The worst earthquake in Japan's recorded history. More than 10,000 dead and many more still missing. Thousands are in shelters and a nuclear reactor still threatens the area with radiation leakage, forcing evacuations. I talked to people that were lucky enough catch a flight out of Tokyo so quickly.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
WI union protests, Feb 26 '11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eInaM0EZwQ
I traveled to Madison, WI to report on the protests there, opposing a bill that would end most collective bargaining rights for union workers. Governor Scott Walker insists his state is broke and that this is the only way to save the state from collapse- he is also making public workers pay more into their health care and pensions.
This was featured on our morning show at 11 A.M. in the South Loop neighborhood, Chicago.
This was featured on our morning show at 11 A.M. in the South Loop neighborhood, Chicago.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Healthclubs Surviving Economic Downturn
Fitness Clubs are among the few businesses that are not experiencing a downturn during the recession, club owners say. If anything, more people are exercising as a means of fighting off the stress that comes with the economic hard times.
Janice Kay Smith, owner of A Women’s Gym in Old Town, said she is seeing an increase in memberships this year. Another gym, X-Sport, was able to expand and open a new health club six months ago, in the middle of the recession.
Smith, like other gym owners in Chicago, said her business offers just about any workout imaginable. Some gyms in Chicago are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and offer exercise classes, free weights, cardio equipment, Pilates and other services.
Gyms in Chicago provide the fast-paced experience in a well-known chain gym like FFC or X-Sport, or a more personal experience like A Women’s Gym. Across Uptown to the South Loop, Gold Coast to Old Town, one can find the type of gym to satisfy any need or preference.
A Women’s Gym, one of the independently owned gyms in Chicago, opened in August 2000. The gym offers weights training to women.
Smith, who has worked as a personal trainer for 28 years, said she wanted to reach out to women in Chicago. She said she wanted to help them realize that lifting weights is an essential part of staying healthy, in addition to cardiovascular fitness.
“We need to realize that we need to lift too,” said Smith, who also wrote the fitness book entitled, “Ate Years as a Weight Loss Counselor and What I Learned."
A Women’s Gym offers a very welcoming and personal environment. Smith said being the only personal trainer at A Women’s Gym has enabled her to be "the only one to tell them what to do since day one.” She has been able to relate to and gets to know members exceptionally well, she said.
"Ninety percent of the women here want to lose weight and about 2 percent want to gain muscle, which increases the metabolic rate,” said Smith. “I find that most want that extra edge.”
From the beginning of each member’s session, Smith makes a personalized plan according to body type, goals, strengths and weaknesses. She also provides therapy sessions and nutrition tips. Realizing that each member is different, Smith said she tries to distill the unhealthy to healthy information inside her members’ heads.
“I want to give them the power,” said Smith. “I teach them what they should do.”
Unlike stereotypical gyms targeted toward women, for only $65 a month this gym offers numerous muscle strengthening equipment for shoulders, hip adduction, overhead presses, leg extensions (catering to the knees), leg curls, lower back, compound rows, vertical chest and abdominal machines.
“Machines are important in regards to how they work particular muscle groups within the body and down your spine, which straightens your body out,” said Smith. “That’s why machines are so good; they work one part of the body.”
Smith recently remodeled her gym.
“I wanted a simple looking, welcoming environment that is personal, acting to work towards particular needs,” said Smith.
A personal gym may be an understatement. Smith explained that not only does A Women’s Gym provide a one-on-one experience, but also all the members there participate in outside activities like dining out together, going to concerts and other events.
For those who do not crave the personalized approach by A Women’s Gym, there is FFC, a chain of health clubs. One of the most popular fitness clubs in Chicago, FFC (Fitness Formula Clubs) offers an immense number of services. With seven locations throughout the city, FFC Halsted Street being one of them, they provide more than just a place to work out.
According to Club Business International Magazine, “Fitness Formula is one of the most dynamic and creative health and fitness companies in the country with a world-class management team.”
Josh Ott, general sales manager of FFC Halsted, said, “We offer our members the alternative. We understand that our members have to work, so we make it so our members aren’t fighting over equipment.”
