was not hurt in several minutes of gunfire and the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet said he was resting comfortably on a U.S. warship after receiving a medical exam.
Aboard the Bainbridge, sailors passed along a message from Andrea Phillips to her husband: "Richard, your family loves you, your family is praying for you, and your family is saving a chocolate Easter egg for you, unless your son eats it first."
Phillips himself deflected any praise.
"I'm just the byline. The real heroes are the Navy, the Seals, those who have brought me home," Phillips said by phone to Maersk Line Limited President and CEO John Reinhart, the company head told reporters. A photo released by the Navy showed Phillips unharmed and shaking hands with the commanding officer of the USS Bainbridge.
Obama said Phillips had courage that was "a model for all Americans" and he was pleased about the rescue, adding that the United States needs help from other countries to deal with the threat of piracy and to hold pirates accountable.
With news of the rescue, Phillips' 17,000-ton ship, which docked with the 19 members of his crew Saturday in Mombasa, Kenya, erupted into wild cheers. Some waved an American flag and one fired a bright red flare skyward in celebration.
"We made it!" said crewman ATM Reza, pumping his fist in the air.
The ship had been carrying food aid bound for Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda when the ordeal began hundreds of miles off Somalia's eastern coast Wednesday. Crew members said they saw pirates scrambling into the ship with ropes and hooks from a small boat bobbing on the surface of the Indian Ocean far below.
As the pirates shot in the air, Phillips told his crew to lock themselves in a cabin and surrendered himself to safeguard his men, crew members said.
Phillips was then taken hostage in an enclosed lifeboat that was soon shadowed by three U.S. warships and a helicopter in a standoff that grew by the day. The pirates were believed armed with pistols and AK-47 assault rifles.
Talks to free him began Thursday with the captain of the USS Bainbridge talking to the pirates under instruction from FBI hostage negotiators on board the U.S. destroyer. The pirates had threatened to kill Phillips if attacked.
A government official and others in Somalia with knowledge of the situation said negotiations broke down late Saturday. The stumbling block, Somali officials said: Americans' insistence the pirates be arrested and brought to justice.
Phillips jumped out of the lifeboat Friday and tried to swim for his freedom but was recaptured when a pirate fired an automatic weapon into the water, according to U.S. Defense Department officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk about the unfolding operations.
On Saturday, pirates fired a few shots at a small U.S. Navy vessel that had approached, but the U.S. sailors did not return fire.
The U.S. Navy had assumed the pirates would try to get their hostage to shore, where they could have hidden him on Somalia's lawless soil and been in a stronger position to negotiate a ransom.
Somalia's government, which barely controls any territory in the country, welcomed the news of Phillips' rescue.
"The Somali government wanted the drama to end in a peaceful way, but any one who is involved in this latest case had the choice to use violence or other means," Abdulkhadir Walayo, the prime minister's spokesman, told the AP. "We see it will be a good lesson for the pirates or any one else involved in this dirty business."
Worried residents of Harardhere, another port and pirate stronghold, were gathering in the streets after news of the captain's release.
"We fear more that any revenge taken by the pirates against foreign nationals could bring more attacks from the foreign navies, perhaps on our villages," Abdullahi Haji Jama, who owns a clothes store in Harardhere, told the AP by telephone.
Pirates are holding about a dozen ships with more than 200 crew members, according to the Malaysia-based piracy watchdog International Maritime Bureau. Hostages are from Bulgaria, China, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, the Philippines, Russia, Taiwan, Tuvalu and Ukraine, among other countries.
The Navy said Phillips was freed at 7:19 p.m. local time. He was taken aboard the Norfolk, Va.-based Bainbridge and then flown to the San Diego-based USS Boxer for the medical exam, 5th Fleet spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen said.
Christensen said Phillips was now "resting comfortably." The USS Boxer was in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia, Christensen said.
U.S. officials said a fourth pirate had surrendered and was in military custody. FBI spokesman John Miller said that would change as the situation became "more of a criminal issue than a military issue."
A spokeswoman for the Phillips family, Alison McColl, said Phillips and his wife, Andrea, spoke by phone shortly after he was freed.
