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Odd Google Searches That Trended in 2014

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Google has released its 2014 list of its most common search requests. Many popular searches weren't surprising, like The World Cup, Robin Williams, and Disney's “Frozen.”

However, the search engine also revealed other searches that were also, somehow, popular this past year. People of the web turned to Google for odd info about dogs, beauty, diets, memes, fashion and famous selfies.

Take a look at searches that also trended in 2014: 



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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SDSU Fraternity Shut Down for Violations

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The Delta Sigma Phi fraternity at San Diego State University has been shut down, the university confirmed Tuesday.

The announcement comes in the midst of a string of reported sexual assaults on campus.

The Gamma Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Phi was closed “as a result of a consistent pattern of policy violations that includes the harassment of a Take Back the Night March on Friday, November 21, 2014, as well as other significant hazing and alcohol misconduct issues,” SDSU said in a news release.

The university will also investigate individual members for possible Title IX and student code of conduct violations, according to the release.

One participant in the march, which was meant to stop violence against women, said people at parties shouted obscenities, threw eggs at the marchers and waived inappropriate objects as they passed. The SDSU Greek community voluntarily suspended all social activities after the incident.

The Delta Sigma Phi national office released a statement Monday, which read in part:

It recently became clear that certain members of Gamma Alpha Chapter have not maintained the integrity that our members deserve and that our history demands. A series of incidents highlighted behavior inconsistent with the high standards that have been synonymous with the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity at San Diego State University. After learning of widespread member misconduct issues, the National Fraternity determined it was not in the best interest of Delta Sigma Phi to continue operating Gamma Alpha Chapter. The Fraternity cannot, and will not, tolerate blatant disregard toward our policies and standards for members and chapters.

On Monday, the SDSU Greek community announced new sexual assault awareness training for fraternity and sorority members. All Greeks will be required to take online courses called "Agents of Change" on sexual violence, attend a week of presentations on the topic and participate in sexual assault prevention events, including Take Back the Night.

 Delta Sigma Phi could return to SDSU after the fall of 2016 if members adhere to these policies, according to an agreement between the university and the fraternity’s national office.

Since the start of the semester, 13 sexual assaults have been reported at San Diego State. Of those 13, seven of the alleged incidents happened at locations classified as a fraternity, according to data from the university.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 News

El Cajon Robbery Prompts High School Lockdown

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An armed robbery at an El Cajon hotel left one person injured and prompted Grossmont High School officials to lockdown the campus Tuesday afternoon, according to El Cajon police.

A suspect reportedly held up the Quality Inn and Suites in the 1200 block of El Cajon Boulevard at about 1:30 p.m.

Armed with a shotgun, police say the suspect fired one round, hitting a victim.

The suspect then took off on foot. Officers are searching the area for him.

Grossmont High School was placed on lockdown as a precaution. The Grossmont Union High School District said that law enforcement will soon begin releasing students by classroom. Parents can pick up their children at the normal location.

One person was transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital.

2 Men Beaten, Stabbed While Sitting in Car

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Two men were beaten, stabbed and pepper sprayed while sitting in their car Monday night, according to a San Diego County Sheriff's lieutenant.

The attack happened near Henson Heights and Liberty Drive in San Marcos just after 9 p.m. 

The victims told deputies they were waiting in their vehicle when two men approached them.

The suspects stabbed the victims, hit them and used a pepper spray canister on them, sheriff's officials say.

Those responsible have not been arrested. The investigation is ongoing.

Neighbors Help Police Search for Hit-and-Run Suspect

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Neighbors emerged from their North Park homes Monday night to help San Diego police search for a hit-and-run suspect.

The man, a suspected DUI driver, originally crashed into a parked car in the 3000 block of Landis Street at about 9:25 p.m. and took off.

He ran to the 3800 block of 31st Street, where residents joined the search when they heard the SDPD commotion.

Officers called in air support to help find the suspect, and the helicopter's heat source detected him hiding under a car in an alley. 

He was arrested just after 10 p.m.

War Vet Accused of Killing 6 in Pa. Shooting Spree Found Dead

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Bradley Stone, the man prosecutors say is responsible for killing his ex-wife and five of her family members and seriously stabbing one other before going on the run, has been found dead in the woods near his home, the Montgomery County District Attorney said.

His body was discovered at 1:38 p.m. Tuesday near W. 4th Street and Schoolhouse Road North Hanover Township, District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said. The location is about a half mile from the former Marine's home where SWAT teams have been methodically searching for the man for the past two days.

