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Hi-tech treasure hunting is now available through Bruce and Grey County libraries in Ontario, Canada. Geo-caching kits are available with just a library card. The Bruce Grey Trail Network is partnering with the Grey Bruce Health Unit to put the kits in libraries. The Trail Network's Ray Gilbert says it's directed towards young people to get them active and have some fun. The kits available at select Bruce and Grey County libraries have everything needed to start geo-caching.

According to the Ann Arbor News, it was simply part of an Internet-based scavenger hunt.

But the Tupperware-like container wrapped in duct tape near the historic Ypsilanti water tower created quite a stir Thursday.

The two-hour event began at about 10 a.m. Thursday when Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority workers found the container while trimming bushes next to the water tower.

Police Chief Matt Harshberger said the small container was left at the base of the historical marker sign next to the tower at Cross Street and Washtenaw Avenue.

A State Police bomb squad team used a robot to get a close-up view of the container through a camera and prod the package.

Harshberger said the bomb squad didn't believe the container was an explosive - but just to be safe, they donned protective gear and opened it. Inside was a typical "geocaching" logbook and "treasures," which are usually worthless trinkets.

Since about 2000, geocachers on all seven continents, including Antarctica, have been using GPS units to track down "caches" listed online and claim the treasures.

Harshberger said police took the container, and officers are attempting to contact the person who placed it.

They'll suggest ways to play the game without prompting fears of a bomb, Harshberger said. The chief said no criminal charges are anticipated.

Traffic resumed at about noon.

The Washington Post has an interesting article today regarding the use of GPS tracking devices by law enforcement. Many agencies are starting to use the devices to track suspect's vehicles. The question raised is does the use of the GPS tracking device violate your rights? Many states allow law enforcement to place the device on a vehicle without a warrant. The vehicle does have to be parked on public, not private, land. So if you park your car in your own driveway, and not on a street,  you are ok.

The article follows the case of David Lee Foltz, Jr., who is accused of attacking women in a DC suburb of Virginia. They put a Global Positioning System device on Foltz's van, which allowed them to track his movements. Police said they soon caught Foltz dragging a woman into a wooded area in Falls Church. After his arrest on Feb. 6, the string of assaults suddenly stopped. The break in the case relied largely on a crime-fighting tool they would rather not discuss.

Foltz' attorney filed Freedom of Information Act requests with every police department in Virginia, asking about their use of unwarranted GPS tracking. Most departments said they had never used the device. About two dozen refused to respond.

Barry Steinhardt, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's technology and liberty program, considers GPS monitoring, along with license plate readers, toll transponders and video cameras with face-recognition technology, part of the same trend toward "an always-on, surveillance society." "Things that would have seemed fantastic 15 years ago are now routine," he said. "We have to rethink what is a reasonable expectation of privacy."

The United States Supreme Court has yet to rule on unwarranted GPS tracking devices. What do you think of the use of these devices by law enforcement?

A man authorities believe to be involved in the death of 23-year-old Michelle Ashlee Dickson is fighting extradition to Oregon, where the woman's body was discovered beneath the state's tallest bridge.

Twenty-seven-year-old Josiah Miller is facing charges in Curry County, Ore. for abuse of a corpse but authorities are investigating Dickson's death as a homicide.

Miller, or Arcata, was arrested on July 24, the same day Dickson's body was found by several geocachers beneath the Thomas Creek Bridge in Oregon. The Del Norte County sheriff's office says Miller was the last person known to have seen Dickson—the two were acquaintances—and that tests are being conducted on blood evidence found in his car.

Miller is being held on the current charges while the homicide investigation continues. Investigators from both states are also waiting for evidence from cell phone records that would help determine where Dickson and Miller were on the evening Dickson disappeared.

Michelle_dickson

Read more about the initial discovery of the body of Michelle Ashlee Dickson here.

The Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Bomb Squad confiscated a suspicious item in July at the UTPB CEED Building in Midland County, Texas.

