Traveling Miles

Missing UF student's body found

Unfortunately, it is a sad Easter weekend for many in the University of Florida community. As soon as I woke up this morning I looked at my BlackBerry and saw the bad news: Thad Owen's body was found in Africa. I typed up an updated version of the story for ABCNews.com with the limited information I had:

UPDATE at 5:50 P.M. EDT: Added updated information from family spokesman. Click here for the original article on ABCNews.com

Florida Student Dies in Africa River
Man Was Part of Wildlife Study Abroad Program

By MILES DORAN
GAINESVILLE, Fla., April 12, 2009 5:50 P.M. EDT

The body of an American student who was swept away while swimming in a river in southwest Africa has been found.

University of Florida student Thad Owens, 27, went missing April 9 on the Kunene River, which borders Namibia and Angola, UF spokesman Steve Orlando said.

"They were at an area next to a river and he decided to go swimming," Orlando said.

Owens, of Orlando, Fla., was caught in the current and swept downstream.

An intensive search effort was mobilized including local villagers, the Namibian police, the Namibian military, Angolan officials, private search and rescue teams and the U.S. embassy.

Florida Student Swept Away by River in Africa

I've been working the phones all day on this story breaking out of Africa. A UF student went missing there yesterday afternoon after being swept away by a river. Here is the article I wrote for ABCNews.com: 

Florida Student Swept Away by River in Africa
Man Was Part of Wildlife Study Program

By MILES DORAN
GAINESVILLE, Fla., April 10, 2009

An intensive search effort is underway for an American student who was swept away while swimming in a river in southwest Africa.

University of Florida spokesman Steve Orlando said Friday that 27-year-old Thad Owens went missing Thursday afternoon on the Kunene River, which borders Namibia and Angola.

"They were at an area next to a river and he decided to go swimming. He got swept down the river and they haven't seen him since," Orlando said.

Backwards Swastika

One of the big stories making news here at the University of Florida is the discovery of a swastika painted on the side of a Jewish fraternity house. The Alpha Epsilon Pi house is still under construction, but a fraternity member discovered it last week -- then reported it to police on Sunday. Click here for the story from the Gainesville Sun.

Here's the thing, though. If whoever did this was trying to paint the swastika symbol used by the Nazis (the symbol has been used by many different groups and religions since the Neolithic period), they painted it backwards. Here is a photo of the swastika painted on the side of the house along with a graphic of the swastika used by the Nazis. See the difference?

   Photos from Gainesville Sun and Wikipedia.

Professor, wife accused of defrauding NASA

Fox News is now reporting University of Florida professor Saamim Anghaie and his wife have been accused of defrauding NASA of hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars:

"Iranian-born Samim Anghaie, 59, is the Director of the Innovative Nuclear Space Power and Propulsion Institute at the University of Florida. His wife, 55-year-old Sousan Anghaie, is president of New Era Technology Inc. (NETECH) in Gainesville, Fla.

Authorities say Sousan Anghaie persuaded NASA to award her company "several fully funded contracts," including nearly $600,000 to develop and study a uranium-related technology.

But, according to an affidavit unsealed today in federal court, the couple allegedly used most of that money to buy personal luxuries — including their $480,000 home in Gainesville, a 2007 BMW and a 2005 Toyota Sienna sports van.

They also used that money to buy a property for their son in Tampa, Fla., a property for their other son in Manchester, Conn., a 2008 Toyota Corolla for Sousan Anghaie's sister, and a 2007 Toyota Corolla for another family member."