Nuclear protesters remain in jail By ELOISE OGDEN, Regional Editor eogden@minotdailynews.com Saturday, June 24, 2006 Minot Daily News WASHBURN – Three nuclear protesters who unlawfully entered a Minuteman III missile silo site west of Garrison earlier this week remain in the McLean County Jail in Washburn but soon will be turned over to federal authorities. Greg Boertje-Obed, 51, and Michael Walli, 57, both from Duluth, Minn., and Carl Kabat, 72, St. Louis, Mo., were arrested Tuesday at a missile launch facility west of Garrison near the community of White Shield. The men, volunteers with the Wisconsin-based Nukewatch group, currently are being held in the county jail on misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass and criminal mischief. They appeared in court in Washburn Wednesday; bond was set at $500 each, but none posted the bond. On Friday, the McLean County Sheriff's Department received detainers for the three men from federal officials who will be taking over the cases, according to Sheriff Don Charging. Further details from federal officials were not available Friday. Col. Sandra Finan, commander of the 91st Space Wing at Minot Air Force Base, at a news conference Wednesday, said the men cut a lock to enter the missile silo area, hammered on some of the external components, spray painted graffiti and hung signs. The men were wearing clown suits in pictures of their actions that were posted on a Web site. Minot AFB personnel at a nearby launch control center who monitor the missile sites around-the-clock were alerted of activities at the site near White Shield Tuesday morning. Security forces airmen went to the site and detained the three men until county law enforcement officers arrived and took them to the jail in Washburn. Finan said the underground missile's safety, security and readiness was never affected in any way at any time