It appears Stone took his own life through “self-inflicted cutting wounds to the center of his body," Vetri Ferman said. A knife was found nearby, she said.

Police also found a video recorded by Stone on a cellphone on or near his person, law enforcement sources said.

Stone, 35, had not been seen since just before 5 a.m. Monday as he rushed his screaming children out of their mother's apartment in Harleysville. Moments before, neighbors and police said he gunned down the woman, Nicole Hill Stone. She was the last of seven family members he shot or stabbed that morning, prosecutors said.

The children were left in his neighborhood in Pennsburg and he fled, officials said. The girls, along with Stone's current wife and infant are now in protective custody, Vetri Ferman said.

Newly released search warrants offered more detail into how the victims were fatally wounded. Stone used a firearm and knife, officials said.

According to the documents, Stone Hill was shot in the face and head; Patricia Hill, the grandmother, suffered gunshot wounds to the arm and head; Jo Anne Koder, the ex-wife's mother, was shot and cut in the neck; Trish Flick, the woman's sister, was shot in the face and cut; Aaron Flick, the brother-in-law, was shot in the head and hands; and Nina, the 14-year-old niece, died of cutting wounds.

The lone survivor is Stone Hill's 17-year-old nephew, Anthony Flick. Court documents stated he suffered a "gaping skull fracture" and lacerations to his arms and fingers. Vetri Ferman said officials believe the teen tried to fight off the attack.

He remains in serious, but stable condition and is surrounded by family at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, the DA said. Friends tell NBC10 that he is expected to survive.

"I cannot emphasize enough how serious his condition is, but at least at this point, we are hopeful that he will be fine," Vetri Ferman said.

A vigil will be held for the victims at 6 p.m. along Broad Street in Souderton.

Stone served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and was briefly deployed to Iraq in 2008. Fellow Marines who served with him described the man as odd and said that he had a tumultuous relationship with his ex-wife. Hill Stone's neighbors and friends told NBC10 the woman warned Stone would kill her.

Vetri Ferman said eight SWAT teams searched many locations known to Stone during their first day effort. However, none turned up clues about his whereabouts. Detectives did find some forensic evidence, but didn't elaborate as to what was found.

A supposed sighting of a man that fit Stone's description involved in an attempted carjacking in Doylestown Monday night "did not appear to be valid," she said.

Police, bolstered with help from Pennsylvania State Police, the FBI and U.S. Marshals, focused their efforts on Tuesday in the northwest part of the county where he lived and frequented, Vetri Ferman said.

The district attorney thanked the public for their assistance and patience. Schools in Upper Perkiomen, where Stone lives, were closed Tuesday and other districts — Souderton and Pennridge — were under lockdown.


Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.



Photo Credit: NBC10
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Rain, Chance of Thunderstorms Heading to San Diego

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San Diego County is in store for another bout of rain.

Residents of San Diego can expect some light rain Tuesday before a heavier storm hits the region Wednesday, NBC 7 meteorologist Jodi Kodesh reported.

"When I say action, it’s not a lot," Kodesh said. "We’re not looking at a wallop like last week or a crazy wind maker or anything like that."

Kodesh did, however, warn of the potential for thunderstorms.

"One caveat is that we could potentially see a thunderstorm today (Tuesday) or tomorrow (Wednesday)," Kodesh said. "If we get a thunderstorm, obviously, heavier totals and that’s a whole different scenario. But that’s an isolated incident if it does happen."

On Tuesday, San Diegans can expect scattered showers and rain overnight before steady rain Wednesday.

As the rainfall heads closer to shore, the National Weather Service issued a High Surf Advisory for beaches along the San Diego coast up to Los Angeles Tuesday to Wednesday. Five to 8 feet swells with sets up to 10 feet are expected in San Diego. Some of the strongest surf expected south of Del Mar, according to NWS.

A Winter Weather Advisory has also been issued by NWS for the San Diego Mountains, such at Mt. Laguna, through Wednesday. One to 3 inches should accumulate Wednesday at the county's highest points. The advisory is for elevations above 5500 feet for the San Diego mountains.

With the continued rain, experts are warning people to keep on eye on trees around their homes.

In La Jolla, a eucalyptus tree fell onto a home after rainfall. Tree trimmers say despite the size of the tree, the roots on a eucalyptus tree do not run deep so wet soil can loosen the roots if not well-maintained.

