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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - A Columbus couple brought together by fate are now inspiring other organ transplant survivors, hoping to also encourage people to become an organ donor after taking the trip of a lifetime they thought may never happen.

"Seventeen years later and I'm doing things I could only dream about when I was sick," Marshall Peterson who received a kidney transplant 17 years ago, said.

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Peterson and Stephanie West have taken different paths to the same place. She also received a kidney transplant in 2019.

"Some people like Stephanie had to wait for years for a transplant, some people wait even longer,” Peterson said. “It's like you said, like your life is kind of on hold when you're sick.”

West found out she had kidney disease while she was studying to be a healthcare professional.

"Within a year and a half, I went into failure,” she said. “I basically got a call from my doctor at like 7 at night going, ‘Your labs are really bad. You need to go to the E.R. I'll meet you there.’ And within a week, they had put everything in so that I could start dialysis.”

For West, the whole experience was a game of waiting. She was on the transplant list in Georgia where she lived at the time.

Nearly 270,000 free meals coming this summer to Columbus students

"It's hard to sit there every day and wait and not know,” she said. “Your life almost feels like it's been put on hold. I actually cried several days before I got the call, thinking this is just never going to happen. And so it was nice having someone that you could just call and say, ‘This is what I'm going through’ and actually understands the fears.”

Peterson and West met a year before her transplant while at a sci-fi convention in Atlanta, Georgia. They shared lots of interests, but they also shared the struggle of living life with kidney disease.

Peterson's transplant experience was different. His father was a match and donated a kidney when Peterson was in his 20s.

"It's like going from seeing in black and white to seeing in color,” he said. “Like, I had the most pain I've ever experienced in my life after the surgery. But at the same time, the best I'd ever felt. At the same time.”

After they both received kidney transplants, they wanted to live life to the fullest.

"We're going to make the most out of this second chance at life," Peterson said.

Organ transplant recipients and donors reunite at Ohio State hospital pinwheel planting

He was always competitive and loved soccer but had not been able to play since getting sick at the age of 11. He did remember a scene from the 1965 movie “Help!” starring the Beatles.

"They're actually playing on a pond at one point,” Peterson said. “I remember asking my dad, ‘What is this weird game? I am fascinated by it.’ And he's like, ‘That's curling.’

Peterson then decided to check out the Columbus Curling Club where he started to learn the game.

"It's a lot harder than people realize," he said.

One of the very first dates Peterson and West went on was to a curling club.

Prior to her diagnosis, West was an avid traveler. She wanted to be able to live her life and travel once again after receiving her kidney transplant. Between her love for travel and Peterson's love of competition, they were inspired. They did a little research and found they needed a team of four to participate in the World Transplant Games in Bormio, Italy.

Peterson's father, an organ donor, qualified to be a member of the team so he picked up a broom and started curling. Organ donors made up a number of participants at the Games and earned special recognition.

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"Without them, a lot of us wouldn't be here, and to try to encourage people to check that box on your driver's license to be able to donate because there are thousands of people waiting, and unfortunately, not everyone gets one,” West said.

After Peterson posted on a regional Midwest curling Facebook page, they found a fourth willing to join the team and travel to Italy for the games.

"It was super awesome,” Peterson said. “Like to play against people who've been through the same thing you have like the Canadian team, like one of their guys. He had a double lung transplant and the British skip, she had had a heart transplant and then like several other kidney transplants.”

The group traveled to Europe at the end of February, a week before the games. They traveled across Italy to Venice, Florence, and Milan before making the trek to the mountain town of Bormio.

The American foursome their first matchup in competition against a team from Great Britain. After that, they faced the defending gold medalists from Team Canada.

They played the match of their lives and dominated the Canadians to move into the semi-finals. They lost in heartbreaking fashion to another team from Great Britain, leaving the stone just an inch away from potential victory.

In the end, the U.S. team earned the bronze medal, an incredible accomplishment for a team that didn't have more than five years of experience curling between three of the competitors.

But it was being with others who could relate to their journey that made the trip even more special.

"Seeing so many people in the room that have all gone through the same journey and can give you a look at the future was absolutely amazing and heartwarming," West said.

"We went to medal ceremonies every night and like, just watching the happiness on people,” Peterson said. “Like, yeah, they want a medal, but also, like, they're healthy enough to win a medal, right? Like it was a bit emotional at times.”

After the competition, Peterson still had one more highlight up his sleeve for the trip. He took West and his father to the top of a mountain peak, dropped to one knee, and asked West to marry him.

"I couldn't think of a more amazing moment to do it,” Peterson said. “Not only like, are you on top of the world, on top of that mountain, we're surrounded by people who've been through what we went through.”

"I think they said that was the first engagement at the games, setting new milestones," West added.

The couple is coming home engaged, with a bronze medal around their necks. They are sure to carry it with them everywhere, too, a token of how far they've come and how proud they are to have overcome deadly disease.

"Life goes on,” Peterson said. “Tomorrow's coming, whether you're ready for it or not.

“Take advantage of every minute that you can do something,” West added.

Now, they have their eyes set on Switzerland in 2026 for the next World Transplant Games.

For more information about becoming an organ donor, you can visit Lifeline of Ohio.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WCMH) -- There's nothing like Sunday at Augusta and the crowning of a Masters champion. And while Neal Shipley was nowhere near contention of winning a green jacket, it's safe to say that the Ohio State golfer got the next best thing on the final day of the tournament.

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Shipley was paired with Tiger Woods in the final round. No big deal, just a Buckeye graduate golfer playing with a five-time Masters champion. Woods, meanwhile, unlocked a career achievement of his own, competing in his 100th round of golf at The Masters.

