Man with Fake Gun Arrested

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a man was shot and wounded by police responding to a large fight in Allentown. Officers responded shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday and found a large number of people fighting and an individual on the ground near a trail of blood. Police say a 31-year-old man holding a weapon refused orders to drop it and an officer opened fire. He was taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening. Police say he will face charges of aggravated assault against a police officer and simple assault. Police say a black replica Ruger CO2 powered BB gun was recovered.

Suspect Charged in Murder Case

UNDATED (AP) — Authorities say a suspect has been charged in the slaying of a 90-year-old man shot and killed outside a Pittsburgh cemetery. Police in Allegheny County say 27-year-old Anthony Miller of White Oak is charged with homicide, robbery and weapons crimes. Authorities said 90-year-old Samuel Rende was in a truck at the entrance to Calvary Cemetery when he was shot in the head at about 9:45 a.m. Saturday. Authorities said they believe the victim was “targeted.” Court documents don’t list a defense attorney and a listed number for Miller couldn’t be found Sunday.

Man Stabs 5 Jewish People in New York

A man armed with a knife ran into a rabbi’s home and stabbed 5 people as they celebrated Hanukkah in New York City. New York’s governor declared this to be an act of domestic terrorism fueled by hatred. Police tracked the suspect to Manhattan and made an arrest a few hours after the attack. Grafton E. Thomas was arraigned on Sunday, pleaded not guilty, and remains jailed. Bail is set at 5 million dollars.

Iran Deal Falling Apart

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian’s foreign minister has warned that Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers is in danger of “falling apart” as neither the United States nor the European Union is complying with the accord. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the U.S. of “towing” a “destructive line” by withdrawing from the deal and imposing sanctions that crippled the Iranian economy. The 2015 deal between Iran and Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program. In response to the U.S. sanctions, Iran has inched its way toward violating the accord. Lavrov said Russia would demand full compliance from both the U.S. and the EU, saying otherwise the agreement should be considered “no longer existing.”

State Rep Ted Nesbit Retires

State Representative Ted Nesbit, who represents portions of Butler and Mercer Counties will be retiring from the legislature this January to become a judge in the Court of Common Pleas. Nesbit’s replacement will be picked through a special election which will be announced sometime next year.

Man Arrested for Genetically Altering Babies

BEIJING (AP) — Three researchers involved in the births of genetically edited babies have been convicted and sentenced by a Chinese court for practicing medicine illegally. Researcher He Jiankui’s announcement 13 months ago that he had helped make the world’s first genetically edited babies sparked a global debate over the ethics of gene editing. China’s state news agency says He received a three-year prison sentence and two other people received lesser sentences. The court that issued the verdicts said the researchers had not obtained qualification as doctors to practice medicine and violated regulations on scientific research.

Gunman’s Family Speak Up

MONSEY, N.Y. (AP) — The family of a man accused of stabbing five people at a Hanukkah celebration says he was raised to embrace tolerance but has a history of mental illness. An attorney issued a statement late Sunday on behalf of the family of Grafton Thomas. He pleaded not guilty on Sunday in connection with a Saturday night attack in Monsey, New York. His relatives said they are praying for those injured, and they thanked the medical workers who came to their aid. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the savagery was the 13th anti-Semitic attack in New York since Dec. 8.

Car Crash Leaves 1 Dead, 1 Wounded

UNDATED (AP) — Authorities say a head-on crash in western Pennsylvania has left one driver dead and the other hospitalized. The crash in Luzerne occurred around 2:20 a.m. Monday. Authorities say 24-year-old Raekwon Stevenson, of Charleroi, was speeding on Thornton Road when he crossed over the center line and collided head-on with a vehicle driven by Valerie Brown. Stevenson was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later, while Brown, a 58-year-old McClellandtown resident, was being treated at a hospital for undisclosed injuries. Further details on her condition were not disclosed. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Good Guy with Gun Praised

WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas (AP) — Texas officials are praising the armed churchgoers who fatally shot a gunman inside a Fort Worth area church. Officials say the gunman opened fire Sunday at the West Freeway Church and was shot within seconds by two congregants who were part of a volunteer security team. Witnesses say the gunman was unfamiliar and may have been wearing a fake beard. Among those killed was a deacon in the church, according to the man’s daughter. Tiffany Wallace tells Dallas TV station KXAS that her father, Tony Wallace, had just passed out communion when he was shot by the gunman.

Weather Report 12/30/19

Snow Watch logo

Weather Report 12/30/19

Today- Cloudy. Periods of rain this morning. High 60.

Tomorrow- Cloudy skies. Low 34

Tomorrow- Variable clouds with snow showers. High 37.