WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) — The National Weather Service says two tornadoes that touched down in Pennsylvania on Wednesday night were classified as EF2, meaning they had estimated top wind speeds of 111-135 mph. Two teams of investigators went to Bradford County and to Wilkes-Barre on Thursday to determine whether damage from storms was caused by tornadoes.
Both teams reported damage consistent with EF2 tornadoes. The tornado in Wilkes-Barre damaged one of the region’s major commercial districts, destroying 11 stores and severely damaging a handful of others. Authorities say about 10 houses in Bradford County had severe to moderate damage.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bill Cosby has ousted the high-powered defense team whose aggressive tactics failed to sway jurors from convicting him of sexual assault in April. Cosby’s spokesman Andrew Wyatt said Thursday that Tom Mesereau and the rest of the retrial team have been replaced by a Philadelphia-area defense attorney with experience handling sex crimes cases. The new lawyer, Joseph Green, didn’t immediately return a message.
Wyatt wouldn’t say why the change was made. Cosby is scheduled for sentencing Sept. 24 on three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and assaulting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004.
The charges will likely be combined into one charge that carries a standard sentence of five to 10 years in prison. The 80-year-old comedian has been on house arrest since his conviction.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania utility regulators voted Thursday to let a pipeline resume transporting liquid fuels in the Philadelphia suburbs, reversing an administrative law judge’s order, but they also upheld a halt to construction of two other, related pipelines. The Public Utility Commission voted 3-2 to allow Sunoco Pipeline LLC to resume use of the Mariner East 1 pipeline, with the chairman saying there was no new credible evidence to think it can’t be operated safely.
The regulators ruled that more information is required before work can continue on building a 3.5-mile (6-kilometer) portion of Mariner East 2 and a companion line through Chester County. Those details include inspection and testing protocols, as well as safety training. Sunoco said it was pleased to be able to restart Mariner East 1, but said stopping work on the two other projects ran afoul of the law. Public Utility Commission Judge Elizabeth Barnes said last month Sunoco failed to take reasonable steps to warn people and protect them from danger. She said there was evidence that drilling practices have put water supplies at risk, and she cited a history of leaks and failures to report spills when they’ve occurred, sinkholes, and the possibility of a public catastrophe.
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — A runaway bulldozer has smashed into a home in Pennsylvania, injuring its operator in the process. Dunmore police say Alan Baker was operating the bulldozer for Latona Construction in Dunmore Thursday when he got tossed from the machine. Police Chief Sal Marchese says Baker tried to get back on and stop the machine, but he ended up falling and getting run over.
The bulldozer kept going and crashed into the garage of Frank Gillette’s home. Gillette says miraculously, a piece of plywood in the garage smashed through the bulldozer’s windshield and managed to hit a lever that put the machine in reverse. The bulldozer was sent back out of Gillette’s home before it was finally stopped. Police say Baker has been hospitalized for treatment.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Features
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional Republicans have distanced themselves from the Trump administration’s policy of separating children from their parents at the southern border even as the White House cited the Bible in defending its “zero tolerance” approach to illegal border crossings. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said “it is very biblical to enforce the law.” Attorney General Jeff Sessions had earlier cited the Bible in his defense of the border policy that has resulted in hundreds of children being separated from their parents. The comments came as House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans said they were not comfortable with family separations.
NEW YORK (AP) — Fewer U.S. teens are smoking, having sex and doing drugs these days. Oh, and they’re drinking less milk, too. Less than one-third of high school students drink a glass of milk a day, according to a large government survey released Thursday. About two decades ago, it was nearly half. Last year’s survey asked about 100 questions on a wide range of health topics, including smoking, drugs and diet. One trend that stood out was the drop in drinking milk, which started falling for all Americans after World War II. In recent decades, teens have shifted from milk to soda, then to Gatorade and other sports drinks and recently to energy drinks like Monster and Red Bull. Kids have also shifted from a dairy product rich in calcium and vitamin D to beverages laden with sugar and caffeine.
RUSO, N.D. (AP) — The man believed to be North Dakota’s oldest mayor has breezed to another term, winning unanimously in a vote that saw 100 percent turnout. Ruso Mayor Bruce Lorenz captured all three votes cast in the state’s smallest incorporated city, the Minot Daily News reported . The 86-year-old retired rural mail carrier estimates he’s been mayor for more than three decades. He said he forgot Tuesday was election day until his daughter reminded him.
“I’ll have to go down the street and see if I can find a cigar,” he quipped. Recent health issues have caused Lorenz to move into an assisted living facility in Minot, which may limit his duties as mayor. “My health went to pot this spring,” he said. “I can’t even walk anymore without a walker. Life gives us some strange roads. We’ll see what takes place.” Lorenz said he’ll still serve as mayor. He does have a platform — he wants to get rural water service in the McLean County town.
