The jury took only 37 minutes to come back with their ruling against Scott Roeder.

The ruling does not come as a surprise, since Roeder openly admitted he shot and killed Tiller in the hopes of arguing the necessity defense, which would claim that he did so to prevent the doctor from performing abortions. Roeder’s defense was crafted for him by Des Moines anti-abortion activist Dave Leach.

Leach’s hope was that the Roeder trial could set a precedent, whether victorious or not, that could then be applied to other acts of civil disobedience against abortion.

“The very existence of legal abortion, and even the existence of this discussion [of the necessity defense], as well as any hope the prosecutor has of convicting Scott, relies upon their success in keeping the slaughter of millions of human beings ‘irrelevant,’” Leach said before the trial’s conclusion. “Political correctness requires that we not care about their shed blood.”

The judge ruled out the necessity defense, and later instructed the jury that it would not be allowed to to consider any lesser charges than first-degree murder, which ruled out voluntary manslaughter or second-degree murder.

Sentencing is set for March 9. Leach, who has kept in contact with Roeder throughout his incarceration and has helped organize supporters to attend the trial in Kansas City, was not immediately available for comment.

The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that in an unusual move, the office of President Barack Obama’s regulatory czar has held nearly 20 meetings with coal industry groups since October. The topic of discussion is whether the EPA should classify coal ash, the toxic byproduct of coal combustion, as a hazardous waste.

Watchdog groups say it is unusual for the OMB to insert itself so prominently, and so early, into the process. In this case, the EPA has yet to publish its proposed new regulations for coal ash, a step that would then open the door to public comment and hearings.

“Industry is trying to influence the process in a back-door fashion,” said Lisa Evans, a senior attorney for Earthjustice, an environmental organization.

The EPA originally promised to release draft regulations of coal ash by the end of 2009, and in doing so, open the rules up for public comment. That deadline was pushed back indefinitely last month. The fear among many hoping for tough new rules is that the EPA will issue regulations that either don’t classify coal ash as hazardous waste or split its designation between wet and dry ash.

In Iowa, there are four coal ash disposal sites that have received state waivers allowing them to accept ash without protective liners to prevent toxins such as mercury, zinc, lead, arsenic and selenium from leeching into groundwater. The sites are also not required to test groundwater to see if the pollution is already taking place.

Gov. Chet Culver and legislative leaders have said that once the EPA releases draft rules the state will determine whether to work on its own regulations. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources worked for more than a year on tougher coal ash regulations before opposition from site owners and coal-burning businesses, along with uncertainty about what regulations the federal government may eventually impose, caused the effort to stall.

In the appeal, Dr. Alan Evans argued that there was insufficient evidence that he knew or should have known that he had human papillomavirus (HPV) or bacterial vaginitis, and that due to his lack of knowledge he had no duty to warn his sexual partner, Karly Rossiter. Evans also held that there was insufficient evidence to prove that he was the source of Rossiter’s dysplasia (abnormal cervical cells). Finally, he questioned his right to a new trial after the jury had determined that Rossiter’s claims of battery, assault and fraudulent misrepresentation were unfounded and still awarded $800,000 in punitive damages.

The court relied on an earlier Madison County negligence case that was heard before the Iowa Supreme Court, Thompson v. Kaczinski, to state that “an actionable claim of negligence requires the existence of a duty to conform to a standard of conduct to protect others.”

“We do not read Evans brief to suggest there is no duty to exercise reasonable care not to transmit a communicable disease. Such a duty is clearly found in Iowa law,” wrote Judge Amanda Potterfield in the decision.

Whether or not Evans actually knew he carried HPV and genital warts was irrelevant, according to the originating trial court, which concluded that he should have known.

“We agree,” wrote Potterfield. “From the evidence presented at trial, viewed in the light most favorable to the verdict, a rational juror could find Evans represented to Rossiter that he was disease-free and monogamous. … We conclude substantial evidence supports the jury’s findings.”

The court also ruled that because counsel for Evans did not object to jury instructions or provide specific grounds for objection his claims that the punitive damages awarded by the jury stand.