"Playing with Tiger Sunday at the Masters and the whole week I have had, I think I'd have to win one of these things to kinda top this week," Shipley said. "Definitely been a dream week but looking forward to being out here soon hopefully."

Shipley shot a one over 73 for the final round, which included four birdies. He was the only amateur to make the cut, assuring him of a visit to Butler Cabin as the tournament's low amateur, finishing 12 over par for the weekend.

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"We were not too close to the lead so I wasn't too nervous but when we got here this morning and saw Tiger out on the range, we were like oh my gosh this is actually happening," Shipley said. "So yeah it was really cool."

NEW ALBANY, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Jewish holiday of Passover begins next Monday at sundown and Chabad of Columbus is getting ready to celebrate the eight-day festival.

Families gathered at the Lori Schottenstein Chabad Center in New Albany Sunday morning to make matzah and watch a fire juggler in celebration of the organization’s first-ever chametz burning, where the Jewish community burned grain products before Passover begins.

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Rabbi Areyah Kaltmann, the director of Chabad of Columbus, said they wanted to make learning about the history and culture of the pre-Passover tradition fun and exciting with the fire juggler. “We want our kids to enjoy the excitement of being Jewish, to relive the exodus of Passover,” said Rabbi Kaltmann.

The rabbi said foods like bread, pasta and cookies are considered chametz, which are customarily not eaten throughout Passover. He said the burning of chametz symbolizes doing away with the negativity and burdens from the previous year. During the eight days of Passover, the Jewish custom is to eat unrisen bread called Matzah in place of regular bread.

“Chametz is all blown-up. It’s ego-driven. Matzah is very thin, it is very humble. Sometimes we have to become humble, we have to be receptacles of change,” said Rabbi Kaltmann.

Rabbi Kaltmann said Sunday’s event was an exciting way to show kids why Jewish culture is so important, especially since the war between Hamas and Israel began. “We want every single one of our kids here today to enjoy being Jewish, for kids to appreciate how lucky they are to belong to a tradition where we believe in freedom, where we believe in kindness,” said Rabbi Kaltmann.

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Passover celebrates the biblical story of the Jewish people's exodus from Egypt and Rabbi Kaltmann says with the recent attack on Saturday where Iran launched drone strikes towards Israel, the Jewish community here in central Ohio needs to be as strong as possible.

“The best possible antidote to rising antisemitism is for our kids to be proud Jews,” said the rabbi. Passover starts on Monday, April 22 at sundown and concludes at sundown on April 30. For a list of Passover events happening in central Ohio, click here.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ten years after a 22-year-old woman disappeared, her loved ones continue pushing for answers.

Jayme Bowen walked out the door, planning to go to a family member’s house, and has not been seen since; she was last seen in the Merion Village area in 2014.

On Sunday, a group gathered in Schiller Park to remember Jayme Bowen and plead for answers.

Her mother said it has been a long ten years, but that doesn’t mean she is giving up hope.

Nancy Bowen, Jayme’s mother, said purple is Jayme’s favorite color, so the group released purple balloons in her honor. 

They hope these gatherings spread the message that they still are searching for their friend, sister and daughter. 

They also were handing out flyers with her pictures and plan to spread them around the area. 

“I just lost my oldest daughter to cancer and Jamie was already missing and I don't have any girls now and I’d sure like to, you know, get this one back,” Nancy Bowen said. “But hopefully this leads to some kind of leads and answers and helps with something because ten years is a long time.”

Nancy Bowen is pleading for anyone who knows something to call Columbus police at 614-645-4545.

Columbus and Central Ohio Weather

A mix of sun and clouds, with breezy conditions, prevail behind high pressure east of the region. Low pressure moving across the Northeast will drag a cold front across the state early tonight, accompanied by a narrow line of showers and a few storms, weakening after sunset. Clouds will linger overnight, with morning readings in the mid-50s.

Skies will be sunny on Monday, with a pleasant afternoon in the low to mid-70s. Clouds return overnight ahead of a warm front that will bring scattered showers and a possible storm Tuesday.

A potent storm system in the central Plains will pull increasing amounts of moisture into the region, causing more numerous showers and storms Wednesday, before a cold front crosses the state later in the day.

Drier conditions return Thursday, but a fast-moving system and cold front will bring a few showers Thursday night, followed cooler weather next weekend.

Forecast

• Sunday: Partly sunny, breezy, evening shower/storm. High 78
• Tonight: Shower or storm early, mostly cloudy. Low 55 
• Monday: Early clouds, sunny. High 75
• Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, breezy, showers. High 73 (53)
• Wednesday: Showers, storms, windy. High 75 (62)
• Thursday: Partly sunny. High 68 (55)
• Friday: Partly sunny, stray shower, breezy. High 61 (49)
• Saturday: Partly sunny. High 57 (42)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – This week on The Spectrum:

• A Lutheran deacon and his non-binary child are speaking out as a bill restricting gender-affirming care for minors is set to go into effect this month.

“This is not a political issue for most,” said parent Nick Bates. “It is a personal issue.”

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“Even just thinking about that is terrifying,” said his child Sam.

Hear their message to lawmakers who are considering more restrictions for transgender children.

• Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine delivered his annual State of the State address this week.

“This is our time to meet the challenges I have laid out today, to do the hard things that matter,” DeWine said during the address.

Ohio bill to ban cellphones in schools receives pushback

Learn the initiatives he wants lawmakers to take action on and why they may not have the support needed in the general assembly.

• Ohio House Minority Leader Rep. Allison Russo calls out what she says is corruption at the highest levels of state government.

“I think we’re at a real crossroads here in Ohio,” Russo said.

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Hear what she said needs to happen to enact meaningful change at the Statehouse.

