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4 slain in Georgia mass shooting memorialized as neighbors gather for candlelight vigil

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:49 GMT

By KATE BRUMBACK and JEFF AMY (Associated Press)HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — A few hundred people gathered Monday for a vigil to remember four victims of a mass shooting in an Atlanta suburb, singing “This Little Light of Mine” at the end as they lit candles in their honor.Family members, friends and neighbors were still shaking off disbelief at the 10-minute span Saturday when Scott Leavitt, 67; his wife, Shirley Leavitt, 66; Steve Blizzard, 65; and Ronald Jeffers, 66, were shot and killed. Police and witnesses named 40-year-old Andre Longmore as the shooter.“My parents loved each other,” Scott Leavitt Jr. said after the vigil, a tear running down his cheek. “They always said neither one of them would be able to live without the other, so we’ve been able to find some comfort that they went together.”Harold Blizzard said his older brother, Steve, was a lover of photography and adventure. The two had planned a trip along Route 66 in early July, ...

Passenger killed in East County crash that hurt 4 others identified

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:49 GMT

RANCHO SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- An 84-year-old man killed in a three-vehicle crash earlier this month in the Rancho San Diego area has been identified, authorities said.Zohair Potros, of El Cajon, was announced as the deceased, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said on its website.The crash occurred on July 7 around 4:35 p.m. at Cuyamaca College Drive West and Jamacha Road, according to California Highway Patrol. Mountain biker dies while trying to save dehydrated hikers in Jacumba Potros, along with his wife, were passengers in a black Nissan sedan being driven by one of their sons, when the vehicle made a left turn at the intersection into a shopping center and was struck by a black Honda sedan traveling eastbound on Jamacha Road, according to law enforcement. The Honda also collided with a white Tesla sedan making a left turn at the intersection.Potros was confirmed dead at the scene due to his injuries.In the Nissan, the driver suffered unknown injuries and the front passe...

Turkish President Erdogan visits Gulf Arab states, seeking funds for ailing economy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:49 GMT

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Saudi Arabia on Monday in a three-stop tour of Persian Gulf states to seek trade and investment opportunities for Turkey’s floundering economy.Erdogan arrived in Jeddah accompanied by an entourage of some 200 businesspeople, according to the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey. He met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al Salam Palace, shaking hands and attending a welcoming ceremony where he “expressed his happiness with this visit,” the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported early Tuesday.Business forums have been arranged in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates during Erdogan’s three-day trip.“We are hoping to improve our relations and cooperation in many fields. We will focus on joint investment and commercial initiatives to be realised in the upcoming period,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul before leaving.The visit comes as Turks are hit with sales and fuel tax hikes that Finance Minister ...

China criticizes the upcoming US visit of Taiwan’s presidential front-runner

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:49 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China is criticizing an upcoming stopover in the United States by Taiwan’s vice president and presidential front-runner William Lai as a challenge to its territorial integrity, while Taiwan says it’s merely a transit stop.China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province to be retaken by force if necessary and prohibits its diplomatic partners – including the U.S. – from having formal ties with Taipei. While not recognizing Taiwan as a country, Washington maintains robust unofficial ties and has pledged to help Taiwan defend itself in case of an invasion.A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said at a briefing in Beijing that China had lodged formal protests with the U.S. over Lai’s visit next month. “China is firmly opposed to any form of official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan,” spokeswoman Mao Ning said. “We firmly reject Taiwan independence separatists visiting the U.S. under any name and for any reason, as well as any form of the U.S. con...

Australian man and his dog rescued by Mexican tuna boat after drifting 3 months in the Pacific Ocean

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:49 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — An Australian sailor who had been adrift at sea with his dog for three months has been rescued by a Mexican tuna boat in international waters, the fishing vessel’s owner said Monday.Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, 54, was aboard his incapacitated catamaran Aloha Toa in the Pacific some 1,200 miles from land when the crew of the boat from the Grupomar fleet spotted them, the company said in a statement. The company said Shaddock and his dog Bella were in a “precarious” state when found, lacking provisions and shelter. The tuna boat’s crew gave them medical attention, food and hydration, it said. Grupomar did not provide specific details on what day Shaddock was rescued or when he had started his voyage.The tuna boat, captained by Oscar Meza Oregón, was expected to arrive in the Pacific coast port of Manzanillo on Tuesday with Shaddock and Bella.Antonio Suárez Gutiérrez, Grupomar’s founder and president, said he was proud of his crew, praising them for t...