"I think you can all imagine their joy and what a happy moment that was for them," McColl said outside of the Phillips home in Underhill, Vt. "They're all just so happy and relieved. Andrea wanted me to tell the nation that all of your prayers and good wishes have paid off, because Capt. Phillips is safe."
Capt. Joseph Murphy, the father of second-in-command Shane Murphy, thanked Phillips for his bravery.
"Our prayers have been answered on this Easter Sunday," Murphy said. "If not for his incredible personal sacrifice, this kidnapping and act of terror could have turned out much worse."
Murphy said both his family and Phillips' "can now celebrate a joyous Easter together."
"This was an incredible team effort, and I am extremely proud of the tireless efforts of all the men and women who made this rescue possible" Gortney said in a statement.
He called Phillips and his crew "heroic."
Terry Aiken, 66, who lives across the street from the Phillips house, fought back tears as he reacted to the news.
"I'm very, very happy," Aiken said. "I can't be happier for him and his family."
NAIROBI, Kenya – Navy snipers on the fantail of a destroyer cut down three Somali pirates in a lifeboat and rescued an American sea captain in a surprise nighttime assault in choppy seas Easter Sunday, ending a five-day standoff between a team of rogue gunmen and the world's most powerful military.
It was a stunning ending to an Indian Ocean odyssey that began when 53-year-old freighter Capt. Richard Phillips was taken hostage Wednesday by pirates who tried to hijack the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama. The Vermont native was held on a tiny lifeboat that began drifting precariously toward Somalia's anarchic, gun-plagued shores.
The operation, personally approved by President Barack Obama, quashed fears the saga could drag on for months and marked a victory for the U.S., which for days seemed powerless to resolve the crisis despite massing helicopter-equipped warships at the scene.
Negotiations with the three pirates were growing heated, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said.
One of them pointed an AK-47 at the back of Phillips, who was tied up and in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot, Gortney said. Navy snipers took aim at the pirates' heads and shoulders, he said. The lifeboat was about 25-30 yards away and was being towed by the Bainbridge at the time, he said.
A fourth pirate had surrendered earlier in the day and could face life in a U.S. prison.
The rescue was a dramatic blow to the pirates who have preyed on international shipping and hold more than a dozen ships with about 230 foreign sailors. But it is unlikely to do much to quell the region's growing pirate threat, which has transformed one of the world's busiest shipping lanes into one of its most dangerous. It also risked provoking retaliatory attacks.
"This could escalate violence in this part of the world, no question about it," said Gortney, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.
Abdullahi Lami, one of the pirates holding the Greek ship anchored in the Somali town of Gaan, said: "Every country will be treated the way it treats us. In the future, America will be the one mourning and crying," he told The Associated Press. "We will retaliate (for) the killings of our men."
Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old self-proclaimed pirate, told the AP from one of Somalia's piracy hubs, Eyl, that: "From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them (the hostages)."
"Now they became our number one enemy," Habeb said of U.S. forces.
Phillips was not hurt in several minutes of gunfire and the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet said he was resting comfortably on a U.S. warship after receiving a medical exam.
Aboard the Bainbridge, sailors passed along a message from Andrea Phillips to her husband: "Richard, your family loves you, your family is praying for you, and your family is saving a chocolate Easter egg for you, unless your son eats it first."
Phillips himself deflected any praise.
"I'm just the byline. The real heroes are the Navy, the Seals, those who have brought me home," Phillips said by phone to Maersk Line Limited President and CEO John Reinhart, the company head told reporters. A photo released by the Navy showed Phillips unharmed and shaking hands with the commanding officer of the USS Bainbridge.
Obama said Phillips had courage that was "a model for all Americans" and he was pleased about the rescue, adding that the United States needs help from other countries to deal with the threat of piracy and to hold pirates accountable.
With news of the rescue, Phillips' 17,000-ton ship, which docked with the 19 members of his crew Saturday in Mombasa, Kenya, erupted into wild cheers. Some waved an American flag and one fired a bright red flare skyward in celebration.