• Republican strategist Terry Casey and Democratic strategist Brian Rothenberg join the roundtable to discuss friction at the Ohio Statehouse as new claims of corruption and extremism come the same week DeWine calls for unity and action.

Follow NBC4's The Spectrum on Twitter for the latest political news you need to know.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Hundreds of thousands of free meals will be distributed to Columbus students under a program funded by a $2.5 million grant.

The program will serve nearly 100,000 breakfasts, 150,000 lunches and 20,000 snacks. They will be distributed at up to 150 sites, part of Ohio's summer food program that Columbus' Recreation and Parks Department will run. It's open to anyone younger than 18.

Best private high schools in Ohio

Columbus City Council recently approved the 2024 program. Joe Brown, food services director with Columbus City Schools, said it has been in place for at least 15 years.

"We've seen growth in this program over that time," Brown said. "We've also learned over that time as a district, the meals are healthier than they were back then. We've tried to add more fresh fruits and vegetables, we try to do everything we can to make the meals things that appeal to students."

The meals have to meet USDA requirements, Brown said, and the council's legislation indicated the meals will be nutritionally balanced.

Last summer, the program served 250,093 meals at 124 separate sites around the city, according to a Columbus City School representative.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Police have released a photo of a man suspected of murdering a man at a bus stop on the South Side.

According to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers, a man was standing at a bus stop at the corner of Parsons Avenue and East Whittier Street, in the Southern Orchards neighborhood, at 6:12 p.m. on March 29. Police said that is when another man, who was standing with the victim, struck the victim, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the pavement.

Columbus police released a photo of a man suspected of murder on Parsons Avenue and East Whittier Street, March 29, 2024. (Courtesy/Central Ohio Crime Stoppers)

Officers found the victim, who was unconscious, bleeding from his head and medics took him to an area hospital. The victim never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead the following night at 11:12 p.m.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for any information leading to the arrest and/or indictment of the person(s) responsible for this crime. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrime.org and submit your tip.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The fifth of nearly two dozen super loads moving across Ohio roadways is set to cause traffic delays Sunday on its trip to Intel.

Since March, multiple oversized loads have been transported from a dock on the Ohio River near Manchester in Adams County to either Freepoint Eco-Systems recycling facility near Hebron or Intel's Ohio One plant in New Albany. On Friday, the current shipment arrived at Rickenbacker Parkway, pausing its trip until Sunday.

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This load, a kiln, weighs 549,000 pounds and measures at 21 feet tall, 18 feet wide, and just over 172 feet long. It will arrive at its destination Sunday after traveling along the following route:

• Departure at 7 a.m.
• Travel North on Rickenbacker Parkway North to Alum Creek Drive
• Travel North on Alum Creek Drive to Rohr Road
• Travel East on Rohr Road to Commerce Center Drive
• Travel North on Commerce Center Drive to Green Pointe Drive South 
• Travel East on Green Point Drive South to Saltzgaber Road
• Travel South on Saltzgaber Road to State Route 317
• Travel North in the Southbound Lanes on State Route 317 past Groveport to Bixby Road East
• Travel East on Bixby Road to U.S. Route 33 
• Travel East in the Westbound lanes of U.S. Route 33 to the Gender Road Southbound to U.S. Route 33 Westbound ramp in Canal Winchester
• Travel the wrong way on the Gender Road Southbound to U.S. Route 33 Westbound ramp 
• Take State Route 674/Gender Road North to Brice Road
• Take Brice Road North to the intersection with Tussing Road/State Route 204 in Columbus
• Travel East on Tussing Road/State Route 204 East to State Route 310
• Travel North on State Route 310 to US Route 40 in Etna
• Travel East on U.S. Route 40 to State Route 79 in Hebron 
• Travel the wrong way on the State Route 79 Southbound off ramp to U.S. Route 40
• Travel North in the Southbound lanes on State Route 79 to O’Neill Drive
• Travel East on O’Neill Drive to Milliken Drive

View a previous report on the best public high schools in Ohio in the video player above.

As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a 1996 commencement address at Wellesley College, "Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead." If that's the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.

It's a place where students explore their interests, dive into extracurricular activities, finally get the freedom to choose their own classes, and prepare for college or the workplace. For many of these students and their families, education is key: 1.4 million students enrolled in private high schools in fall 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. There were about 3,600 private secondary schools nationwide as of 2020.

For many anxious parents, getting their kids into the best of these private high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to send their kids to better schools. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students.

Stacker compiled a list of the best private high schools in Ohio using 2024 rankings from Niche. Niche uses seven weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics, but other factors include culture and diversity; sports; clubs and activities; resources; and surveys of parents, teachers, and students.

1 / 30 Daniel Hoz // Shutterstock

#30. St. Francis DeSales High School

- Location: Columbus, OH
- Enrollment: 876 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

2 / 30 Achira22 // Shutterstock

#29. Ursuline Academy

- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Enrollment: 575 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

3 / 30 Ground Picture // Shutterstock

#28. Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy

- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Enrollment: 1,352 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

4 / 30 LightField Studios // Shutterstock

#27. Saint Ursula Academy

- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Enrollment: 637 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

5 / 30 Mircea Moira // Shutterstock

#26. Grand River Academy

- Location: Austinburg, OH
- Enrollment: 57 (2:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

6 / 30 LStockStudio // Shutterstock

#25. St. John's Jesuit High School and Academy

- Location: Toledo, OH
- Enrollment: 741 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

7 / 30 panitanphoto // Shutterstock

#24. Liberty Bible Academy

- Location: Mason, OH
- Enrollment: 317 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

8 / 30 Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#23. Gilmour Academy

- Location: Gates Mills, OH
- Enrollment: 732 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

