October 25, 2024 4:51 am
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Some voters living in areas that have seen rainy or humid weather have reported receiving ballot return envelopes that are already sealed shut. Elections officials in several states say that moisture can dampen mail and cause the envelopes to seal. The issue has been reported in parts of North Carolina, which was devastated by Hurricane Helene, as well as in Pennsylvania, Alabama and Oregon. Elections officials say this isn’t new and that humidity has sealed return envelopes in the past. Impacted voters should contact their county elections office to confirm what their next steps should be, as rules can vary across counties and states.
October 25, 2024 2:33 am
Hurricane Helene Relief Drives are underway across our area. Businesses, groups, organizations and churches are organizing donation drives to help the victims of Hurricane Helene. Helene struck Florida on September 26th and then continued its path of destruction inland and into North Carolina and surrounding areas. For a list of donation sites and needs, click here.
October 25, 2024 2:23 am
Washington City Police are investigating an altercation at the Brew House along S. Main Street this past weekend. Chief Steve Devenney tells us that an anonymous caller reported a disturbance or fight around midnight Sunday. At this time, Devenney says no potential victims have come forward and they are asking any potential witnesses to contact detectives. Police continue to investigate but are aware of some social media posts that they cannot confirm.
October 24, 2024 5:53 pm
(AP) Prosecutors are recommending that Erik and Lyle Menendez be resentenced for the 1989 killings of their parents in Beverly Hills. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced during a Thursday news conference that his office would recommend the brothers be sentenced to 50 years to life. But he says their ages at the time of the crimes mean they will be eligible for parole immediately. The brothers were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors must now seek court approval for resentencing. The brothers admitted to the crime but said they feared their parents were about to kill them to prevent the disclosure of the father’s longtime sexual molestation of Erik Menendez.
October 24, 2024 3:09 pm
(AP) — President Joe Biden is preparing to issue an historic apology during his first diplomatic visit to a tribal nation as president on Friday. He’s planning to formally apologize for the nation’s 150-year campaign to assimilate Indigenous children by taking them away to Indian boarding school system. The system devastated the lives of generations of Indigenous children and their ancestors. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland says this is a big deal to all of Indian County. She launched an investigation that found nearly 1,000 children died at more than 500 schools during U.S. government efforts to dispossess tribal nations of their land.
October 24, 2024 5:01 am
A lucky lottery player in Georgia won the estimated $478 million Powerball jackpot on Wednesday, according to the Powerball website. Only one ticket matched all six balls. It is the seventh time a Powerball jackpot has been won in Georgia. In addition to the jackpot winner, two tickets matched the five white balls to win $1 million each. Those tickets were sold in Pennsylvania and Texas.
October 24, 2024 4:59 am
ATLANTA (AP) — With less than two weeks before Election Day, a resurgence of misinformation and conspiracy theories about voting is forcing state and local election officials to spend their time debunking rumors and explaining how elections are run. This year’s election is the first presidential contest since former President Donald Trump began spreading lies about widespread voter fraud costing him reelection in 2020. Election experts see the conspiracy theories as laying the groundwork to again challenge the election should he lose.
October 24, 2024 4:57 am
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina officials say the catastrophic flooding and destruction from Hurricane Helene likely caused at least $53 billion in damages and recovery needs in the state. Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration generated the preliminary figure in a report released Wednesday that also includes Cooper’s request to the General Assembly for $3.9 billion. The request was disclosed the day before the legislature planned to meet for a one-day session to advance additional Helene recovery legislation. Cooper says the previous record for storm damage in North Carolina was $17 billion after Hurricane Florence in 2018.
October 24, 2024 4:55 am
A food poisoning outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders was caused by a common type of E. coli bacteria that can cause serious illness and death. Particularly vulnerable are young children, older people or those with weakened immune systems. About 50 people have fallen ill in the outbreak, and one has died. Their ages range from 13 to 88. The bacteria are common in the environment, including water, food and in the intestines of animals and humans. Symptoms typically occur within two days of eating tainted food and include fever, vomiting and diarrhea.
October 24, 2024 4:53 am
SEATTLE (AP) — Boeing factory workers have voted against the company’s latest contract offer and will remain on the picket lines six weeks into a strike that has stopped production of the aerospace giant’s bestselling jetliners. Local union leaders in Seattle say 64% of the members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers voted against the proposal Wednesday. The offer included pay raises of 35% over four years. Boeing workers told Associated Press reporters the company’s refusal to restore a traditional pension plan that was frozen a decade ago is a sticking point. A spokesperson for Boeing said officials didn’t have a comment on the vote.