To prevent something like that from happening, it is important to prune trees at least once a year, they say. Otherwise, when the wind from a storm comes rushing in, the leaves act as a sail and sway the tree back and forth.

Tree trimmers also say the drought may be causing some of the trees to fall.

Residents looking to save money during the rain can also participate in the rain barrel rebate program. Once homeowners have submitted the application and followed the steps to install the barrel, residents can receive up to $1.00 per gallon of barrel storage capacity for the residential rainwater harvesting program and up to $400 per property.

San Diegans should turn off their sprinklers during and after heavy rainfall, such as the rain received last week, as that rain can sustain a lawn for more than a week.



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Officer Involved in Head-On Collision in Lakeside

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An off-duty officer was involved in a head-on collision in Lakeside, San Diego Police said.

Police said the officer has a possible broken collar bone as well as scratched and cuts to the face, but will be okay. The officer is in a lot of pain, police said, but should be released today.

The head-on collision happened in Lakeside Tuesday. Wildcat Canyon Road was closed near the 8-mile marker and Ak-Uunyaa Way. The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig Alert.

As of noon, the road was reopened, officials said.

The crash happened around 10:15 a.m. Tuesday. The California Highway Patrol and Heartland Fire responded to the scene, where a yellow sports car collided head-on with a black pickup truck.

One person from the car and two people in the truck were taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital by ambulance, according to fire officials. The extent of their injuries is unknown.

The identity of the officer involved has not been released.

Check back for updates.


U.S. to Bid for 2024 Olympics

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The U.S. Olympic Committee has decided to bid for the 2024 Olympics, hoping to bring the Summer Games back to America after a 28-year absence.

The USOC board heard presentations from four candidate cities Tuesday — Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington — and voted to enter a field that already includes Rome and either Hamburg or Berlin, with Paris likely to join.

A decision on which city the U.S. will put forward for a bid is expected next month.

The United States hasn't hosted a Summer Games since the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

The country's last two tries have been flops, with New York (2012) and Chicago (2016) each finishing fourth in voting. The USOC chose not to bid for the 2020 Games, which will take place in Tokyo.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Lightner Elected as Council President in Revote

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A second San Diego City Council president vote Tuesday ended with the same results as the last: Councilwoman Sherri Lightner elected as leader.

Lightner was first voted in as council president last Wednesday, ousting incumbent Todd Gloria, after private, one-on-one-meetings among six council members.

There was no majority quorum and the talks did not violate the state’s open meetings law, the Ralph M. Brown Act. However, the meetings are banned under the act’s serial meetings clause.

NBC 7 alerted the City Attorney’s office to the potential problem last week. To remedy the situation, Lightner called for a special meeting Tuesday to request another vote.

"The revote on the council president is the cure provided by Brown Act that was recommended by the City Attorney's office," said Lightner to the council Tuesday. "This action will quickly and simply address any concerns."

On Tuesday evening, a 6-1 vote elected Lightner as president. Gloria was the lone dissenting voice.

In the lead up to the vote, Executive Assistant City Attorney Paul Cooper said reporting by NBC 7’s Wendy Fry helped lead to the revote.

Lighter said the City Attorney’s office will be conducting a refresher course on the Brown Act in the new year. She also told the council she wants to set a tone of transparency and openness here, at the beginning of her one-year term as president.

Turbulence Hurts 5 on Plane

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Five people were injured Tuesday morning when an American Airlines flight en route from Seoul, South Korea, to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport encountered severe turbulence while cruising at altitude.

Flight 280 to DFW was diverted to Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday morning after encountering the turbulence.

Dallas attorney Marc Stanley was onboard the flight and captured pictures and video on his cell phone.

He says he says the turbulence came with no warning and lasted, on and off, for nearly an hour.

"Without warning whatsoever, the plane just dropped and people started, you know, people were screaming," said Stanley.

His video and pictures show a passenger with an ice pack to her head and a woman in a neck brace. He says they were warned not to step the ground without shoes because of broken glass.

Andrea Huguely with American said everyone on board Flight 280 was evaluated by medical personnel and that four passengers and one member of the crew were hospitalized for further treatment. 

Huguely also said none of the injuries are were life-threatening.

"American Airlines Flight 280 will not continue on to DFW today. Passengers have been transported to hotels and will continue their travel to DFW tomorrow. Our team in Tokyo will continue to provide all necessary support to take care of our passengers and crew," said Huguely.