In determining reprehensibility, the court considers a number of factors including whether the harm caused was physical as opposed to economic, the tortious conduct evinced an indifference to or a reckless disregard of the health or safety of others, the conduct involved repeated actions or was an isolated incident, and the harm was the result of intentional malice, trickery, or deceit, or mere accident. Id. On our de novo review of the record, we find all of these factors were established in the evidence. The harm caused was not only physical, it concerns the most intimate and private interests, including sexuality and childbearing. Evans‟s conduct demonstrated a reckless disregard for Rossiter‟s health and safety. Evans is a dentist. He has received medical training and should be aware of the risks associated with communicable diseases. Yet, Evans engaged in numerous sexual acts with Rossiter, repeatedly exposing her to genital warts, HPV, and bacterial vaginitis. The harm was not a result of mere accident. … [T]he amount of the punitive damages reflects the jurors’ determination that conduct like Evans’s should be deterred in an amount greater than the actual damages caused.

Evans and Rossiter began a sexual relationship shortly after her first appointment at his dental office. The two discussed sexually transmitted diseases prior to becoming intimate, according to court records, and Evans claimed to be “clean.” Rossiter testified that after their first encounter, Evans phoned and suggested she should get tested for HPV. Upon testing, she was diagnosed with the virus, and was later diagnosed with dysplasia for which she underwent a surgical procedure. Rossiter also testified that Evans had bumps on his genitalia that was consistent with genital warts, a condition for which she was later diagnosed and treated along with bacterial vaginitis.

Dr. Gregory Brotzman, who was called as an expert witness on behalf of Rossiter, acknowledged during his testimony that there is no federally approved test to determine if a male carries HPV. He also stated, however, that “the most common way for someone to know they have HPV is if they have genital warts,” and indicated that it was more likely than not that Evans had transmitted potentially cancer-causing HPV and genital warts to Rossiter.

Evans has denied ever having genital warts, HPV or bacterial vaginitis, and denied being exposed to them. He did admit during trial, however, that at the time he began a relationship with Rossiter that he was also seeing two other women, one of whom eventually birthed his child. His expert witness, Dr. Kenneth Nayor, testified that unless one of the partners (Evans or Rossiter) was a virgin, that it was impossible to say whether or not one had infected the other. He indicated that it was “very unlikely that Evans transmitted an HPV infection” to Rossiter.

The jury ultimately awarded Rossiter $700,000 for damages — $50,000 for past physical pain and suffering, $150,000 for past mental pain and suffering and $500,000 for future mental pain and suffering. They also awarded Rossiter $800,000 in punitive damages.

Counsel for Evans has not yet indicated if they will seek further appeal of the case.

WHO-AM radio host Steve Deace

Deace’s comments came while discussing the recent shootings at Fort Hood in Texas, a topic he has returned to repeatedly on his daily WHO-AM program and on his blog.

He first questioned whether those who have “sworn allegiance to Islamic ideology” should be allowed to serve in the U.S. armed forces. He later said the shooter “may have done America a favor” if the tragedy serves as a wake-up call that Islam is incompatible with military service.

He discussed the shootings with Walid Shoebat, an ardent critic of radical Islam and a self-described former Palestine Liberation Organization terrorist (a claim disputed by some Middle East scholars).

Later, Deace and Bob Deever, pastor at Grace West Church in West Des Moines, concluded that the military’s quest for diversity was a “recipe for disaster.”

Lastly, he interviewed Dave Gaubatz, author of “Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld that’s Conspiring to Islamize America.” Gaubatz has drawn criticism for his book and for publically calling for a “professional and legal backlash against the Muslim community and their leaders.”

Sheila Musaji, founder and editor of The American Muslim magazine, said despite the fact that every major Muslim and Arab organization has condemned the shootings and offered their condolences to the families of the victims, many are still trying to use the tragedy to inspire hatred of Muslims.

“The suggestion that Islam is the problem can only be called Islamophobia, bigotry, religious hatred,” she said. “The danger in this sort of labeling is that it sets off those among us who are only too happy to have a scapegoat on which to vent their rage. It is an irrational prejudice that lumps all Muslims into one category — the ‘other,’ ‘them,’ ‘those people.’”

Abed Ayoub, legal adviser to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said Deace’s comments are simply hate speech.

“It’s garbage,” Ayoub said. “He’s prejudiced. He believes his race and beliefs are superior to others and wants to attack a segment of the population because of their religious beliefs.”

