1.
Tucker Unit
–
The Tucker Unit is a prison in Tucker, Dudley Lake Township, unincorporated Jefferson County, Arkansas,25 miles northeast of Pine Bluff. It is operated by the Arkansas Department of Correction, Tucker is one of the state of Arkansass parent units for male prisoners, it serves as one of several units of initial assignment for processed male prisoners. A Maximum Security Unit was constructed a short distance north of the Tucker Unit in 1983, in 1916 the State of Arkansas purchased about 4,400 acres of land to build the Tucker Unit. In 1933 Governor of Arkansas Junius Marion Futrell closed the Arkansas State Penitentiary, in the process the designated execution chamber moved to Tucker. Old Sparky, in operation within the system from 1926 to 1948, was the equipment used to kill condemned prisoners at Tucker. In 1964 Charles Fields was executed at Tucker, he was the last prisoner to be executed at Tucker before the Arkansas death penalty was declared against the U. S. constitution, in history, the prison housed the states White convicts. In addition the prison housed some black female prisoners, in 1967 four men escaped from the unit and abandoned a vehicle used in the escape in Fort Scott, Kansas. The Arkansas prison scandal occurred in the unit and involved the Tucker Telephone, due to the notoriety of the device, as of 2000 visitors to the Tucker Unit on a regular basis ask the warden if the telephone on his/her desk is the Tucker Telephone. In 1974 death row inmates, previously at the Tucker Unit, were moved to the Cummins Unit, in 1978 a new death chamber opened in Cummins, so Tucker was no longer the place of execution in Arkansas. In 1986 male death row inmates were moved to the Maximum Security Unit, on Friday August 22,2003, all 39 Arkansas death row inmates, all of them male, were moved to the Supermax at the Varner Unit. In 2000 the ADCs final 100 person barracks was split into two smaller barracks, in 2009 prison guards left a prisoner in his own feces for a weekend. The prisoner had to be hospitalized, the Associated Press discovered that prison guards had received lap dances while working. The prison system fired several correctional employees, the same year, a Heber Springs, Arkansas man who was wanted for not reporting to his parole officer appeared at the Tucker Unit. A prison guard shot him dead, dina Tyler, a spokesperson for the prison system, said that the man crashed his car into the car owned by the assistant warden and was very close to the officers prior to his death. Of the land at the Tucker Unit,4,500 acres are used to farm rice, the unit houses a campus of the Riverside Vocational Technical School. Education in the Tucker Unit began in 1968, when the England School District started a night program, ADC officials believe that the Island of Hope Chapel was the first freestanding prison chapel in the Southern United States. It was originally dedicated in November 1969 and, after a renovation and its original construction was financed by a total of $80,000 donated by Johnny Cash and various other persons. The prison has a ceiling and a pexiglass fauxleaded window behind the altar
2.
Nickname
–
A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place, or thing, for affection or ridicule. The term hypocoristic is used to refer to a nickname of affection between those in love or with an emotional bond, compared with a term of endearment. The term diminutive name refers to nicknames that convey smallness, hence something regarded with affection or familiarity, the distinction between the two is often blurred. It is a form of endearment and amusement, as a concept, it is distinct from both pseudonym and stage name, and also from a title, although there may be overlap in these concepts. A moniker also means a nickname or personal name, the word often distinguishes personal names from nicknames that became proper names out of former nicknames. English examples are Bob and Rob, nickname variants for Robert, a nickname is often considered desirable, symbolising a form of acceptance, but can sometimes be a form of ridicule. The compound word ekename, literally meaning additional name, was attested as early as 1303 and this word was derived from the Old English phrase eaca an increase, related to eacian to increase. By the fifteenth century, the misdivision of the syllables of the phrase an ekename led to its reanalysis as a nekename, though the spelling has changed, the pronunciation and meaning of the word have remained relatively stable ever since. However, it is common for the nickname to be identified after a comma following the full real name or later in the body of the text. The middle name is generally eliminated, especially in speech, like English, German uses quotation marks between the first and last names. The latter may cause confusion because it resembles an English convention sometimes used for married, in Viking societies, many people had heiti, viðrnefni, or kenningarnöfn which were used in addition to, or instead of the first name. Slaves have often used nicknames, so that the master who heard about someone doing something could not identify the slave, in capoeira, a Brazilian martial art, the slaves had nicknames to protect them from being caught, as practising capoeira was illegal for decades. In Anglo-American culture, a nickname is based on a shortening of a persons proper name. However, in societies, this may not necessarily be the case. For example, my nickname is farmer Phil In Indian society, for example, generally people have at least one nickname, Indian nicknames very often are a trivial word or a diminutive. In Australian society, Australian men will often give ironic nicknames, for example, a man with red hair will be given the nickname Blue or Bluey. A tall man will be called Shorty, an obese person Slim, in England, some nicknames are traditionally associated with a persons surname. A man with the surname Clark will be nicknamed Nobby, the surname Miller will have the nickname Dusty, there are several other nicknames linked traditionally with a persons surname, including Chalky White, Bunny Warren, Tug Wilson, and Spud Baker
3.
Electric chair
–
This execution method, conceived in 1881 by a Buffalo, New York, dentist named Alfred P. Southwick, was developed throughout the 1880s as a humane alternative to hanging and first used in 1890. This execution method has been used in the United States and, for a period of several decades, the first more powerful jolt of electric current was designed to pass through the head and cause immediate unconsciousness and brain death. The second less powerful jolt was designed to cause damage to the vital organs. Death may also be caused by electrical overstimulation of the heart, as of 2014, electrocution is an optional form of execution in Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Virginia. They allow the prisoner to choose lethal injection as an alternative method, in the state of Tennessee the electric chair is available for use if lethal injection drugs are unavailable, or otherwise if the inmate so chooses if their capital crime was committed before 1999. The electric chair is a form of execution approved for potential use in Arkansas. On February 8,2008, the Nebraska Supreme Court determined that execution by electric chair was a cruel and this brought executions of this type to an end in Nebraska, the only remaining state to retain electrocution as its sole method of execution. One of these accidents, in Buffalo, New York on August 7,1881, the coroner who investigated the case brought it up at a local Buffalo scientific society. Another member, a dentist named Alfred P. Southwick who had a technical background and he worked out calculations based on the dog experiments, trying to develop a scaled-up method that would work on humans. Early on in his designs he adopted a version of the dental chair as a way to restrain the condemned. After a series of botched hangings in the US there was mounting criticism of this form of capital punishment, in 1886 newly elected New York State governor David B. The commission members surveyed the history of execution and sent out a questionnaire to government officials, lawyers. The commission also contacted electrical experts including Thomson-Houston Electric Companys Elihu Thomson and they also attended electrocutions of dogs by George Fell who had worked with Southwick in the early 1880s experiments. Fell was conducting experiments, electrocuting anesthetized dissected dogs trying to discern exactly how electricity killed a subject. In 1888, the Commission recommended electrocution using Southwicks electric chair idea with metal conductors attached to the persons head. They further recommended that executions be handled by the state instead of the counties with three electric chairs set up at Auburn, Clinton, and Sing-Sing prisons. A bill following these recommendations passed the legislature and was signed by Governor Hill on June 4,1888, the two companies had been competing commercially since 1886 and a series of events had turned it into an all out media war in 1888. The committee head, neurologist Frederick Peterson, enlisted the services of Harold P. Brown as a consultant
4.
Arkansas
–
Arkansas is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. Its name is of Siouan derivation from the language of the Osage denoting their related kin, the states diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the Ozark and the Ouachita Mountains, which make up the U. S. Interior Highlands, to the forested land in the south known as the Arkansas Timberlands, to the eastern lowlands along the Mississippi River. Arkansas is the 29th largest by area and the 33rd most populous of the 50 United States, the capital and most populous city is Little Rock, located in the central portion of the state, a hub for transportation, business, culture, and government. The northwestern corner of the state, such as the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers Metropolitan Area and Fort Smith metropolitan area, is a population, education, the largest city in the eastern part of the state is Jonesboro. The largest city in the part of the state is Pine Bluff. The Territory of Arkansas was admitted to the Union as the 25th state on June 15,1836, in 1861 Arkansas withdrew from the United States and joined the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Upon returning to the Union in 1868, the state would continue to suffer due to its reliance on slavery. White rural interests continued to dominate the politics until the Civil Rights Movement. Arkansas began to diversify its economy following World War II and relies on its service industry, aircraft, poultry, steel, tourism, cotton, and rice. The culture of Arkansas is observable in museums, theaters, novels, television shows, restaurants, wright, and physicist William L. McMillan, who was a pioneer in superconductor research, have all lived in Arkansas. The name Arkansas derives from the root as the name for the state of Kansas. The Kansa tribe of Native Americans are closely associated with the Sioux tribes of the Great Plains, the word Arkansas itself is a French pronunciation of a Quapaw word, akakaze, meaning land of downriver people or the Sioux word akakaze meaning people of the south wind. In 2007, the legislature passed a non-binding resolution declaring the possessive form of the states name to be Arkansass which has been followed increasingly by the state government. Arkansas borders Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, Oklahoma to the west, Missouri to the north, as well as Tennessee, the United States Census Bureau classifies Arkansas as a southern state, sub-categorized among the West South Central States. The state line along the Mississippi River is indeterminate along much of the border with Mississippi due to these changes. Arkansas can generally be split into two halves, the highlands in the northwest half and the lowlands of the southeastern half, the highlands are part of the Southern Interior Highlands, including The Ozarks and the Ouachita Mountains. The southern lowlands include the Gulf Coastal Plain and the Arkansas Delta and this dual split can yield to general regions named northwest, southwest, northeast, southeast, or central Arkansas
5.
Connecticut
–
Connecticut is the southernmost state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Connecticut is also often grouped along with New York and New Jersey as the Tri-State Area and it is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capital city is Hartford, and its most populous city is Bridgeport, the state is named for the Connecticut River, a major U. S. river that approximately bisects the state. The word Connecticut is derived from various anglicized spellings of an Algonquian word for long tidal river, Connecticut is the third smallest state by area, the 29th most populous, and the fourth most densely populated of the 50 United States. It is known as the Constitution State, the Nutmeg State, the Provisions State, and it was influential in the development of the federal government of the United States. Connecticuts center of population is in Cheshire, New Haven County, Connecticuts first European settlers were Dutch. They established a small, short-lived settlement in present-day Hartford at the confluence of the Park, initially, half of Connecticut was a part of the Dutch colony New Netherland, which included much of the land between the Connecticut and Delaware rivers. The first major settlements were established in the 1630s by England, the Connecticut and New Haven Colonies established documents of Fundamental Orders, considered the first constitutions in North America. In 1662, the three colonies were merged under a charter, making Connecticut a crown colony. This colony was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, the Connecticut River, Thames River, and ports along the Long Island Sound have given Connecticut a strong maritime tradition which continues today. The state also has a history of hosting the financial services industry, including insurance companies in Hartford. As of the 2010 Census, Connecticut features the highest per-capita income, Human Development Index, and median household income in the United States. Landmarks and Cities of Connecticut Connecticut is bordered on the south by Long Island Sound, on the west by New York, on the north by Massachusetts, and on the east by Rhode Island. The state capital and third largest city is Hartford, and other cities and towns include Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford, Waterbury, Norwalk, Danbury, New Britain, Greenwich. Connecticut is slightly larger than the country of Montenegro, there are 169 incorporated towns in Connecticut. The highest peak in Connecticut is Bear Mountain in Salisbury in the northwest corner of the state, the highest point is just east of where Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York meet, on the southern slope of Mount Frissell, whose peak lies nearby in Massachusetts. At the opposite extreme, many of the towns have areas that are less than 20 feet above sea level. Connecticut has a maritime history and a reputation based on that history—yet the state has no direct oceanfront
6.
