AP PA Headlines 11/13/19
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania county is signaling that it won’t go along with Gov. Tom Wolf’s insistence that counties buy new voting systems as a security measure in 2020’s election, when the state is expected to be a premier presidential battleground. Dauphin County Commissioner Mike Pries said Wednesday that he’s comfortable with the county’s old machines.
He said paper jams, long lines and other problems occurred in counties that debuted new machines in last week’s election. Wolf began pressing counties last year to get new voting machines that have an auditable paper backup. That was after federal authorities warned Pennsylvania and other states that Russian hackers targeted them during 2016’s election. Wolf has warned that he’ll decertify the counties’ old voting systems before the 2020 primary.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program has passed a half-billion dollars in sales since it began dispensing the drug nearly two years ago. John Collins, director of the state’s Office of Medical Marijuana, said at an advisory board meeting Wednesday that about 147,000 people are currently certified to purchase medical marijuana at one of the 72 dispensaries now in operation.
He says there are currently about 65,000 patient visits to dispensaries per week. Their average purchase is about $120. About 60 percent of the demand is coming from patients with pain or pain-related conditions, which Collins says is in line with other states’ experience. Pennsylvania’s 2016 medical marijuana law permits its use for a list of conditions that include AIDS, autism, cancer, chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder.
ENOLA, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania state lawmaker faces a charge of driving under the influence after being stopped two months ago in suburban Harrisburg. Police say 26-year-old Democratic Rep. Brandon Markosek of Allegheny County was going 53 mph in a 35 mph zone when he was pulled over around 8 p.m. on Sept. 18.
The police affidavit says Markosek smelled slightly of alcohol and told an officer he’d had two drinks at a nearby restaurant.
He also said he was taking anti-anxiety medication. Police say his blood test indicated an alcohol level of 0.058%, below the state’s limit for driving of 0.08%. House Democratic spokesman Bill Patton called the arrest puzzling and declined further comment. Markosek was elected last year to a seat previously held by his father. Pennlive.com first reported the charge.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Democratic candidate for a pair of open Pennsylvania Superior Court seats is conceding that she lost the race after unofficial results showed her fewer than 17,000 votes behind the second-place finisher. Amanda Green-Hawkins, a longtime steelworkers’ union lawyer from Pittsburgh, said in a statement Wednesday that there’s an insurmountable number of votes to overcome and that a recount won’t change the outcome.
The Associated Press hasn’t called the race. The apparent winners of last week’s election are Philadelphia Judge Dan McCaffery, a Democrat who finished first, and Chester County prosecutor Megan King, a Republican. The 15-seat court handles civil and criminal appeals from Pennsylvania’s county courts. The court currently has eight Republicans and six Democrats, with one vacancy and one Republican retiring.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Features
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook says it removed 3.2 billion fake accounts from its service from April to September, up slightly from 3 billion in the previous six months. Nearly all of the bogus accounts were caught before they had a chance to become “active” users of the social network, so they are not counted in the user figures the company reports regularly. Facebook estimates that about 5% of its 2.45 billion user accounts are fake.
The company said in a report Wednesday that it removed 18.5 million instances of child nudity and sexual exploitation from its main platform in the April-September period, up from 13 million in the previous six months. It says the increase was due to improvements in detection. The report is Facebook’s fourth on standards enforcement.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Author Maya Angelou and performer RuPaul are among the inductees for the next class of California Hall of Fame. Gov. Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, announced the inductees on Wednesday. The class includes soccer player and two-time World Cup champion Brandi Chastain, skateboarder and entrepreneur Tony Hawk, actor and comedian George Lopez, chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck, and astrophysicist France A. Córdova.
Also inducted, author Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, civil rights leader James M. Lawson Jr. and winemaker Helen M. Turley. The class will be inducted during a ceremony on Dec. 10, though Angelou died in 2014. The California Hall of Fame started in 2006, and inductees are selected each year by the governor and first partner. Newsom is a Democrat and says the inductees “embody California’s innovative spirit.”
TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey has drumsticked up a plan to deal with flocks of wild turkeys that are ruffling some feathers in a Jersey Shore neighborhood. And it doesn’t involve them winding up on dinner plates in two weeks. The state Department of Environmental Protection will trap scores of turkeys that have descended on a retirement community in Toms River and relocate them.
The move comes as some residents say large flocks of turkeys have invaded the area, pecking at cars, and at some people who venture too close. “I had a small blow-up pool in my backyard for my grandson; it lasted exactly one day,” said Cindy Lijoi. “They pecked holes in it. It’s been a nuisance and it really needs to be addressed. They peck at people’s cars; you can’t get out the door sometimes because they won’t move.”
JACKSON, Mo. (AP) — A rescued puppy is attracting a lot of attention because of his resemblance to a unicorn. The nearly 10-week-old puppy, named Narwhal, has a tail-like appendage growing from his forehead. Narwhal was rescued over the weekend and sent to Mac’s Mission in Jackson, which specializes in fostering animals with special needs.
Mac’s Mission founder Rochelle Steffen says Narwhal doesn’t notice the extra tail and is otherwise a happy, healthy puppy. Although it looks like a tail, Narwhal cannot wag it. Steffen says the rescue group has been flooded with requests from people wanting to adopt Narwhal since his picture hit social media. But he’ll remain at Mac’s Mission so his caretakers can be sure the tail doesn’t grow out of proportion to his face and cause him problems.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A federal court is allowing a Kentucky man to personalize a license plate with the phrase “IM GOD” after a three-year legal battle over the custom engraving. Court documents show Ben Hart, a self-identified atheist, set out to get the Kentucky plate in 2016. But Hart’s request was denied by the state transportation department on the basis it violated antidiscrimination guidelines. News outlets report similar plates had been approved before, including “TRYGOD” and “NOGOD.”