Since the shootings, Ayoub said his group has responded to a number of attacks against Islam similar to Deace’s, as well has a large amount of hate mail and death threats.When Deace tells listeners that Muslims have “declared their loyalty to a theology that we are currently at war against” then says America needs to “kill [the enemy] before they kill us,” someone listening could take that as a call to violence and “take it a step further,” Ayoub said.

“Everyone has First Amendment rights,” he said. “But we can’t have it escalate from hate speech to hate crimes. After Sept. 11 there were numerous acts of violence.”

If Islam is incompatible with military service, what about “all the other Muslims who have and are serving in the military and those that fought and died in Afghanistan and Iraq, Vietnam, World War I and II?” Musaji said.

“Was it in spite of being Muslims — or does religion matter only when a Muslim commits a crime, not when a Muslim is a good and productive citizen?” she said.

Despite comments from those who want to blame the shootings on Islam, the reality is that the shooter “betrayed his country, he betrayed his military oath, he betrayed his medical oath, he betrayed his religion,” Musaji said.

Ultimately, it is up to Muslims to counter statements by reaching out to people in their community.

“Most people want to know the truth,” Ayoub said. “They want to learn. Muslims have to make their voices heard.”

Calling the radio station and complaining to companies that advertise on his show can also go a long way towards combating Deace’s comments, he said, adding: “We have just as much right to be heard as he does.”

This isn’t the first time that Deace has been criticized for statements regarding religion.

In 2004, while he was hosting a sports talk show on WHO-AM’s sister station, KXNO-AM, he criticized Shawn Green, a Jewish outfielder who at the time played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, for missing an important game scheduled during Yom Kippur. Deace said Green could solve all his problems by “accepting the fulfillment of his Jewish heritage, recognizing his Messiah is Jesus Christ, therefore he is the atonement for his sins, no further need to jump through hoops, no further need to recognize or go through observances or rituals or rites.”

Deace said at the time that an executive with Clear Channel Communications, which owns WHO-AM, asked him to allow Jewish leaders a chance to present their views on his show. The Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines declined the invitation and instead discussed the comments with Deace and station executives off the air. They also publicly called for Clear Channel to rebuke Deace’s comments.

In a statement to the Iowa Independent, Deace said he was confused why the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee would speak out against his program:

I wasn’t aware Islam was a religion unique to Arabs, since Iran isn’t even an Arab country and State Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, who is a Muslim, is also not an Arab. Not to mention the fact my comments regarding Major Hasan’s alleged actions were based on his belief system, not his race.  Thus, I’m not even sure why the ‘American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee’ has a comment on my radio program, but I am flattered by the publicity nonetheless.  All I ask is that if they plan on protesting my program could they please make sure to spell my name right, because it is spelled differently then it is pronounced and we are in a ratings period at the moment.

It’s also ironic that I did have an Arab guest on my show condemning Major Hasan’s actions named Walid Shoebat, but somehow the ‘American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee’ missed that. If a representative of the ‘American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee’ would like to come on my show to discuss my comments and the actions of Major Hasan, I’d be happy to provide them access to the largest media audience in the state of Iowa at their convenience. They’ll reach far more people with their message on WHO then they will on a blog, even one as well-funded as the Iowa Independent.

When asked about whether he is concerned that his statements could be construed as a call for violence against Muslims, Deace said:  “As a broadcaster, I take very seriously how my comments may be construed by the audience, and even try to anticipate that response before I give them. And I took that very seriously in this case. I’m sure I am just as concerned about someone using my comments to justify their own violent tendencies as Muslim and Arab groups are that people like Major Hasan use their religion to justify theirs.”

Terry Branstad

And for a candidate whose last political campaign took place long before the Internet age and the prevalence of the blogosphere, the reaction on the Web is proving to be a valuable lesson in 21st century politics.

The pair of meetings, which included several pastors, social conservative activists and leaders Christian organizations, initially received poor reviews from at least two of those in attendance who called the former four-term governor “a Republican version of [Democrat incumbent Chet] Culver.”

On Monday, controversial Christian radio host Steve Deace offered more details about the meetings. His sources said Branstad came across as “arrogant” and as “no threat to the [liberal] status quo at all.”

One of the most amazing exchanges came during a discussion about Branstad introducing the destructive gambling industry to our state.  During one of the meetings, Branstad tried to defend his actions by saying he had vetoed it twice previously, but he was getting booed at Hawkeye football games and 70 percent of the voters wanted it so there was nothing else he could do.