With the quantity of equipment and room FFC Halsted offers, the thought of a member not being able to get a workout would seem almost impossible. This two-story, multi-room fitness center has hundreds of cardio and strength equipment and 60 exercise classes free with membership. Classes are held in three studios. Also on staff are nutritionists and personal trainers.
The club also has a daycare center, spa, free parking, fitness and nutrition services. A membership also includes discounts of up to 20 percent off at restaurants and stores throughout Chicago.
Open for six years, FFC Halsted has been living by five core values: improvement, safety, integrity, friendliness and superior service. Ott said owner Gale Ambers made this particular gym come together. Ambers has been in the health club business for more than 25 years and is always trying to add up-to-date equipment and services, Ott said.
“He’s in tuned with people,” said Ott. “FFC Halsted is constantly putting money back into our health clubs.”
The price of a membership at FFC Halsted ranges from $61.95 to $82.95 a month. Ott said, “Members really get their money's worth” for the services and discounts included in membership.
“Our personalized service and friendly staff makes for a great experience,” said Ott.
Like FFC, its competitor X-Sport Fitness also is part of a chain and has numerous gyms across Chicagoland. One is the newly opened X-Sport Fitness South Loop. Even though many businesses are struggling to stay open during these harsh fiscal times, opening the gym six months ago was not difficult, according to general manager Jesse Silva.
“The recession really doesn’t affect our gym business at all,” said Silva.
This 24-hour, seven-day-a-week health club provides a number of classes for its members. Pilates, yoga and boot camp are the most popular.
“We also have a 25-meter, junior-sized Olympic pool,” said Silva.
Memberships for X-Sport Fitness vary from $50 to $70 a month.
Janice Kay Smith, owner of A Women’s Gym in Old Town, said she is seeing an increase in memberships this year. Another gym, X-Sport, was able to expand and open a new health club six months ago, in the middle of the recession.
Smith, like other gym owners in Chicago, said her business offers just about any workout imaginable. Some gyms in Chicago are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and offer exercise classes, free weights, cardio equipment, Pilates and other services.
Gyms in Chicago provide the fast-paced experience in a well-known chain gym like FFC or X-Sport, or a more personal experience like A Women’s Gym. Across Uptown to the South Loop, Gold Coast to Old Town, one can find the type of gym to satisfy any need or preference.
A Women’s Gym, one of the independently owned gyms in Chicago, opened in August 2000. The gym offers weights training to women.
Smith, who has worked as a personal trainer for 28 years, said she wanted to reach out to women in Chicago. She said she wanted to help them realize that lifting weights is an essential part of staying healthy, in addition to cardiovascular fitness.
“We need to realize that we need to lift too,” said Smith, who also wrote the fitness book entitled, “Ate Years as a Weight Loss Counselor and What I Learned."
A Women’s Gym offers a very welcoming and personal environment. Smith said being the only personal trainer at A Women’s Gym has enabled her to be "the only one to tell them what to do since day one.” She has been able to relate to and gets to know members exceptionally well, she said.
"Ninety percent of the women here want to lose weight and about 2 percent want to gain muscle, which increases the metabolic rate,” said Smith. “I find that most want that extra edge.”
From the beginning of each member’s session, Smith makes a personalized plan according to body type, goals, strengths and weaknesses. She also provides therapy sessions and nutrition tips. Realizing that each member is different, Smith said she tries to distill the unhealthy to healthy information inside her members’ heads.
“I want to give them the power,” said Smith. “I teach them what they should do.”
Unlike stereotypical gyms targeted toward women, for only $65 a month this gym offers numerous muscle strengthening equipment for shoulders, hip adduction, overhead presses, leg extensions (catering to the knees), leg curls, lower back, compound rows, vertical chest and abdominal machines.
“Machines are important in regards to how they work particular muscle groups within the body and down your spine, which straightens your body out,” said Smith. “That’s why machines are so good; they work one part of the body.”
Smith recently remodeled her gym.
“I wanted a simple looking, welcoming environment that is personal, acting to work towards particular needs,” said Smith.
A personal gym may be an understatement. Smith explained that not only does A Women’s Gym provide a one-on-one experience, but also all the members there participate in outside activities like dining out together, going to concerts and other events.
For those who do not crave the personalized approach by A Women’s Gym, there is FFC, a chain of health clubs. One of the most popular fitness clubs in Chicago, FFC (Fitness Formula Clubs) offers an immense number of services. With seven locations throughout the city, FFC Halsted Street being one of them, they provide more than just a place to work out.