Florida
–
Florida /ˈflɒrᵻdə/ is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, Florida is the 22nd-most extensive, the 3rd-most populous, and the 8th-most densely populated of the U. S. states. Jacksonville is the most populous municipality in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States, the Miami metropolitan area is Floridas most populous urban area. The city of Tallahassee is the state capital, much of the state is at or near sea level and is characterized by sedimentary soil. The climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south, the American alligator, American crocodile, Florida panther, and manatee can be found in the Everglades National Park. It was a location of the Seminole Wars against the Native Americans. Today, Florida is distinctive for its large Cuban expatriate community and high population growth, the states economy relies mainly on tourism, agriculture, and transportation, which developed in the late 19th century. Florida is also renowned for amusement parks, orange crops, the Kennedy Space Center, Florida has attracted many writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes. It is internationally known for golf, tennis, auto racing, by the 16th century, the earliest time for which there is a historical record, major Native American groups included the Apalachee, the Timucua, the Ais, the Tocobaga, the Calusa and the Tequesta. Florida was the first part of the continental United States to be visited and settled by Europeans, the earliest known European explorers came with the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León. Ponce de León spotted and landed on the peninsula on April 2,1513 and he named the region La Florida. The story that he was searching for the Fountain of Youth is a myth, in May 1539, Conquistador Hernando de Soto skirted the coast of Florida, searching for a deep harbor to land. He described seeing a wall of red mangroves spread mile after mile, some reaching as high as 70 feet. Very soon, many smokes appeared along the whole coast, billowing against the sky, the Spanish introduced Christianity, cattle, horses, sheep, the Spanish language, and more to Florida. Both the Spanish and French established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success, in 1559, Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano established a settlement at present-day Pensacola, making it the first attempted settlement in Florida, but it was abandoned by 1561. Spain maintained tenuous control over the region by converting the tribes to Christianity. The area of Spanish Florida diminished with the establishment of English settlements to the north, the English attacked St. Augustine, burning the city and its cathedral to the ground several times. Florida attracted numerous Africans and African-Americans from adjacent British colonies who sought freedom from slavery, in 1738, Governor Manuel de Montiano established Fort Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose near St
7.
Georgia (U.S. state)
–
Georgia is a state in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1733, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies, named after King George II of Great Britain, Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2,1788. It declared its secession from the Union on January 19,1861 and it was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15,1870. Georgia is the 24th largest and the 8th most populous of the 50 United States, from 2007 to 2008,14 of Georgias counties ranked among the nations 100 fastest-growing, second only to Texas. Georgia is known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South, Atlanta is the states capital, its most populous city and has been named a global city. Georgia is bordered to the south by Florida, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean and South Carolina, to the west by Alabama, the states northern part is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountains system. Georgias highest point is Brasstown Bald at 4,784 feet above sea level, Georgia is the largest state entirely east of the Mississippi River in land area. Before settlement by Europeans, Georgia was inhabited by the mound building cultures, the British colony of Georgia was founded by James Oglethorpe on February 12,1733. The colony was administered by the Trustees for the Establishment of the Colony of Georgia in America under a charter issued by King George II. The Trustees implemented a plan for the colonys settlement, known as the Oglethorpe Plan. In 1742 the colony was invaded by the Spanish during the War of Jenkins Ear, in 1752, after the government failed to renew subsidies that had helped support the colony, the Trustees turned over control to the crown. Georgia became a colony, with a governor appointed by the king. The Province of Georgia was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution by signing the 1776 Declaration of Independence, the State of Georgias first constitution was ratified in February 1777. Georgia was the 10th state to ratify the Articles of Confederation on July 24,1778, in 1829, gold was discovered in the North Georgia mountains, which led to the Georgia Gold Rush and an established federal mint in Dahlonega, which continued its operation until 1861. The subsequent influx of white settlers put pressure on the government to land from the Cherokee Nation. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act into law, sending many eastern Native American nations to reservations in present-day Oklahoma, including all of Georgias tribes. Despite the Supreme Courts ruling in Worcester v. Georgia that ruled U. S. states were not permitted to redraw the Indian boundaries, President Jackson and the state of Georgia ignored the ruling. In 1838, his successor, Martin Van Buren, dispatched troops to gather the Cherokee
8.
Stateville Correctional Center
–
Stateville Correctional Center is a maximum security state prison for men in Crest Hill, Illinois, U. S. in Greater Chicago. It is a part of the Illinois Department of Corrections, opened in 1925, Stateville was built to accommodate 1,506 inmates. Parts of the prison were designed according to the panopticon concept proposed by the British philosopher and prison reformer, Jeremy Bentham. Statevilles F-House cellhouse, commonly known as a roundhouse, has a layout which features an armed tower in the center of an open area surrounded by several tiers of cells. F-House was the only remaining roundhouse still in use in the United States in the 1990s and it was closed in late 2016 but the structure will remain standing due to its historical significance. The prison was duplicated in Cuba in 1901, but has since been abandoned, in 2009 a 40-year-old man from Chicago, Richard Conner, murdered a 37-year-old Will County man named Jameson Leezer, who had originated from Lisle and Bolingbrook. Both were inmates placed in the solitary confinement cell together. The Stateville Correctional Center was one of three sites in which executions were carried out by electrocution in Illinois, between 1928 and 1962, the electric chair was used 13 times at Stateville, including the states first electrocutions on December 15,1928 of three convicted murderers. The states other electrocutions were carried out at the Menard Correctional Center in Chester, in March 2011 Governor Pat Quinn signed into law legislation ending the death penalty in the state of Illinois. Today the prison holds an average of over 3,500, statevilles 1,300 employees make it a Level 1 facility, the highest of eight security level designations. The Northern Reception Center, accepts incoming prisoners from the county jails in the northern two-thirds of the state. Stateville is located two miles north of Joliet, Illinois, on a site of over 2,200 acres, Stateville is often confused with the former Joliet Correctional Center, which closed in 2002. Located in the city of Joliet, the former Joliet Prison is much older and smaller. It is located about 2.5 miles southeast of Stateville on the corner of Woodruff rd. and Collins St. across the Illinois, william Balfour – Murdered singer Jennifer Hudsons mother, brother, and nephew. Sentenced to three life sentences plus 120 years, nathan Leopold – Transferred from Joliet. Richard Speck – Convicted April 15,1967 of murdering eight women, paul also has his own prison blog titled on the inside in which he documents everything that has happened to him. Paul also has autism and believes that his autistic traits in court and he was born on November 30,1974. Clint Massey – Convicted June 5,2016 of first degree murder in 2014 slaying of cab driver Javon Boyd, Massey rapped under the stage name RondoNumbaNine
9.
Kentucky
–
Kentucky, officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state located in the east south-central region of the United States. Kentucky is one of four U. S. states constituted as a commonwealth, originally a part of Virginia, in 1792 Kentucky became the 15th state to join the Union. Kentucky is the 37th most extensive and the 26th most populous of the 50 United States, Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass State, a nickname based on the bluegrass found in many of its pastures due to the fertile soil. One of the regions in Kentucky is the Bluegrass Region in central Kentucky. In 1776, the counties of Virginia beyond the Appalachian Mountains became known as Kentucky County, the precise etymology of the name is uncertain, but likely based on an Iroquoian name meaning the meadow or the prairie. Kentucky is situated in the Upland South, a significant portion of eastern Kentucky is part of Appalachia. Kentucky borders seven states, from the Midwest and the Southeast, West Virginia lies to the east, Virginia to the southeast, Tennessee to the south, Missouri to the west, Illinois and Indiana to the northwest, and Ohio to the north and northeast. Only Missouri and Tennessee, both of which border eight states, touch more, Kentuckys northern border is formed by the Ohio River and its western border by the Mississippi River. The official state borders are based on the courses of the rivers as they existed when Kentucky became a state in 1792, for instance, northbound travelers on U. S.41 from Henderson, after crossing the Ohio River, will be in Kentucky for about two miles. Ellis Park, a racetrack, is located in this small piece of Kentucky. Waterworks Road is part of the land border between Indiana and Kentucky. Kentucky has a part known as Kentucky Bend, at the far west corner of the state. It exists as an exclave surrounded completely by Missouri and Tennessee, Road access to this small part of Kentucky on the Mississippi River requires a trip through Tennessee. The epicenter of the powerful 1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes was near this area, much of the outer Bluegrass is in the Eden Shale Hills area, made up of short, steep, and very narrow hills. The Jackson Purchase and western Pennyrile are home to several bald cypress/tupelo swamps, located within the southeastern interior portion of North America, Kentucky has a climate that can best be described as a humid subtropical climate. Temperatures in Kentucky usually range from daytime summer highs of 87 °F to the low of 23 °F. The average precipitation is 46 inches a year, Kentucky experiences four distinct seasons, with substantial variations in the severity of summer and winter. The highest recorded temperature was 114 °F at Greensburg on July 28,1930 while the lowest recorded temperature was −37 °F at Shelbyville on January 19,1994, due to its location, Kentucky has a moderate humid subtropical climate, with abundant rainfall
10.
Nebraska
–
Nebraska /nᵻˈbræskə/ is a state that lies in both the Great Plains and the Midwestern United States. Its area is just over 77,220 sq mi with almost 1.9 million people and its largest city is Omaha, which is on the Missouri River. The state is crossed by many trails and was explored by the Lewis. Nebraska was admitted as the 37th state of the United States in 1867 and it is the only state in the United States whose legislature is unicameral and officially nonpartisan. Nebraska is composed of two major regions, the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains. The Dissected Till Plains is a region of rolling hills. The Great Plains occupy most of western Nebraska, characterized by treeless prairie, the state has a large agriculture sector and is a major producer of beef, pork, corn, and soybeans. Two major climatic zones are represented in Nebraska, the half of the state has a humid continental climate, and the western half. Indigenous peoples lived in the region of present-day Nebraska for thousands of years before European exploration. The historic tribes in the state included the Omaha, Missouria, Ponca, Pawnee, Otoe, when European exploration, trade, and settlement began, both Spain and France sought to control the region. In the 1690s, Spain established trade connections with the Apaches, by 1703, France had developed a regular trade with the native peoples along the Missouri River in Nebraska, and by 1719 had signed treaties with several of these peoples. After war broke out between the two countries, Spain dispatched an expedition to Nebraska under Lieutenant General Pedro de Villasur in 1720. The party was attacked and destroyed near present-day Columbus by a force of Pawnees and Otoes. The massacre of the Villasur expedition effectively put an end to Spanish exploration of Nebraska for the remainder of the 18th century, in 1762, during the Seven Years War, France ceded the Louisiana territory to Spain. Frances withdrawal from the area left Britain and Spain competing for dominance along the Mississippi, by 1773, later that year, Mackays party built a trading post, dubbed Fort Carlos IV, near present-day Homer. In 1819, the United States established Fort Atkinson as the first U. S. Army post west of the Missouri River, the army abandoned the fort in 1827 as migration moved further west. European-American settlement did not begin in any numbers until after 1848, on May 30,1854, the US Congress created the Kansas and the Nebraska territories, divided by the Parallel 40° North, under the Kansas–Nebraska Act. The Nebraska Territory included parts of the current states of Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, the territorial capital of Nebraska was Omaha
11.
