AP PA Headlines 12/16/19
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — A report by an expert witness for the prosecution says a man who has served almost four decades in prison in the shotgun slayings of two children in northeastern Pennsylvania has acknowledged responsibility in the deaths. Fifty-three-year-old Joseph Ausilio was convicted in Lackawanna County in the murders.
Killed were 8-year-old Cheryl Ziemba and 4-year-old Christopher Ziemba in Old Forge in July 1981, when the defendant was 15. The (Scranton) Times-Tribune reports that the expert witness says Ausilio told him in May 2018 that he was “shocked’ when “the gun went off.” A judge will consider the report Wednesday when he re-sentences Ausilio.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — La Salle University has placed its women’s soccer team on disciplinary probation through the end of next year _ including restrictions on competition for the spring season _ following an investigation that revealed what it called “nonviolent power-differential hazing.”
The Philadelphia university said no action was taken against any individual, but a workshop on respect and bystander intervention will be required for all team members as well as participation in community service. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that a freshman recruit alleged hazing such as “initiation games” in which she said freshmen had soccer balls kicked at them from all directions.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Roman Catholic diocese of Pittsburgh has announced plans to merge more than two dozen parishes into eight new parishes next year.Bishop David Zubik said Satuday that 26 parishes will be part of the Jan. 6 mergers, which will reduce the number of diocese parishes from 170 to 152. The diocese said “No buildings will close at this time. Zubik wrote in a letter to be read or distributed at Masses this weekend that “This has not been a simple task” but the changes would mean more effective ministry.Officials said the mergers follow “extensive consultation” including 329 parish meetings in 2017.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Officials at two military academies say the schools are looking into hand signs flashed by students during the Army-Navy football game that can be associated with “white power.” Officials tell The Wall Street Journal that cadets at West Point and midshipmen at the Naval Academy in the stands both appeared to display the sign during Saturday’s broadcast. Spokespeople say school officials are trying to determine what the hand signals were meant to convey. The hand sign is similar to the one often used to indicate “OK,” but the Anti-Defamation League says it has lately been used as an extremist meme.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Features
TECUMSEH, Mich. (AP) — So, what’s the difference between a fresh fruitcake and one that’s 141 years old? Fruitcake haters would probably say there is none — but don’t try saying that around a Michigan family that has an heirloom fruitcake it has held onto for nearly a century and a half. Julie Ruttinger is the great-great granddaughter of Fidelia Ford, who baked the cake in 1878. She’d let her fruitcakes age for a year before serving them for the holidays. But she died in 1879 before the previous year’s cake could be eaten — and the family decided to keep the fruitcake. Before you make fun, you should know the cake is probably more famous than you are. It was on “The Tonight Show” for a guest appearance in 2003.
ANNISTON, Ala. (AP) — It’s a story that seems to happen around the holidays each year — but never gets old. Walmart shoppers in Alabama are the latest to get a happy surprise — after someone paid off all the layaway purchases at two different stores. The company says someone paid off $45,000 in the city of Anniston last week — and someone paid another $25,000 worth in layaways two days later at a store in nearby Oxford. It’s unclear whether the same person paid for both. At one store, the giver left a note with the packages. But the same note wasn’t left at the other store.
DALLAS (AP) — Who wants to be a millionaire? For only a day? That was the lot for a Texas woman who became the temporary beneficiary of a clerical error by her bank. KTVT-TV reports that when Dallas resident Ruth Balloon saw her bank account last week, it had an extra $37 million in it. Balloon said she had hoped someone had really gifted the fortune, but Balloon says she expected the bubble to burst. She was right. After checking with the bank, the woman and her husband learned the sudden wealth was by mistake. The bank has since taken the money back.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
PA Sports, Scores & Skeds
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Josh Allen threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Kroft with 7:55 to play and the Buffalo Bills clinched a playoff spot, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-10. The Bills secured their second playoff berth in three seasons under coach Sean McDermott, a college teammate with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin at William & Mary. Buffalo trailed 10-7, but scored on two possessions in the fourth quarter, as Allen rallied the Bills for a comeback win for the fifth time this season. The Steelers play on our sister station 100.9 The Valley.
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Carson Wentz threw three touchdown passes to help the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Washington Redskins 37-27. Wentz bounced back from a fumble to lead the Eagles’ on a game-winning 75-yard drive in the final minutes. He threw TD passes to running back Miles Sanders, tight end Zach Ertz and receiver Greg Ward. The 4-yard pass from Wentz to Ward with 26 seconds left put Philadelphia up for good. The Eagles kept their NFC East hopes alive and host the Dallas Cowboys next week. The Redskins fell to 3-11 and have lost eight consecutive division games. The Eagles play on our sister station Eagle 107.
NEW YORK (AP) — Spencer Dinwiddie scored 24 points, Joe Harris added 16 and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Philadelphia 76ers 109-89. DeAndre Jordan had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Garrett Temple finished with 13 points for the Nets, who ended a two-game skid. Ben Simmons scored 20 points and Tobias Harris chipped in 17 for the 76ers, whose five-game winning streak ended. Brooklyn was finishing a back-to-back after losing at defending NBA champion Toronto.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele each had a power-play goal and added two assists in the Winnipeg Jets’ 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, Nikolaj Ehlers, Luca Sbisa, Logan Shaw, Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor also scored and Connor Hellebuyck made 29 saves to help the Jets improve to 20-11-2. Matt Niskanen, James van Riemsdyk and Shayne Gostisbehere scored for Philadelphia. Brian Elliott allowed six goals on 17 shots in the first two periods, and Carter Hart made six stops in relief in the third.
Here are the scores from yesterday’s sports events:
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Orlando 130 New Orleans 119
Final Indiana 107 Charlotte 85
Final L.A. Lakers 101 Atlanta 96
Final Brooklyn 109 Philadelphia 89
Final Denver 111 New York 105
Final Sacramento 100 Golden State 79
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Winnipeg 7 Philadelphia 3
Final Chicago 5 Minnesota 3
Final Los Angeles 4 Detroit 2
Final Vegas 6 Vancouver 3
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Kansas City 23 Denver 3
Final Tampa Bay 38 Detroit 17
Final Houston 24 Tennessee 21
Final N-Y Giants 36 Miami 20
Final Seattle 30 Carolina 24
Final Green Bay 21 Chicago 13
Final New England 34 Cincinnati 13
Final Philadelphia 37 Washington 27
Final Arizona 38 Cleveland 24
Final Jacksonville 20 Oakland 16
Final Minnesota 39 L.A. Chargers 10
Final Atlanta 29 San Francisco 22
Final Dallas 44 L.A. Rams 21
Final Buffalo 17 Pittsburgh 10
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TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Washington at Detroit 7 p.m.
Cleveland at Toronto 7:30 p.m.
Chicago at Oklahoma City 8 p.m.
Dallas at Milwaukee 8 p.m.
Miami at Memphis 8 p.m.
San Antonio at Houston 8 p.m.
Portland at Phoenix 9 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Washington at Columbus 7 p.m.
Ottawa at Florida 7 p.m.
Nashville at N-Y Rangers 7 p.m.
Colorado at St. Louis 8 p.m.
Edmonton at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Indianapolis at New Orleans 8:15 p.m. Tonight 8pm on Newsradio 1070 WKOK.
(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)