According to Club Business International Magazine, “Fitness Formula is one of the most dynamic and creative health and fitness companies in the country with a world-class management team.”
Josh Ott, general sales manager of FFC Halsted, said, “We offer our members the alternative. We understand that our members have to work, so we make it so our members aren’t fighting over equipment.”
With the quantity of equipment and room FFC Halsted offers, the thought of a member not being able to get a workout would seem almost impossible. This two-story, multi-room fitness center has hundreds of cardio and strength equipment and 60 exercise classes free with membership. Classes are held in three studios. Also on staff are nutritionists and personal trainers.
The club also has a daycare center, spa, free parking, fitness and nutrition services. A membership also includes discounts of up to 20 percent off at restaurants and stores throughout Chicago.
Open for six years, FFC Halsted has been living by five core values: improvement, safety, integrity, friendliness and superior service. Ott said owner Gale Ambers made this particular gym come together. Ambers has been in the health club business for more than 25 years and is always trying to add up-to-date equipment and services, Ott said.
“He’s in tuned with people,” said Ott. “FFC Halsted is constantly putting money back into our health clubs.”
The price of a membership at FFC Halsted ranges from $61.95 to $82.95 a month. Ott said, “Members really get their money's worth” for the services and discounts included in membership.
“Our personalized service and friendly staff makes for a great experience,” said Ott.
Like FFC, its competitor X-Sport Fitness also is part of a chain and has numerous gyms across Chicagoland. One is the newly opened X-Sport Fitness South Loop. Even though many businesses are struggling to stay open during these harsh fiscal times, opening the gym six months ago was not difficult, according to general manager Jesse Silva.
“The recession really doesn’t affect our gym business at all,” said Silva.
This 24-hour, seven-day-a-week health club provides a number of classes for its members. Pilates, yoga and boot camp are the most popular.
“We also have a 25-meter, junior-sized Olympic pool,” said Silva.
Memberships for X-Sport Fitness vary from $50 to $70 a month.
Economic Recession Affecting Overall Health
Anna Kryzack of Ravenswood once had a full-time job as a librarian at the Chicago Art Institute. Her full-time job has been reduced to only 20 hours a week. She has taken a big pay cut and has lost benefits.
She spends most of her spare time now looking for a second job to earn money so she can pay the rent on her apartment.
Kryzack, 24, said she’s optimistic about the economy turning around. For three months, Kryzack has been looking for a job that will fit into her schedule.
“It’s just really annoying and tiring,” said Kryzack. “I’m just never really sure when I’m actually going to work and every job interview I’ve been on asks me to work hours I can’t."
Kryzack’s situation is not unusual. Unemployment in Chicago is at 9 percent, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, and, like Kyrzack, many unemployed residents feel depressed and anxious about their financial stability and future.
Since the beginning of the recession, the number of unemployed Americans has increased by 694,000 to 13.2 million, making the national unemployment rate 8.5 percent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the top two categories of unemployed Americans are teenagers (21.7 percent unemployment rate) and African Americans (13.3 percent unemployment rate).
A survey by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 2008 on the views of residents within metropolitan Chicago found that the stress levels of Chicagoans are the same as the rest of the nation. In the survey, 66 percent of those surveyed reported having a high stress level.
The report said Chicagoans are more likely to drink alcohol as a way to manage stress. They are more likely to mention low salaries and say that work interferes with their personal or family time. They also said the lack of job security creates stress at work, the survey found.
APA member and Chicago-based psychologist Nancy Molitor said it is important for people to manage their stress relating to money and the economy.
“It’s tempting to turn to bad habits, but stress and health are so strongly linked that it’s important for people to take care of themselves,” said Molitor. “Engaging in unhealthy behaviors usually makes things worse and then distracts you from making the necessary changes in your financial situation that could ultimately make life better.”
Molitor said people need to identify what causes stress and make a plan to manage it, examine priorities, talk about worries, and recognize how to deal with stress related to money and substitute healthy for unhealthy ways to manage stress. Opening up to others about problems or finding simple solutions to stress like taking a short walk, meditating or talking things out with friends or family can all help reduce stress levels, she added.