The Boeing 777-200 was due to arrive at DFW Airport just after 3 p.m. on Tuesday. American Airlines said the plane had 240 passengers on board and 15 crew members.

Many passengers are expected to arrive at DFW on a new flight Wednesday morning.

NBC 5's Bianca Castro contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Marc Stanley

Mass Dog Graves at Rescue: Cops

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The owner of a dog rescue in northwest Indiana has been accused of animal neglect after police found a mass dog grave and several dogs in "deplorable conditions" at the rescue.

Police began investigating Paws Here Foundation, Inc., in the 22900 block of Harrison Street in Lowell, Indiana, in October after volunteers told police that dogs were being neglected, police said in a statement.

A detective spoke with the rescue's owner, Kenneth D. Wilson, about the allegations and Wilson said he would address the concerns, according to authorities.

After "a reasonable amount of time," the detective said she saw no improvements and obtained a search warrant, the statement said.

Officers executed the search warrant Tuesday at the rescue and found 10 dogs in "deplorable conditions," two dead dogs and a mass grave with "numerous canine remains," the statement said.

The dogs were housed in outside dirt runs and inside a barn and a garage in kennels.

Detective Michelle Dvorsak told the Northwest Indiana Times the facility is the "worst rescue operation I've seen."

Police said the 10 live dogs were "victims of advanced neglect" and are in need of medical and foster care.

The foundation posted on its Facebook page in September that it would close its doors to the public "due to some inhouse issues with a volunteer stealing a lot of our records."

The rescue could not be reached for comment Tuesday, and a phone number listed on its Facebook page was disconnected.

Animal neglect charges were pending against Wilson Tuesday.

Anyone interested in assisting with medical care, donations for supplies or foster care can call Detective Michelle Dvorsak at (219) 755-3346.



Photo Credit: Bill Dolan/NWI Times

Chargers Staying at Qualcomm For Another Year

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The San Diego Chargers will be spending another year in Mission Valley.

The team has decided to stay at Qualcomm Stadium for the 2015 NFL season, according to Mark Fabiani, special counsel to the Chargers' President Dean Spanos.

Since 2007, the Bolts have been eligible to, well, bolt from the property's lease on Feb. 1 each year. The team has opted not to end its lease for 14 years now.

Instead, they will buy more time until a permanent home can be built in the city.

"The team will not be exercising the lease termnation clause and will keep working to find a publicly acceptable way to build a Super-Bowl quality stadium in San Diego," said Fabiani's statement Tuesday.

The decision is a boon for San Diego but a disappointment for Los Angeles, which was hoping to lure in an NFL team as early as the 2015 offseason. The Chargers, St. Louis Rams and Oakland Raiders were among the contenders, NBC Sports reported in October.

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer weigh in on the issue via Twitter, posting "The Chargers belong in San Diego, and I look forward to continuing to work with them in 2015 to ensure the team is here for years to come."



Photo Credit: Getty Images

NH Man Nears End of 12K-Mile Walk

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Greg Hindy’s yearlong vow of silence and cross-country trek came to a close in July, when he reached Los Angeles. But that was just the beginning for this 23-year-old Yale graduate.

Although he’s now talking and taking advantage of technology, Hindy has kept his beard long and his shoes laced up for the return trip to his hometown of Nashua, New Hampshire.

He’s almost there.

Hindy hit New Haven on Tuesday, striding down Route 34 from Derby. He wore a backpack and pushed a bag full of camera gear, the same one he towed when he started the trip in 2013. He’s since walked more than 12,000 miles and hopes to be home for the holidays.

“I think I was surprised at the simplicity of it,” Hindy said. “It’s really a matter of walking each day. Every day that I’m walking, I’m walking through someone else’s every day place.”

Hindy, who graduated from Yale in 2013 with a degree in photography, said it’s all part of a performance art project.

“I felt like I wanted to somehow combine photography with some sort of performance art,” he explained. “I was drawn to the idea of making photographs in a way in which the process is really integral to the whole thing.”

Hindy took a vow of silence on July 9, 2013 – his birthday – and stuck with it as he journeyed across the country on the first leg of his trip.

"It was mostly about making a point, the point being that I'm dedicated to what I'm doing, and it affects me throughout the day," Hindy said of his decision to stay silent. "It was also an experiment. What would it be like to walk in silence for that long, and how would it affect my photography? How would it affect my thinking in general?”