9 / 30 ImageFlow // Shutterstock

#22. St. Edward High School

- Location: Lakewood, OH
- Enrollment: 867 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

10 / 30 Ground Picture // Shutterstock

#21. Bishop Hartley High School

- Location: Columbus, OH
- Enrollment: 706 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

11 / 30 Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

#20. Archbishop Moeller High School

- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Enrollment: 872 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

12 / 30 SEALANDSKYPHOTO // Shutterstock

#19. SPIRE Academy

- Location: Geneva, OH
- Enrollment: 80 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

13 / 30 sirtravelalot // Shutterstock

#18. Saint Ignatius High School

- Location: Cleveland, OH
- Enrollment: 1,430 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

14 / 30 maroke // Shutterstock

#17. The Schilling School for Gifted Children

- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Enrollment: 49 (3:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

15 / 30 Studio KIWI // Shutterstock

#16. Andrews Osborne Academy

- Location: Willoughby, OH
- Enrollment: 350 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

16 / 30 GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock

#15. St. Xavier High School

- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Enrollment: 1,365 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

17 / 30 Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#14. Lake Ridge Academy

- Location: North Ridgeville, OH
- Enrollment: 400 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

18 / 30 Ground Picture // Shutterstock

#13. Columbus School for Girls

- Location: Columbus, OH
- Enrollment: 509 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

19 / 30 Joyseulay // Shutterstock

#12. The Summit Country Day School

- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Enrollment: 1,071 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

20 / 30 LStockStudio // Shutterstock

#11. The Miami Valley School

- Location: Dayton, OH
- Enrollment: 490 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

21 / 30 Canva

#10. Maumee Valley Country Day School

- Location: Toledo, OH
- Enrollment: 542 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

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#9. The Wellington School

- Location: Columbus, OH
- Enrollment: 712 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

23 / 30 Canva

#8. Columbus Academy

- Location: Gahanna, OH
- Enrollment: 1,085 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

24 / 30 Roman Kosolapov // Shutterstock

#7. The Seven Hills School

- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Enrollment: 1,040 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

25 / 30 LBeddoe // Shutterstock

#6. Hathaway Brown School

- Location: Shaker Heights, OH
- Enrollment: 749 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

26 / 30 Canva

#5. Cincinnati Country Day School

- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Enrollment: 870 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

27 / 30 DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

#4. Laurel School

- Location: Shaker Heights, OH
- Enrollment: 570 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

28 / 30 Canva

#3. Western Reserve Academy

- Location: Hudson, OH
- Enrollment: 431 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

29 / 30 Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock

#2. Hawken School

- Location: Gates Mills, OH
- Enrollment: 1,082 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

30 / 30 Canva

#1. University School

- Location: Hunting Valley, OH
- Enrollment: 859 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Emma Rubin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Columbus family is asking for prayers after a man suffered a life-threatening brain aneurysm, leaving him in a coma.

While Ernest Levert is not originally from Columbus, he is heavily involved in the community as found of the Royal Oak Initiative, where he helps children learn the game of chess and create a solid life foundation.

On April 3, Levert experienced a sudden ruptured brain aneurysm and has been in a coma ever since.

Levert has been living in Columbus for 10 years, and his wife Ivory said this isn’t how she imagined the end of her pregnancy going, but she remains hopeful.

“People have flown in to see him and I think that's a testament to the impact that he's had, the impact that he's had on really making people feel seen and heard and empowered in their voice and who they are,” Ivory Levert said. “So it's so much bigger than chess. You know, chess is a part of it, but it's way bigger than that.”

Ivory Levert said she’s so grateful for all the messages and support she’s gotten during this difficult time.

In this edition:

* NASA Astronaut Loral O’Hara, Crewmates Return from ISS
* 2024 AMSAT/TAPR Banquet To Be Held Friday, May 17
* New NASA Strategy Envisions Sustainable Future for Space Ops
* Trash From The ISS May Have Hit A House In Florida
* VUCC and DXCC Satellite Standings for April 2024
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 12
* Ending an Era, Final Delta Rocket Launched This Week
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.

The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

ANS-105 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

DATE 2024 April 14

NASA Astronaut Loral O’Hara, Crewmates Return from ISS

NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, KI5TOM, returned to Earth after a six-month research mission aboard the International Space Station on April 6, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and Belarus spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya.

The trio departed the space station aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft at 03:54 UTC, and made a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 07:17 (12:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time), southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.

NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara returned to Earth on April 6, 2024, after a six-month research mission aboard the International Space Station.
(NASA image)

O’Hara launched Sept. 15, 2023, alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, and Nikolai Chub, who both will remain aboard the space station to complete a one-year mission. Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya launched aboard Soyuz MS-25 on March 23 along with NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, who will remain aboard the orbiting laboratory until this fall.

O’Hara spent a total of 204 days in space as part of her first spaceflight. She completed approximately 3,264 orbits of the Earth and a journey of more than 86.5 million miles. O’Hara worked on scientific activities aboard the space station, including investigating heart health, cancer treatments, and space manufacturing techniques during her stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Following post-landing medical checks, the crew returned to the recovery staging city in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. O’Hara then boarded a NASA plane bound for her return to the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

(Oct. 4, 2023) — The official Expedition 71 crew portrait with (bottom row from left) Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin and NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps. In the back row (from left) are, NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Oleg Kononenko. (NASA photo)

With the undocking of the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft with O’Hara, Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya, Expedition 71 officially began aboard the station. NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ, Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR, Tracy C. Dyson, and Jeannette Epps, KF5QNU, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, RZ3DSE, and Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, make up Expedition 71 and will remain on the orbiting laboratory until this fall.

