EXTRA...

Accused murderer released on $5,000 bail; Great White Shark killed that seal; Uninsured face health plan delays; Giving up bottled water

Researchers: Great White Shark Devoured Seal
Shark Likely Gone, Researchers Say - see video

Relax, the last shark-related death in New England was 71 years ago in 1936.CHATHAM - Researchers now report that the sea creature spotted devouring a seal off Cape Cod near Chatham last weekend was a great white shark.  They also said the shark is likely long gone and not likely to feed again soon. They say the later because shark gourge and sate the appetites for longer periods than most animals.

Are seal attracting sharks?

State officials determined a great white had attacked the seal off Chatham based on witness accounts and photos of the seal carcass. Since they were placed on the endangered species list the seal population is on the rise in the area, but that does not mean that sharks are flocking to the area for their next meal.  "It's pretty scary. I don't want to be eaten by a great white shark," one visitor said to reporters at the scene.

How big is BIG!?! ?

If you've got the stomach for it, click on the image above and watch a video of a Great White dining on seals, but not here.Any animal that grows to be nearly 20 feet long weighing two and a half tons with teeth as sharp as your best steak knife would be pretty frightening almost any way you look at it.

But as regular viewers of the Discovery Channel can well attest, the Great White of fact is not really the Great White of fiction although it can come close.

The size of the Great White is of great interest to not only the bathers at Cape beaches but to marine biologists as well. No one knows how large the this species gets but a top size of approximately 21 feet is the often quoted.

How long is this creature; picture a couple of Hondas parked end to end and then picture a shark as long as those two cars with a mouth about 3-4 feet wide and you habe a pretty good idea. The average Great White, however, dis not as large measuring only about 10-15 feet in length under two tons.

Feel better now?
___________________

 Uninsured face health plan delays
State deluged with applicants

It's not clear precisely how many people are affected, but the resulting delays mean that thousands of people trying to get coverage are not yet in compliance with the new state law requiring every adult to have health insurance by July 1.The number of people seeking state-subsidized health insurance has overwhelmed the offices processing applications, forcing some of the uninsured to wait months to get coverage, according to state officials and healthcare advocates.

Applicants routinely have to submit the same paperwork twice or even three times, because it is getting lost in state offices, advocates say, and many are getting confusing or contradictory information about whether they qualify.

The loss of paperwork "happens to over 50 percent of our clients," said Camila De Oliveira, program director of the Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands, which helps people apply. "The clients are getting frustrated. It was supposed to be a fast turnaround."  Boston Globe.  
___________________

Wareham man charged in '06 murder released on $5,000 bail after being arrested in drug raid

WAREHAM — An accused murderer who was free on $100,000 bail was released again on $5,000 bail this week after being arrested on drug charges.  The prosecutor requested a Wareham District Court judge revoke bail for David E. Seeley, 30 (on right), of 146 Charge Pond Road, who was arrested July 2, 2006, for allegedly murdering a man in a Wareham Cumberland Farms store. On Wednesday night, police arrested Mr. Seeley after executing a search warrant at his house and finding 11 grams of suspected cocaine, marijuana, and other drug paraphernalia.

However, according to court records, Wareham District Court Judge Brian Gilligan denied the prosecution's request to revoke bail during Mr. Seeley's arraignment Thursday, allowing the defendant to post a $5,000 cash bail.  Judge Gilligan did not return a telephone message Friday seeking comment. Mr. Seeley's Boston-based lawyer, Brian Wilson, said the judge ruled that the prosecution did not present a sufficient argument to revoke bail.  Standard-Times. 
_____________________

Water, Water Everywhere, but Guilt by the Bottleful

Can I tell you my spiel about bottled water?
“Something about it felt like a betrayal,” said Ms. Pollack, who otherwise does not consider herself an ardent environmentalist. She said she decided to stop buying water after hearing friends talk about the impact of America’s bottled water habit. And now she is doing what she can to spread the word.  “I’ve pretty much said to every single one of my friends, ‘Can I tell you my spiel about bottled water?’" On a recent family vacation in Cape Cod, Jenny Pollack, 40, a novelist and public relations associate from Brooklyn, did something she knew she would come to regret. She did it on the spur of the moment. She did it because she felt desperate.

Besides, the giant illuminated Dasani vending machine was just standing there, like a beacon.

So, with her reusable plastic Nalgene bottles dry and her son Charlie working up a thirst in an indoor playground, she broke down and bought a bottle of water. To most people it would be a simple act of self-refreshment, but to Ms. Pollack it was also a minor offense against the planet — think of all the oil used to package, transport and refrigerate that water.  New York Times.