New York (state)
–
New York is a state in the northeastern United States, and is the 27th-most extensive, fourth-most populous, and seventh-most densely populated U. S. state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south and Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont to the east. With an estimated population of 8.55 million in 2015, New York City is the most populous city in the United States, the New York Metropolitan Area is one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. New York City makes up over 40% of the population of New York State, two-thirds of the states population lives in the New York City Metropolitan Area, and nearly 40% lives on Long Island. Both the state and New York City were named for the 17th-century Duke of York, the next four most populous cities in the state are Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse, while the state capital is Albany. New York has a diverse geography and these more mountainous regions are bisected by two major river valleys—the north-south Hudson River Valley and the east-west Mohawk River Valley, which forms the core of the Erie Canal. Western New York is considered part of the Great Lakes Region and straddles Lake Ontario, between the two lakes lies Niagara Falls. The central part of the state is dominated by the Finger Lakes, New York had been inhabited by tribes of Algonquian and Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans for several hundred years by the time the earliest Europeans came to New York. The first Europeans to arrive were French colonists and Jesuit missionaries who arrived southward from settlements at Montreal for trade, the British annexed the colony from the Dutch in 1664. The borders of the British colony, the Province of New York, were similar to those of the present-day state, New York is home to the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of the United States and its ideals of freedom, democracy, and opportunity. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance. On April 17,1524 Verrazanno entered New York Bay, by way of the now called the Narrows into the northern bay which he named Santa Margherita. Verrazzano described it as a vast coastline with a delta in which every kind of ship could pass and he adds. This vast sheet of water swarmed with native boats and he landed on the tip of Manhattan and possibly on the furthest point of Long Island. Verrazannos stay was interrupted by a storm which pushed him north towards Marthas Vineyard, in 1540 French traders from New France built a chateau on Castle Island, within present-day Albany, due to flooding, it was abandoned the next year. In 1614, the Dutch under the command of Hendrick Corstiaensen, rebuilt the French chateau, Fort Nassau was the first Dutch settlement in North America, and was located along the Hudson River, also within present-day Albany. The small fort served as a trading post and warehouse, located on the Hudson River flood plain, the rudimentary fort was washed away by flooding in 1617, and abandoned for good after Fort Orange was built nearby in 1623. Henry Hudsons 1609 voyage marked the beginning of European involvement with the area, sailing for the Dutch East India Company and looking for a passage to Asia, he entered the Upper New York Bay on September 11 of that year
12.
Ohio
–
Ohio /oʊˈhaɪ. oʊ/ is a Midwestern state in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Ohio is the 34th largest by area, the 7th most populous, the states capital and largest city is Columbus. The state takes its name from the Ohio River, the name originated from the Iroquois word ohi-yo’, meaning great river or large creek. Partitioned from the Northwest Territory, the state was admitted to the Union as the 17th state on March 1,1803, Ohio is historically known as the Buckeye State after its Ohio buckeye trees, and Ohioans are also known as Buckeyes. Ohio occupies 16 seats in the United States House of Representatives, Ohio is known for its status as both a swing state and a bellwether in national elections. Six Presidents of the United States have been elected who had Ohio as their home state, Ohios geographic location has proven to be an asset for economic growth and expansion. Because Ohio links the Northeast to the Midwest, much cargo, Ohio has the nations 10th largest highway network, and is within a one-day drive of 50% of North Americas population and 70% of North Americas manufacturing capacity. To the north, Lake Erie gives Ohio 312 miles of coastline, Ohios southern border is defined by the Ohio River, and much of the northern border is defined by Lake Erie. Ohios neighbors are Pennsylvania to the east, Michigan to the northwest, Ontario Canada, to the north, Indiana to the west, Kentucky on the south, Ohio is bounded by the Ohio River, but nearly all of the river itself belongs to Kentucky and West Virginia. Ohio has only that portion of the river between the rivers 1792 low-water mark and the present high-water mark, the border with Michigan has also changed, as a result of the Toledo War, to angle slightly northeast to the north shore of the mouth of the Maumee River. Much of Ohio features glaciated plains, with a flat area in the northwest being known as the Great Black Swamp. Most of Ohio is of low relief, but the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau features rugged hills, in 1965 the United States Congress passed the Appalachian Regional Development Act, at attempt to address the persistent poverty and growing economic despair of the Appalachian Region. This act defines 29 Ohio counties as part of Appalachia, the worst weather disaster in Ohio history occurred along the Great Miami River in 1913. Known as the Great Dayton Flood, the entire Miami River watershed flooded, as a result, the Miami Conservancy District was created as the first major flood plain engineering project in Ohio and the United States. Grand Lake St. Marys in the west central part of the state was constructed as a supply of water for canals in the era of 1820–1850. For many years this body of water, over 20 square miles, was the largest artificial lake in the world and it should be noted that Ohios canal-building projects were not the economic fiasco that similar efforts were in other states. Some cities, such as Dayton, owe their emergence to location on canals. Summers are typically hot and humid throughout the state, while winters generally range from cool to cold, precipitation in Ohio is moderate year-round
13.
Oklahoma
–
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central United States. Oklahoma is the 20th-most extensive and the 28th-most populous of the 50 United States, the states name is derived from the Choctaw words okla and humma, meaning red people. The name was settled upon statehood, Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory were merged, on November 16,1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state to enter the union. Its residents are known as Oklahomans, or informally Okies, and its capital, a major producer of natural gas, oil, and agricultural products, Oklahoma relies on an economic base of aviation, energy, telecommunications, and biotechnology. In 2007, it had one of the economies in the United States, ranking among the top states in per capita income growth. Oklahoma City and Tulsa serve as Oklahomas primary economic anchors, with nearly two-thirds of Oklahomans living within their metropolitan statistical areas. With small mountain ranges, prairie, mesas, and eastern forests, most of Oklahoma lies in the Great Plains, Cross Timbers, interior Highlands—a region especially prone to severe weather. The name Oklahoma comes from the Choctaw phrase okla humma, literally meaning red people, equivalent to the English word Indian, okla humma was a phrase in the Choctaw language used to describe Native American people as a whole. Oklahoma later became the de facto name for Oklahoma Territory, and it was approved in 1890. Oklahoma is the 20th-largest state in the United States, covering an area of 69,898 square miles and it is one of six states on the Frontier Strip and lies partly in the Great Plains near the geographical center of the 48 contiguous states. It is bounded on the east by Arkansas and Missouri, on the north by Kansas, on the northwest by Colorado, on the far west by New Mexico, much of its border with Texas lies along the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen, a failed continental rift. The geologic figure defines the placement of the Red River, the Oklahoma panhandles Western edge is out of alignment with its Texas border. The Oklahoma/New Mexico border is actually 2.1 to 2.2 miles east of the Texas line, the border between Texas and New Mexico was set first as a result of a survey by Spain in 1819. It was then set along the 103rd Meridian, in the 1890s, when Oklahoma was formally surveyed using more accurate surveying equipment and techniques, it was discovered the Texas line was not set along the 103rd Meridian. Surveying techniques were not as accurate in 1819, and the actual 103rd Meridian was approximately 2.2 miles to the east and it was much easier to leave the mistake than for Texas to cede land to New Mexico to correct the surveying error. The placement of the Oklahoma/New Mexico border represents the true 103rd Meridian, cimarron County in Oklahomas panhandle is the only county in the United States that touches four other states, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado and Kansas. Its highest and lowest points follow this trend, with its highest peak, Black Mesa, at 4,973 feet above sea level, situated near its far northwest corner in the Oklahoma Panhandle. The states lowest point is on the Little River near its far southeastern boundary near the town of Idabel, Oklahoma, which dips to 289 feet above sea level
14.
South Carolina
–
South Carolina /ˌsaʊθ kærəˈlaɪnə/ is a state in the southeastern region of the United States. The state is bordered to the north by North Carolina, to the south and west by Georgia across the Savannah River, South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the U. S. Constitution, doing so on May 23,1788. South Carolina became the first state to vote to secede from the Union on December 20,1860, after the American Civil War, it was readmitted into the United States on June 25,1868. South Carolina is the 40th most extensive and the 23rd most populous U. S. state and its GDP as of 2013 was $183.6 billion, with an annual growth rate of 3. 13%. The capital and largest city is Columbia with a 2013 population of 133,358, South Carolina is named in honor of King Charles I of England, under whose reign the English colony was first formed, with Carolus being Latin for Charles. There is evidence of activity in the area about 12000 years ago. Along the Savannah River were the Apalachee, Yuchi, and the Yamasee, further west were the Cherokee, and along the Catawba River, the Catawba. These tribes were village-dwellers, relying on agriculture as their food source. The Cherokee lived in wattle and daub houses made with wood and clay, about a dozen separate small tribes summered on the coast harvesting oysters and fish, and cultivating corn, peas and beans. Travelling inland as much as 50 miles mostly by canoe, they wintered on the plain, hunting deer and gathering nuts. The names of these survive in place names like Edisto Island, Kiawah Island. The Spanish were the first Europeans in the area, in 1521, founding San Miguel de Gualdape, established with 500 settlers, it was abandoned within a year by 150 survivors. In 1562 French settlers established a settlement at what is now the Charlesfort-Santa Elena archaeological site on Parris Island, three years later the Spanish built a fort on the same site, but withdrew following hostilities with the English navy. In 1629, King Charles I of England established the Province of Carolina an area covering what is now South and North Carolina, Georgia, in the 1670s, English planters from the Barbados established themselves near what is now Charleston. Settlers built rice plantations in the South Carolina Lowcountry, east of the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, settlers came from all over Europe. Plantation labor was done by African slaves who formed the majority of the population by 1720, another cash crop was the Indigo plant, a plant source of blue dye, developed by Eliza Lucas. Meanwhile, in Upstate South Carolina, west of the Fall Line, was settled by farmers and traders. Colonists overthrew the rule, seeing more direct representation
15.
Texas
–
Texas is the second largest state in the United States by both area and population. Other major cities include Austin, the second most populous state capital in the U. S. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify its former status as an independent republic, and as a reminder of the states struggle for independence from Mexico. The Lone Star can be found on the Texan state flag, the origin of Texass name is from the word Tejas, which means friends in the Caddo language. Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, although Texas is popularly associated with the U. S. southwestern deserts, less than 10 percent of Texas land area is desert. Most of the centers are located in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests. Traveling from east to west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, the term six flags over Texas refers to several nations that have ruled over the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas, Mexico controlled the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independent Republic. In 1845, Texas joined the United States as the 28th state, the states annexation set off a chain of events that caused the Mexican–American War in 1846. A slave state before the American Civil War, Texas declared its secession from the U. S. in early 1861, after the Civil War and the restoration of its representation in the federal government, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation. One Texan industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle, due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy. The states economic fortunes changed in the early 20th century, when oil discoveries initiated a boom in the state. With strong investments in universities, Texas developed a diversified economy, as of 2010 it shares the top of the list of the most Fortune 500 companies with California at 57. With a growing base of industry, the leads in many industries, including agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace. Texas has led the nation in export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product. The name Texas, based on the Caddo word tejas meaning friends or allies, was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves, during Spanish colonial rule, the area was officially known as the Nuevo Reino de Filipinas, La Provincia de Texas. Texas is the second largest U. S. state, behind Alaska, though 10 percent larger than France and almost twice as large as Germany or Japan, it ranks only 27th worldwide amongst country subdivisions by size. If it were an independent country, Texas would be the 40th largest behind Chile, Texas is in the south central part of the United States of America. Three of its borders are defined by rivers, the Rio Grande forms a natural border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south
16.
