May 19, 2022 4:13 am
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) – The man accused of opening fire on a Southern California church congregation because of his political hatred for Taiwan sent a newspaper a seven-volume diary before the attack. The Chinese-language World Journal bureau in the Los Angeles area said it received the stacks of photocopied pages and a flash drive on Monday – a day after David Chou allegedly opened fire on people at a luncheon at a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods. The paper didn’t report details of what was in the handwritten Chinese pages but the title referred to a “destroying angel” opposed to Taiwan’s independence from China. The documents were turned over to police. Chou is charged with killing one man and wounding seven other people. He has not yet entered a plea.
May 19, 2022 4:12 am
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – The white man accused of killing 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket appeared briefly in court Thursday after a grand jury indicted him on a first-degree murder charge. Assistant district attorney Gary Hackbush said the indictment of 18-year-old Payton Gendron was handed up Wednesday. He was silent throughout the proceeding and sent back to jail. Someone shouted “Payton you’re a coward!” as he was led out. Ten people were killed and three others wounded in the Saturday shooting at the Tops Friendly Market in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Buffalo. Authorities are continuing to investigate the possibility of hate crime and terrorism charges.
May 19, 2022 4:11 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Vote counting in Pennsylvania’s Republican primary for U.S. Senate has dragged into a third day as Dr. Mehmet Oz and former hedge fund CEO David McCormick remain essentially tied with tens of thousands of ballots left to tally. Oz led McCormick by 1,240 votes as of midday Thursday. The race remains close enough to trigger Pennsylvania’s automatic recount law, and Oz’s margin has narrowed. Pennsylvania’s Department of State, which oversees elections, says there are about 51,000 mail-in and absentee ballots – 17,000 in the Republican primary – left to be counted. Oz and McCormick have said they believe victory is near.
May 19, 2022 4:07 am
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – A man who found a woman’s body in his motel room says he hasn’t been able to sleep because he can still see her face when he closes his eyes. “I peeped around the bathroom corner. I saw the shadow, kind of looked around the bathroom door and I saw her there. And then I ran out the door and screamed, ‘She’s dead in here,’” said Tommy Pendland. He says he found a 42-year-old woman’s body after checking into his room at the Rodeway Inn in South Strabane Township on Saturday. He tells our news partners at Channel 11 other guests complained about the odor coming from that room. “Like I saw little kids’ stuff, a duffel bag, the drug stuff over here and then that smell, and I just put everything together,” said Pendland. South Strabane Police responded to the motel and are investigating. Officers say the way the woman’s body was decomposing — she probably had been dead for days.
May 19, 2022 2:21 am
In the following Facebook post on Thursday, a longtime favorite restaurant in Washington announced that they would be closing their doors: “After more than 70 years in the community, it is with a heavy and grateful heart that we are announcing the closing of Tower Restaurant. We were lucky enough to have generations come through our doors and have loved serving you for over seven decades. From the food you’ve loved to the great times with our community, we will miss you! As we head off into retirement, we welcome your memories of the restaurant (or anything else you’d like to share). From our family to yours, we can’t thank you enough for all the good times!” The post did not say when they would officially close and attempts to contact them have not been successful. (Photo: Tripadvisor)
May 19, 2022 2:16 am
(WPXI) – A Commonwealth Court judge granted a preliminary injunction that essentially bars the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation from moving forward with plans to toll I-79 and eight other bridges across the state. PennDOT revealed a private-public partnership to toll a section of I-79 near Bridgeville to raise money to repair and replace the bridges and interchanges. They also proposed a similar plan for eight other state bridges. The judge issued the ruling Wednesday in a case that was brought forth by Cumberland County about the tolling of Interstate 83. Cumberland County said the state failed to follow the proper steps to approve the partnership. The judge agreed with the county, issuing the ruling that bans PennDOT from taking any further action with the plans to toll Interstate 83 and the eight other bridges, including the one in Bridgeville.
May 18, 2022 12:13 pm
MIAMI (AP) – “The Greatest Show on Earth” is making a comeback – without animal acts – five years after shutting down its three-ring circus. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey announced Wednesday that their show will go on in September 2023. It will be interactive, featuring audience engagement, and celebrate performers from around the world, displaying what it calls “incredible feats that push the limits of human potential.” The Florida-based company says it is conducting a global talent search, with rehearsals beginning next month for a tour next year that will visit more than 50 cities in North America. (Photo: Wikipedia)
May 18, 2022 4:27 am
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) – The roommate of the man charged with the mass shooting at a Southern California church says Chou was quiet and kind during the three months they lived together. Police say 68-year-old David Wenwei Chou was motivated by hatred of Taiwan when he opened fire Sunday on a congregation of mainly elderly Taiwanese. Jordin Davis lived with Chou in Las Vegas. He told The Associated Press Tuesday that Chou only spoke about Taiwan once less than two weeks ago. Chou was born and raised in Taiwan. Davis says Chow believed that the Taiwanese government was corrupt. Chou is charged with murder and attempted murder in the shooting that killed one and wounded five.
May 18, 2022 4:26 am
CONKLIN, N.Y. (AP) – Classmates and neighbors of the Buffalo shooting suspect say they never saw the violent and angry side that allegedly fueled his racist massacre over the weekend that killed 10 Black people. Payton Gendron was described as quiet, socially awkward and isolated in his high school senior year. But there was one troubling sign. Gendron threatened “murder-suicide” in an economics class a year ago, and had a mental health evaluation. He was released after a day and a half and fell off the radar of investigators. He is now jailed on a murder charge under suicide watch.
May 18, 2022 4:25 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A new report says decisions by Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden to pull all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan were the key factors in the collapse of that nation’s military, leading to the Taliban takeover last year. The report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction mirrors assertions made by senior Pentagon and military leaders. Those contentions came in the aftermath of the U.S. troop withdrawal that ended last August in the chaotic evacuation of Americans and other civilians from the embattled country. Military leaders have said they recommended leaving about 2,500 U.S. troops in the country, but that plan was not approved.
