12 people, including five U.S. service members, are dead after the crash of a military C-130 transport plane in Afghanistan

5 US Service Members Among 12 Dead in Afghan Plane Crash

 

Associated Press | Oct 01, 2015 | by Lolita C. Baldor

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. defense official says 12 people, including five U.S. service members, are dead after the crash of a military C-130 transport plane in Afghanistan.

The official says the plane crashed at Jalalabad Airport in eastern Afghanistan at about midnight local time.

There are about 1,000 coalition forces in eastern Afghanistan, including U.S. and Polish forces as well as about 40,000 Afghan troops, according to NATO.

The U.S. official was not authorized to discuss the incident publicly, so spoke on condition of anonymity.

The U.S. has about 9,800 troops in Afghanistan, although the numbers are expected to go down a bit by the end of the year.

//-------------------///

11 dead in US C-130 plane crash in Afghanistan




A C-130 military transport plane crashed in Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)


Washington (AFP) - Eleven people, including six US troops, were killed when a C-130 military transport plane crashed Friday in Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan, an official said.

"The crew and passengers were killed," US Army Colonel Brian Tribus said, noting that five civilian contractors were also on the plane.

The crash occurred at about midnight local time on Friday morning (1930 GMT).

The contractors had been working for "Resolute Support," the NATO-led training mission.

The C-130 Hercules is a cargo plane built by Lockheed Martin. It is powered by four turboprop engines and is used extensively by the military to ship troops and heavy gear.

The C-130 can take off and land on rough, dirt strips and is widely used by the US military in hostile areas. Jalalabad is in eastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan

Date:	02-OCT-2015
Time:	00:19
Type:	Lockheed C-130J Hercules
Owner/operator:	US Air Force - USAF
Registration:
C/n / msn:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11
Other fatalities:	0
Airplane damage:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	Jalalabad Airfield -   Afghanistan
Phase:
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Six U.S. service members and five civilians were killed when a C-130J crashed shortly after midnight Friday local time at Jalalabad Airfield, Afghanistan, according to ta 455th Air Expeditionary Wing news release.

The plane was assigned to the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, part of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, the news release says. First responders are still on the scene and the cause of the crash is under investigation.
Sources: 
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=180071 http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/10/01/c-130-crashes-afghanistan/73173916/

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane charged with 2nd perjury count

Another perjury charge has been filed against Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane.

Thursday, October 01, 2015 12:22PM

HARRISBURG, Pa. --

Prosecutors added a new perjury count and other criminal charges Thursday against Pennsylvania's attorney general, saying they found a signed document that contradicts her claims she never agreed to maintain secrecy of a grand jury investigation in 2009, before she took office.

The Montgomery County district attorney charged Kathleen Kane with felony perjury and two misdemeanors - false swearing and obstruction - based on a signed secrecy oath she signed shortly after taking office in early 2013.

Kane, the first woman and first Democrat elected as attorney general in Pennsylvania, was previously charged with perjury, conspiracy and other offenses. Prosecutors said she leaked secret grand jury information about a 2009 investigation to a newspaper and then lied about it.

An affidavit filed by a county detective said Kane has repeatedly said, directly and through her lawyers, that she did not swear to keep secret the 2009 grand jury information about a former head of the NAACP in Philadelphia.

But the district attorney's office said her signed oath was recovered during a search of her Harrisburg offices on Sept. 17, contradicting her claims that no such document existed.

"Kane perpetuated this falsehood not just before (a) grand jury, but also in legal filings before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and to the people of Pennsylvania through privately retained representatives," wrote Montgomery County Detective Paul Michael Bradbury, who attached a photocopy of the one-paragraph oath to the affidavit.

Kane's criminal defense attorney, Gerald Shargel, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Thursday morning. A spokesman for Kane's office referred questions about the latest charges to her personal attorneys.

Authorities say Kane and other top aides were compelled to sign the secrecy oath and three others just like it that applied to other grand jury panels to participate in a transition meeting on Jan. 17, 2013, that concerned the office's investigations.

Bradbury said agents learned about the existence of the signed secrecy oaths only after arresting her Aug. 6 over leaks to the Philadelphia Daily News last year.

A district judge determined in late August that there was sufficient evidence to send those charges to county court for trial. Kane has consistently denied the allegations and has argued that she was a stay-at-home mother when the grand jury was meeting in 2009 so its secrecy provisions could not apply to her.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court last week issued a temporary suspension of Kane's law license, a suspension that will take effect later this month.

Christie declares State of Emergency in New Jersey ahead of Hurricane Joaquin and Weekend Nor'Easter

Gov. Chris Christie has declared a State of Emergency in New Jersey.