Another cause of stress is the belief that the recession will be long term. Many economists and experts like former U.S. Treasury Secretary John W. Snow have said the recession could last two years.
A spokesman for President Barack Obama's administration said it is working toward creating more jobs in the next two years and predicts the jobs will be in a range of industries from clean energy to health care. Ninety percent of the jobs will be in the private sector, according to the “Employment Numbers by State” document from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As past recessions in United States during the last century have an average length of two years, most economists have said the recession will end sometime in 2010.
She spends most of her spare time now looking for a second job to earn money so she can pay the rent on her apartment.
Kryzack, 24, said she’s optimistic about the economy turning around. For three months, Kryzack has been looking for a job that will fit into her schedule.
“It’s just really annoying and tiring,” said Kryzack. “I’m just never really sure when I’m actually going to work and every job interview I’ve been on asks me to work hours I can’t."
Kryzack’s situation is not unusual. Unemployment in Chicago is at 9 percent, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, and, like Kyrzack, many unemployed residents feel depressed and anxious about their financial stability and future.
Since the beginning of the recession, the number of unemployed Americans has increased by 694,000 to 13.2 million, making the national unemployment rate 8.5 percent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the top two categories of unemployed Americans are teenagers (21.7 percent unemployment rate) and African Americans (13.3 percent unemployment rate).
A survey by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 2008 on the views of residents within metropolitan Chicago found that the stress levels of Chicagoans are the same as the rest of the nation. In the survey, 66 percent of those surveyed reported having a high stress level.
The report said Chicagoans are more likely to drink alcohol as a way to manage stress. They are more likely to mention low salaries and say that work interferes with their personal or family time. They also said the lack of job security creates stress at work, the survey found.
APA member and Chicago-based psychologist Nancy Molitor said it is important for people to manage their stress relating to money and the economy.
“It’s tempting to turn to bad habits, but stress and health are so strongly linked that it’s important for people to take care of themselves,” said Molitor. “Engaging in unhealthy behaviors usually makes things worse and then distracts you from making the necessary changes in your financial situation that could ultimately make life better.”
Molitor said people need to identify what causes stress and make a plan to manage it, examine priorities, talk about worries, and recognize how to deal with stress related to money and substitute healthy for unhealthy ways to manage stress. Opening up to others about problems or finding simple solutions to stress like taking a short walk, meditating or talking things out with friends or family can all help reduce stress levels, she added.
Another cause of stress is the belief that the recession will be long term. Many economists and experts like former U.S. Treasury Secretary John W. Snow have said the recession could last two years.
A spokesman for President Barack Obama's administration said it is working toward creating more jobs in the next two years and predicts the jobs will be in a range of industries from clean energy to health care. Ninety percent of the jobs will be in the private sector, according to the “Employment Numbers by State” document from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As past recessions in United States during the last century have an average length of two years, most economists have said the recession will end sometime in 2010.
AIDS Continuing to Rise
The number of HIV/AIDS positive youths is on the rise in Chicago, particularly among gay black males.
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago said that many people are still very uneducated and unconcerned about contracting the disease and that many people have the attitude “it couldn’t happen to me.” The staggering rise in HIV/AIDS infections has made AIDS a leading cause of death in many places around the world.
As more than 1,000,000 people are living with AIDS in the United States and 22,000 in Chicago, the number is expected to grow globally, according to the World Health Organization. AIDS was first recognized on December 1, 1981 and has since been labeled a pandemic, killing millions annually.
Johnathon Briggs, AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s director of communications said that HIV/AIDS has been seen as a “homosexual disease” for a long period of time, but “people need to realize that heterosexuals contract the disease too.”
“Even though AIDS is effecting men who have sex with men, anyone can contract the disease,” said Briggs. “People just aren’t protecting themselves, either because they don’t know much about AIDS, or that they don’t think they can get it.”
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is contracted through having vaginal, anal or oral sex with an HIV-infected person, sharing drug needles with an HIV-infected person to shoot drugs, passing the virus from an HIV-infected woman to her baby during pregnancy or through breastfeeding. In time, the disease then may develop into AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), a condition in which the human immune system begins to fail.
