Morning briefing
W.Va., Ohio lead nation in overdoses
CHARLESTON — West Virginia still leads the nation in the rate of drug overdose deaths.
The Register-Herald reports the latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics shows the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths in West Virginia is 52 per 100,000 in 2016. Ohio was second, with a rate of 39.1 New Hampshire is third.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there were more than 63,600 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. The deadliest drug was the synthetic opioid fentanyl, which was linked to more than 19,400 deaths. The rate of drug overdose deaths connected to synthetic opioids doubled in just one year.
Man arrested for fake bomb threat
CHICAGO — A 34-year-old California man has been charged after authorities say he told an airline employee at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport there was a bomb in his carry-on bag.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that police found no bomb and charged Otis Evans of San Diego with felony disorderly conduct.
Evans was escorted from the plane about 1 p.m. Friday. Chicago police said in a statement that the incident caused a “large law enforcement and fire personnel response which resulted in evacuations and delayed flights.”
Lineups for today’s news shows
WASHINGTON — Guest lineups for today’s TV news shows:
≤ ABC’s “This Week” — Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.; Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa.
≤ NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Political analysts
≤ CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Panel of correspondents
≤ CNN’s “State of the Union” — Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
≤ “Fox News Sunday” — White House legislative affairs director Marc Short; Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md.
Funeral held for firefighter
SAN DIEGO — A state firefighter who died battling the largest wildfire recorded in California’s modern history was remembered Saturday as a devoted family man who didn’t hesitate to do his job, no matter the danger.
“When Cory decided he wanted something, he got it. When there was a job to be done, he did it and 10 more,” Ashley Iverson told mourners inside Rock Church in San Diego.
Gov. Jerry Brown joined family, friends and colleagues honoring Cory Iverson.
The 32-year-old Cal Fire engineer died of burns and smoke inhalation on Dec. 14 while tackling the Thomas Fire that burned more than 700 homes in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
Police: Ohio postal worker kills two
COLUMBUS — A disgruntled mail carrier facing dismissal has been charged with aggravated murder for fatally shooting his supervisor at a suburban Ohio post office and with murder for killing a postmaster outside of her apartment complex.
Twenty-four-year-old DeShaune Stewart, of Columbus, was naked during both slayings Saturday morning inside the Dublin post office and at an apartment complex in nearby Columbus, police said.
Stewart is charged with killing 52-year-old Lance Dempsey at the post office just before 4:30 a.m. Stewart had been scheduled to walk his mail route on Saturday, Columbus homicide Sgt. David Sicilian said.
Columbus police dispatchers received a 911 call around 7:15 a.m. about a man with a gun chasing a woman outside the apartment complex, about 4 miles from the post office. Patrol officers arrested Stewart and recovered a handgun after he tried to run away.
The body of the postmaster, Ginger Ballard, 53, was found lying between two vehicles. A police affidavit filed with the murder charge in Franklin County Municipal Court said Ballard died instantly of blunt-force trauma to the head after being thrown to the ground, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
By The Associated Press
COMMENTS