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]

The 2024 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

2024 AMSAT/TAPR Banquet To Be Held Friday, May 17

The 15th annual AMSAT/TAPR Banquet will be held at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center on Friday, May 17th at 18:30 EDT. This dinner is always a highlight of the TAPR (Tucson Amateur Packet Radio) and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corp.) activities during the Dayton Hamvention. This year’s banquet speaker will be Bill Reed, NX5R, AMSAT PACSAT Project Manager, who will highlight the forthcoming PACSAT digital communications payload.

The Kohler Presidential Banquet Center is located at 4548 Presidential Way, Kettering, Ohio – about 20 minutes away from the Greene County Fairgrounds.

Tickets ($60 each) may be purchased from the AMSAT store. The banquet ticket purchase deadline is Friday, May 10th. Banquet tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at the AMSAT booth. There will be no tickets to pick up at the AMSAT booth. Tickets purchased on-line will be maintained on a list with check-in at the door at the banquet center. Seating is limited to the number of meals reserved with the Kohler caterers based on the number of tickets sold by the deadline.

Menu

Set out as guests arrive

Crudite Platter
with dip on the side

Dinner Buffet

Roast Prime Rib of Beef Au jus
Carved on site. Served with horseradish and au jus on the side.

Almond Chicken

Deep Fried Tempura Shrimp
with Tomato Lemon Aioli

Risotto Cake

Fresh Asparagus

Smashed Cauliflower

Served to the table

Strawberry Fields

Assorted Dinner Rolls
Served with butter

Separate table

Assorted Layer Cake

Cheesecake

Beverages

Cash Bar

Regular and Decaf Coffee, Hot & Iced Tea, Water

New NASA Strategy Envisions Sustainable Future for Space Operations

To address a rapidly changing space operating environment and ensure its preservation for generations to come, NASA released the first part of its integrated Space Sustainability Strategy, on April 9, advancing the agency’s role as a global leader on this crucial issue.

“The release of this strategy marks true progress for NASA on space sustainability,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “Space is busy – and only getting busier. If we want to make sure that critical parts of space are preserved so that our children and grandchildren can continue to use them for the benefit of humanity, the time to act is now. NASA is making sure that we’re aligning our resources to support sustainable activity for us and for all.”

For decades, NASA has served as a proactive leader for responsible and sustainable space operations. Entities across the agency develop best practices, analytic tools, and technologies widely adopted by operators around the world. The new strategy seeks to integrate those efforts through a whole-of-agency approach – allowing NASA to focus its resources on the most pressing issues. To facilitate that integration, NASA will appoint a new director of space sustainability to coordinate activities across the agency.

Key aspects of our approach include providing global leadership in space sustainability, supporting equitable access to space, and ensuring NASA’s missions and operations enhance space sustainability.

Space environments currently are seeing the rapid emergence of commercial capabilities, many of them championed by NASA. These capabilities include increased low Earth orbit satellite activity and plans for the use of satellite constellations, autonomous spacecraft, and commercial space destinations. However, this increased activity also has generated challenges, such as an operating environment more crowded with spacecraft and increased debris. Understanding the risks and benefits associated with this growth is crucial for space sustainability.

Developed under the leadership of a crossagency advisory board, the space sustainability strategy focuses on advancements NASA can make toward measuring and assessing space sustainability in Earth orbit, identifying cost-effective ways to meet sustainability targets, incentivizing the adoption of sustainable practices through technology and policy development, and increasing efforts to share and receive information with the rest of the global space community.

NASA’s approach to space sustainability recognizes four operational domains: Earth, Earth orbit, the orbital area near and around the Moon known as cislunar space, and deep space, including other celestial bodies. The first volume of the strategy focuses on sustainability in Earth orbit. NASA plans to produce additional volumes focusing on the other domains.

Learn more about the Space Sustainability Strategy at: https://www.nasa.gov/spacesustainability

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]

Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.

When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/

Trash From The ISS May Have Hit A House In Florida

A few weeks ago, something from the heavens came crashing through the roof of Alejandro Otero’s Florida home, and NASA is on the case.

Otero wasn’t home at the time. A Nest home security camera captured the sound of the crash at 2:34 pm local time (19:34 UTC) on March 8. That’s an important piece of information because it is a close match for the time—2:29 pm EST (19:29 UTC)—that US Space Command recorded the reentry of a piece of space debris from the space station. At that time, the object was on a path over the Gulf of Mexico, heading toward southwest Florida.

In all likelihood, this nearly 2-pound object came from the International Space Station.
Otero said it tore through the roof and both floors of his two-story house in Naples, Florida.
(Photo by Alejandro Otero on X)

This space junk consisted of depleted batteries from the ISS, attached to a cargo pallet that was originally supposed to come back to Earth in a controlled manner. But a series of delays meant this cargo pallet missed its ride back to Earth, so NASA jettisoned the batteries from the space station in 2021 to head for an unguided reentry.

NASA has recovered the debris from the homeowner, according to Josh Finch, an agency spokesperson. Engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center will analyze the object “as soon as possible to determine its origin,” Finch told Ars. “More information will be available once the analysis is complete.”

The entire pallet, including the nine disused batteries from the space station’s power system, had a mass of more than 2.6 metric tons (5,800 pounds), according to NASA. Size-wise, it was about twice as tall as a standard kitchen refrigerator. It’s important to note that objects of this mass, or larger, regularly fall to Earth on guided trajectories, but they’re usually failed satellites or spent rocket stages left in orbit after completing their missions.

In a post on X, Otero said he is waiting for communication from “the responsible agencies” to resolve the cost of damages to his home. If the object is owned by NASA, Otero or his insurance company could make a claim against the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act, according to Michelle Hanlon, executive director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi.