The item was an ammo box and apparently still displayed the words blasting caps. When will geocachers ever learn?

Police later determined that the item was a Geocache game and was found to be safe.  

A cleaning crew Personnel noticed 2 men and a woman left behind what appeared to be a suspicious package. The

Midland Scare

cleaning crew personnel notified the Director of the CEED Building who then notified UTPB Police.

The CEED Building was evacuated as a safety precaution. The Midland Police Bomb Squad Unit later arrived and used their bomb robot to take x-rays of the package and found it to be safe.

Police are still searching for the three people involved in the case. See story with video here.

Take a a glimpse at this article on learning the rules of the game.

About.com has a great online article ABOUT geocaching with kids. The article starts with the obvious: Ask your children if they want to go outdoors for a hike, and you'll likely hear moans of protest as they turn back to their screens. Invite them on a high-tech treasure hunt for a "geocache," (pronounced geo-cash) and they'll start peppering you with questions as they put on their shoes and head for the door.

The article goes on to discuss the background on the hobby, getting started, and seven tips for geocaching with kids. The seven tips are:   

• Engage kids in every step, from learning to use the GPS, to selecting and finding caches.
• Bring water, bug repellent, and hats on cache hunts.
• Let kids find the cache after arriving at the coordinates.
• Educate kids on the “take one, leave one” ethic of cache treasures.
• Pack out your own trash, or better yet, show the kids a great example by packing out other trash you may find along the way.
• Bring a camera and notepad and pen (to write down numbers of trackable items).
• Integrate science, history, geography, or geology lessons.

Read the full article here.

Police are unlikely to issue a fine or lay charges after a suspicious package was found to be part of a burgeoning hobby known as geocaching.

The incident shut down a roadway and part of the transitway for four hours in July in Ottawa. The bomb squad was called in to destroy the package.The incident required the attention of the bomb squad after a metal cigar box was found near the transitway. The box was discovered to be filled with dollar-store trinkets.

At least two dozen police officers, 11 firefighters and six paramedics (with a roving medical treatment centre the size of a city bus) responded to the scene, which looked more Hollywood than Hurdman, the site where the small silver container was discovered tied to a light post in July.

A member of the public notified police and the first responders deemed it suspicious because they weren't able to see its contents without opening it.

A perimeter was set up, and a swarm of emergency service personnel descended upon the scene. An officer in a bomb suit inspected the container, and despite its "OFFICIAL GEOCACHER" label, it was destroyed by a disruptor, a robot that shoots a powerful jet of water to neutralize any electronics inside.

After the incident area geocachers met with local authorities to inform them of the hobby of geocaching. "We had such a positive meeting on Monday night with the geocachers that we both want to find a solution," said Insp. Tyrus Cameron, who was given a crash course on the game at the meeting.

Police want the containers used to be transparent so that their contents can be easily identified and not misconstrued as a threat to the public.

"We showed him (Insp. Cameron) we are normal citizens and we're not here to scare anyone," said organizer Alison Wojtas, known as Hidnseek in the geocaching community.

Insp. Cameron said the only problem is "that there are 4,000 out there right now -- some may be in transparent boxes, and some, or many, may not."

Ms. Wojtas said participants may switch some of the containers to transparent ones as they come across them, but that is only an idea at this point.

A geocacher in Ohio is helping remamber fallen soldiers. An event in August brought out numerous geocachers to pay tribute to Ohio military personnel who have been killed since 2001.  

I'm promoting keeping the memory of soldiers alive," said Arline Bennett, organizer of the event.

Saturday's event featured a potluck lunch followed by a ceremony recognizing 21 fallen Ohio military personnel."I put 21 caches out like a 21-gun salute," said Bennett.

Each cache was a tribute to a fallen Ohio soldier. Each name was read at the ceremony, and the families were given a card and inscribed dog tag.

Following the ceremony, the members were able to begin their search. Cords, or clues to the locations of the items, were given to the searchers. The items were hidden outside the camp area, along Ohio 146 and at Dillon Dam.