AP PA Headlines 2/15/19
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A man who says he was unlawfully detained on his wedding day by a Pennsylvania judge who wrongly suspected he was in the United States illegally is suing, alleging violations of his constitutional rights. Alexander Parker on Thursday sued Camp Hill-based District Judge Elizabeth Beckley, two court entities and an unidentified court officer Parker says told him he wasn’t free to leave.
The federal lawsuit claims Guatemala-born Parker and his fiancee went to Beckley’s court office to get married in May 2017. But Beckley’s suspicions prompted her to call U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Parker says that after hours of being detained, federal investigators confirmed he’s a legal resident. Beckley eventually married the couple. Beckley didn’t return messages seeking comment. A spokeswoman for the state court system offered no immediate comment.
DOVER, Del. (AP) — A Pennsylvania drug bust has led to a new resident at a zoo in Delaware: an alligator. News outlets report the Brandywine Zoo is caring for the 2-foot-long (0.60-meters) alligator that was discovered at a Coatesville, Pennsylvania home during the Feb. 8 drug bust. The zoo agreed to house the alligator at the request of a district attorney.
It’ll become an educational animal for zoo visitors during the summer. Afterward, it’ll be moved to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park in Florida. The alligator was discovered as police executed a search warrant at a home and seized drugs, cash and drug packaging materials. Thirty-one-year-old Irvin “Gotti” Hawkins, 35-year-old Aki Gathright and 40-year-old Tyrone Jackson were charged in the case. It’s unclear if they have lawyers who could comment.
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Hunting and fishing groups have teamed up to support a plan for preventing Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes. They have formed the Great Lakes Conservation Coalition, which will push for funding of a strategy proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The $778 million plan calls for installing technologies such as noisemakers and a water-flushing lock at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, Illinois.
The goal is to prevent the carp from migrating upstream to Lake Michigan. Scientists say the invasive fish could out-compete native species if they become established in the lake. The Michigan United Conservation Clubs is a member of the new coalition. Director Amy Trotter says a carp invasion could harm an outdoor sports industry that pumps $11.2 billion into the state’s economy annually.
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Features
CHICAGO (AP) — There is word of some progress in the investigation into the incident involving “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett. Detectives in Chicago are now interviewing two people police have described as “persons of interest” in the case. Police have said that the men aren’t considered suspects — but may have been in the area at the time Smollett said he was beaten by two masked men who hurled racist and anti-gay slurs at him.
Police say the persons being questioned aren’t considered suspects. But they are the same people seen in surveillance photos released after the attack occurred last month. In an interview that aired on ABC yesterday, Smollett says he has no doubt that the two men captured on the surveillance are the two men who attacked him.
HOLLYWOOD (AP) – Would anyone — anyone at all — like to thank the academy? This is normally the time of year when Oscar hopefuls are readying acceptance speeches that almost always begin with a few words of gratitude for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. But that sentiment has been hard to come by in the torturous and troubled lead-up to the 91st Academy Awards.
After a litany of public-relations disasters, backtracks and missteps, the latest dust-up surrounds the film academy’s plans to remove four categories from the live portion of Feb. 24’s broadcast, including cinematography and editing, arguably the two most foundational components of moviemaking. The academy, desperate to reverse sliding ratings, says a shortened show must go on.
On Wednesday evening, dozens of Hollywood heavyweights — including Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Brad Pitt, cinematographer Roger Deakins and director Damien Chazelle — issued an open-letter to the academy’s leadership blasting the decision to not air the four awards, which also include live-action short and hairstyling and makeup, live on the ABC telecast.
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Not in the Valentine’s Day spirit? A Texas zoo has a cockroach that can help.
The El Paso Zoo is running a promotion called “Quit Bugging Me” that allows people to name cockroaches after ex-spouses, former friends or anyone else on the nope list. On Thursday, the cockroaches will be fed to various zoo animals.
The zoo’s Facebook page features dozens of pink-heart graphics showing black cockroaches and various first names or initials of people’s exes. Zoo officials say the response has been so overwhelming that they’ve had to cut off the submission period. The zoo’s meerkats exhibit will be decorated with the submitted names on Thursday. And later in the day, cockroaches will be fed to meerkats, tamarins, marmosets and other zoo animals.
NEWARK, Del. (AP) — A man’s nap in the back of his car in Delaware turned into a nightmare after the car he was sleeping in was stolen and crashed. Musician Justin Koerner told the News Journal he had spent a night playing music with friends, went to sleep in his vehicle and had a dream involving someone jumping in his front seat.
A Newark police statement says someone drove off in the car Sunday morning and bailed after seeing the man sleeping in the back. Police say the car crashed. Koerner says he awoke and saw car treads on a lawn and a destroyed bush, then realized he hadn’t been dreaming. He says police appeared ready to take him away before another officer said a neighbor had security camera footage of the incident.
WINDSOR, N.C. (AP) — Drivers were startled to see a hungry bear that got stuck in the back of garbage truck and took a ride across a stretch of eastern North Carolina. News outlets report that a motorist called Bertie County 911 on Wednesday morning about a bear hanging off of the truck on U.S. Route 17.
Apparently, the snack-seeking bear climbed into the trash truck during a stop and became trapped after the driver secured the netting that prevents garbage from blowing out. Sheriff John Holley says a deputy stopped the truck with the bear perched on top just outside of Windsor. The driver, who hadn’t been aware of the stowaway, pulled back the net and the bear ran off before the truck continued on to the landfill.
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — There are some folks who had people buy dinner for them for Valentine’s Day. But it wasn’t the kind of thing that created a warm and fuzzy feeling. More like a creepy crawly one. That’s because the El Paso Zoo ran a promotion called “Quit Bugging Me.”
It let people name cockroaches after ex-spouses, former lovers or anyone else who, well, “bugs” them. And yesterday, those bugs were fed to various zoo animals. Not surprisingly, the promotion was quite popular. Zoo officials say they got so many requests to feed ex-spouses, lovers or others who irked to animals yesterday — they had to shut down the promotion early.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
PA Sports, Scores & Skeds
Shikellamy Wrestling: Bellefonte 46, Shikellamy 22. This match was on WKOK and WKOK.com
BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Loyalsock 85, Mount Carmel 63
Montoursville 61, Danville 57
South Williamsport 79, Columbia-Montour 60
Williamsport 76, Central Mountain 66
GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Hazleton Area 45, Berwick 38
Wellsboro 50, Mansfield 34
Schuylkill League Tournament Semifinal
Jim Thorpe 51, Lourdes Regional 24
Here are the scores from yesterday’s national sports events:
———
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Orlando 127 Charlotte 89
Final N-Y Knicks 106 Atlanta 91
Final New Orleans 131 Oklahoma City 122
———
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final N-Y Islanders 3 Columbus 0
Final SO Florida 3 Calgary 2
Final Detroit 3 Ottawa 2
Final Tampa Bay 6 Dallas 0
Final Colorado 4 Winnipeg 1
Final Nashville 3 Montreal 1
Final Chicago 5 New Jersey 2
Final St. Louis 4 Arizona 0
Final Toronto 6 Vegas 3
Final SO Vancouver 4 L.A. Kings 3
Final Washington 5 San Jose 1
———
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (3) Gonzaga 73 Loyola Marymount 60
Final (9) Houston 71 UConn 63
TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
———
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Team World at Team USA 9:00 p.m.
———
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
N-Y Rangers at Buffalo 7:00 p.m.
Edmonton at Carolina 7:30 p.m.
New Jersey at Minnesota 8:30 p.m.
Boston at Anaheim 10:00 p.m.
———
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(25) Buffalo at Toledo 7:00 p.m.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