Virginia
–
Virginia is a state located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, as well as in the historic Southeast. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, the capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond, Virginia Beach is the most populous city, and Fairfax County is the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealths estimated population as of 2014 is over 8.3 million, the areas history begins with several indigenous groups, including the Powhatan. In 1607 the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent New World English colony, slave labor and the land acquired from displaced Native American tribes each played a significant role in the colonys early politics and plantation economy. Although the Commonwealth was under one-party rule for nearly a century following Reconstruction, the Virginia General Assembly is the oldest continuous law-making body in the New World. The state government was ranked most effective by the Pew Center on the States in both 2005 and 2008 and it is unique in how it treats cities and counties equally, manages local roads, and prohibits its governors from serving consecutive terms. Virginias economy changed from agricultural to industrial during the 1960s and 1970s. Virginia has an area of 42,774.2 square miles, including 3,180.13 square miles of water. Virginias boundary with Maryland and Washington, D. C. extends to the mark of the south shore of the Potomac River. The southern border is defined as the 36° 30′ parallel north, the border with Tennessee was not settled until 1893, when their dispute was brought to the U. S. Supreme Court. The Chesapeake Bay separates the portion of the Commonwealth from the two-county peninsula of Virginias Eastern Shore. The bay was formed from the river valleys of the Susquehanna River. Many of Virginias rivers flow into the Chesapeake Bay, including the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James, the Tidewater is a coastal plain between the Atlantic coast and the fall line. It includes the Eastern Shore and major estuaries of Chesapeake Bay, the Piedmont is a series of sedimentary and igneous rock-based foothills east of the mountains which were formed in the Mesozoic era. The region, known for its clay soil, includes the Southwest Mountains around Charlottesville. The Blue Ridge Mountains are a province of the Appalachian Mountains with the highest points in the state. The Ridge and Valley region is west of the mountains and includes the Great Appalachian Valley, the region is carbonate rock based and includes Massanutten Mountain. The Cumberland Plateau and the Cumberland Mountains are in the southwest corner of Virginia, in this region, rivers flow northwest, with a dendritic drainage system, into the Ohio River basin
17.
West Virginia
–
West Virginia /ˌwɛst vərˈdʒɪnjə/ is a state located in the Appalachian region of the Southern United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the north, West Virginia is the 9th smallest by area, is ranked 38th in population, and has the second lowest household income of the 50 United States. The capital and largest city is Charleston, West Virginia was admitted to the Union on June 20,1863, and was a key Civil War border state. The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States, the unique position of West Virginia means that it is often included in several geographical regions, including the Mid-Atlantic, the Upland South, and the Southeastern United States. It is the state that is entirely within the area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The state is noted for its mountains and rolling hills, its historically significant logging and coal mining industries and it is one of the most densely karstic areas in the world, making it a choice area for recreational caving and scientific research. The karst lands contribute to much of the states cool trout waters and it is also known for a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, and hunting. Many ancient man-made earthen mounds from various mound builder cultures survive, especially in the areas of Moundsville, South Charleston. The artifacts uncovered in these give evidence of village societies and they had a tribal trade system culture that crafted cold-worked copper pieces. The Iroquois drove out other American Indian tribes from the region to reserve the upper Ohio Valley as a ground in the 1670s. Siouan language tribes such as the Moneton had also recorded in the area previously. West Virginia was originally part of the British Virginia Colony from 1607 to 1776, residents of the western and northern counties set up a separate government under Francis Pierpont in 1861, which they called the restored government. Most voted to separate from Virginia and the new state was admitted to the Union in 1863, in 1864 a state constitutional convention drafted a constitution, which was ratified by the legislature without putting it to popular vote. West Virginia abolished slavery and temporarily disfranchised men who had held Confederate office or fought for the Confederacy, West Virginias history has been profoundly affected by its mountainous terrain, numerous and vast river valleys, and rich natural resources. These were all factors driving its economy and the lifestyles of its residents, a 2010 analysis of a local stalagmite revealed that Native Americans were burning forests to clear land as early as 100 BC. Some regional late-prehistoric Eastern Woodland tribes were involved in hunting and fishing, practicing the slash. Another group progressed to the more time-consuming, advanced companion crop fields method of gardening, also continuing from ancient indigenous people of the state, field space and time was given to tobacco growing through to early historic. Maize did not make a contribution to the diet until after 1150 BP
18.
New Jersey
–
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania, New Jersey is the fourth-smallest state but the 11th-most populous and the most densely populated of the 50 United States. New Jersey lies entirely within the statistical areas of New York City. New Jersey was inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years, in the early 17th century, the Dutch and the Swedes made the first European settlements. New Jersey was the site of decisive battles during the American Revolutionary War in the 18th century. In the 19th century, factories in cities such as Camden, Paterson, Newark, Trenton, around 180 million years ago, during the Jurassic Period, New Jersey bordered North Africa. The pressure of the collision between North America and Africa gave rise to the Appalachian Mountains, around 18,000 years ago, the Ice Age resulted in glaciers that reached New Jersey. As the glaciers retreated, they left behind Lake Passaic, as well as rivers, swamps. New Jersey was originally settled by Native Americans, with the Lenni-Lenape being dominant at the time of contact, scheyichbi is the Lenape name for the land that is now New Jersey. The Lenape society was divided into clans that were based upon common female ancestors. These clans were organized into three distinct phratries identified by their animal sign, Turtle, Turkey, and Wolf and they first encountered the Dutch in the early 17th century, and their primary relationship with the Europeans was through fur trade. The Dutch became the first Europeans to lay claim to lands in New Jersey, the Dutch colony of New Netherland consisted of parts of modern Middle Atlantic states. Although the European principle of ownership was not recognized by the Lenape. The first to do so was Michiel Pauw who established a patronship called Pavonia in 1630 along the North River which eventually became the Bergen, peter Minuits purchase of lands along the Delaware River established the colony of New Sweden. During the English Civil War, the Channel Island of Jersey remained loyal to the British Crown and it was from the Royal Square in St. Helier that Charles II of England was proclaimed King in 1649, following the execution of his father, Charles I. The North American lands were divided by Charles II, who gave his brother, the Duke of York, the region between New England and Maryland as a proprietary colony. James then granted the land between the Hudson River and the Delaware River to two friends who had remained loyal through the English Civil War, Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley of Stratton, the area was named the Province of New Jersey. Since the states inception, New Jersey has been characterized by ethnic, New England Congregationalists settled alongside Scots Presbyterians and Dutch Reformed migrants
19.
Pennsylvania
–
Pennsylvania /ˌpɛnsᵻlˈveɪnjə/, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state located in the northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The Appalachian Mountains run through its middle, Pennsylvania is the 33rd largest, the 5th most populous, and the 9th most densely populated of the 50 United States. The states five most populous cities are Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, the state capital, and its ninth-largest city, is Harrisburg. Pennsylvania has 140 miles of shoreline along Lake Erie and the Delaware Estuary. The state is one of the 13 original founding states of the United States, it came into being in 1681 as a result of a land grant to William Penn. Part of Pennsylvania, together with the present State of Delaware, had earlier been organized as the Colony of New Sweden and it was the second state to ratify the United States Constitution, on December 12,1787. Independence Hall, where the United States Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution were drafted, is located in the states largest city of Philadelphia, during the American Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg, was fought in the south central region of the state. Valley Forge near Philadelphia was General Washingtons headquarters during the winter of 1777–78. Pennsylvania is 170 miles north to south and 283 miles east to west, of a total 46,055 square miles,44,817 square miles are land,490 square miles are inland waters, and 749 square miles are waters in Lake Erie. It is the 33rd largest state in the United States, Pennsylvania has 51 miles of coastline along Lake Erie and 57 miles of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary. Cities include Philadelphia, Reading, Lebanon and Lancaster in the southeast, Pittsburgh in the southwest, the tri-cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, the northeast includes the former anthracite coal mining communities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston City, and Hazleton. Erie is located in the northwest, the state has 5 regions, namely the Allegheny Plateau, Ridge and Valley, Atlantic Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and the Erie Plain. Straddling two major zones, the majority of the state, with the exception of the corner, has a humid continental climate. The largest city, Philadelphia, has characteristics of the humid subtropical climate that covers much of Delaware. Moving toward the interior of the state, the winter climate becomes colder, the number of cloudy days increase. Western areas of the state, particularly locations near Lake Erie, can receive over 100 inches of snowfall annually, the state may be subject to severe weather from spring through summer into fall. Tornadoes occur annually in the state, sometimes in large numbers, the Tuscarora Nation took up temporary residence in the central portion of Pennsylvania ca. Both the Dutch and the English claimed both sides of the Delaware River as part of their lands in America
20.
Tennessee
–
Tennessee is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th largest and the 17th most populous of the 50 United States, Tennessee is bordered by Kentucky and Virginia to the north, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, and Arkansas and Missouri to the west. The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern part of the state, Tennessees capital and second largest city is Nashville, which has a population of 654,610. Memphis is the states largest city, with a population of 655,770, the state of Tennessee is rooted in the Watauga Association, a 1772 frontier pact generally regarded as the first constitutional government west of the Appalachians. What is now Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina, Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state on June 1,1796. Tennessee was the last state to leave the Union and join the Confederacy at the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, occupied by Union forces from 1862, it was the first state to be readmitted to the Union at the end of the war. Tennessee furnished more soldiers for the Confederate Army than any other state besides Virginia and this sharply reduced competition in politics in the state until after passage of civil rights legislation in the mid-20th century. This city was established to house the Manhattan Projects uranium enrichment facilities, helping to build the worlds first atomic bomb, Tennessees major industries include agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. Poultry, soybeans, and cattle are the primary agricultural products, and major manufacturing exports include chemicals, transportation equipment. In the early 18th century, British traders encountered a Cherokee town named Tanasi in present-day Monroe County, the town was located on a river of the same name, and appears on maps as early as 1725. The meaning and origin of the word are uncertain, some accounts suggest it is a Cherokee modification of an earlier Yuchi word. It has been said to mean meeting place, winding river, according to ethnographer James Mooney, the name can not be analyzed and its meaning is lost. The modern spelling, Tennessee, is attributed to James Glen, the governor of South Carolina, the spelling was popularized by the publication of Henry Timberlakes Draught of the Cherokee Country in 1765. In 1788, North Carolina created Tennessee County, the county to be established in what is now Middle Tennessee. When a constitutional convention met in 1796 to organize a new out of the Southwest Territory. Other sources differ on the origin of the nickname, according to the Columbia Encyclopedia. Tennessee ties Missouri as the state bordering the most other states, the state is trisected by the Tennessee River. The highest point in the state is Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome, which lies on Tennessees eastern border, is the highest point on the Appalachian Trail, and is the third highest peak in the United States east of the Mississippi River
21.