That realpolitik answer didn’t sell this audience.

“Someone then asked him what else he was willing to give in on if the public wants it,” one little birdie told me.

It didn’t take long for Iowa Democrats to get in the mix.

Conservative blogger Shane Vander Hart posted audio from the meeting he attended and Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Michael Kiernan honed in on one exchange in particular. When asked by former Des Moines School Board member Jonathan Narcisse about whether he had a specific plan prepared on how to fix or repair state government, Branstad replied “OK, well I don’t.”

Branstad pointed the Committee on Government Spending Reforms, which he established in 1991 in response to a projected $300 million budget deficit in fiscal year 1993. The commission identified nearly $400 million in spending cuts, although both Branstad and legislators disagreed with and ultimately ignored many of the group’s recommendations.

“Now we have to go further,” he said.

Branstad proposed creating another commission made up of Republicans and Democrats, as well as representatives from the private and public sector, to look at reforming state and local government.

Kiernan said that rather than confronting Iowa’s problems, Branstad “created commissions to avoid making tough decisions.”

“Branstad’s entry into the race may excite his wealthy far-right cronies who stand to profit from a Branstad administration, but it’s not good news for anyone who cares about the state’s financial well-being,” Kiernan said.

The Sept. 15 memo, authored by three key officials within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, instructs all agency officers “to hold in abeyance any waiver application and associated benefit request (such as adjustment of status or refugee), which would be denied under current law, if the only ground of inadmissibility is that the applicant has been diagnosed with HIV infection.”

The move to end the 22-year ban on HIV positive immigrants began in August 2008 when Pres. George W. Bush signed the reauthorization of a law that allowed the Department of Health and Human Services to consider removing HIV infection from the list of “communicable diseases of public health significance” that bar immigrants from entering the country. In July the agency published a proposed amendment to that effect and began accepting public comment on the rule change. There are currently 12 countries that prohibit entry of HIV-positive immigrants — Armenia, Brunei, Iraq, Libya, Moldova, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sudan and the U.S.

In light of the HHS proposed rule, USCIS will not deny any adjustment, refugee, or other benefit application if the sole ground of denial of the application would be based on inadmissibility due to HIV infection. Nor will USCIS deny any waiver application if the sole ground of inadmissibility is HIV infection. If the applicant’s sole ground of inadmissibility is HIV infection, and the officer finds either that the alien does not qualify for a waiver, or that a waiver is not warranted as a matter of discretion, all written decisions should state that the case will be placed on hold and automatically reexamined by USCIS, pending the outcome of the rule. The hold is only for cases where the application would be approved, but for the HIV infection.

The memo prepares workers within the agency for a repeal (if only interim) of the HIV infection ban, which is a significant shift in immigration policy. The decision on the proposed rule is expected within the next few weeks.

More than 1.1 million people in the U.S. are infected with HIV, and more than 250,000 are estimated to unknowingly have the disease. Although the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Iowa remains relatively low when compared to other states — as of Dec. 31, 2008, there were 2,045 such people in the state — Iowa has seen increasing numbers each year since statistics have been kept. In addition, the state estimates that there are an additional 500 to 625 individuals in the state who have the virus but are unaware of their status.

Although a diagnosis of HIV was initially considered a death sentence, the disease has become a manageable, chronic condition that can be controlled with medications.

Boswell had been hesitant to support a public option in health care reform legislation previously, telling a crowd in Sigourney earlier this month that he still hasn’t decided whether he could support a government competitor to private insurance companies.

A week and a half later, it appears Boswell has warmed up to the idea, reports Radio Iowa’s Kay Henderson:

“I’ve come to the conclusion over these last several years that we need some kind of a public option,” Boswell said, to applause and cheers — and a few jeers from others in the crowd who don’t share his opinion. “I also realize that it’s got to be constructed very carefully.”

Boswell, a member of the fiscally conservative “Blue Dogs” in the U.S. House, had said previously that a public option could “be something I can’t vote for.”

Political observers agree that a closely contested primary could be a blessing or a curse for a party that has been shut out of Terrace Hill for more than a decade. The chances of rebuilding voter registration numbers and producing a candidate that is battle tested are good, but a nasty primary fight also carries the risk of creating fissures within the party structure that may not heal before Election Day.

