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Excerpt - HOUSTON - Lisa Nowak chose a juggling act of dauntingly high difficulty: to be an astronaut and a mother of three. Her background — high school valedictorian, Naval Academy graduate, test pilot — seemed to equip her for the challenge. Yet as she and some of her acquaintances acknowledged, the stresses on her and her family were extraordinarily intense. On Wednesday, transformed from space hero to criminal suspect, Nowak returned to Houston for a medical assessment, a day after she was charged in Florida with attempted murder and attempted kidnapping in what police depicted as a love triangle...

DULUTH, Ga. (AP) - The story of runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks is on its way to a theater in the form of a rock opera. The show is scheduled to open in October at the Red Clay Theatre and Arts Center. But Mark Pitt, the theater's owner, says the show will not be a comedic spoof of Wilbanks' infamous disappearance before her scheduled 2005 wedding. Instead, the rock opera will show how the community came together and bonded over the experience, which included a massive search for Wilbanks before she turned up a few days later. Wilbanks and her then-fiance,...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- On July Fourth, Independence Day, Lisa Nowak triumphantly lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center aboard shuttle Discovery. On Tuesday, 57 miles from the launch pad, she stood before a judge and wore shackles and a blue prisoner uniform. The married mother of three was charged Tuesday with attempted murder, accused of hatching an extraordinary plot to kidnap Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman, who she believed was her rival for the affections of space shuttle pilot William Oefelein. Nowak had been charged Monday with attempted kidnapping and other counts. But after two appearances in court and worldwide...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- An astronaut drove 900 miles and donned a disguise to confront a woman she believed was her rival for the affections of a space shuttle pilot, police said. She was arrested Monday and charged with attempted kidnapping and other counts. U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak, 43, who flew last July on a shuttle mission to the international space station, was also charged with attempted vehicle burglary with battery, destruction of evidence and battery. She was denied bail. Police said Nowak drove from her home in Houston to the Orlando International Airport to confront Colleen Shipman. Nowak believed...

Ms Nowak said she did not intend to harm Ms Shipman A US astronaut has been charged with trying to kidnap a woman she thought was a rival for the affection of a space shuttle pilot. Navy Capt Lisa Nowak, 43, who flew to the international space station last July, was charged with attempted kidnapping, battery and other crimes. She drove from Texas to Florida to confront Colleen Shipman, disguised in a wig and trench coat. Police said Capt Nowak, who was denied bail, used pepper spray on Ms Shipman. The man in the love triangle was said to...

ORLANDO, Fla. - An astronaut drove 900 miles and donned a disguise to confront a woman she believed was her rival for the affections of a space shuttle pilot, police said. She was arrested Monday and charged with attempted kidnapping and other counts. U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak, 43, who flew last July on a shuttle mission to the international space station, was also charged with attempted vehicle burglary with battery, destruction of evidence and battery. She was denied bail. Police said Nowak drove from her home in Houston to the Orlando International Airport to confront Colleen Shipman. Nowak believed...

Astronaut Arrested Over Love Spat Last Edited: Monday, 05 Feb 2007, 9:47 PM EST Created: Monday, 05 Feb 2007, 7:24 PM EST ORLANDO, FL (WOFL) -- -- U.S. Navy Commander and Discovery Astronaut, Lisa Nowak, 43, was arrested early Monday morning at Orlando International Airpot following an altercation with another woman. Police say Nowak drove from Houston to Orlando to meet Colleen Shipman. According to reports, once Shipman arrived at the airport, Nowak followed her to a nearby lot where she had parked her car. As Shipman entered her car, Nowak approached Shipman, slapping on the window and trying to...

A NASA astronaut is being held without bail after police say she attacked her rival for another astronaut's attention at Orlando International Airport Monday. Lisa Marie Nowak drove more than 12 hours from Texas to meet the 1 a.m. flight of a younger woman who had also been seeing the astronaut Nowak pined for, according to Orlando police. Nowak -- who was a mission specialist on a Discovery launch last summer -- was wearing a trench coat and wig and had a knife, BB pistol, and latex gloves in her car, reports show. They also found diapers, which Nowak said...