Lethal injection
–
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person for the express purpose of causing immediate death. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a sense to euthanasia. It first renders the person unconscious, and then stops the breathing and heart, typically, three drugs are used in lethal injection. Sodium thiopental or pentobarbital is used as an anesthetic to induce unconsciousness, pancuronium bromide to cause paralysis and respiratory arrest. First developed in the United States, it is now also a method of execution in China, Thailand, Guatemala. It was also used in Philippines until the country re-abolished the death penalty in 2006 and it is now the most common form of execution in the United States. Lethal injection, known as putting someone to death, was first proposed on January 17,1888, by Julius Mount Bleyer, almost half a century later, lethal injection was revisited, due to a series of botched executions and the eventual rise of public disapproval in electrocutions. Nazi Germany developed the Action T4 euthanasia program as one of its methods of disposing of Lebensunwertes Leben, the British Royal Commission on Capital Punishment also considered lethal injection, but eventually ruled it out after pressure from the British Medical Association. Since then, until 2004,37 of the 38 states using capital punishment introduced lethal injection statutes, on August 29,1977, Texas adopted the new method of execution, switching to lethal injection from electrocution. On December 7,1982, Texas became the first state to use lethal injection to carry out punishment, for the execution of Charles Brooks. The Peoples Republic of China began using this method in 1997, Guatemala in 1996, the Philippines in 1999, Thailand in 2003, Vietnam first used this method in 2013. The Philippines abolished the death penalty in 2006, with their last execution being in 1999, Thailand stopped using this method in 2009. The export of drugs to be used for lethal injection was banned by the European Union in 2011, since then, pentobarbital followed thiopental in the European Unions ban. By early 2014, a number of botched executions involving lethal injection, at the same time, Wyoming and Utah were considering the use of firing squads in addition to existing execution methods. In the past, The Peoples Republic of China executed prisoners primarily by means of shooting, in recent years, lethal injection has become more popular. The specific lethal injection procedures, including the drug or drugs used, are a state secret and not publicly known. In at least some cases, prisoners facing death by lethal injection have been sedated at a prison, Lethal injection in China was legalized in 1996. It has been suggested that the switch is also in response to executions being horrifying to the public, Lethal injections are less expensive than firing squads, with a single dose costing 300 yuan compared to 700 yuan for a shooting execution
22.
Somers, Connecticut
–
Somers /ˈsʌmərz/ is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, USA. The population was 11,444 at the 2010 census, the town center is listed by the U. S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place. In 2007, Money Magazine named Somers, Connecticut 53rd on its list of 100 Best Places to Live, based on economic opportunity, good schools, safe streets, things to do, bordering Massachusetts, Somers is considered part of the City of Springfield, Massachusetts NECTA. Somers is only 9 miles from the City of Springfield, Massachusetts, Somers was originally part of the Agawam Plantation in the 17th century. Agawam Plantation became Springfield, Massachusetts in 1641 and in 1682, in 1706, the first settler came to Somers in what was then East Enfield. In the year 1734, Somers became a town and was named after John Somers, in the year 1749, Somers joined the Connecticut Colony. The Four Town Fair which is held after the third weekend in September is one of the oldest fairs in the Country. Somers is located at 41°59′N 72°27′W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 28.5 square miles, of which,28.3 square miles of it is land and 0.1 square miles of it is water. The town center CDP has an area of 2.1 square miles. The towns highest point, Bald Mountain, at 1,121 feet is the highest point along the Connecticut River Valley in Connecticut, the rounded hill summit was recently purchased by the town and can be seen for many miles around. The population density was 367.6 people per square mile, there were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 106.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 82. 97% White,9. 82% African American,0. 55% Native American,0. 62% Asian,0. 06% Pacific Islander,4. 00% from other races, and 1. 98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8. 10% of the population,16. 0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8. 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the family size was 3.11. In the town, the population was out with 20. 8% under the age of 18,9. 4% from 18 to 24,35. 6% from 25 to 44,24. 0% from 45 to 64. The median age was 37 years, for every 100 females there were 154.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 171.0 males, the median income for a household in the town was $65,273, and the median income for a family was $71,757. Males had an income of $49,766 versus $35,329 for females
23.
Florida Legislature
–
The Florida Legislature is the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U. S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida, composed of a Senate, the legislature is seated at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee. Both chambers have been under Republican control since 1996, the Legislature is composed of 160 state legislators. Members are term-limited to eight years, however, there is no limit on the total number of terms. The state legislature beginning in March for a period not to exceed 60 calendar days. Special sessions are called as needed and its statutes, called chapter laws or generically as slip laws when printed separately, are compiled into the Laws of Florida and are called session laws. The Florida Statutes are the statutory laws of the state. The Florida Legislature is authorized by the Florida Constitution to create and amend the laws of the U. S. state of Florida, to do so, legislators propose legislation in the forms of bills drafted by a nonpartisan, professional staff. The Legislature also has the power to propose amendments to the Florida Constitution, the rules for the Florida Legislature are laid out within the Constitution of Florida, and is also prescribed the respective chambers when applicable. Florida has had a total of six different state constitutions, signed in 1838,1861,1865,1868,1885, in 2009, legislators filed 2,138 bills for consideration. On average, the Legislature has passed about 300 bills into law annually, earmarks that have not gone through the normal legislative process are known colloquially as turkeys. In 2010, Florida TaxWatch, a government watchdog organization, counted 41 turkeys totaling $61 million, the Florida Constitution mandates a bicameral state legislature with an upper house Florida Senate of no more than 40 members and a lower Florida House of Representatives of no more than 120 members. Due to term limits, state representatives may be elected for up to four terms, former members can be elected again after a two-year break. Both chambers have been under Republican control since 1996, the House of Representatives is headed by the Speaker, while the Senate is headed by the President. The House Speaker and Senate President control the assignment of committees and leadership positions, the two leaders, along with the Governor of Florida, control most of the agenda of state business in Florida. While sessions in odd-numbered years must begin on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March, legislators start committee activity in September of the year prior to the regular session. This is to promote their bills through committee in time for the official session, on the fourteenth day following each general election, the Legislature meets for an organization session to organize and select officers. Special sessions may be called by the governor, by a joint proclamation of the Senate President and House Speaker, in 2013, the legislature filed about 2000 bills
24.
Supreme Court of the United States
–
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest federal court of the United States. In the legal system of the United States, the Supreme Court is the interpreter of federal constitutional law. The Court normally consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight justices who are nominated by the President. Once appointed, justices have life tenure unless they resign, retire, in modern discourse, the justices are often categorized as having conservative, moderate, or liberal philosophies of law and of judicial interpretation. Each justice has one vote, and while many cases are decided unanimously, the Court meets in the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, D. C. The Supreme Court is sometimes referred to as SCOTUS, in analogy to other acronyms such as POTUS. The ratification of the United States Constitution established the Supreme Court in 1789 and its powers are detailed in Article Three of the Constitution. The Supreme Court is the court specifically established by the Constitution. The Court first convened on February 2,1790, by which five of its six initial positions had been filled. According to historian Fergus Bordewich, in its first session, he Supreme Court convened for the first time at the Royal Exchange Building on Broad Street and they had no cases to consider. After a week of inactivity, they adjourned until September, the sixth member was not confirmed until May 12,1790. Because the full Court had only six members, every decision that it made by a majority was made by two-thirds. However, Congress has always allowed less than the Courts full membership to make decisions, under Chief Justices Jay, Rutledge, and Ellsworth, the Court heard few cases, its first decision was West v. Barnes, a case involving a procedural issue. The Courts power and prestige grew substantially during the Marshall Court, the Marshall Court also ended the practice of each justice issuing his opinion seriatim, a remnant of British tradition, and instead issuing a single majority opinion. Also during Marshalls tenure, although beyond the Courts control, the impeachment, the Taney Court made several important rulings, such as Sheldon v. Nevertheless, it is primarily remembered for its ruling in Dred Scott v. Sandford, which helped precipitate the Civil War. In the Reconstruction era, the Chase, Waite, and Fuller Courts interpreted the new Civil War amendments to the Constitution, during World War II, the Court continued to favor government power, upholding the internment of Japanese citizens and the mandatory pledge of allegiance. Nevertheless, Gobitis was soon repudiated, and the Steel Seizure Case restricted the pro-government trend, the Warren Court dramatically expanded the force of Constitutional civil liberties. It held that segregation in public schools violates equal protection and that traditional legislative district boundaries violated the right to vote
25.
Starke, Florida
–
Starke is a city in Bradford County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,449 at the 2010 census and it is the county seat of Bradford County. Starke may have named in honor of developer George W. Coles fiancée or in honor of Madison Starke Perry, fourth governor of Florida. The Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, adds that the city may have named after Thomas Starke. Starke is located in east-central Bradford County at 29°56′50″N 82°6′29″W, U. S. Route 301 passes through the center of the city, leading north 26 miles to Baldwin and Interstate 10 and southwest 25 miles to Gainesville. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 7.2 square miles. As of the census of 2000, there were 5,593 people,2,003 households, the population density was 839.3 people per square mile. There were 2,273 housing units at a density of 341.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 67. 05% White,29. 54% African American,0. 21% Native American,1. 25% Asian,0. 16% Pacific Islander,0. 64% from other races, and 1. 14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2. 23% of the population,28. 0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13. 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the family size was 3.14. In the city, the population was out with 26. 7% under the age of 18,9. 7% from 18 to 24,25. 1% from 25 to 44,20. 3% from 45 to 64. The median age was 36 years, for every 100 females there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males, the median income for a household in the city was $27,021, and the median income for a family was $35,093. Males had an income of $27,176 versus $17,986 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,507, about 19. 2% of families and 23. 9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34. 9% of those under age 18 and 23. 2% of those age 65 or over. The Starke post office contains a mural, Reforestation, painted in 1940 by Elizabeth Terell, murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department. The WPA was the largest and most ambitious American New Deal agency, Starke has been the location of several Hollywood films, including, G. I
26.
Jesse Tafero
–
The officers were killed during a traffic stop where Tafero, his wife Sunny Jacobs, and their children were passengers. After Taferos execution, the driver, Walter Rhodes, confessed to shooting the officers, on the morning of February 20,1976, Black and Irwin approached a car parked at a rest stop for a routine check. Tafero, his wife Sonia Sunny Jacobs, their two children, and Walter Rhodes were found asleep inside, Tafero had previously been in prison and was on probation. Black saw a gun lying on the floor inside the car and he woke the occupants and had first Rhodes then Tafero come out of the car. According to Rhodes, Tafero then shot both Black and Irwin with the gun, and led the others into the police car, according to Tafero, Rhodes shot the officers and handed the gun to him so that Rhodes could drive. They later disposed of the car and kidnapped a man. All three were arrested after being caught in a roadblock, when they were arrested, the gun was found in Taferos waistband. This account, however, was later contradicted by Rhodes, prior to his conviction for murder, Tafero had been convicted of attempted robbery and crimes against nature when he was 20 years old. Rhodes entered into an agreement for a reduced sentence of second degree murder in exchange for his testimony against Tafero. At their trial, he testified that Jacobs fired first from the seat, then Tafero took the gun from her. Rhodes later recanted his testimony on three occasions, in 1977,1979, and 1982, stating that he shot the policemen, Tafero and Jacobs were convicted of capital murder and were sentenced to death while Rhodes was sentenced to three life sentences. He was released in 1994 following parole for good behavior, the children were placed in the care of Sunny Jacobs parents until their deaths in a 1982 plane crash. The children were separated and Sunnys younger child, Christina, was placed into foster care with a friend of Jacobs. Sunnys older child, Eric, who was in his mid-teens, first resided with Sonias brother Alan, then lived on his own, struggling to survive by working at a pizza restaurant, Tafero and Jacobs continued their relationship through letters while serving time in the prison. Because there was no death row for women in Florida, Jacobs was put into solitary confinement for the first five years of her imprisonment and she learned yoga to pass the time, and after being moved to the general prison population, began teaching yoga to other prisoners. Although the jury had recommended a sentence for Jacobs, Judge Daniel Futch, known as “Maximum Dan” for his reputation for tough sentences. In 1981, the Florida Supreme Court commuted Jacobs sentence to life in prison, Tafero was to be executed by electrocution. The machine, dubbed Old Sparky, malfunctioned, causing flames to shoot out of Taferos head
27.