He took photographs as he went, capturing images of the people and places he encountered and sending the footage back to his father.

Now Hindy is in the final leg of his journey. He plans to stay in New Haven through Thursday morning to catch up with some old friends – and catch his breath. A pulled muscle has put a limp in his step, and he’s hoping a short break will give him the extra energy to finish strong.

You can track Hindy's progress online here.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
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Pot-Smoking Santa Riles Neighbors

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A Southern California medical marijuana dispensary has agreed to remove its holiday decorations after it found itself at the center of a town controversy.

The Harbor House of Dank in San Pedro hired an artist last week to paint Christmas decorations, including a pot-smoking Santa, on its store front.

The paintings also depict a snowman holding a prescription pill bottle.

Hundreds of people expressed their anger about the décor on the "Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Watch" page, a closed Facebook group which had 2,784 members as of Tuesday afternoon.

On Facebook, one man posted "have some damn sense, kids walk by that place all the time." A woman posted "just couldn't understand why?"

"What do you tell your kids about that?" asked Tony Apodaca, who posted the picture of the store front on Monday. By Tuesday afternoon, his post had more than 190 comments.

"I was shocked when I drove by in the morning knowing there's a junior high school a block away," said Apodaca.

The store manager told NBC4 he was not aware that so many people were angry about the paintings. Within a few hours of learning the news, he called the artist who painted the images to have him scrape off the paintings.

By 4 p.m. Tuesday, the paintings had been removed.

But the controversy may have opened up a whole new set of legal issues for the store, which  Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscaino's office says is illegal because it does not fall under the guidelines of Proposition D.

Los Angeles voters passed the proposition in May, which allows for only 135 dispensaries that registered before a 2007 moratorium took hold, to stay in business.

The Harbor House of Dank opened a few weeks ago, according to the store manager.

The City Attorney's Office is working with LAPD to investigate the legality of hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries within the city of LA, including this one.

As for the paintings, after hearing that the store manager had agreed to remove them, Apodaca commended the store and his fellow members of the Coastal San Pedro Facebook page.

"It's the right  thing to do for the owner to take it down," he said.


Arrests Made in Deadly Meningitis Outbreak

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In the biggest criminal case ever brought in the U.S. over contaminated medicine, 14 former owners or employees of New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts, were charged Wednesday in connection with a 2012 meningitis outbreak that killed 64 people.

US attorney Carmen Ortiz in Boston obtained a grand jury indictment alleging that under the laws of 7 states, 25 of those deaths amount to second-degree murder because pharmacy owner Barry Cadden and supervising pharmacist Glenn Adam Chin acted in "extreme indifference to human life" in allowing the contaminated steroid pain medicine to be shipped out. Beyond the 64 who died beginning in the late summer of 2012, another 687 were sickened.

"That indictment charges 14 individuals with offenses ranging from RICO murder to conspiracy to defraud the government to other charges as well," Ortiz said. "Production and profits were prioritized over safety."

Attorneys for Cadden, of Wrentham, Massachusetts, and Chin, of Canton, Massachusetts, said they were stunned by the second-degree murder racketeering charges and stressed the men have fully cooperated with the probe.

Cadden's attorney Stephen Weymouth said, "I certainly didn't expect racketeering in connection with second degree murder and mail fraud. My client's charged with, I couldn't even count that high, 77 counts or something like that? Yes, I was totally shocked by this indictment."

"He's pleading not guilty. He will be proven not guilty of that and the other charges," Chin's attorney, Bruce Singal, added.

Additionally, 12 other people from the pharmacy are facing multiple other charges, including pharmacy co-owners Doug and Carla Conigliaro of Dedham, Massachusetts, being indicted on charges of "structuring" or in effect seeking to hide $33 million in assets from the bankruptcy court now overseeing the liquidation of NECC.

Earlier this month lawyers announced a $135 million fund from NECC assets to pay victims and their families in the case.

Attorney Kim Dougherty of Janet, Jenner & Suggs, who represents 100 victims of the pharmacy's contaminated steroids, said, "The charges are serious because what's happened to them is very serious. The suffering is very serious."

Dougherty said she hopes the new indictments may yield additional relief money beyond the $135 million. "What we're also hoping through the criminal trial is that the government will also set up a victim compensation fund so that they will further receive compensation for their suffering," Dougherty said.