“It gets more interesting if this material is discovered to be not originally from the United States,” she told Ars. “If it is a human-made space object which was launched into space by another country, which caused damage on Earth, that country would be absolutely liable to the homeowner for the damage caused.”

This could be an issue in this case. The batteries were owned by NASA, but they were attached to a pallet structure launched by Japan’s space agency.

NASA typically doesn’t want large chunks of space debris falling to Earth with an uncontrolled reentry. You can trace the reason this object came down unguided back to a Russian launch failure more than five years ago. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian commander Alexey Ovchinin aborted their launch on a Soyuz spacecraft when their rocket failed shortly after liftoff.

One of Hague’s jobs at the International Space Station would have been to go outside on spacewalks to help install a new set of lithium-ion batteries recently delivered by a Japanese HTV cargo ship. But Hague didn’t reach the station in 2018, so NASA put off the spacewalks until a new team of astronauts arrived at the complex.

This interruption to the space station’s carefully choreographed schedule threw off the entire multiyear plan for upgrading the batteries on the outpost’s electrical system. Instead of putting the old batteries back into the HTV for a guided destructive reentry over the open ocean, NASA held onto the cargo pallet at the station when the HTV supply ship needed to depart.

Each of the subsequent HTV missions delivered more fresh batteries to the space station and then departed the complex with the cargo pallet and decommissioned batteries from the previous HTV mission. That was the case until there were no more HTVs to fly. Japan’s last HTV spacecraft departed the ISS in 2020 with the cargo pallet and batteries from the prior flight, stranding the last battery pallet at the station.

The space station’s other cargo vehicles—SpaceX’s Dragon, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus, and the Russian Progress—can’t accommodate the HTV cargo pallet.

So NASA decided to jettison the battery pallet using the space station’s robotic arm in March 2021 in order to free up real estate on the lab. Without any propulsion of their own, the batteries were adrift in orbit for three years until aerodynamic drag finally pulled the pallet back into the atmosphere on March 8, almost exactly three years later.

It is notoriously difficult to predict where a piece of space junk will reenter the atmosphere. US Space Command precisely tracks tens of thousands of objects in Earth orbit, but the exact density of the upper atmosphere is still largely an unknown variable. Even a half-day before the reentry, US Space Command’s estimate for when the battery pallet would fall to Earth had a window of uncertainty spanning six hours, enough time for the object to circle the planet four times.

And if you don’t know when something will reenter the atmosphere, you can’t predict where it will come down.

If NASA confirms the projectile that fell through Otero’s house last month came from the ISS, it would join a small handful of incidents when an object falling out of orbit damaged someone’s property.

Earth is a big place. It’s fairly common for someone to find a piece of fallen space junk in a field or washed up on a beach. But it is rare for a reentry to hit a structure or injure a person.

Falling space debris has never killed anyone. According to ESA, the annual risk of an individual human being injured by space debris is less than 1 in 100 billion.

[ANS thanks ARS Technical for the above information. Read the entire story at https://bit.ly/3xFJs9W.]

VUCC and DXCC Satellite Standings for April 2024

————————————————————
VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for March 01, 2024 to April 01, 2024.
————————————————————
CallsignMarch 2024April 2024 K8DP16291701 AA5PK14501500 N8RO14441455 KF7R11281154 XE1AO10001111 KE8RJU9501030 WI7P9751008 K9UO9501001 KQ4DO880906 K0JM702801 KK4YEL728768 N8MR684700 A65BR554632 JS1LQI500617 N3CAL580610 SV8CSNew511 JR0GAS360500 KO9A434472 N7UJJ308462 HC2FG350413 PA7RA408409 DL8GAM375400 HB9RYZ248365 W6AER302355 K6VHF300325 JH0BBE322324 XE1BMG120300 KA9CFD126283 I1FQH173249 AG1A100200 JO4JKL135188 W0PRNew176 JK4JMONew161 AA0K100155 WD9EWK(DM25)120138 N6UTC(DM05)101128 N8HRZNew102 WD5GRWNew101 K9DOGNew100 W9FFNew100
————————————————————

Congratulations to the new VUCC holders.
SV8CS is first VUCC Satellite holder from KM07

DXCC Satellite Standing April 2024
————————————————————
DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for March 01, 2024 to April 01, 2024.
————————————————————
CallsignMarch 2024April 2024 SV8CS153159 KB8VAO135148 HB9RYZ145147 DL4ZAB138139 NK1K129138 DL2MIH111132 XE1MEX122125 KK5DO106108 K9UO101106 DL8GAM100101 XE1LNew100
————————————————————

Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holder.
XE1L is first DXCC Satellite holder from DL80

[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information]

Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?

Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 12

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution.

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]

Ending an Era, Final Delta Rocket Launched This Week

Ending an era in U.S. rocketry, United Launch Alliance fired off its 16th and final triple-core Delta 4 Heavy Tuesday, launching a classified spy satellite in the last hurrah of a storied family of rockets dating back to the dawn of the space age.

The Heavy’s three hydrogen-fueled RS-68A first stage engines ignited with a rush of bright orange flame at 12:53 p.m. EDT, smoothly pushing the 235-foot-tall rocket away from pad 37 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The last Delta 4 Heavy rocket climbs away from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on April 9, 2024,
carrying a classified National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite. (United Launch Alliance photo.)

The launch came 12 days late, primarily because of work to replace a pump in a system that supplies nitrogen gas to multiple launch pads from a pipeline running through the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. There were no problems Tuesday.

Mounted atop the rocket was a classified satellite provided by the National Reconnaissance Office, the secretive government agency that manages the nation’s fleet of sophisticated optical and radar imaging reconnaissance satellites and electronic eavesdropping stations.