Updated 46 mins ago
TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) -- Governor Chris Christie has declared a State of Emergency in New Jersey ahead of severe weather and the threat of Hurricane Joaquin.



Christie made the announcement as a storm system, not related to the path of Hurricane Joaquin but due to a tropical frontal boundary, makes its way through the region.

"We know there is definitely going to be moderate and likely to be major flooding events in South Jersey Friday and Saturday with 5 to 6 inches of rainfall expected to come," Christie said in a Thursday morning press conference.

Christie says the state Office of Emergency Management was activated at 6 a.m. Thursday and the Department Environmental Protection has reached out to communities about moving sand to protect beaches. He says the focus right now is on Salem, Cumberland, Atlantic and Cape May counties.

"I need all of you to prepare today," Christie told residents of those counties. "Now is the time for you to prepare."



The system could mean beach erosion - something that's already been a problem - and flooding of roads along the shore and in flood-prone inland areas.

As of Friday morning, the entire state was under some kind of flood watch, warning or advisory from the National Weather Service, which is telling people to be prepared for rising water levels and not to drive through flood waters.

For the people in other 17 counties of New Jersey, Christie says, "Stay tuned."

As for Hurricane Joaquin, Christie says it is too soon to tell what type of damage it will cause.

 

"At this point, it's just too soon to say with any certainty whether or not Joaquin is likely to have a direct impact on New Jersey or not," Christie said.

The National Hurricane Center forecast Thursday morning suggests the storm could skirt past New Jersey and make landfall on New York's Long Island as a tropical storm on Tuesday morning. But confidence in the longer term forecast remains low, the center said.

Christie wants residents to be prepared, including those who have generators to make sure they know how to use them properly in case of power outages.



"I'm not here to say Sandy II is coming. I have no way of knowing that. But what I want people to know is if it did, we're as prepared as you could be to deal with it," Christie said.

He said he will consider evacuations, if necessary.

"We're not there yet, and if we are going to be there, my guess is we'd be there in 12 to 24 hours and we'll let people know," Christie said.

Christie says his office will also make sure there will be shelters in place for people who might need them.

"We are not quite sure if this is going to be a single punch or a double punch," Christie said.

The state Office of Emergency Management recommends people have three days of water and nonperishable ready-to-eat food, along with a battery-operated radio and extra batteries, a flashlight, a week's supply of medicine and some cash.

----

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Another crazy American with guns takes 10 lives, injures 12 more in Oregon

At least 10 dead in Oregon community college shooting





Jim Dolan is in the newsroom with the details






Eyewitness News
Updated 5 mins ago

ROSEBURG, Ore. (WABC) -- At least 10 people were killed and more than a dozen injured Thursday in a shooting at a southwestern Oregon community college, State Police Lt. Bill Fugate said.

Police confirmed Thursday late afternoon that the 20-year-old gunman, who was a student, was pronounced dead.

The shooting happened at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, about 180 miles south of Portland. The local fire district advised people via Twitter to stay away from the school. It later tweeted that there were "multiple casualties," but didn't elaborate.
Here's live coverage from KATU, a TV station covering the breaking news:

(app users: click here to watch)

A photographer for the Roseburg News-Review newspaper said he saw people being loaded into multiple ambulances and taken to the local hospital.

This photo of emergency responders at the school was posted to Twitter:








A woman is comforted as friends and family wait for students at the local fairgrounds after a shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. Ryan Kang/AP

Umpqua Community College has about 3,000 students. Its website was down Thursday, and a phone message left at the school wasn't immediately returned.

Here's where the school is located:


The Oregon State Police and Douglas County Sheriff's Office also didn't immediately returned calls from The Associated Press seeking additional details.

A spokeswoman for the Oregon department that oversees community colleges in the state said she had not received any detailed information about the shooting.

"It's extremely concerning and sad," said Endi Hartigan, spokeswoman for the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission.

The rural town of Roseburg lies west of the Cascade Mountains. The timber industry has struggled there, and authorities in recent years have tried to promote the area as a tourist destination for wine growing and outdoor activities.

Fmr. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords commented on the mass shooting on Twitter.


Stay with abc7NY for the latest on this developing story.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NY-NJ-CT tri-state area is bracing for what could be a one-two punch of severe weather, with rain, wind and possible flooding

AccuWeather Alert: Storm preparations across the Tri-state area





Darla Miles is in Manasquan with the latest






Eyewitness News
Updated 5 mins ago
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The Tri-state area is bracing for what could be a one-two punch of severe weather, with rain and possible flooding for Thursday night and Friday, followed by the potential effects of Hurricane Joaquin.

