Briefly

Pennsylvania

Couple claim other half of Powerball jackpot

The leftover half of a $261.3 million jackpot was claimed by a Pennsylvania couple Tuesday, nearly two weeks after the winning numbers were drawn.

Scott Calligan, 40, and his wife, Marian, 39, chose a lump sum payment of $73.6 million over the 30-year, $130.6 million annuity.

The Calligans bought the winning ticket in their hometown of Cranberry, about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh.

The Calligans, who have a daughter and son, consulted with a financial adviser and a lawyer before taking the ticket to Pennsylvania Lottery headquarters.

The other half of the jackpot was won by William and Claudia Walkenbach of Hermann, Mo.

Florida

‘Toughman’ death ruled an accident

The death of a 30-year-old mother of two during a “Toughman” boxing competition has been ruled an accident, the medical examiner’s office in Sarasota said Tuesday.

Stacy Young died in a hospital of blunt force trauma to the head after being repeatedly hit during a bout with another woman in Sarasota last month.

Bill Pellan, director of investigations for the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office, said the ruling did not preclude someone being charged in the case.

“We took into account they were participating in a sporting event. They were not participating in warfare,” Pellan said. “I think both participants knew what they were getting into.”

Young collapsed in the ring after three one-minute rounds with a 20-year-old woman with boxing experience. Young was recruited by Toughman organizers because they needed another woman for the bout.

She was the 10th person to die in the 24-year history of the Toughman competition.

Houston

Shuttle decision defended

With tears in her eyes, the NASA manager who dismissed the possibility during Columbia’s doomed flight that the shuttle had been seriously damaged by foam defended her decisions Tuesday and said no one should be blamed for the tragedy.

“We were all trying to do the right thing. All along, we were basing our decisions on the best information that we had at the time,” said Linda Ham, who led Columbia’s mission management team.

“Nobody wanted to do any harm to anyone. Obviously, nobody wants to hurt the crew. These people are our friends. … My husband is an astronaut. I don’t believe anyone is at fault for this.”

She said she did not seek spy satellite pictures of the orbiting spaceship because even though engineers wanted pictures, none of them approached her about it during the 16-day flight and she could not ascertain who was making the request.

It wasn’t until after the accident that she learned some of the engineers who wanted the spy satellite pictures had taken part in her meetings, but never spoke up.