“You always run that risk,” said Jeff Angelo, a former Republican state senator from Creston. “Maybe in past years a negative primary would have hurt Republicans, but the Republicans have hit rock bottom and are ready to mobilize and get their candidates elected. I believe no matter what happens in the primary that Republicans are hungry for victory and will unify behind a candidate that has a legitimate shot at winning Terrace Hill. “

There is nothing that unifies people more than a common enemy, Angelo said, and for Republicans that unifying figure is Gov. Chet Culver.

“That’s why you see so many people eager to jump in the race,” he said. “The incumbent looks vulnerable. Everyone is looking at his favorable/unfavorable ratings, and that is creating a lot of excitement among Republicans and is creating a lot of candidates.”

The primary may get nasty, but in the end, whomever emerges to challenge Culver will be battle tested and better prepared for the difficult task of defeating an incumbent governor, said Tim Albrecht, a veteran Republican strategist and publisher of the conservative news aggregator TheBeanWalker.com.

“You’ll see a candidate who has been in the trenches and has done the campaigning to make them more competitive in the fall of 2010,” Albrecht said.

Democrats have faced similar questions about primary battles over the past few years, and each time, a tough primary seemed to strengthen the eventual nominee, Albrecht said. In 2006, a hard-fought three-way contest for the Democratic nomination made Culver a better general election candidate, he said. And in 2008, pundits predicted the prolonged presidential primary fight between Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton would result in a divided party and a weakened general election campaign.

“It worked out pretty well for President Obama,” Albrecht said. “All the dirty laundry was aired and there were no surprises in the fall. That’s what a tough primary fight can do.”

In an interview with the Cedar Rapid Gazette’s James Lynch, Republican Party of Iowa Executive Director Jeff Boeyink said another positive outcome to the primary process could be an increase in Republican voters, which could close the huge voter registration advantage Democrats have built in Iowa.

According to the Iowa secretary of state’s office, there are 114,642 more registered Democrats than Republicans. But Boeyink points out that Republicans held there largest registration edge after the 1994 GOP primary race between Gov. Terry Branstad and U.S. Rep. Fred Grandy.

With numerous candidates working to identify voters and mobilize them for the primary, the registration gap will be closed next year, Angelo said.

“The more candidates you have, the more excitement they generate,” Angelo said. “They have to identify voters. They have to identify Republican-leaning independents. They have to keep them excited and mobilized. They have to go out and do the most vigorous voter turnout effort. That’s how you win a primary, and that’s how you gin up voter registration.”

But with numerous candidates all working to break through the media clutter and get their message out, the likelihood that the GOP primary could get nasty is high. One candidate, Chris Rants, seems to already be the victim of campaign chicanery.

A Des Moines Register story last week accused Rants of leaving the Republican House Majority Fund with $200,000 in debt in 2008, something Rants flatly denies. Many believe the tip came from one of Rants’s GOP primary opponents, although the source of the story was never identified.

“If it’s a neck-and-neck race heading into primary day, the temptation is going to be there to introduce some surprise element into the campaign that puts you over the top,” Angelo said.

For every primary battle that strengthened the hand of a party, though, there is one that divided it and hurt the nominee going into the fall. Republicans need only look back to 2002 for evidence.

GOP candidate Doug Gross barely avoided a convention to determine the gubernatorial nomination that year, winning only 35.6 percent of the vote in a three-way race. (In order for a candidate to win the nomination cleanly without needing a convention, he or she must garner at least one-third of the votes in a primary.) The nearly two-thirds of Republican voters who didn’t support him never truly came home, observers said, and Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack was able to easily win a second term in office.

Conservative activist Bill Salier nearly toppled former U.S. Rep. Greg Ganske for the right to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin in 2002. Most observers believe the primary challenge weakened Ganske’s candidacy to the point where national Republican groups never really got involved and Harkin was able to handily win re-election.

Ultimately, it will be up to the candidate who emerges victorious to bring everyone back together for the common goal of winning Terrace Hill, Angelo said.

And if a candidate can’t weather a tough primary campaign, he shouldn’t be the party’s nominee anyway, Albrecht said.

“What you’ll find is, a lot of these candidates’ vulnerabilities will be brought to the surface during the primary,” Albrecht said. “That’s good; you don’t want an October surprise. If you can’t weather the primary, you can’t be successful in the general.”

