Police: Woman’s remains found naked, bound in shallow grave
LANCASTER, Ky. — Police have released more details about how they found the remains of a missing Kentucky woman. Police testified in court Monday that 23-year-old Savannah Spurlock’s naked remains were found buried in a shallow grave and wrapped in a rug and garbage bags, with her feet bound. The...
Serial killer linked to Arkansas woman’s 1994 slaying
PINE BLUFF, Ark. — Authorities are investigating whether possibly the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history is behind the death of an Arkansas woman in 1994. Police in Pine Bluff say Samuel Little has confessed to the murder of Jolanda Jones. The 26-year-old woman’s death had been determined to...
Pennsylvania casinos rolling out online gambling
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania is joining the short list of states where online casino-style gambling is available. Parx Casino in suburban Philadelphia and Penn National’s Hollywood Casino near Hershey launched online gambling portals to patrons statewide as part of a three-day test watched by state regulators. Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware...
Air Force major charged with murder in death of Texas wife
SAN ANTONIO — An Air Force major based in San Antonio has been charged with murder after authorities found the remains of his wife whom he reported missing in March. Andre McDonald, 40, is being held Monday at the Bexar County jail. Bail is set at $2 million. Sheriff’s officials...
Hawaii activists protesting over start of work on telescope
MAUNA KEA, Hawaii — Hundreds of demonstrators are gathered at the base of Hawaii’s tallest mountain to protest the construction of a giant telescope on land that some Native Hawaiians consider sacred. State and local officials will try to close the road to the summit of Mauna Kea on Monday...
Authorities say 3 children killed in Ohio house fire
ASHLAND, Ohio — Fire officials say three children were killed and three other people were injured in an overnight house fire in rural north-central Ohio. Authorities said the children killed in the early Monday blaze were ages 2, 4 and 12. Three other people were hospitalized with what appeared to...
Police stop 4 kids who drove SUV 600 miles down Aussie coast
CANBERRA, Australia — Four children aged 10 to 14 packed fishing rods in a parent’s SUV, left a farewell note then drove more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) down the Australian east coast before they were stopped by police the next day after two fuel thefts and one aborted pursuit,...
Weakened Barry still poses flood, tornado risks
NEW ORLEANS — Even though Tropical Depression Barry did not unleash catastrophic flooding in Louisiana, many across the Gulf Coast were urged to take heed of tornado and flash-flood warnings Monday as the storm moved north. Barry was downgraded from a tropical storm on Sunday afternoon but continued to pose...
Man dies, wife injured in lightning strike on Colorado peak
DENVER — A Denver man has died after being struck by lightning while hiking on a Colorado peak. The Denver Post reports the 36-year-old man died while his 37-year-old wife sustained non-life threatening injuries Sunday on Bear Peak. Officials did not release their names. Officials say a call was made...
Apollo 11 moon landing had thousands working behind scenes
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — It took 400,000 people to put Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon a half-century ago. That massive workforce stretched across the U.S. and included engineers, scientists, mechanics, technicians, pilots, divers, seamstresses, secretaries and more who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to achieve...
Jeffrey Epstein will remain jailed as judge mulls bail
NEW YORK — Financier Jeffrey Epstein will remain behind bars for now as a federal judge mulls whether to grant bail on charges he sexually abused underage girls. The judge said Monday he needed more time to make a decision during a hearing Monday in New York. Federal prosecutors maintained...
Studies show older adults should be consuming more protein
Older adults need to eat more protein-rich foods when losing weight, dealing with a chronic or acute illness, or facing a hospitalization, according to a growing consensus among scientists. During these stressful periods, aging bodies process protein less efficiently and need more of it to maintain muscle mass and strength,...
Everybody who lived in Mt. Pleasant Borough knew Bill Gratzinger
There wasn’t a resident in Mt. Pleasant Borough who Bill Gratzinger didn’t know. Through his jobs as the town’s police chief and also as the head of the local volunteer fire department, Gratzinger made sure his neighbors were safe and protected. They were jobs he took seriously long after he...
Pa. schools ahead of laws governing sex assault reporting
Pennsylvania colleges and universities looking to update their policies on reporting sexual assault might want to look to the University of Pittsburgh. Pitt made significant revisions to its policies on reporting sexual assault and harassment more than three years ago. It is among several colleges and universities that had similar...
Researchers to look for more graves at Florida reform school
TALLAHASSEE — A former Florida Panhandle reform school known for horrific abuse, where the remains of 55 people were unearthed after the state shut its doors, might have more grisly mysteries underneath its grounds. University of South Florida forensic anthropologist Dr. Erin Kimmerle will be back at the former Dozier...
Russian opposition rallies for Moscow election candidatesVideo
MOSCOW — Russian opposition leaders led a rally in Moscow of about 1,000 people Sunday to protest the city election commission’s decision that will keep several opposition candidates off the ballot in a local election. The unsanctioned rally was billed as a meeting between opposition leaders and voters after the...
Joe Biden campaigns as Obamacare’s top defender
Joe Biden is taking an aggressive approach to defending Obamacare, challenging not just President Trump but also some of his rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination who want to replace the current insurance system with a fully government-run model. The former vice president will spend much of the coming week...
Chevron ordered to halt oil spill into California canyon
SAN FRANCISCO — California regulators say Chevron has not done enough to stop a massive oil spill that dumped about 800,000 gallons of crude oil and water into a Kern County canyon, and they want the company to take further action to halt the flow. The seep out of the...
Man charged after 21-hour standoff atop old blast furnace
BETHLEHEM — A man who climbed atop the rusting blast furnace at a former eastern Pennsylvania steel mill, prompting evacuation of an arts and entertainment venue now at the site, is now facing a felony charge of risking a catastrophe. Jonathan David Wallace, 25, of Mertztown was also charged Sunday...
Decorated soldier dies in combat operations in Afghanistan
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A decorated Special Forces company sergeant major has died during combat in Afghanistan, U.S. military officials said Sunday. James G. “Ryan” Sartor, 40, was killed Saturday during combat operations in Faryab Province, according to Lt. Col. Loren Bymer, spokesman for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command....
Ohio spends $4M to clean up 396,000 bags of roadside litter
CINCINNATI — Ah, the open road. Sunshine. The wind in your hair. Miles and miles of — garbage. Every year, the Ohio Department of Transportation picks up heaps and heaps of trash from the side of the road. In 2018, it was more than 396,000 trash bags full. And that’s...
Churches jump into action with threat of immigration sweeps
CHICAGO — Religious leaders across the country used their pulpits Sunday to quell concerns in immigrant communities and spring into action as nationwide immigration enforcement sweeps loomed. A Chicago priest talked during his homily about the compassion of a border activist accused of harboring illegal immigrants, while another city church...
Man dies after being infected with flesh-eating bacteria in Florida
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Tennessee man died this week after being infected with a flesh-eating bacteria during a trip to a Florida beach. According to news reports, the man became ill shortly after returning from vacation in Destin Beach where he was visiting family for the 4th of July. Cheryl...
A healthy lifestyle may offset genetic risk for Alzheimer’s
LOS ANGELES — A healthy lifestyle can cut your risk of developing Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia even if you have genes that raise your risk for these mind-destroying diseases, a large study has found. People with high genetic risk and poor health habits were about three times more...
Trump defends border detention camps
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is defending the conditions of the border detention facilities visited by Vice President Mike Pence on Friday. Trump tweeted Sunday, saying the children’s rooms were “well run and clean” while the men’s facilities were “clean but crowded.” The president’s account flies in the face of...