NEW JERSEY




New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has declared a state of emergency ahead of a storm expected to bring heavy rain and flooding.

The declaration will allow state and county government to manage the storm, including the possibility of Hurricane Joaquin affecting the state.

Christie says it's too soon to know whether the hurricane will have a direct impact on the state, but warned of coastal flooding Friday and Saturday.

"We are not quite yet sure about whether this is going to be a single punch or a double punch," Christie said. "There's no question there's going to be a single punch that's going to start this evening and there are going to be winds up to 75 to 85 miles per hour in the southern part of the state, in addition to the rain which we expect to be 5 to 6 inches."

Flood warnings and watches are in effect up and down the New Jersey coast already. Christie says he will consider evacuations if necessary, but that it's too early to know if that will be needed. He told residents to prepare themselves Thursday.

Hurricane Joaquin's approach could intensify the damage, but rain is forecast across the region regardless of the storm's path.

According to the AccuWeather forecast, the looming threat comes with heavy storms Friday and the possible arrival of the hurricane Sunday.

In flood-prone Hoboken, barricades are up and parking is restricted, while city vehicles are being moved to higher ground. Officials are not taking any chances with potentially dangerous weather on the way.

"At this point no one can be certain, so I have an obligation to make sure the city is ready if the worst does come to pass," said Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

In Neptune, an area where more than 400 homes were destroyed by Superstorm Sandy, an emergency planning committee meeting was held to discuss a strategy for the coming days.

"We're not going to unnecessarily trigger the alarm, but certainly we want people to be aware," said Michael Bascom, the town's emergency management coordinator.

Meanwhile, crews in Belmar drained nearby lakes and utilized bulldozers along the boardwalk to create a massive sand dune along Ocean Avenue protecting nearby homes and businesses.

The latest AccuWeather forecast:


LONG ISLAND




On Long Island, officials are taking precautions as forecasters closely follow Joaquin's uncertain track.

"Our state has seen the damage that extreme weather can cause time and time again - and I am urging New Yorkers to take precautions for more heavy storms in the coming days," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Cuomo did not declare a state of emergency.

In Hicksville, PSEG trucks were already getting into place and on Long Beach Island, they were building protective dunes. They all learned the hard way.

"We learned a lot from Sandy obviously, so we are ready," said Angie Carpenter, the Islip Town supervisor.

That's true in Islip and Long Beach Island, too.

"We're all very sensitive post Sandy, so anytime any potential storm is on the horizon everyone is, for good reason, hyper vigalent and we ask residents to stay alert and to keep monitoring things," said Jack Schnirmer, the Long Beach city manager.

"Any preps we make will be a full tank of gas in the car and a warm bed to stay, that's for sure," a resident said.

A lot of folks feel that way, but local governments say they're ready for whatever happens.

"We are a little concerned, we are prepared, we have checked out all of our equipment since this is the first major storm of the season, we have upgraded all of our contacts to make sure that we have everything in place," Carpenter said.

With relentless thunderstorms expected to pound the Northeast for the next few days, and Joaquin potentially threatening off the coast, dozens of communities are wasting no time taking precautions and urging residents to be prepared.

"I feel a little more confident now, that we're not going to have a direct hit, of everything floating," Lido Beach resident Henry Cuttler said. "Because of the dune, we didn't have the extensive dune structure."

New Army Corps of Engineer approved dunes with grass stretch through neighboring Long Beach, not to mention a new berm that Public Works has been constructing as the area braces for a heavy hit.

"We're all very sensitive now, post Sandy," Long Beach City Manager Jack Schnirman said. "So any time any potential storm is on the horizon, we're all now, for good reason, hyper-vigilant."

NEW YORK CITY




Mayor de Blasio says New York City is on a state of high alert.

Deputy Commissioner Frank McCarton and his team at the Office of Emergency Management are monitoring the weather.

"The only way the public helps us is plan for right now, what they should be doing if we ask for evacuations," said McCarton.

Following Superstorm Sandy, parts of the city's hurricane evacuation area were rezoned, and berms and walls were put in parts of Lower Manhattan.

The storm heavily damaged the subway system. The MTA says, as a precaution, it is repositioning equipment, putting out generators and pumping systems. If necessary, it is ready to act.

"We have a complete moveable closure at South Ferry that will essentially seal off the entire staircase to prevent water from coming into the station," said the MTA's Kevin Ortiz.

When asked whether the subways will be shut down, as was the case during Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast said it is part of the hurricane plan. But it is "way too early" to know if the hurricane plan will have to be implemented, he said.