BC Coroner issues safety alert over wildfire smoke after child’s death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:49 GMT

VICTORIA — British Columbia’s coroner has issued a public safety bulletin about wildfire smoke, saying the death of a nine-year-old boy had been “confirmed by his parents” to have been related to a medical condition aggravated by the smoke. The service says the “sudden and unexpected” death of Carter Vigh of 100 Mile House is a heartbreaking loss for his family and the community, and an investigation is underway. The boy’s aunt, Anamaria Vigh, said on Facebook that he died from asthma last week in hospital.There are more than 370 wildfires burning in B.C. and air-quality alerts due to wildfire smoke cover a large section of the province. The BC Coroners Service says in a statement that as the province experiences greater impacts from the effects of climate change, residents are learning more about the risks associated with wildfire smoke, extreme heat and other environmental factors.The statement says residents can protect themselves from the smok...

After years of delay, Western Balkans hope for progress on joining the EU – and financial support

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:49 GMT

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — The leaders of several Western Balkan countries that want to join the European Union met informally Monday in Albania’s capital, Tirana, to prepare for a summit on their progress in preparing for future membership. At an informal lunch, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama welcomed his counterparts from Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia, and EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi.Albania plans to host an Oct. 16 summit on the Berlin Process, an initiative from Germany and France to encourage the six Western Balkans countries that aren’t already in the EU to keep working to align their policies and practices with the bloc’s.The six countries — Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania — are at different stages of integration into the bloc. In 2013, Croatia, also a Western Balkans country, became the EU’s newest member. Since then, progress has stalled. Rama said he expected “the summit to have a meaningful out...

Plane evacuation slide falls into backyard of Chicago home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:49 GMT

CHICAGO (WGN) — Federal authorities are investigating after a plane's emergency evacuation slide fell into the backyard of a Chicago home on Monday. Chicago Police say they were called to the city's northwest side near O'Hare International Airport Monday afternoon where they found the slide had slightly damaged a home."They were just having lunch upstairs in our unit and they just heard a loud boom and I guess it hit the side of the building," said Patrick Devitt, a neighbor of the home where the plane debris fell. "The only thing that we were worried about at the beginning was like, oh yeah, it's real loud, stuff like that and you get used to it, but you never think that something like that is going to happen." Woman gored by bison at Yellowstone National Park suffers ‘significant injuries’ After officers arrived, the slide was moved out in front of the home into the street, where it was taken from the scene.No injuries have been reported from the incident.According to the Federa...

Mountain biker dies while trying to save dehydrated hikers in California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:49 GMT

SAN DIEGO (KSWB) – A mountain biker died Saturday while trying to save four hikers who were found suffering from dehydration in Southern California, Cal Fire confirmed.A call came in around 2:45 p.m. reporting at least seven people in heat distress at Carrizo Gorge in San Diego County's Jacumba Mountains, officials said. Cal Fire ground crews and a sheriff's helicopter were called to assist.Upon arrival, Cal Fire says there were four hikers at least five miles away from the trailhead. The hikers had been rescued with the assistance of four mountain bikers who happened to be in the area. Two of those mountain bikers were at the bottom of the hill when emergency crews arrived, while the other two remained with the hikers. The temperature around the time crews arrived was reportedly about 106 degrees. Woman gored by bison at Yellowstone National Park suffers ‘significant injuries’ The sheriff's helicopter was used to transport the hikers from the trail. They were evaluated by paramed...

'This weekend was tragic:' Deadly Austin weekend highlights low APD staff numbers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:49 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin's deadliest weekend so far in 2023 has some searching for more public safety solutions.Police are currently investigating one homicide from Saturday, and three from Sunday. As Austin Police Department Cpl. Jose Mendez provided an update at one of Sunday's homicide scenes, he — in an uncustomary move — addressed how APD staffing shortages have and will impact these current investigations. APD: 1 dead after ‘verbal altercation’ near abandoned building in east Austin “I know that the detectives are somewhat overwhelmed due to having a shortage of them,” Mendez said. Homicide detectives have had to pull double duty helping out with patrol shifts as APD works to fill roughly 300 officer vacancies. "It doesn't matter if it's homicide or some other crime. All of these detectives are being forced to go work patrol and supplement patrol shifts, so these caseloads are not getting picked up by other detectives," Jennifer Szimanski, public affairs director for the Com...