Ortiz was asked why it had taken more than two years after the first fungal meningitis outbreaks tied to the contaminated back pain steroid medications for comprehensive indictments to be brought.

"In many ways, I've been frustrated by how long it's taken, because we've been anxious to get to this point, but we wanted to be sure we got it right," Ortiz said. "We wanted to be thorough. We wanted to be careful. We did not want to rush to judgement. There have been tens of thousands of documents that our team has been reviewing. There have been hundreds and hundreds of potential victims. ... It's not the kind of investigation where you just snap your fingers and it's done."

In all, the tainted medication was shipped to and used on patients in 20 states. According to Centers for Disease Control data released by Ortiz's office, Michigan had the most people affected with 264, followed by 153 in Tennessee, 93 in Indiana, 54 in Virginia and 51 in New Jersey. The only New England states reporting cases of fungal meningitis caused by the NECC medication were New Hampshire (14) and Rhode Island (3).

The 14 individuals charged in the indictment are Barry J. Cadden, 48, of Wrentham, Massachusetts; Glenn A. Chin, 46, of Canton, Massachusetts; Gene Svirskiy, 33, of Ashland, Massachusetts; Christopher M. Leary, 30, of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts; Joseph M. Evanosky, 42, of Westford, Massachusetts; Scott M. Connolly, 42, of East Greenwich, Rhode Island; Sharon P. Carter, 50, of Hopkinton, Massachusetts; Alla V. Stepanets, 34, of Framingham, Massachusetts; Gregory A. Conigliaro, 49 of Southborough, Massachusetts; Robert A. Ronzio, 40, of North Providence, Rhode Island; Kathy Chin, 42, of Canton, Massachusetts; Michelle Thomas, 31 of Cumberland, Rhode Island; Carla Conigliaro, 51, of Dedham, Massachusetts and Douglas A. Conigliaro, 53, of Dedham, Massachusetts.



Photo Credit: Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call via Getty

Woman Gunned Down Hours After Getting Protection Order Against Police Officer

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“If you find me dead, he did it.”

That’s what Valerie Morrow told NBC10 Investigative reporter Harry Hairston just hours before she died, allegedly at the hand of the Delaware County police officer she feared.

Stephen Rozniakowski, an officer with the Colwyn Borough Police Department, wore a bulletproof vest when he kicked down the door of Morrow’s home on Glenfield Avenue in Glenolden, Pennsylvania around 9 p.m. Monday and began firing, according to investigators. The shooting came just three hours after police served Rozniakowski with an court order to stay away from Morrow, and days before he was due in court in a separate stalking case.

“He went there to execute the entire family, in my opinion. I have no doubt about that,” said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan.

He shot and killed Morrow then shot Morrow’s teenage daughter in the arm before Morrow's husband Thomas Morrow, an off-duty Morton officer, returned fire.

After the shooting, Rozniakowski called in the shooting on his police-issued radio.

“I am the actor,” the 32-year-old told dispatchers.

Earlier in the day, Morrow reached out to Hairston because he previously covered past stalking allegations against Rozniakowski.

Morrow told Hairston she dated Rozniakowski for months before ending the relationship in August to reunite with her husband. In the weeks and months that followed, she said Rozniakowski called and texted her repeatedly with threatening messages. She agreed to come in for a Tuesday interview. but it never happened after she was killed in her own home.

At the time of the shooting, Philly police were working on an arrest warrant for Rozniakowski after he allegedly keyed Morrow’s car while parked at a Center City garage.

Before the fatal shooting, Rozniakowski called the Colwyn Borough Police Department to announce his resignation, investigators said.

About three hours before the shooting, Norwood Police served the suspect with an emergency court order to stay away from Morrow. At the time they took away his service weapon and asked if he had any other weapons but Whelan said Rozniakowski told them he didn’t.

He used a private weapon in Monday’s attack, said police.

Rozniakowski was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center where he remained in critical but stable condition Tuesday night, according to officials.

Whelan said he will consider pushing for the death penalty when Rozniakowski is tried.

Hairston put a spotlight on Rozniakowski earlier this year when the officer was placed on "administrative leave" after his former fiancee filed a protection from abuse order against him.

Plymouth Township Police arrested Rozniakowski and charged him with 25 counts of stalking and 50 counts of harassment for allegedly contacting his former fiancee with repeated phone and text messages.

"As a police officer, he knows the bounds and what the boundaries are and what the laws are," said Marty Mullaney, an attorney for Rozniakowski, told NBC10 in April. "I think his emotions got the best of him."