A NASA astronaut faces her first appearance before a judge this morning after police say she attacked her rival for another astronaut's attention at Orlando International Airport Monday. Lisa Marie Nowak drove more than 12 hours from Texas to meet the 1 a.m. flight of a younger woman who had also been seeing the astronaut Nowak pined for, according to Orlando police. She is being held on no bond at Orange County Jail and has a court appearance at 9 a.m. Nowak -- who was a mission specialist on a Space Shuttle Discovery flight last summer -- was wearing a...

Lisa Marie Nowak was accustomed to hard training, prolonged deprivation and a strong sense of mission. But this is not exactly what NASA had in mind when it made her an astronaut. Equipped with a knife, pellet pistol, can of pepper spray, steel mallet and 4 feet of rubber tubing, Nowak arrived at Orlando International Airport early Monday morning, police said, to confront a romantic rival for fellow astronaut Bill Oefelein. Nowak, 43, remains in Orange County Jail without bail on a variety of charges arising from a confrontation with Colleen Shipman, an Air Force captain whom she is accused...

ASSOCIATED PRESS ORLANDO, Fla. – A NASA astronaut charged with attempting to kidnap a romantic rival in a love triangle with another astronaut was allowed to go free on bail Tuesday on the condition that she not contact the alleged victim. The judge told Lisa Marie Nowak she could be released on $15,500 bond, then asked if she understood the conditions. She responded “yes.” Nowak, a married mother of three, stood in a jail uniform, looking down during most of the hearing. She planned to return home to Houston, and the judge ordered her to wear a tracking device. The...

ORLANDO, Fla. - A NASA astronaut accused of trying to kidnap a romantic rival for a space shuttle pilot's affections will remain in jail because authorities planned to charge her with attempted first-degree murder, an official said Tuesday. Orange County jail spokesman Allen Moore said Orlando police were in the process of adding the more serious charge that Lisa Marie Nowak, 43, tried to kill the woman. "Even though she satisfied the bail for the other charges, she won't be released from jail," Moore said. Orange County Judge Mike Murphy had earlier said Nowak could be released on $15,500 bond...

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - A married U.S. astronaut was accused of attempted murder and trying to kidnap a rival for another astronaut's affections on Tuesday, and held in jail. U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak, who flew on the space shuttle Discovery last July, drove 950 miles from Houston to Orlando -- wearing diapers so she wouldn't have to stop to urinate -- to assault a woman she considered competition for the affections of a male astronaut, police said.

If I were doing the monologue tonight, here's a few I've come up with:1. This is one lady you don't want holding your cord on your space walk.2. Reportedly she had a thing for a male astronaut. Her motto: If this shuttle's rockin', don't come nockin'.3) Reportedly she drove 1000 miles in diapers. If she's acquitted, she can become a spokesmodel for Depends.

The bizarre arrest of NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak Monday cast in sharp relief the guidelines governing civilian and military spaceflyers. Police arrested Nowak, a U.S. Navy captain and mother of three, in Orlando, Florida early Monday, where she is charged with the attempted kidnapping of a romantic rival for the affections of NASA space shuttle pilot William Oefelein. Nowak also faces a charge of attempted first-degree murder based on items recovered by police at the time of her arrest, Orlando police said Tuesday. Both Nowak and Oefelein, a Navy Commander, are active U.S. Navy personnel attached to NASA, a civilian...

A NASA astronaut is charged with attacking her rival for another astronaut's attention early Monday at Orlando International Airport, the Orlando Sentinel has learned. Lisa Marie Nowak drove from Texas to meet the 1 a.m. flight of a younger woman who had also been seeing the male astronaut Nowak pined for, according to Orlando police. Nowak -- who was a mission specialist on a Discovery launch last summer -- was wearing a trench coat and wig and had a knife, BB pistol, rubber tubing and plastic bags, reports show. Once U.S. Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman arrived, Nowak followed her...

Rumors of a big announcement are in the air. It is expected that President Bush will announce we are going back to the moon. Mr. President, please take seriously this suggestion in musical form. ========================================= MIDI - EVERYONE'S GONE TO THE MOON Lunar adventure time is near...we'll stay the leader...that is clear I hope it launches by mid June...send Hillary to the moon She'll be forever...my first choice...I have grown weary...of her voice It would be quite an afternoon...send Hillary to the moon President Bush...give me a say Please make the trip just one way There could be danger in...