"We made it!" said crewman ATM Reza, pumping his fist in the air.
The ship had been carrying food aid bound for Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda when the ordeal began hundreds of miles off Somalia's eastern coast Wednesday. Crew members said they saw pirates scrambling into the ship with ropes and hooks from a small boat bobbing on the surface of the Indian Ocean far below.
As the pirates shot in the air, Phillips told his crew to lock themselves in a cabin and surrendered himself to safeguard his men, crew members said.
Phillips was then taken hostage in an enclosed lifeboat that was soon shadowed by three U.S. warships and a helicopter in a standoff that grew by the day. The pirates were believed armed with pistols and AK-47 assault rifles.
Talks to free him began Thursday with the captain of the USS Bainbridge talking to the pirates under instruction from FBI hostage negotiators on board the U.S. destroyer. The pirates had threatened to kill Phillips if attacked.
A government official and others in Somalia with knowledge of the situation said negotiations broke down late Saturday. The stumbling block, Somali officials said: Americans' insistence the pirates be arrested and brought to justice.
Phillips jumped out of the lifeboat Friday and tried to swim for his freedom but was recaptured when a pirate fired an automatic weapon into the water, according to U.S. Defense Department officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk about the unfolding operations.
On Saturday, pirates fired a few shots at a small U.S. Navy vessel that had approached, but the U.S. sailors did not return fire.
The U.S. Navy had assumed the pirates would try to get their hostage to shore, where they could have hidden him on Somalia's lawless soil and been in a stronger position to negotiate a ransom.
Somalia's government, which barely controls any territory in the country, welcomed the news of Phillips' rescue.
"The Somali government wanted the drama to end in a peaceful way, but any one who is involved in this latest case had the choice to use violence or other means," Abdulkhadir Walayo, the prime minister's spokesman, told the AP. "We see it will be a good lesson for the pirates or any one else involved in this dirty business."
Worried residents of Harardhere, another port and pirate stronghold, were gathering in the streets after news of the captain's release.
"We fear more that any revenge taken by the pirates against foreign nationals could bring more attacks from the foreign navies, perhaps on our villages," Abdullahi Haji Jama, who owns a clothes store in Harardhere, told the AP by telephone.
Pirates are holding about a dozen ships with more than 200 crew members, according to the Malaysia-based piracy watchdog International Maritime Bureau. Hostages are from Bulgaria, China, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, the Philippines, Russia, Taiwan, Tuvalu and Ukraine, among other countries.
The Navy said Phillips was freed at 7:19 p.m. local time. He was taken aboard the Norfolk, Va.-based Bainbridge and then flown to the San Diego-based USS Boxer for the medical exam, 5th Fleet spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen said.
Christensen said Phillips was now "resting comfortably." The USS Boxer was in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia, Christensen said.
U.S. officials said a fourth pirate had surrendered and was in military custody. FBI spokesman John Miller said that would change as the situation became "more of a criminal issue than a military issue."
A spokeswoman for the Phillips family, Alison McColl, said Phillips and his wife, Andrea, spoke by phone shortly after he was freed.
"I think you can all imagine their joy and what a happy moment that was for them," McColl said outside of the Phillips home in Underhill, Vt. "They're all just so happy and relieved. Andrea wanted me to tell the nation that all of your prayers and good wishes have paid off, because Capt. Phillips is safe."
Capt. Joseph Murphy, the father of second-in-command Shane Murphy, thanked Phillips for his bravery.
"Our prayers have been answered on this Easter Sunday," Murphy said. "If not for his incredible personal sacrifice, this kidnapping and act of terror could have turned out much worse."
Murphy said both his family and Phillips' "can now celebrate a joyous Easter together."
"This was an incredible team effort, and I am extremely proud of the tireless efforts of all the men and women who made this rescue possible" Gortney said in a statement.
He called Phillips and his crew "heroic."
Terry Aiken, 66, who lives across the street from the Phillips house, fought back tears as he reacted to the news.
"I'm very, very happy," Aiken said. "I can't be happier for him and his family."
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