At that time, Rozniakowski had his police-issued gun taken away, Hills said.

The suspect was scheduled to appear in court Thursday on those charges.

"Flood of Rocks and Mud" Block Freeway

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Large rocks and mud blocked the eastbound lanes on the 91 Freeway after a hillside collapsed early Wednesday in Orange County and trapped vehicles in the debris.

California Highway Patrol reported a “flood of rocks and mud coming down” the hillsides during heavy overnight rains as a storm system moved through the region.

All eastbound lanes were shut down overnight west of Green River Road in the Anaheim Hills area. At least two lanes are expected to remain closed into the afternoon. Transition lanes from the northbound Eastern Transportation Corridor (241) to the eastbound 91 Freeway also were closed.

Vehicles caught in the debris were finally extricated almost two hours after the initial slide, according to the CHP incident log.

Aerial video showed a significant eastbound traffic backup early Wednesday as CHP officers directed drivers off the freeway near Gypsum Canyon Road. At the site of the slide, crews with heavy construction equipment attempted to remove a thick layer of mud that spanned all lanes.

A geologist was expected to visit the site to determine whether the hillside has stabilized. Protective concrete barriers will be placed at the site of the collapse to prevent more debris from flowing onto the road.

No injuries were reported.

The hillside that partially collapsed burned earlier this year in a 40-acre wildfire.



Photo Credit: KNBC-TV

From Cigars to Travel: Key Changes to U.S.-Cuba Relations

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In historic news on Wednesday, the United States and Cuba are to start talks on normalizing relations between the two countries. The congressional embargo remains in place,but President Obama in a noon addressed announced major changes in travel and business policies, saying that increased commerce was good for both Americans and Cubans.

“We should not allow U.S. sanctions to add to the burden of Cuban citizens we seek to help," he said.

What will it mean to ordinary Americans and companies wanting to do business in Cuba? Here are some key changes:

Diplomatic relations

Secretary of State John Kerry will begin discussions with Cuba on re-establishing diplomatic relations that broke off in January 1961. In the coming months, the United States will open an embassy in Havana and initiate high-level exchanges between the two governments.

Travel

Tourist travel to Cuba is still banned, but restrictions will be eased in 12 categories: family visits; official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and some intergovernmental organizations; journalists; professional research and meetings; educational activities; religious activities; public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions and exhibitions; support for the Cuban people; humanitarian projects; activities of private foundations and research and educational institutes; export or import of information; and export transactions that may be considered under existing regulations. Only Congress can lift the ban on tourist travel.

Money

Americans will be able to send $2,000 a quarter to Cuba, up from $500. Donations to humanitarian projects, to support Cubans and for the development of private businesses will not longer require a specific license.

Imports

Travelers to Cuba will be able to bring back Cuban cigars for personal use. Overall, Americans will be allowed $400 worth of goods, $100 for tobacco and alcohol. They will be able to use U.S. credit and debit cards while traveling to Cuba.

Exports

To help build the private sector in Cuba, the sale of commercial goods and services will be eased to include agricultural equipment for small farmers, building materials for private residences, and goods for use by Cuban entrepreneurs. U.S. institutions will be able to open accounts at Cuban financial institutions

Internet Access

Telecommunications providers will be allowed to establish infrastructure in Cuba to provide commercial telecommunications and Internet services. Cuba has one of the lowest Internet penetration rates at 5 percent. Telecommunications services are limited and expensive.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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Wheelchair Store Robbed at Gunpoint

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A man robbed a wheelchair store in Miramar at gunpoint late Tuesday night, police said.

Shortly after 8:30 p.m., a man came into Living Spinal at the 7300 block of Trade Street armed with a handgun and made an unknown demand, police said.

Police said the suspect was described as a 25-year-old man approximately 160 pounds and 6-feet tall wearing a dark baseball cap, dark blue long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans.

He was last seen leaving Living Spinal with an undetermined loss.

The Miramar-area business that sells wheelchairs, wheelchair accessories and medical equipment for wheelchairs and those confined to wheelchairs.

Approximately an hour later, a separate armed robbery occurred when two adult men robbed the La Jolla Village Lodge at gunpoint. They entered, made a demand to the clerk and were seen leaving with an undisclosed loss, possibly in a light colored vehicle.

San Diego Police Robbery Detectives are investigating both incidents.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7
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