Right now, the Republican gubernatorial field includes Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City, state Rep. Chris Rants of Sioux City, state Rep. Rod Roberts of Carroll, state Sen. Jerry Behn of Boone, state Sen. Paul McKinley of Chariton, and Christian Fong of Cedar Rapids.

Angelo doesn’t believe there will be any new candidates jumping into the race, despite rumors that U.S. Rep. Steve King and former Gov. Branstad are considering campaigns. In fact, Angelo said the field would most likely be much smaller by the time voters go to the polls next June.

“There is only so much of a fundraising pie to go around, and that tends to cull the weak from the herd,” he said. “By the time you get to primary day, it is going to be clear who the frontrunners are. I don’t think you’ll see five candidates.”

However, Albrecht pointed out that a latecomer to the race would not be unprecedented. The party’s 2002 gubernatorial nominee, Doug Gross, didn’t jump into the race until January of that year.

“Because Gov. Culver is vulnerable, anyone with any gubernatorial aspirations is at least going to take a look at running,” he said. “So I wouldn’t be surprised if the field grew.”

Officials with the Centers for Disease Control  and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have proposed removing the ban, and are accepting public comments through Aug. 17.

Proposed key revisions to the law include no longer placing HIV infection on the list of “communicable disease of public health significance,” ending mandatory testing for HIV infection as a part of the U.S. Immigration screening process, and ending the required waiver for HIV infected individuals before entry into the U.S.

“We’re trying to end the stigma and the discriminatory practice for a disease that doesn’t warrant exclusion for coming into this country. We have to appreciate this is not a threat we face from abroad,” Dr. Martin Cetron, director of the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, told MSNBC.

“HIV is clearly a public health disease of significance. But in simply allowing in someone who’s HIV-positive, that individual doesn’t immediately pose a risk to the public.”

HIV is currently on a list with several other diseases that prohibit entry into the U.S. Some of those included are active tuberculosis, syphilis, leprosy and gonorrhea. Sexually transmitted infections on this list are lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), chancroid, and granuloma inguinale. Foreigners can also be prohibited from entry to the country if they are infected with certain diseases during periods of outbreaks — for instance, the H1N1 influenza, most recently.

The rule change is being proposed a year after Congress voted to repeal 1987 restrictions on HIV-positive immigrants. The vote was a part of an overall AIDS reform measure proposed by then-Pres. George W. Bush.There are currently 12 countries that prohibit entry of HIV-positive immigrants — Armenia, Brunei, Iraq, Libya, Moldova, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sudan and the U.S.

More than 1.1 million people in the U.S. are infected with HIV, and more than 250,000 are estimated to unknowingly have the disease. Although the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Iowa remains relatively low when compared to other states — as of Dec. 31, 2008, there were 2,045 such people in the state — Iowa has seen increasing numbers each year since statistics have been kept. In addition, the state estimates that there are an additional 500 to 625 individuals in the state who have the virus but are unaware of their status.

Although a diagnosis of HIV was initially considered a death sentence, the disease has become a manageable, chronic condition that can be controlled with drugs.

“We were too busy” to be scared, Haynes told Dominic Gates of The Seattle Times. “You must maintain your composure in the airplane or you will die. You learn that from your first day flying.”

…by varying the power to the engines on either wing of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, Haynes and his crew managed to roughly guide this almost-unflyable airplane to a crash landing 44 minutes later at the nearest airport, in Sioux City, Iowa.

United pilots trying to do the same thing later on flight simulators could never manage to repeat the remarkable feat of guiding the plane down with all its flight controls shot.

Haynes’ heroic efforts prevented his airplane from plummeting to the ground out of control and saved the lives of 185 of the people aboard. But when United flight 232 slammed onto the Sioux City runway, the jet cartwheeled, broke up, and exploded in flames, killing 111 of those aboard…

Individuals in Sioux City remembered the crash Sunday on the 20th anniversary by holding a short ceremony in Chris Larsen Park.

“Humans are historical beings. When we suffer a loss, the date of the loss becomes so significant. Although it may not be objectively important to others, taking note of that date may be beneficial for those who suffered the loss,” said Dr. Gregory Clapper, former chaplain with the 185th Air National Guard and a doctor who counseled victims of and responders to the crash.