Pedro Medina
–
Not to be confused with Colombian poet Pedro Medina Avendaño. Pedro Luis Medina was a Cuban refugee who was executed in Florida for the murder of a 52-year-old woman in Orlando, the circumstances of his execution elevated objections to the use of electrocution as a means of capital punishment. Medina was among nearly 125,000 Cubans who were sent to the United States during the 1980 Mariel boatlift and he eventually lived with his half-sister in Orlando. His victim, Dorothy James, a school gym teacher. James was found dead in her apartment on April 4,1982 and she had been gagged, stabbed multiple times, and left to die. Early in the morning of April 8,1982, Medina was found asleep in James automobile at a rest area on Interstate 10 near Lake City and was arrested for theft of the automobile. The next day, detectives from Orange County, Florida investigating the murder of James interviewed Medina in the Columbia County Jail about the auto theft, Medinas explanation of how he came to be in James vehicle was not believed by the detectives. Medina was arrested and indicted for the murder of James, Medina requested a psychiatric examination and was examined by two psychiatrists. Each determined that Medina met the criteria for competence to stand trial. The trial court found Medina competent to stand trial, Medina was tried before a jury in Orange County on March 15–18,1983. Medina testified in his own defense and denied murdering James, however, Medina admitted being in James apartment the night of the murder and that he was in James apartment when James was dead. Medina also admitted that a hat found by police detectives on a bed near James body was his hat, Medina admitted driving James automobile to Tampa and offering to sell the automobile to a man with whom he engaged in a fight at the time of the attempted sale. The man to whom Medina was selling the automobile testified that he gave Medina $250 for the automobile, when law enforcement officers searched the vehicle following Medinas arrest, a knife was found in the vehicle. Medina was convicted of murder and auto theft. The jury, by a vote, recommended the death penalty for the murder conviction. The trial court found two aggravating circumstances and a single mitigating circumstance, the court found the aggravating circumstances outweighed the mitigating circumstance and sentenced Medina to death. This Court affirmed Medinas convictions and sentences and he was sent to death row at Florida State Prison near the town of Starke in 1982. Medinas last words before being executed on March 25,1997, were, during the administration of electric current, the electric chair known as Old Sparky malfunctioned, causing flames to shoot out of Medinas head
28.
Allen Lee Davis
–
Allen Lee Davis was an American mass murderer executed for the May 11,1982 Jacksonville, Florida murder of Nancy Weiler, who was three months pregnant at the time. According to reports, Nancy Weiler was beaten almost beyond recognition by Davis with a.357 Magnum and he was also convicted of killing Nancy Weilers two daughters, Kristina and Katherine. Davis was on parole for armed robbery at the time of the murders and he was executed on July 8,1999. His last meal consisted of one tail, fried potatoes, a half pound of fried shrimp, six ounces of fried clams, half a loaf of garlic bread. Davis execution drew nationwide attention after he bled profusely from the nose while being electrocuted. Also during his time in the chair, Davis suffered burns to his head, leg. In 1999, the state of Florida heard a petition from Thomas Harrison Provenzano, another death row inmate, Davis was the last Florida inmate killed by the electric chair, beginning in 2000, all subsequent executions were by lethal injection. DC. State. fl. us, Inmate Release Information Detail - Inmate 040174, DC. State. fl. us, August 3,1999 Order Upholding Constitutionality of the Electric Chair
29.
Florida Attorney General
–
The Florida Attorney General is an elected cabinet official in the U. S. state of Florida. The attorney general serves as the legal officer of the state and is head of the Florida Department of Legal Affairs. The office is one of Floridas three elected state cabinet posts, along with the Chief Financial Officer and Agriculture Commissioner, the current attorney general is Pam Bondi, who took office on January 4,2011. Her second term started on January 6,2015, as with the other two cabinet posts and the office of lieutenant governor, there is a limit of two four-year terms for the Attorney General. The Governor of Florida is restricted to two terms, with no lifetime limit on the number of terms he or she may serve. The Attorney General appoints the Florida Solicitor General who serves at his or her pleasure, the current solicitor is Amit Agarwal. In the event that the offices of the governor of Florida and lieutenant governor of Florida are vacated, the attorney general then becomes governor
30.
Bob Butterworth
–
Robert A. Bob Butterworth, Jr. is an American attorney and politician from the U. S. state of Florida. Butterworth was born in Passaic, New Jersey and moved to Florida with his family as a child and he received a degree in business administration from the University of Florida in 1965, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami in 1969. He is a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon and previously served on its board of directors. Butterworth was a judge in the county and circuit courts of Broward County from 1974-78 and he was appointed to head up Floridas Department of Motor Vehicles in 1982, and mayor of Sunrise, Florida in 1984. Police said she was ill and had used a gun Butterworth had given her for protection before their divorce in 1976. Butterworth has two surviving children, a daughter, BreAnne and her brother, Brandon, a Democrat, Butterworth served as the 33rd Attorney General of Florida, for four consecutive terms, under three governors, Bob Martinez, Lawton Chiles, and Jeb Bush. He was first elected in 1986 and reelected in 1990,1994 and his popularity among voters in the state has led to frequent mention of his name as a potential candidate for Governor of Florida or for the U. S. Senate. Butterworth was attorney general during the years of use of the electric chair in executing death row prisoners. It was notorious for frequent malfunctions in the 1990s, namely in the cases of Jesse Tafero, Pedro Medina and Allen Lee Davis. Reportedly, six-inch flames shot out of Taferos head and 12-inch flames shot out of Medinas head, raising the question whether use of the chair was cruel. After the Medina execution, Butterworth commented, People who wish to commit murder, as a result of this suit, tobacco companies agreed to pay $11 billion to the state of Florida. Butterworths Republican counterpart, Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, was the Florida chair of George W. Bushs presidential campaign, in 2002, Butterworth ran for Seat 25 in the Florida Senate, in hopes of representing portions of Palm Beach and Broward Counties. He resigned as Attorney General because of Floridas resign-to-run laws, however, he was defeated by Republican Jeffrey Atwater. Butterworth was dean of the School of Law at St. Thomas University, on December 19,2006, governor-elect Charlie Crist named Butterworth as the new secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families. On July 29,2008 Secretary Butterworth resigned his post as Secretary of The Department of Children, after his resignation from DCF, Butterworth joined a Fort Lauderdale law firm
31.
Sponge
–
Sponges are the basalmost clade of animals of the phylum Porifera. Sponges have unspecialized cells that can transform into other types and that often migrate between the cell layers and the mesohyl in the process. Sponges do not have nervous, digestive or circulatory systems, instead, most rely on maintaining a constant water flow through their bodies to obtain food and oxygen and to remove wastes. Sponges are similar to animals in that they are multicellular, heterotrophic, lack cell walls. Unlike other animals, they lack true tissues and organs, and have no body symmetry, the shapes of their bodies are adapted for maximal efficiency of water flow through the central cavity, where it deposits nutrients, and leaves through a hole called the osculum. Many sponges have internal skeletons of spongin and/or spicules of calcium carbonate or silicon dioxide, all sponges are sessile aquatic animals. Although there are species, the great majority are marine species. A few species of sponge that live in food-poor environments have become carnivores that prey mainly on small crustaceans, most species use sexual reproduction, releasing sperm cells into the water to fertilize ova that in some species are released and in others are retained by the mother. The fertilized eggs form larvae which swim off in search of places to settle, sponges are known for regenerating from fragments that are broken off, although this only works if the fragments include the right types of cells. A few species reproduce by budding, the mesohyl functions as an endoskeleton in most sponges, and is the only skeleton in soft sponges that encrust hard surfaces such as rocks. More commonly, the mesohyl is stiffened by mineral spicules, by spongin fibers or both, demosponges use spongin, and in many species, silica spicules and in some species, calcium carbonate exoskeletons. Demosponges constitute about 90% of all known species, including all freshwater ones. The fragile glass sponges, with scaffolding of silica spicules, are restricted to polar regions, fossils of all of these types have been found in rocks dated from 580 million years ago. In addition Archaeocyathids, whose fossils are common in rocks from 530 to 490 million years ago, are now regarded as a type of sponge, the single-celled choanoflagellates resemble the choanocyte cells of sponges which are used to drive their water flow systems and capture most of their food. This along with studies of ribosomal molecules have been used as morphological evidence to suggest sponges are the sister group to the rest of animals. Some studies have shown that sponges do not form a group, in other words do not include all. Recent phylogenetic analyses suggest that comb jellies rather than sponges are the group to the rest of animals. By the 1950s, though, these had been overfished so heavily that the industry almost collapsed, sponges and their microscopic endosymbionts are now being researched as possible sources of medicines for treating a wide range of diseases
32.
Supreme Court of Florida
–
The Supreme Court of Florida is the highest court in the U. S. state of Florida. It consists of seven members—the Chief Justice and six Justices and they are chosen from five districts around the state to foster geographic diversity, with two members selected at-large. The Justices are appointed by the Governor to set terms that do not exceed six years, afterward they serve six-year terms and remain in office if retained in the general election near the end of each term. Citizens vote on whether they want to retain each Justice in office, Chief Justices are elected by the members of the Court to two-year terms that end in every even-numbered year. Chief Justices can succeed themselves in office if re-elected by the other Justices, the Court is the final arbiter of Florida law, and its decisions are binding authority for all other Florida state courts and for federal courts when they apply Florida law. In most instances, the appeal from the Florida Supreme Court is to the U. S. Supreme Court on questions of federal law. Established upon statehood in 1845, the court is headquartered across Duval Street from the capitol in Tallahassee. Throughout the courts history it has undergone many reorganizations as Floridas population has grown, the Florida Supreme Court has heard many historic cases, most notably the 2000 presidential election Florida recount case Bush v. Gore. After Floridas entrance into the union in 1845, and the ratification of the States first Constitution and it is the successor to the Florida Territorial Court of Appeals and the court system that existed under Spain prior to the acquisition of Florida through the Adams-Onis Treaty. Though the constitution created a Supreme Court, it vested it with no judges, in 1853, another constitutional amendment was adopted that provided for the popular election of Justices to serve six-year terms. Following the Civil War and the adoption of the 1868 Constitution, Justices were appointed by the Governor, in 1885, the state returned to elected justices. In the early 1970s, more than half the justices resigned over corruption probes. In 1975, Florida Supreme Court Justice David L. McCain tampered with a court decision on behalf of campaign supporters. Faced with impeachment proceedings, he resigned, in 1976, the state returned to appointed justices when the current merit retention system was put in place. In 2004, the court had a backlog of 1,544 cases, in 2011, there was a backlog of 881 cases. The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Florida is laid out in Article V of the Florida Constitution, the Supreme Court of Florida has appellate jurisdiction that is discretionary in most cases and mandatory in a few cases. In some matters, the Court has original jurisdiction, meaning that the case can begin, the Court also has some forms of exclusive jurisdiction, meaning that it is the only court or government body that can decide the issue. The Florida Constitution, Article V, establishes mandatory jurisdiction for the following, in such instances, the Florida Supreme Court directly reviews Florida Circuit Court decisions, skipping the intermediate Florida District Courts of Appeal
33.
