ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – An online fundraising campaign has collected nearly $11,000 to cover funeral costs for a seventh grader who was struck by a car and killed while walking home from school in central Pennsylvania. Organizers of the gofundme.com page said Tuesday they’re overwhelmed by the community’s support in the …
Read More »Los Angeles police used expired court order, spent $22,000 to get killer to private dinner
LOS ANGELES – According to a report released Friday, the Los Angeles Police Department used an invalid court order and spent $22,000 to bring a jailed killer and former gang leader to speak to an exclusive dinner for private executives. The report by the inspector general of the city’s police …
Read More »4-year-old Philadelphia girl leaves home, rides transit bus in search of late-night snack
PHILADELPHIA – A four-year-old Philadelphia girl has been returned safely to her parents after slipping out of her house at 3 a.m. and getting on a transit bus in search of a snack. Bus driver Harlan Jenifer said the girl swung her legs as she chanted, “All I want is …
Read More »NYC jail watchdog board votes for restrictive Rikers Island housing units, solitary reforms
NEW YORK – The agency charged with overseeing New York City jails has voted to create restrictive Rikers Island housing units for violent inmates and limit the use of solitary confinement. The change bans the use of solitary confinement for inmates younger than 21 by 2016. The Board of Correction …
Read More »Former US Postal Service worker in Oregon admits he 'just got lazy,' failed to deliver mail
EUGENE, Ore. – A former U.S. Postal Service worker who failed to deliver nearly 1,000 pieces of mail has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor mail obstruction and been sentenced to a year of probation. The Register-Guard reports (http://is.gd/64Lu9d ) that 27-year-old Alex Douma was also ordered Wednesday to pay a $500 …
Read More »Prospective juror has sympathy for Tsarnaev, says maybe 'he just made a really big mistake'
BOSTON – One prospective juror in the trial of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-HAHR’ tsahr-NEYE’-ehv) has sympathy for him, saying he’s young and she wonders if “he just made a really big mistake.” The woman said Friday during jury questioning that it would be difficult for her to …
Read More »Romania's foreign ministry red-faced after guests described as 'undesirable,' and 'ghastly'
BUCHAREST, Romania – The Romanian foreign ministry has summoned a diplomat to Bucharest after its embassy in Paris sent out invitations to a reception containing rude remarks about the guests. The embassy had emailed invitations to a reception to mark Tuesday’s visit by President Klaus Iohannis, but inadvertently attached a …
Read More »Crews recover body of Japanese woman who went missing during November fishing trip in Montana
KALISPELL, Mont. – Authorities in northern Montana have recovered the body of a Japanese woman who went missing during a fishing trip in November. The Flathead Beacon reports (http://bit.ly/1AD5lSV ) that 75-year-old Fuki Nishibayashi’s (FOO’-kee nish-uh-BY’-ashee) body was found Tuesday in Mission Lake near Cut Bank. Three people were believed …
Read More »Coroner: Mississippi official fatally shot himself before court appearance in corruption case
GULFPORT, Miss. – Authorities say a Mississippi official who was facing federal corruption charges fatally shot himself the day he was to appear in court. Coroner Gary Hargrove says Supervisor William Martin died early Thursday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, with a note found nearby. Martin had been set to …
Read More »Canadians make 2,000-mile father-son road trip for some original Kentucky Fried Chicken
CORBIN, Ky. – Two thousand miles might seem like a long way to go for fried chicken. Two men from Canada who took their sons on a journey to the original home of Kentucky Fried Chicken say it’s a trip they’ll never forget. The Times-Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/1CKSADI ) this was …
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