Skydiver aims for supersonic plunge on Oct. 8

By MARCIA DUNN, AP

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The countdown is on for skydiver Felix Baumgartner.

In just two weeks, Baumgartner will attempt to go supersonic when he jumps from a record altitude of 23 miles over New Mexico. Project managers announced Tuesday the feat will take place Oct. 8.

The Austrian parachutist jumped from 13 miles in March and 18 miles in July. This time, he hopes to break the all-time record of 19.5 miles set in 1960.

A giant helium balloon will hoist a pressurized capsule with Baumgartner inside, dressed in a pressure suit.

Baumgartner expects to reach a top speed of 690 mph and break the sound barrier with only his body, less than a half-minute after he hops from his capsule.

The same capsule was used for Baumgartner's two practice jumps but was damaged in the latest touchdown. It smashed down hard despite its parachute, and the outer shell had to be replaced with parts from a backup capsule. The entire craft was taken apart and reassembled.

The repairs and retesting pushed the final flight from August to October.

"I feel like a tiger in a cage waiting to get out," Baumgartner, 43, said in a statement.

Project officials note that excellent weather will be needed to launch the 30 million-cubic-foot helium balloon from Roswell. Early fall is generally an optimal time for such endeavors.

The entire flight will be monitored by a NASA-like Mission Control; the mission is known as Red Bull Stratos, short for stratosphere. One of the lead team members is record-holder Joe Kittinger, who was an Air Force captain when he took part in the military high-jump project.

This time, the effort is privately funded by the energy drink maker.

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NJ Woman Arrested in Fake Cancer Scheme

Prosecutors say a Delran woman falsely claimed she was undergoing treatment for cancer and received more than $10K in donations and a wedding that was paid for by family and friends

By Lauren DiSanto

|  Wednesday, Sep 26, 2012  |  Updated 6:53 PM EDT

Lori Stilley, 40, of Delran, N.J., was arrested after prosecutors say she lied to family and friends about having cancer and collected more than $10,000 in donations for her treatment.

According to a release from the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, Stilley told relatives and friends in February of 2011 that she had been diagnosed with Stage 3 bladder cancer and needed to undergo radiation and chemotherapy. She also allegedly told them she did not have health insurance.

A few months later, she sent out a Facebook message announcing her cancer had reached Stage 4.

Fundraisers were organized on her behalf raising $9,400. Prosecutors say Stilley also wrote an e-book on her struggles with cancer, generating more than $3,000 in book sales.

Her family and friends threw a wedding for Stilley, because she allegedly told them she wanted to marry her boyfriend before she died.

Prosecutors say family and friends paid for the wedding, which cost $500 because they negotiated a reduced price with the wedding hall. Stilley then received $1,600 in gift card donations.

Family and friends contacted authorities after becoming suspicious in November 2011 when Stilley posted a message on Facebook that said she believed a miracle was coming and she was postponing hospice care.

The Delran Township Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office began investigating and say they found out that Stilley had never been treated or diagnosed with cancer.

Stilley has been charged with Theft by Deception and was released after posting $25,000 bail.
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