Thomas Harrison Provenzano
–
Thomas Harrison Provenzano was a convicted murderer executed by means of lethal injection by the state of Florida. Provenzano believed he was Jesus Christ and also compared his execution with Christs crucifixion, Provenzano had been charged with disorderly conduct five months earlier and had gone to the Court House with the intention of shooting the officer who had charged him. He killed 60-year-old Deputy Sheriff William Arnie Wilkerson, a retired Navy Lt. Commander who had served 14 years with the Sheriffs Department, 53-year-old Deputy Sheriff Harry Dalton was wounded and suffered brain damage becoming partially paralyzed eventually dying from his injuries 7 years later in 1991. 19 year old Correctional Officer Mark Parker was hit in the spine, Parker eventually died in March 2009 due to complications from his injuries. Provenzano would be guilty and sentenced to death for the attack. In 1999, the state of Florida heard a petition from Provenzano that argued that the chair was a cruel. He also said that he heard air moving through Whites lips and throat, but even after the execution by electric chair of Allen Lee Davis had caused many irregularities, the constitutionality of the electric chair remained upheld. However, by the time the inmate following Davis was to be executed, everyone executed in Florida following Davis thus far has chosen lethal injection. Provenzano’s eventual execution was carried out using a lethal injection protocol subsequently adopted by the Florida state legislature, Provenzano had spent almost 16 years on death row before being executed at Florida State Prison in Starke on June 21,2000. He was the 48th murderer executed in Florida since that states reintroduction of the penalty in 1976. List of individuals executed in Florida Capital punishment in the United States List of people who have claimed to be Jesus Inmate Release Information Detail – Inmate 094542, clarence T. Johnson, Jr. Order Upholding Constitutionality of the Electric Chair. Death Penalty, Provenzano and Mental Illness at the Wayback Machine, archived from the original on 2002-06-26. Killer Who Said He Was Jesus Is Executed, convicted murderer executed at the Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 2000-07-11, a website with many copies of news articles about Provenzano
34.
Jeb Bush
–
John Ellis Jeb Bush Sr. is an American businessman and politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. Bush, who grew up in Houston, is the son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush. He graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and attended the University of Texas, in 1980, he moved to Florida and pursued a career in real estate development, and in 1986 became Floridas Secretary of Commerce until 1988. At that time, he joined his fathers campaign for the Presidency. In 1994, Bush made his first run for office, losing the election for governor by less than two points to the incumbent, Lawton Chiles. Bush ran again in 1998 and defeated Lieutenant Governor Buddy MacKay with 55 percent of the vote and he ran for reelection in 2002, defeating Bill McBride and winning with 56 percent, to become Floridas first two-term Republican governor. Bush announced his candidacy on June 15,2015. He suspended his campaign on February 20,2016, shortly after the South Carolina primary, Bush later made headlines by joining a group of Republicans who opposed the GOP nominee for President, Donald Trump. Jeb Bush was born on February 11,1953 in Midland, when he was six years old, the family relocated to the Tanglewood neighborhood of Houston, Texas. The nickname Jeb is composed of his initials J. E. B and he grew up with two younger brothers, Neil and Marvin, one younger sister, Dorothy, and one older brother, George, who is seven years older. Jeb Bush initially attended Grady Elementary School in Houston, Bush completed ninth grade in Houston, but was advised to repeat it at Andover, and was nearly expelled due to poor grades. Bush recreationally used marijuana, hashish, and cigarettes during his school years, although he made the honor roll by the end of his senior year. While in Mexico, he met his wife, Columba Garnica Gallo. Bush, who had largely avoided criticizing or supporting the Vietnam War, registered for the draft after his graduation from high school in 1971. In the fourth and final lottery drawing, on February 2,1972, for men born in 1953 and to be inducted during 1973. But no new orders were issued after 1972, because the U. S. changed to an all-volunteer military beginning in 1973. Though many in his family had attended Yale University, Bush chose to attend the University of Texas at Austin and he played on the Texas Longhorns varsity tennis team in 1973. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin with a B. A. in Latin American studies and he completed his coursework in two and a half years
35.
Georgia State Prison
–
Georgia State Prison is the main maximum security facility in the state of Georgia for the Georgia Department of Corrections. First opened in 1938, the prison has housed some of some of the most dangerous inmates in the states history, today the facility houses 1550 inmates, with a wide range of security levels from Trusty to Hi-Maximum. The current warden is Marty Allen The prison stands at 300 1st Avenue South in Reidsville, the states extensive farm operation, Rogers State Prison, is also in Reidsville about three miles away. The facility was designed by Atlanta architects Tucker & Howell, the modern classic architecture included a central tower and courtyard, and frieze by Julian Harris titled Rehabilitation depicting trades and occupations. The building has been renovated and expanded since. One of the prisoners executed here was Lena Baker, an African American maid from Cuthbert, Georgia, killed in March 1945, she remains the only woman electrocuted by the state. From 1964 until 1976 the U. S. Supreme Court suspended executions, then in June 1980 Georgias site of execution was moved to the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison near Jackson, Georgia in Butts County. A new electric chair was installed in place of the previous one, also on display are prison documents containing names, authorizations, and last statements of the prisoners. In the 1940s and 1950s, volunteers were offered $25 to flip the switches which would start the flow of electricity, inmates would often be doused with saltwater to speed up their deaths, which often took minutes. Georgia State Prison was the first US prison to be accredited by the American Medical Association, the facility was the filming location of the film, The Longest Yard, which starred Burt Reynolds, Eddie Albert, and James Hampton. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was transferred from the Dekalb County Jail in Decatur, Georgia, to Georgia State Prison in Reidsville and he was released on October 27,1960 on a $2,000 bond. Until recently, GSP housed radical activist H, rap Brown, now known as Jamil Al-Amin. Al-Amin was the chairman of SNCC in the late 1960s, in 2007, he was transferred to a federal facility where he now resides. The facility also housed Wayne Williams and he is now at Telfair State Prison Interview with E. B. Caldwell, Warden at GSP, 1971–1974 Georgia Department Of Corrections Georgia State Prison State of Georgia
36.
Hanging
–
Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck. Hanging has been a method of capital punishment since medieval times. The first account of execution by hanging was in Homers Odyssey, in this specialised meaning of the common word hang, the past and past participle is hanged instead of hung. Hanging is also a method of suicide in which a person applies a ligature to the neck and brings about unconsciousness. There are four ways of performing a judicial hanging, suspension hanging, the drop, the standard drop. A mechanised form of hanging, the upright jerker, was experimented with in the 18th century. Suspension, like the drop, causes death by using the weight of the body to tighten the noose around the trachea. Prisoners are reported to have little or no struggle before they go limp because their jugular vein and carotid arteries are blocked and blood flow to the brain is reduced. The short drop is performed by placing the condemned prisoner on the back of a cart, horse, or other vehicle, the object is then moved away, leaving the person dangling from the rope. A ladder was also used with the condemned being forced to ascend, after which the noose was tied. Another method involves using a stool, which the condemned is required to stand on, the executioner stands on a stepped platform approximately 4 feet high beside the condemned, and guides the head downward with his hand simultaneous to the efforts of his assistants. Nazi war criminal Karl Hermann Frank was also executed in this manner in 1946 in Prague and its use rapidly spread to English-speaking countries and those where judicial systems had an English origin. It was considered an improvement on the short drop because it was intended to be enough to break the persons neck, causing immediate paralysis. This method was used to execute condemned Nazis under United States jurisdiction after the Nuremberg Trials including Joachim von Ribbentrop and Ernst Kaltenbrunner. In the execution of Ribbentrop, historian Giles MacDonogh records that, The hangman botched the execution, a Life magazine report on the execution merely says, The trap fell open and with a sound midway between a rumble and a crash, Ribbentrop disappeared. The rope quivered for a time, then stood tautly straight and this process, also known as the measured drop, was introduced to Britain in 1872 by William Marwood as a scientific advance on the standard drop. The careful placement of the eye or knot of the noose contributed to breaking the neck, between 1892 and 1913, the length of the drop was shortened to avoid decapitation. After 1913, other factors were taken into account
37.
Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Center
–
Opened in 1968, Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison is a Georgia Department of Corrections prison for men in unincorporated Butts County, Georgia, near Jackson. The prison holds the state execution chamber, the equipment was moved to the prison in June 1980. The prison houses the death row, while female death row inmates resided in the Metro State Prison until it was closed in 2011 due to state budget cuts. The prison, the largest in the state, consists of eight cellblocks containing both double-bunked and single-bunked cells, there are also eight dormitories and a medical unit. The prison conducts diagnostic processing for the correctional system, houses male offenders under death sentence. The prison complex also contains a special management unit that houses some of the most aggressive, the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison serves as a central hub where sentenced felons begin the process of being admitted into the Georgia State Correctional System. Numerous county jails are paid by the state to house sentenced felons until space becomes available in the prison system, sentenced felons may spend years in local jails until housing space becomes available in the state prison system. While at GDCP, inmates are either in the process of being classified and tested and those inmates who are permanents will serve their entire sentence at the GDCP, while the remainder of inmates will be tested and then moved to other prisons based on their classifications. Based on published research statistics by the Georgia Department of Corrections, inmates who are being diagnosed and classified undergo a battery of tests, Georgia Department of Corrections male Death Row inmates are housed at the GDCP. The latest report shows a total of ninety-six male felons currently housed on Georgias Death Row, women under the sentence of death are housed at the Arrendale State Prison. On December 15,1983 the first execution at GDCP occurred, the Death House is an isolated structure where state ordered executions are carried out. The house is a fortified building, accessed only through the prison yard. Upon entry to the Death House, witnesses to executions are immediately located in a room, approximately 20 X20. When seated, a window is seen directly in front of the first row of benches. An access door to the left of the viewing window leads to the execution room, immediately to the right of the observation room is a storage area that houses the non-functional electric chair that was used before the implementation of lethal injection. The execution room proper is approximately 8 X12 and is occupied by a gurney outfitted with sheets, continuing through the execution room, there is a holding room off the right side as viewed from the observation room with a single-cell complex. The Death Watch cell consists of a holding cell, with a sink, toilet. There is an observation area immediately outside of the cell where two corrections officers are assigned to 24/7 security detail once an inmate is placed on Death Watch
38.
Lena Baker
–
Lena Baker was an African American maid in Cuthbert, Georgia who was convicted of capital murder of her white employer, Ernest Knight. She was executed by the state of Georgia in 1945, Baker was the only woman in Georgia to be executed by electrocution. The slaying and execution came during a period of state suppression of civil rights of black citizens in Georgia by the white-dominated society. It had disenfranchised blacks since the turn of the century, and imposed legal racial segregation, at the time of the trial, a local newspaper reported that Baker was held as a slave woman by Knight, and that she shot him in self-defense during a struggle. In 2005, sixty years after her execution, the state of Georgia granted Baker a full, a biography was published about Baker in 2001, and it was adapted for the feature film The Lena Baker Story, chronicling the events of her life, trial, and execution. Lena Baker was born June 8,1900, to a family of sharecroppers and raised near Cuthbert and her family, which included three siblings, moved to the county seat when she was a child. As a youth, she and her siblings all worked as farm laborers, by the 1940s, Baker was the mother of three children and worked as a maid to support her family. In 1944, Baker started working for Ernest Knight, a white man who had broken his leg. He owned a gristmill and, after started a sexual relationship. Knights son and townspeople disliked their relationship, and tried to end it through threatening Baker, one night an argument between the two ensued, during which Knight threatened Baker with an iron bar. As she tried to escape, they struggled over his pistol and she shot and she immediately reported the incident and said she had acted in self-defense. Lena Baker was charged with murder and stood trial on August 14,1944. The trial was presided over by Judge William Two Gun Worrill, at her trial, Baker testified that Knight forced her to go with him on that Saturday evening of April 29. The town disliked their relationship and the county sheriff had warned her to stay away from Knight. But she was afraid of Knights physical abuse, he had forced relations on her and his son had also beat her on another occasion, warning her to stay away from his father. Baker said she got away from Knight that night and slept in the woods, as she returned to Cuthbert the next morning, Knight cornered her, taking her to the gristmill and locking her in. When Knight returned, Baker told him she was leaving, according to Baker, they tussled over the pistol, after he threatened her with an iron bar. She immediately reported it to J. A, cox, the county coroner who had previously employed her
39.
