Kentucky sheriff accused of shooting judge pleads not guilty, could face death penalty
(WHITESBURG, Ky.) — The Kentucky sheriff accused of fatally shooting a judge in his chambers last week could face the death penalty if convicted, according to a special judge appointed to preside over the case.
Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines, 43, made his first court appearance Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges.
On Thursday, Stines allegedly killed Kentucky District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, inside his chambers in the Letcher County Courthouse, officials said. The shooting allegedly occurred “following an argument inside the courthouse,” according to Kentucky State Police, and investigators are still searching for a motive.
Stines did not appear to show emotion during the brief hearing on Wednesday, where he appeared over Zoom wearing a jail uniform alongside his public defender, who entered the not guilty plea on Stines’ behalf.
He is expected back in court on Oct. 1.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Francine strengthened on Tuesday into a Category 1 storm, with winds reaching 75 mph, as it churned in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to make landfall Wednesday afternoon or early evening in Louisiana, southwest of New Orleans.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Weather warnings for Gulf Coast states
A raft of warnings was issued for cities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama ahead of Hurricane Francine’s expected landfall on Wednesday afternoon.
A hurricane watch was issued for New Orleans, with hurricane warnings for Morgan City and Houma on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast.
Tropical storm warnings are in place further east, covering cities including Biloxi, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama.
Storm surge warnings were announced for both Biloxi — where water may rise up to 5 feet — and Mobile, where water levels may rise by up to 4 feet.
Francine is expected to make landfall as either a high-end Category 1 or low-end Category 2 hurricane, with winds between 90 and 100 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. The Category 2 classification begins with winds of 96 mph.
Landfall may bring tornadoes in areas around New Orleans, Biloxi, Mobile and Pensacola, Florida.
Heavy rain may cause flash flooding from New Orleans all the way up to Jackson, Mississippi through to Wednesday night. As the storm moves into Mississippi on Thursday, it is forecast to produce flash flooding and gusty winds.
Francine is expected to stall through Thursday night into Friday morning, bringing heavy rain to Memphis, Nashville and Paducah, Kentucky.
Francine 295 miles from Louisiana coast
Hurricane Francine is expected to make landfall southwest of New Orleans as a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday afternoon.
As of early Wednesday, Francine was 295 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, heading northeast at 10 mph.
Data collected by Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicated that the storm strengthened in the early hours of Wednesday, with maximum sustained winds close to 85 mph — up from 75 mph on Tuesday night.
New Orleans under Hurricane Watch
Emergency officials in New Orleans, Louisiana, warned residents on Tuesday that they should be prepared to shelter in place as Hurricane Francine approached landfall.
A Tropical Storm Warning and Hurricane Watch were issued for areas along the southern Louisiana coast, including New Orleans. A Flood Watch was also issued in Orleans Parish through Thursday morning, the city said.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell signed an emergency proclamation.
“The storm track has shifted more towards the east, which has the potential to worsen impacts for the city, but the storm remains disorganized,” the city said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new indictment charging him with criminal sex act in the first degree.
He was wheeled into a Manhattan courtroom wearing a black suit, white shirt and tie.
The former movie mogul is charged in the new indictment based on the allegations of a woman who said he sexually assaulted her on one occasion in 2006 at a Manhattan hotel.
He is also charged in a previous New York State Supreme Court indictment with criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said.
“Thanks to this survivor who bravely came forward, Harvey Weinstein now stands indicted for an additional alleged violent sexual assault,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
Weinstein, 72, missed his last court date after being rushed to the hospital for emergency heart surgery.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office presented to the grand jury allegations of three separate women who said Weinstein sexually assaulted them. Their allegations were not part of the initial trial of Weinstein that ended in a conviction, which was later overturned on appeal.
“We will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault,” a spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement earlier this year, when the conviction was overturned.
Weinstein has denied all claims of sexual misconduct, saying his encounters were consensual.
The new indictment comes months after the New York Court of Appeals overturned his 2020 sex crimes conviction. He had been found guilty of criminal sexual assault and third-degree rape and sentenced to 23 years in prison.
In a scathing 4-3 opinion in April, the court found the trial judge “erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes.”
(NEW YORK) — The next great sky show is coming late Sunday evening, and it is forecast to be one of the most awe-inspiring shooting star displays of 2024.
Appearing annually between late July and mid-August, the Perseid meteor shower is expected to reach its peak on the evening of Sunday, Aug. 11, and before dawn on Monday, Aug. 12, according to NASA.
Marking one of the most plentiful meteor showers in the Northern Hemisphere, the Perseids showcase approximately 50 to 100 meteors per hour, NASA reports.
In addition to the plentiful showcase, the Perseids — which get their name from the constellation Perseus — are famous for bringing fireballs, bright colors and long meteor tails to the night sky.
“Fireballs are larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak,” according to NASA.
Skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere, from the equator to mid-latitudes, will still get a glimpse of the shower, though it will be less pronounced than in the north.
Unfortunately, the agency notes that viewing the meteor shower this year will be “slightly impacted” by the Moon, which will be waxing at 53% in its cycle, lending more brightness in the sky to take away from the view.
The best time to view the Perseids will be past Midnight and it will become more pronounced as the sky darkens, according to NASA.
Additionally, those viewing the shower in remote locations, away from city lights, will have the best chance at a clear view, NASA says.
So, where do the Perseids come from and why do they appear annually?
Meteors are produced from comet particles and debris from broken asteroids. When comets and asteroids navigate around the Sun, they create a train of dust and debris in their wake.
Each year, the Earth rotates through the trail of debris, allowing it to impact the atmosphere and become visible to the naked eye.