In keeping with standard NRO-U.S. Space Force policy for such missions, no details about the NROL-70 payload were released. But about six hours after launch, the National Reconnaissance Office declared the launch a success, indicating the satellite reached its planned orbit.The final appearance of a Delta rocket 63 years after the first variant’s maiden flight was an emotional milestone for the managers, engineers and technicians who assembled and launched the last member of the family.

The Delta family of stages and rockets had its roots in the early space program, first serving in the nation’s fleet of intermediate-range ballistic missiles and evolving through multiple versions used to put military, NASA and civilian payloads into orbit.

The now-retired Delta 2 debuted in 1990, putting the first Global Positioning System satellites into orbit and sending multiple planetary probes into deep space, including Messenger to Mercury, multiple Mars orbiters, the Pathfinder, Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers, the Spitzer Space Telescope and many more.

The single-core Delta 4 first flew in 2002 with the first Heavy following two years later. The single-core version flew the program’s final flight in 2019. Tuesday’s launch was the 45th flight of a Delta 4 and the 16th and final Delta 4 Heavy.

“Launching the last Delta 4 is bittersweet for me,” Col. Eric Zarybnisky, director of NRO’s Office of Space Launch, said in a statement. “I was part of the team that launched the first Delta 4 for the NRO. Since that time, the Delta 4 has put amazing capability on orbit for this nation.”

Tory Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance, also called the flight a “bittersweet” moment as the company continues its transition to next-generation Vulcan rockets, phasing out its more expensive Delta and Atlas families.

“Soon, Vulcan will pick up that mantle and we’re going to retire this venerable rocket that has made so much important work for our country,” he said after launch in a pre-recorded video.

[ANS thanks William Harwood, CBS News, for the above information]

ARISS NEWS

Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.

RECENTLY COMPLETED

ARTADEMIA, Milano, Italy, AND Scuola Secondaria I grado “A. Moro”, Ponte Lambro (CO), Italy, direct via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS. The crewmember was Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU. The ARISS mentor was IZ2GOJ.
Contact was successful: Wed 2024-04-10 13:16:48 UTC 53 degrees elevation
Congratulations to the ARTADEMIA and Scuola Secondaria I grado “A. Moro” students, Jeanette, mentor IZ2GOJ, and ground station IK1SLD!
Watch the recorded Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/sJoKzK2292U?si=BxXWi41cfsJJv4c2

UPCOMING

Mrs Ethelston’s CE Primary Academy at Axminster Community Academy Trust, Lyme Regis, United Kingdom, direct via GB4ACA
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Matthew Dominick, KCØTOR. The ARISS mentor is MØXTD.
Contact is go for: Wed 2024-04-17 10:44:49 UTC 81 degrees elevation
Watch for Livestream at https://live.ariss.org

Mountain View Elementary, Marietta, GA, direct via KQ4JVI
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled crewmember is Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU. The ARISS mentor is K4RGK.
Contact is go for: Thu 2024-04-18 17:48:40 UTC 44 deg
Watch for Livestream at https://youtube.com/live/lDjyV6P9x6I

The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

The packet system (145.825 MHz up & down) is currently misconfigured and not in operation.

The Ham TV system (2395.00 MHz down) is aboard but currently stowed. The BATC Ham TV wiki is at https://wiki.batc.org.uk/HAMTV_from_the_ISS and there is also a discussion channel available on the site.

The SSTV system (145.800 MHz down) is currently stowed.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

Doug, N6UA will soon embark on a big circuitous rove covering parts of MT, ID, OR and NV. I’m guessing this will take place in the next week or two, but only Doug knows for certain. APRS is gonna be your friend here.

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

2024 CubeSat Developer’s Workshop
Tuesday April 23rd – Thursday April 25th
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
https://www.cubesatdw.org/

Dayton Hamvention 2024
Friday May 17th – Sunday May 19th
Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center
120 Fairground Road
Xenia, OH 45385
https://hamvention.org

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Events page for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ NASA now knows what knocked Voyager 1 offline, but it will take a while to fix. Voyager 1’s remaining Flight Data Subsystem (its redundant copy failed in 1982) is the reason that the distant spacecraft is currently offline. Voyager’s FDS were the first computers on a spacecraft to use volatile memory. Unfortunately, one of Voyager 1’s FDS memory chips is malfunctioning—NASA hopes they can work around it, but it will likely take months.(ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.)

+ If you have 26 minutes to spare, and want to explore more intricacies of Ohm’s Law than you were taught in school, watch electricity flow through a wire a nanosecond at a time at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AXv49dDQJw (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.)

+ Following repairs to a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon Heavy’s core booster, NASA and SpaceX have rescheduled the launch of the GOES-U satellite, the final installment in NOAA’s GOES-R Series, for June 25. The adjustment aims to ensure thorough examination and resolution of the issue, discovered during a routine inspection in February. With preparations now back on track, the deployment of GOES-U from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A will proceed using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Managed cooperatively by NOAA and NASA, the GOES-R Series Program encompasses satellite operations, data dissemination, and ground systems oversight, with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center leading spacecraft acquisition and instrument development. Lockheed Martin’s contributions include design, construction, and testing of the satellites, while L3Harris Technologies has provided key instruments and ground systems essential for capturing atmospheric observations. (ANS thanks Clarence Oxford, SpaceDaily, for the above information)