SHELBURNE, Vt. (AP) — Police say two employees of an inn at a popular Vermont tourist destination ate marijuana-laced chocolate left behind by guests and got sick. Shelburne Police were called to the Inn at Shelburne Farms on Wednesday after receiving a report an employee felt ill and was lying in the parking lot.
The two employees were taken to the hospital and have since been released.
The inn’s spokeswoman says that any food left behind is not to be consumed by staff and that the inn’s training programs will be reviewed with employees. Police are asking that people who possess edibles keep them secure.
The edibles in this case resembled malted milk balls. No charges will be filed against the guests. Recreational use of marijuana will become legal in Vermont on July 1.
HONOLULU (AP) — The lava pours from the ceilings. It explodes from the mountaintop. It creeps, then pours and roars down the mountainside as people frantically try to escape — with dinosaurs chasing after them.
It’s the opening act of a major summer blockbuster, but the eruption part is reality for people who live under Hawaii’s Kilauea and Guatemala’s Fuego volcanoes.
The cast and crew of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” say it’s unfortunate that their summer film revolves around a massively destructive erupting volcano. It’s also — obviously — not their fault. The film shot in Hawaii and the United Kingdom in 2017 premiered in Madrid in May, three weeks after Kilauea started sending lava into neighborhoods. It is set to be released June 22 in the United States.
The first “Jurassic World” ranks among history’s biggest box-office hits with $1.7 billion in worldwide ticket sales. The stars held a media day last week to promote the dinosaur sequel on Oahu, less than 200 miles (161 kilometers) from Hawaii’s Big Island where lava from Kilauea has destroyed more than 600 homes since early May. In Guatemala, at least 110 people were killed when a volcano erupted June 3, sending waves of super-heated debris onto villages on its flanks.
UNDATED (AP) — Pizza delivery chain Domino’s is aiming to make commutes around the country a little less hellish, by helping to repair potholes. The company’s “Paving for Pizza” program has launched in four test cities: Athens, Georgia; Bartonville, Texas; Burbank, California; and Milford, Delaware. Milford’s public works department received $5,000, which covered the repair of 40 potholes. The department used its own crews, who stenciled the Domino’s logo and “Oh yes we did” on the first few repairs. Domino’s is asking for nominations for more cities.
ALTON, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire high school senior class president about to head out for military training couldn’t make his graduation, so he got his own personal ceremony instead. People attending the Prospect Mountain High School senior awards program Wednesday night were asked to stay after the event ended. Out marched school officials, faculty and National Guard member Jacob Blair, all wearing graduation robes. “Pomp and Circumstance” played as Blair entered to a standing crowd. He gave a speech and received his diploma. He left the next morning for Fort Rucker, Alabama, to undergo advanced individual training.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Sports, Scores & Skeds
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Vince Velasquez took a no-hitter two outs into the seventh inning, Rhys Hoskins and Nick Williams hit solo homers and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3. Trevor Story lined Velasquez’s 105th pitch to left for an RBI double, ending Velasquez’s bid for the fourth no-hitter in the majors this season. Velasquez dominated the Rockies, giving up one hit and two runs with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
The Philadelphia Phillies are on 1070AM WKOK, including tonights 7:35pm game at the Brewers, and this weekend’s games. While the Phillies are on the air, our normal programming (CBS News, CBS Sportsradio, and AccuWeather) continue on WKOK.com.
Here are the scores from yesterday’s sports events:
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Detroit 3 Minnesota 1
Final Cleveland 5 Chi White Sox 2
Final Houston 7 Oakland 3
Final N-Y Yankees 4 Tampa Bay 3
Final Boston 2 Seattle 1
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final San Francisco 6 Miami 3, 16 Innings
Final Philadelphia 9 Colorado 3
Final Atlanta 4 San Diego 2
Final Arizona 6 N-Y Mets 3
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
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WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Atlanta 72 Indiana 67
TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
———
INTERLEAGUE
Miami at Baltimore 7:05 p.m.
Washington at Toronto 7:07 p.m.
Colorado at Texas 8:05 p.m.
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tampa Bay at N-Y Yankees 7:05 p.m.
Minnesota at Cleveland 7:10 p.m.
Detroit at Chi White Sox 8:10 p.m.
Houston at Kansas City 8:15 p.m.
L-A Angels at Oakland 9:35 p.m.
Boston at Seattle 10:10 p.m.
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh 7:05 p.m.
San Diego at Atlanta 7:35 p.m.
Philadelphia at Milwaukee 8:10 p.m.
Chi Cubs at St. Louis 8:15 p.m.
N-Y Mets at Arizona 9:40 p.m.
San Francisco at L-A Dodgers 10:10 p.m.
———
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
L.A. Sparks at Washington 7:00 p.m.
Las Vegas at Dallas 8:00 p.m.
Connecticut at Seattle 10:00 p.m.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
