104-year-old Chicago woman dies days after potentially record-breaking skydiving
Dorothy Hofner, the 104-year-old Chicago woman who could have made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest person to jump out of a plane during a recent skydive, has died. Hoffner’s body was discovered Monday morning by staff at the Brookdale Lakeview senior living community, said Joe Conant, a close friend of Hoffner’s. Conant said Hofner had amazing energy and “she just kept going.” On October 1, Hofner will complete a tandem skydive at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois, potentially setting her own world record. Conant said he is working to have Hoffner recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest skydiver after her death.
Morgan State University plans to build wall around campus after mass shooting during Homecoming Week
BALTIMORE (AP) – Morgan State University leaders will build a wall around much of the northeast Baltimore campus after a shooting during last week’s homecoming festival left five people injured. I’m making plans. University President David Wilson said during a town hall meeting Tuesday night that the barrier encircles 90% of the campus, effectively “eliminating unfettered access.” He said security enhancements were already underway before the shooting and were being done with even more urgency now. No arrests have been made in the shooting, but Baltimore police released surveillance images of the person of interest and asked the public for help identifying him.
Police are searching for the killer of a former Vermont college dean who was shot to death on a path near campus.
CASTLETON, Vt. (AP) – Students and residents of a small Vermont college town lock their doors as police search for the killer who shot and killed a retired dean on her favorite walking path last week. We are being told to unite. Professor Emeritus Fleming, former dean and professor at Vermont State University, was found shot to death about a mile south of campus Thursday afternoon. Police said Monday they did not know whether the community of about 4,500 people was in further danger or whether Fleming was targeted. The shooting occurred during the university’s week-long fall break. Some students say they want classes to be canceled while the investigation continues, while others say it gives them peace of mind.
Oklahoma judge dismisses case of man who served 30 years in prison for raping Ada
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – An Oklahoma judge has acquitted a man who served 30 years in prison for rape and robbery in Ada in 1987. Post-conviction DNA testing from a rape kit revealed that Perry Lott, now 61, did not commit the crime. Pontotoc County District Judge Stephen Kessinger issued a final order reversing Lott’s conviction and permanently dismissing his case. After DNA test results were first revealed, Lott was released from prison in 2018, but only after agreeing to an agreement with former District Attorney Paul Smith to modify his sentence. Smith said at the time that DNA evidence did not eliminate Lott as a suspect.
Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies in critical condition after mobile gun range trailer fire
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Two veteran Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were seriously injured after a fire broke out inside a trailer being used as a mobile shooting range in north Los Angeles. Authorities said deputies were in serious but stable condition after being burned in a 53-foot trailer Tuesday. Sheriff Robert Luna said other mobile shooting ranges are also closed across the county as investigators look into the cause of the fires. Luna did not immediately release the lawmaker’s name. One has been with the department for 21 years and the other has been with the department for 17 years, he said. Firefighters were challenged with live ammunition inside a trailer in Castaic.
The victim killed when the mast of the main schooner carrying tourists fell was a doctor.
ROCKLAND, Maine (AP) – Authorities say the woman who died when the mast snapped and toppled on the deck of a historic schooner carrying tourists off the coast of Maine was carried away by three other victims. He announced that he was a doctor at the hospital where he was killed. A spokesperson for the schooner Grace Bailey confirmed that Dr. Emily Mecklenburg of Rockland was pronounced dead Monday after being evacuated from the stricken sailboat. The other three injured people were taken to Pen Bay Medical Center in Lockport, where Mecklenburg, 40, worked. This sailing ship was built in 1882 and has been overhauled several times. The broken mast was not original to the ship. The Coast Guard is investigating.
‘Ring of Fire’ solar eclipse will tear through the Americas on Saturday, leaving millions of people in its path
Tens of millions of people across the Americas are getting a front-row seat to the rare “Ring of Fire” solar eclipse. A so-called annular solar eclipse will temporarily darken skies over parts of the western United States and Central and South America on Saturday. The moon will line up exactly between the Earth and the sun, making everything but the outer edge of the sun invisible. A bright, glowing border will appear around the moon for up to five minutes along a narrow path stretching from Oregon to Brazil. This is a precursor to the total solar eclipse that will hit Mexico, the United States, and Canada next April.
British TV personality Holly Willoughby quits daytime show days after allegations of kidnapping plot
LONDON (AP) — Holly Willoughby, one of Britain’s most high-profile television personalities, will no longer host the ITV network’s flagship daytime show “This Morning” days after a man was indicted on charges. announced that he would resign. She allegedly planned to kidnap and kill her. Ms Willoughby, who has been off air since Thursday as a result of the security scare, announced on Instagram on Tuesday that she would be ending her role as host of This Morning after 14 years. Her exit follows the news Gavin Plumb announced last Friday. Plumb, a 36-year-old shopping center security guard, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy and is scheduled to appear in court on November 3.
Atlanta Police Fire Chief After Traffic Stop Kills Black Deacon
ATLANTA (AP) – Atlanta’s police chief has fired the officer who shocked a 62-year-old black butler with a stun gun during an argument over a traffic ticket, killing the man. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schielbaum said Tuesday that Officer Kylan Kimbrough did not follow department procedure on Aug. 10 by not waiting for a supervisor to arrive to arrest Johnny Holman Sr. The conclusion came Monday, when the chief said an internal investigation led to the decision to fire Officer Kimbrough. Schierbaum’s decision came days before video of the police traffic stop was released. Kimbrough’s attorney, Lance LoRusso, said Kimbrough did not cause Holman’s death and plans to appeal his termination.
Lena Sofer returns to ‘General Hospital’ as fan favorite Lois for the first time in over 25 years
Nearly 30 years after Lena Sofer first appeared on General Hospital as a fast-talking Brooklynite with long, colorful fingernails, she’s returning to the series briefly. Although she played as Lois Cerullo for only about three years, it cemented her status as a fan favorite. She co-stars with her ex-husband Wally Kurth in some scenes. He also plays her ex-husband, Ned Ashton, on the long-running soap. She said returning to the set was a strange mix of familiarity and being a fish out of water. But the moment came full circle as she prepared to leave Los Angeles.
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