National News
Supreme Court agrees to hear deadly DC sniper shootings case
By JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider Virginia’s plea to reinstate the life-without-parole sentence of a man who as a teenager participated in sniper shootings that terrorized the Washington, D.C., region in 2002. The justices said they will take up the state’s appeal in the case…
Read MoreNew Zealand’s darkest day: 36 minutes of terror
By NICK PERRY, KRISTEN GELINEAU and JULIET WILLIAMS Associated Press CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — On March 15, New Zealand changed. Some are calling it a loss of innocence, a reminder that distance doesn’t bring protection against violence. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed to change gun laws and investigate what went wrong. This is…
Read MoreGunman kills 3 on Dutch tram, mayor says terror likely
By ALEKSANDAR FURTULA and MIKE CORDER Associated Press UTRECHT, Netherlands (AP) — A gunman killed three people and wounded nine others on a tram in the central Dutch city of Utrecht, sparking a manhunt that saw heavily armed officers with sniffer dogs zero in on an apartment building close to the shooting. Authorities immediately raised…
Read MoreReport released on Vernon bound plane crash
A preliminary report regarding the crash of a single-engine aircraft into the Red River was released last week by the National Transportation Safety Board. Killed in the crash were pilot Richard Lennard and passenger Michael Hollis. The report offers new details but no determination of the cause for the aircraft to plummet into the Red…
Read MoreTexas senator defends bill empowering husband’s office
AUSTIN (AP) — The wife of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Tuesday that a bill she filed that would change state securities law “has literally nothing to do” with her husband facing criminal charges of defrauding investors, even as experts said the proposal appears to strike near the heart of his indictment. Republican state…
Read MoreBorder wall a complex issue for 2020 prospect Beto O’Rourke
By WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press EL PASO, Texas (AP) — When President Donald Trump visited Beto O’Rourke’s hometown to argue that walling off the southern border would make the U.S. safer, the former Democratic congressman and possible 2020 presidential hopeful was ready. As the president filled an El Paso arena with supporters, O’Rourke helped lead…
Read MoreVernon among stops as monarchs head to Mexico
MEXICO CITY (AP) — As the colorful monarch butterfly makes its way to Mexico, the Texoma area, including Vernon, is on its flight path and residents have reported sightings of the butterfly. The population of monarch butterflies wintering in central Mexico is up 144 percent over last year, experts said Wednesday. The data presented by…
Read MoreUS military says American troops killed in Syria blast
BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. military says a number of service members were killed Wednesday in an explosion while conducting a routine patrol in Syria — the first instance of U.S. casualties since President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw troops from the country last month. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the…
Read MoreSuper Bowl planners: Shutdown brings ‘uncharted territory’
ATLANTA (AP) — A day after travelers waited nearly 90 minutes in snail-speed security lines at the world’s busiest airport, Atlanta’s mayor is concerned about the waits that could result when the city hosts the 2019 Super Bowl. The ongoing partial government shutdown is “uncharted territory” amid planning for one of the world’s biggest sporting…
Read MorePresident George H.W. Bush remembered as ‘gentle soul’ and ‘great man’
A national Day of Mourning has been declared for Wednesday in honor of former President George H.W. Bush, who died Friday. Federal offices, including the Vernon Post Office will be closed. The nation’s capital embraced George H.W. Bush in death Monday with solemn ceremony and high tributes to his service and decency, as the remains…
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