Guillotine
–
A guillotine is an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame in which a weighted and angled blade is raised to the top, the condemned person is secured with stocks at the bottom of the frame, positioning the neck directly below the blade. The blade is released, to fall swiftly and forcefully decapitating the victim with a single pass so that the head falls into a basket below. The name dates from period, but similar devices had been used elsewhere in Europe over several centuries. The guillotine continued to be used long after the revolution and remained Frances standard method of execution until the abolition of capital punishment in 1981. The last person to be executed in France was Hamida Djandoubi, the use of beheading machines in Europe long predates such use in the French revolution in 1792. An early example of the principle is found in the High History of the Holy Grail, although the device is imaginary, its function is clear. The text says, Within these three openings are the set for them. And behold what I would do to them if their three heads were therein, even thus will I cut off their heads when they shall set them into those three openings thinking to adore the hallows that are beyond. The Halifax Gibbet was a structure of two wooden uprights, capped by a horizontal beam, of a total height of 4.5 metres. The blade was an axe head weighing 3.5 kg, attached to the bottom of a wooden block that slid up. This device was mounted on a square platform 1.25 metres high. It is not known when the Halifax Gibbet was first used, the first recorded execution in Halifax dates from 1280, the machine remained in use until Oliver Cromwell forbade capital punishment for petty theft. It was used for the last time, for the execution of two criminals on a day, on 30 April 1650. Holinsheds Chronicles of 1577 included a picture of The execution of Murcod Ballagh near to Merton in Ireland 1307 showing a similar execution machine, the Maiden was constructed in 1564 for the Provost and Magistrates of Edinburgh, and was in use from April 1565 to 1710. One of those executed was James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, in 1581, Schmidt recommended using an angled blade as opposed to a round one. On 10 October 1789, physician Joseph-Ignace Guillotin proposed to the National Assembly that capital punishment always take the form of decapitation by means of a simple mechanism, sensing the growing discontent, Louis XVI banned the use of the breaking wheel. A committee was formed under Antoine Louis, physician to the King, Guillotin was also on the committee
40.
Organ donation
–
Organ donation is when a person allows to be removed, legally, either by consent while the donor is alive or after death with the assent of the next of kin. Donation may be for research, or, more commonly healthy transplantable organs, common transplantations include, kidneys, heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, lungs, bones, bone marrow, skin, and corneas. Some organs and tissues can be donated by living donors, such as a kidney or part of the liver, as of August 1,2016, there are 120,004 people waiting for life-saving organ transplants in the US. Of these,96,645 await kidney transplants, while views of organ donation are positive there is a large gap between the numbers of registered donors compared to those awaiting organ donations on a global level. Organ donors are usually dead at the time of donation, on the day of the donation, the donor and the recipient arrive at the hospital, just like they would for any other major surgery. For dead donors, the process begins with verifying that the person is dead, determining whether any organs could be donated. The verification of death is normally done by a neurologist that is not involved in the attempts to save the patients life. This physician has nothing to do with the transplantation process, verification of death is often done multiple times, to prevent doctors from overlooking any remaining sign of life, however small. After death, the hospital may keep the body on a mechanical ventilator, Donors and their families are not charged for any expenses related to the donation. The surgical process depends upon which organs are being donated, after the surgeons remove the organs, they are transported as quickly as possible to the recipient, for immediate transplantation. Most organs only survive outside the body for a few hours, the first living organ donor in a successful transplant was Ronald Lee Herrick, who donated a kidney to his identical twin brother in 1954. The lead surgeon, Joseph Murray, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1990 for advances in organ transplantation. The youngest organ donor was a baby with anencephaly, born in 2015, the oldest known organ donor was a 107-year-old Scottish woman, whose corneas were donated after her death in 2016. The oldest known organ donor for an organ was a 92-year-old Texas man. The oldest altruistic living organ donor was an 85-year-old woman in Britain, researchers were able to develop a novel way to transplant human fetal kidneys into anephric rats to overcome a significant obstacle in impeding human fetal organ transplantations. The human fetal kidneys demonstrated both growth and function within the rats, because there are no known cures for many brain disorders, a high priority is given to research designed to improve the scientific understanding of healthy brain tissue to try to find new treatments. This is to research is thorough, as it is important to have access to brain tissues from people who did not have the diseases being studied for comparison. These unaffected tissues are known as ‘control tissues’, a short A BBB video appeal was published in early 2017 The laws of different countries allow potential donors to permit or refuse donation, or give this choice to relatives
41.
Kentucky State Penitentiary
–
It is managed by the Kentucky Department of Corrections. Completed in 1886, it is Kentuckys oldest prison facility and the only state-owned facility with supermax units, the penitentiary houses Kentuckys male death row inmates and the states execution facility. As of 2015 it had approximately 350 staff members and an operating budget of 20 million dollars. Former Confederate States brigadier general and Eddyville native Hylan Benton Lyon was the force behind the Kentucky State Branch Penitentiary being located in what is now Old Eddyville. A hill overlooking the Cumberland River was chosen as the site for the new prison, construction of the Kentucky State Branch Penitentiary began in 1884, using massive granite blocks quarried from a site down the Cumberland. Italian stonemasons were recruited to erect the buildings, which resemble medieval castles. The prison officially opened in 1889 and it was the second prison built in the state, the first being the Kentucky State Prison in Frankfort, which was opened in 1798. When the Kentucky State Penitentiary was built, the Kentucky State Prison was renamed the Kentucky State Reformatory, Kentucky State Penitentiary - Kentucky Department of Corrections Before the penitentiary was built, prison life in Kentucky was horrific. An 1875 study showed that 20 percent of the inmates in the Kentucky State Prison had pneumonia, the prison was a place of slime covered walls, open sewage, and graveyard coughs. Approximately seventy of the prisoners had died in 1875. Prison life was something that Kentucky officials had never focused on until Governor Luke P. Blackburn. He was elected governor in 1879 and immediately got the legislature to approve of a new prison, by 1889, the penitentiary was overcrowded. The General Assembly allowed some inmates to work outside of prison walls, in the first few years, around half of the fifty inmates working outside of the prison managed to escape. Abuse rates by the guards and over-seers against the prisoners were at their highest ever, finally, in the early 1890s, this law was abolished and all inmates were forced to stay in the penitentiary. In 1909, a law was created so that the inmates were no longer required to wear stripes, inmates would wear baggy denim pants and jackets, cloth hats, and cotton shirts. They also would have numbers stenciled on their backs, although this was passed, the ball and chain would still be used as punishment for prison offenders until 1940. In the 1940s, the prison began to get rid of all of the convicts under age eighteen, most of them were sent to the reformatory. The main issue with the Kentucky State Penitentiary in this period was the correctional officer force, always low in numbers, on June 17,1988, eight convicts, three being murderers on death row, escaped from the Kentucky State Penitentiary
42.
Eddyville, Kentucky
–
Eddyville is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,554 at the 2010 census, up from 2,350 in 2000, the Kentucky State Penitentiary is located at Eddyville. Eddyville, the seat of Lyon County, was settled around 1798 and it became the seat of Livingston County when it was formed in 1799, then the seat of Caldwell County upon its formation in 1809, and finally the seat of Lyon County upon its establishment in 1854. Thus, it holds the distinction of being the city in Kentucky to have served as the county seat of three separate counties. The Eddyville post office opened in 1801, taking six years to build, the massive stone prison structure towers over Lake Barkley and is sometimes called The Castle on the Cumberland. Executions are still held at the prison, although there have only been three since 1976 and only one since 1999, the primary method has been changed to lethal injection. Following the completion of Kentucky Dam in the 1940s, rumors began that a dam would be built on the lower Cumberland and this meant relocating Eddyville and Kuttawa. By the mid-1950s, the fears were confirmed. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers began surveying for the construction of Barkley Dam, the entire population of Eddyville was in a turmoil with decisions to be made. This ordeal caused many angry feelings among some of the residents and it was about this time that Lee S. Jones entered the picture. Jones had purchased farms in the Fairview community and he came to the Eddyville City Council and presented his plan, each person owning land in the towns to be flooded would receive a free lot in the new Eddyville site. Eddyville residents accepted his offer and on August 13,1959, the plat included 254 residential lots,46 business lots,28 acres for construction of a school and campus, city park, courthouse, health office, water works, and location of streets. August 28,1959, was designated as Dedication and Free Deed Day at the new site, a large group of people gathered for the event which was held in a field. Mr. Jones handed the first deed to Boyce and Lillian Yates, the first house to be built in the new town was the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. I. The first business to be built was the Kentucky Utilities office, during the time of building, Eddyville was booming and, with the impoundment of Lake Barkley in the 1960s, tourists began making their way into the area for the abundance of fish and boating. The influx of tourists did not happen as rapidly as most people had envisioned and hoped, although campgrounds and marinas were springing up around the lake, the city was struggling. December 1988 brought the ground breaking for the West Kentucky Outlet Mall, three brothers, Bob, Darrell and Ben Jent purchased a tract of land in the city limits of Eddyville and started construction of a mall, which opened the following fall with ten stores. Within a short time the mall would boast a total of nearly 50 stores, the opening of the mall brought a surge of progress to Eddyville, and all types of businesses began to move into the city
43.
Sing Sing
–
It is located about 30 miles north of New York City on the east bank of the Hudson River. In 1970, the name of the facility was changed to Ossining Correctional Facility but, in 1985, Sing Sing was derived from the name of a Native American Nation, Sinck Sinck, from whom the land was purchased in 1685. Sing Sing prison confines about 1,700 prisoners, there are plans to convert the original 1825 cell block into a time specific museum. The prison property is bisected by the Metro-North Railroads four-track Hudson Line, Sing Sing was the fifth prison built by New York State. The first prison, Newgate Prison, was built in 1797 in Greenwich Village, in 1824, the New York Legislature gave Elam Lynds, warden of Auburn Prison and a former Army captain, the task of constructing a new, more modern prison. The legislature appropriated $20,100 to purchase the 130-acre site, Lynds hand-selected 100 inmates from the Auburn prison for transfer and had them transported by barge via the Erie Canal and down the Hudson River to freighters. On their arrival on May 14, the site was without a place to them or a wall to enclose them, temporary barracks. When it was opened in 1826, Sing Sing was considered a model prison, because it turned a profit for the state, Lynds employed the Auburn system, which imposed absolute silence on the prisoners, the system was enforced by whipping and other brutal punishments. Thomas Mott Osbornes tenure as warden of Sing Sing prison was brief, Osborne arrived in 1914 with a reputation as a radical prison reformer. His report of a week-long incognito stay inside New Yorks Auburn Prison indicted traditional prison administration in merciless detail, Prisoners who had bribed officers and intimidated other inmates lost their privileges under Osbornes regime. One of them conspired with powerful allies to destroy Osbornes reputation, even succeeding in getting him indicted for a variety of crimes. After Osborne triumphed in court, his return to Sing Sing was a cause for celebration by the inmates. Another notable warden was Lewis Lawes and he was offered the position of warden in 1919, accepted in January 1920, and remained for 20 years as Sing Sings warden. While warden, Lawes brought about reforms and turned what was described as an old hellhole into a prison with sports teams, educational programs, new methods of discipline. Several new buildings were constructed during the years Lawes was warden. Lawes retired in 1941 after 21 years as warden and died six years later, in 1943, the old cellblock was finally closed and the metal bars and doors were donated to the war effort. In 1989, the institution was accredited for the first time by the American Correctional Association, today, Sing Sing houses more than 2,000 inmates, with about 1,000 people working there and 5,000 visitors per month. The original 1825 cellblock is no longer used and in 2002 plans were announced to turn this into a museum, in April 2011 there were talks of closing the prison in favor of real estate