The Illinois Department of Public Health, which has offices in Chicago and Springfield, has a toll free, 24 hour, seven day a week hotline that people can call if they have questions concerning their personal risk. They also have Spanish-speaking representatives available, according to Jim Rhodes, a representative for the AIDS hotline.
“We take calls everyday until 10p.m.,” said Rhodes. “From there, CDC (Center for Disease Control) takes over.”
Rhodes said that many of the callers are unaware about AIDS in general, range in age and sex and usually want to see if something that they did in the past could be putting them at risk.
“A lot of the people are young, but it really varies,” said Rhodes. “We might get some 13 or 14 year olds calling us up, 40 year olds, even people in their 80s.”
31-year-old Steve Cantrell, a Chicago man living with AIDS, said “I was shocked and couldn’t believe I had it.”
Like most of the people that are diagnosed with HIV, Cantrell was stunned and unaware that he had contracted the virus. When he found out, the virus was already at a late stage and transitioning into AIDS.
“I was 26 at the time and it was completely unexpected,” said Cantrell. “I felt like a ton of weight was slammed on top of me.”
Symptoms that HIV/AIDS patients may experience are diarrhea, vomiting, soreness of the body, headache, fatigue, sore throat, rash, lesions on the skin, depression and much more. Many patients say that they experience “on and off days,” where one day they may be fine, but the next they are completely bedridden.
“There are days when I feel so completely weak and worthless that I just want to stay in bed, but the medicine I’m taking is really helping,” said Cantrell.
When AIDS was first discovered, many thought of the disease as an automatic death sentence. With new medicine available and continued research, it has made life livable among the infected. Although the medical treatments may be expensive, the Illinois Department of Public Health provides FDA-approved prescription drugs through its AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) for HIV-infected patients who meet specific income guidelines. AIDS has now been labeled a disability, so patients can now receive government funding.
Like other major cities, Chicago has many resources connected to AIDS research to further rise funding. The AIDS foundation of Chicago has an annual AIDS run and walk, where millions of dollars are raised. The next AIDS run will take place on October 3 at Grant Park.
As AIDS has and continues to be a leading killer in the United States and across the world, experts in researching HIV/AIDS are hoping to come up with newly developed medication to further enhance patients lives and approach a cure. President Barack Obama is calling for more AIDS funding and research and has recently lifted a ban on stem cell research funding, which many believe will lead towards possible solutions for a cure.
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago said that many people are still very uneducated and unconcerned about contracting the disease and that many people have the attitude “it couldn’t happen to me.” The staggering rise in HIV/AIDS infections has made AIDS a leading cause of death in many places around the world.
As more than 1,000,000 people are living with AIDS in the United States and 22,000 in Chicago, the number is expected to grow globally, according to the World Health Organization. AIDS was first recognized on December 1, 1981 and has since been labeled a pandemic, killing millions annually.
Johnathon Briggs, AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s director of communications said that HIV/AIDS has been seen as a “homosexual disease” for a long period of time, but “people need to realize that heterosexuals contract the disease too.”
“Even though AIDS is effecting men who have sex with men, anyone can contract the disease,” said Briggs. “People just aren’t protecting themselves, either because they don’t know much about AIDS, or that they don’t think they can get it.”
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is contracted through having vaginal, anal or oral sex with an HIV-infected person, sharing drug needles with an HIV-infected person to shoot drugs, passing the virus from an HIV-infected woman to her baby during pregnancy or through breastfeeding. In time, the disease then may develop into AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), a condition in which the human immune system begins to fail.
The Illinois Department of Public Health, which has offices in Chicago and Springfield, has a toll free, 24 hour, seven day a week hotline that people can call if they have questions concerning their personal risk. They also have Spanish-speaking representatives available, according to Jim Rhodes, a representative for the AIDS hotline.
“We take calls everyday until 10p.m.,” said Rhodes. “From there, CDC (Center for Disease Control) takes over.”
Rhodes said that many of the callers are unaware about AIDS in general, range in age and sex and usually want to see if something that they did in the past could be putting them at risk.
“A lot of the people are young, but it really varies,” said Rhodes. “We might get some 13 or 14 year olds calling us up, 40 year olds, even people in their 80s.”
31-year-old Steve Cantrell, a Chicago man living with AIDS, said “I was shocked and couldn’t believe I had it.”