Kentucky’s American Civil Liberties Union and the Freedom From Religion Foundation got involved to help Hart challenge the decision. In an opinion Wednesday by a U.S. District Court in Frankfort, the judge ruled “vanity plates” are private speech protected by the First Amendment and that the state had violated Hart’s rights by denying him the plate.
NEW YORK (AP) — Disney Plus says it hit more than 10 million sign-ups on its first day of launch, far exceeding expectations. Disney’s mix of Marvel and Star Wars movies and shows, classic animated films and new series appears to be a hit out of the gate after its launch on Tuesday. Disney has invested billions in its streaming service, which costs $7 a month or $70 a year after a 7-day free trial.
Customers of some Verizon wireless and home-internet plans were offered a year free. Disney didn’t break down where the subscriptions came from or if they were free or paid monthly or yearly. Some analysts thought it would take Disney a year to reach 10 million subscribers. Netflix has garnered 158 million subscribers since launching its streaming platform in 2007.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
PA Sports, Scores & Skeds.
Sunbury Broadcasting Corporation Sports Schedule
Thursday
- Penn State Basketball: Penn State at Georgetown 6pm on WKOK and WKOK.com
- NFL Football: Pittsburgh at Cleveland, joined in progress, on Newsradio 1070AM WKOK
- NFL Football: Pittsburgh at Cleveland 6:20pm on 100.9 The Valley.
Saturday
- Penn State Football: Indiana at Penn State 10:30am on WKOK and WKOK.com
- Bucknell Football: Georgetown at Bucknell 12:30pm on Eagle 107 and eagle107.com
- Bucknell Basketball: Bucknell at Canisius 6:30pm on Eagle 107 and eagle107.com
Sunday
- NFL Football: Chicago at LA Rams 7:30pm on Newsradio 1070AM WKOK
- NFL Football: Patriots at Eagles 3pm on Eagle 107
Monday
- NFL Football: Kansas City at LA Chargers in Mexico City 7:30pm on Newsradio 1070AM WKOK
Tuesday
- Penn State Basketball: Bucknell at PSU 6pm on WKOK, WKOK.com, Eagle 107 and eagle107.com
LEWISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Jimmy Sotos had a career-high 24 points as Bucknell defeated Hofstra 86-71 on Wednesday night. John Meeks had 14 points and seven rebounds for Bucknell (2-1). Andrew Funk added 12 points. Walter Ellis had 12 points and Paul Newman pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds.
Desure Buie had 19 points for the Pride (1-2). Tareq Coburn added 14 points and seven rebounds. Jalen Ray had 12 points and six rebounds. Bucknell plays Canisius on the road on Saturday. Hofstra takes on NYIT at home on Friday. The Bison men’s basketball team plays on Eagle 107 and eagle107.com.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Nikola Vucevic had 25 points and seven Orlando players scored in double figures as the Magic came up with a big fourth quarter and beat the Philadelphia 76ers 112-97. Aaron Gordon had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic, and D.J. Augustin had 12 points and eight assists off the bench. Josh Richardson led the 76ers with 19 points.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored in a shootout to lift the Washington Capitals over the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. Brendan Leipsic had a goal in the first period and Braden Holtby made 30 saves for the Capitals, who extended their point streak to 13 games and increased their NHL-best total to 32 points.
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Steelers and Browns will renew their rivalry Thursday with both teams fighting to keep their postseason hopes going. Pittsburgh has turned its season around after a 1-4 start by winning four in a row. Cleveland’s got work to do, but took a big step last week by beating Buffalo to halt a four-game slide. Ball security will be a priority for the Browns as the Steelers come in with 26 takeaways, the club’s most through nine games in 32 years. The Steelers play on our sister station 100.9 The Valley.
Here are the scores from yesterday’s sports events:
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Memphis 119 Charlotte 117
Final Orlando 112 Philadelphia 97
Final Boston 140 Washington 133
Final Houston 102 L.A. Clippers 93
Final Minnesota 129 San Antonio 114
Final L.A. Lakers 120 Golden State 94
Final Toronto 114 Portland 106
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final N-Y Islanders 5 Toronto 4
Final Ottawa 4 New Jersey 2
Final SO Washington 2 Philadelphia 1
Final Dallas 3 Calgary 1
Final Chicago 5 Vegas 3
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final VCU 84 (23)LSU 82
Final (16)Ohio St. 76 (10)Villanova 51
Final (11)Texas Tech 103 Houston Baptist 74
Final (4)Louisville 91 Indiana St. 62
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TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Miami at Cleveland 6 p.m.
Chicago at Milwaukee 8 p.m.
L.A. Clippers at New Orleans 8 p.m.
Dallas at New York 8 p.m.
Atlanta at Phoenix 9 p.m.
Brooklyn at Denver 10:30 p.m.
___
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Carolina at Buffalo 7 p.m.
Winnipeg at Florida 7 p.m.
N-Y Rangers at Tampa Bay 7 p.m.
Arizona at Minnesota 8 p.m.
Colorado at Edmonton 9 p.m.
San Jose at Anaheim 10 p.m.
Dallas at Vancouver 10 p.m.
Detroit at Los Angeles 10:30 p.m.
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Pittsburgh at Cleveland 8:20 p.m.
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Towson at (15)Florida 7 p.m.
San Jose St. at (19)Arizona 8 p.m.
(3)Michigan St. at (12)Seton Hall 8:30 p.m.
Long Beach St. at (18)Saint Mary’s (Cal) 10 p.m.
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Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