+ The European Union is poised to finalize a security deal with the United States, enabling payments to Elon Musk’s SpaceX for satellite launches due to delays in Europe’s Ariane rocket system. Approved by national general affairs ministers, the agreement grants European Union and European Space Agency (ESA) personnel continuous access to launch facilities and prioritized debris retrieval rights in case of SpaceX rocket failures. With a 200 million deal already struck last year, SpaceX is contracted to launch four Galileo satellites as Ariane 6 faces further delays. While Ariane 6 is slated for a summer launch, commercial missions await later scheduling. The arrangement with SpaceX allows for two Galileo satellite launches this year, necessitated by Soyuz launcher cancellations and Ariane 6 delays. The security pact ensures access to classified Galileo equipment, with provisions for debris retrieval and a sunset clause by 2027 to address concerns about reliance on SpaceX over Ariane. (ANS thanks Joshua Poaaner, Politico Europe, for the above information)

+ NASA has been tasked by the White House to establish a lunar-centric time reference system, known as Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC), to aid missions requiring extreme precision on the moon. The agency has until the end of 2026 to set up LTC, which is not akin to Earth’s time zones but provides a frame of time reference for the moon. LTC will accommodate the slightly faster passage of time on the moon, approximately 58.7 microseconds each day compared to Earth, due to its lower gravity. It will serve as a benchmark for timekeeping for lunar spacecraft and satellites, crucial for their missions. NASA’s Artemis program, set to begin astronaut missions to the lunar surface in 2026, necessitates LTC for synchronization among Earth, lunar satellites, bases, and astronauts, without which data transfers and communications could be compromised. Developing LTC will require international agreements, possibly influenced by the Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) standard, with potential implementation involving atomic clocks on the moon and adherence to existing space agreements like the Artemis accords. (ANS thanks Diana Ramirez-Simon, The Guardian, for the above information)

 

Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate.
* Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM
k0jm [at] amsat.org

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Columbus police are investigating after reports of nearly 20 cars had their windows smashed at a North High Street restaurant Saturday evening.

Police responded to the Rusty Bucket on the 4100 block of North High Street at approximately 5:30 p.m. for a report of cars having their windows broken. Police dispatchers said they received reports of more than 20 cars being vandalized.

Photos taken at the scene show several vehicles with their windows smashed.

• Photo taken at the Rusty Bucket on North High Street in Columbus showing the windows smashed out of several vehicles. (JACKIE GILLIS/NBC4)
• Photo taken at the Rusty Bucket on North High Street in Columbus showing the windows smashed out of several vehicles. (JACKIE GILLIS/NBC4)
• Photo taken at the Rusty Bucket on North High Street in Columbus showing the windows smashed out of several vehicles. (JACKIE GILLIS/NBC4)
• Photo taken at the Rusty Bucket on North High Street in Columbus showing the windows smashed out of several vehicles. (JACKIE GILLIS/NBC4)
• Photo taken at the Rusty Bucket on North High Street in Columbus showing the windows smashed out of several vehicles. (JACKIE GILLIS/NBC4)

Police do not have any further details as to what may have been stolen or any possible suspects at this time.

Columbus and Central Ohio Weather

Sunny and mild weather, with breezy conditions, brought a nice start to the weekend, as high pressure builds in and temperatures rebounded to the seasonable low 60s. Some clouds will drift in tonight with a warm front lifting across the region, with morning lows in the upper 40s.

Sunday will be breezy and warmer, with a mix of sun and clouds. A broken line of showers and scattered storms will develop ahead of a cold front toward evening with a disturbance moving across the Northeast. Clouds will linger overnight, then break up early Monday.

Skies will be mostly sunny on Monday, with a southwest breeze and readings in the low 70s. Clouds return overnight ahead of a warm front that will bring scattered showers Tuesday. A potent storm in the middle of the country will pull moisture into the region, tracking from the central Plains to the western Great Lakes. Showers and storms will be more numerous ahead of a cold front during Wednesday.

Drier conditions return Thursday, but a fast-moving system and cold front will bring a few showers Thursday night, followed by blustery and cooler conditions next weekend.

Forecast

• Saturday: Sunny, breezy, seasonable. High 62
• Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 46
• Sunday: Partly sunny, breezy, showers late. High 76
• Monday: Clearing, pleasant. High 73 (53)
• Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, breezy, shower. High 74 (54)
• Wednesday: Showers, storms. High 73 (63)
• Thursday: Clouds linger. High 67 (55)
• Friday: Breezy, cooler. High 58 (48)
• Saturday: Mostly sunny. High 61 (40)

Watch an earlier report of the shooting in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A man was arrested Saturday in connection to a fatal shooting earlier this week.

Kristion Gresham, 21, is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Delvon Wilkerson Jr., 21, on Thursday.

Westerville man pleads guilty to using cameras to record girl

According to Columbus police, officers responded to the 100 block of East 21st Avenue at 5:17 p.m. on Thursday, where they found Gresham suffering from a gunshot wound. Gresham was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive his injuries.

Almost 30 minutes later, officers responded to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center for a report of a shooting victim, identified as Wilkerson, arriving at the hospital in a car ridden with bullet holes. Wilkerson was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m.

Police believe a fight between Gresham and Wilkerson took place at the East 21st Avenue location, resulting in both men being shot.

Gresham was arrested at the hospital, where he remains recovering from his injuries.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730.

Watch a previous report on the Tissel case in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) --  A man accused of using hidden cameras to record an underaged juvenile inside her home has pleaded guilty to three of six charges.

According to court records, Brian Trissel, 52, of Westerville, was charged with two counts each of pandering obscenity of a minor, tampering with evidence, and voyeurism; he pleaded guilty to one count of each charge, and in exchange for his guilty plea, the three other charges were dropped.

According to Grandview police, a complaint was received on Aug. 30, 2023, that a girl found what appeared to be hidden cameras inside her home. She told another person, who reported the finding to the police.

Police said that cameras were found in locations “that would capture them in a private setting and in various states of nudity” and that it is believed numerous recordings of the victim were made over an extended period.

Trissel is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30 following a pre-sentence investigation.