Like most of the people that are diagnosed with HIV, Cantrell was stunned and unaware that he had contracted the virus. When he found out, the virus was already at a late stage and transitioning into AIDS.
“I was 26 at the time and it was completely unexpected,” said Cantrell. “I felt like a ton of weight was slammed on top of me.”
Symptoms that HIV/AIDS patients may experience are diarrhea, vomiting, soreness of the body, headache, fatigue, sore throat, rash, lesions on the skin, depression and much more. Many patients say that they experience “on and off days,” where one day they may be fine, but the next they are completely bedridden.
“There are days when I feel so completely weak and worthless that I just want to stay in bed, but the medicine I’m taking is really helping,” said Cantrell.
When AIDS was first discovered, many thought of the disease as an automatic death sentence. With new medicine available and continued research, it has made life livable among the infected. Although the medical treatments may be expensive, the Illinois Department of Public Health provides FDA-approved prescription drugs through its AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) for HIV-infected patients who meet specific income guidelines. AIDS has now been labeled a disability, so patients can now receive government funding.
Like other major cities, Chicago has many resources connected to AIDS research to further rise funding. The AIDS foundation of Chicago has an annual AIDS run and walk, where millions of dollars are raised. The next AIDS run will take place on October 3 at Grant Park.
As AIDS has and continues to be a leading killer in the United States and across the world, experts in researching HIV/AIDS are hoping to come up with newly developed medication to further enhance patients lives and approach a cure. President Barack Obama is calling for more AIDS funding and research and has recently lifted a ban on stem cell research funding, which many believe will lead towards possible solutions for a cure.
Old Crime-Case Re-Opened
A 44-year-old Chicago man’s DNA was a perfect match to DNA samples taken from a rape victim in 1998, according to a forensic scientist that testified Monday in Cook County criminal court.
Ferrell Cunningham is being charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault and sexual penetration with use of force. He could serve up to 120 years in prison if convicted.
Cunningham was arrested over a year ago in connection with the alleged attack. Cunningham was charged after he was arrested on a felony charge in Wisconsin last year, extradited to Illinois and has been held in the Cook County Jail. As DNA testing has become more accurate, it was possible to connect him with the rape victim.
The alleged assault took place in 1998 in an alley at the Chicago’s South Side neighborhood of Beverly during the St. Patrick’s Day parade. The victim had just attended a Black Hawks game and was celebrating her 21st birthday with her parents.
After the assault, the victim has reported the incident. Oral and vaginal swabs were taken and then stored in a national database. The defendant’s DNA was also placed in a national database.
Judge Michael Brown said that this was considered “a cold case” until new DNA technologies were available. Testimony dealt with oral swab testing, which tests skin cells from the victim’s mouth.
According to Judge Brown, the defendant "came up behind the victim and dragged her down."
Three forensic scientists, all from the Illinois State Police crime lab, testified and said they began looking at the DNA in March 2008. Their results connected Cunningham with the assault.
Brian Schoon, a forensic scientist from the Illinois State Police crime lab, said the lab received extracted DNA from oral and vaginal swabs. They also received semen stains from the victim’s blue jeans.
The lab first received the DNA samples in May 1999. Staff then performed a number of tests over several days. The lab the received the semen stains from the blue jeans in July 1999.
During testing, it was found that some of the DNA was degraded, which says that the DNA had been contaminated in some way. Although state’s attorney Mark Ertler, testified that degradation does not case a DNA profile to change.
“The DNA profile would not change into another DNA profile because of degradation,” said Ertler.
Forensic scientist Greg Didomenic verified Ertler’s statement.
“DNA was degraded, but that would not have prevented me from moving forward with those samples,” said Didomenic.
Karri Broddas, another forensic scientist, testified that she performed the scientific testing on the DNA samples. She said she completed a three-year training program to use the DNA test at the state police crime lab. She said that she has been conducting tests since 2003.
Cunningham’s public defender objected and asked that Broddas not be considered an expert witness on this subject and said she has not had enough training and experience. The judge overruled that claim and allowed to seat Broddas as an expert witness.
“The DNA was a match at all location,” said Broddas. “It was a positive identification for Ferrell Cunningham.”
The 12-member jury will make their decision on this case. Cunningham faces six to 120 years in prison if convicted.
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