QUOTE OF THE DAY “I’ve made a career of body counts of dead fish and wildlife made that way from coal.” Dennis Lemly, a U.S. Forest Service research biologist who chronicles the deformities coal-mining pollution causes in fish, in response to the recent West Virginia chemical spill Article, 6ATeen charged as adult in gym shooting
Police charged a boy with aggravated assault and related crimes Saturday in connection with a shooting that wounded two students inside a Philadelphia high school gymnasium, but released a second boy from custody without charging him.
Raisheem Rochwell, 17, was being held in lieu of a $500,000 bond after he was charged as an adult and arraigned Saturday night, police spokesman Lt. John Stanford said. Stanford said Rochwell surrendered earlier Saturday.
Rochwell faces adult charges including aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and firearms offenses.
His attorney wasn’t immediately listed in court documents.
Police didn’t identify the boy who was released. He had surrendered Friday night, hours after the 3:30 p.m. shooting at the Delaware Valley Charter High School in north Philadelphia.
It remained unclear Saturday if the shooting was an accident.
“A quick response by Philadelphia police allowed officers to immediately secure the school and determine this was not an active shooter incident,” police said.
The wounded boy and girl were both shot in an arm, and by Saturday police confirmed that both had been hit by the same bullet.
The female student was treated for her injuries and released from Albert Einstein Medical Center, while the male victim was admitted in stable condition, police said. The hospital could not provide additional information Saturday because police had not released the male victim’s name.
Navy Cross awarded posthumously to 2
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Two Marines who were killed in Afghanistan during an insider attack are being awarded the Navy Cross.
Capt. Matthew Manoukian and Staff Sgt. Sky Mote were being honored Saturday afternoon in a ceremony at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
The men were killed in 2012 after a uniformed Afghan officer began shooting at Marines from inside their compound.
The Navy said Mote and Manoukian fired back at the shooter, preventing other Marines from getting hurt.
Mote was an explosive ordnance disposal technician and Manoukian was a team commander. Both were from Northern California and were part of the 1st Marines Special Operations Battalion.
The Navy Cross is the Navy’s highest honor and the military’s second-highest honor.
LA-area wildfire fading but still a threat
GLENDORA, Calif. - A wildfire in the suburbs of Los Angeles was a smoldering shadow of its former self Saturday, but hundreds of residents of a foothill neighborhood remained evacuated, and extremely dangerous fire conditions were expected to last well into the day.
Another wave of evacuees returned Friday evening to their homes, this time in Azusa, 25 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, a day after their neighbors in Glendora did the same. But one Azusa neighborhood known as Mountain Cove remained too close to the remaining fire, so its residents spent another night away, Los Angeles County emergency officials said.
Flare-ups occurred overnight within the burn area of about 3 square miles, but none escaped the perimeter, said Mike Wakowski, commander of the multiagency firefighting force. Containment was estimated at 30 percent.
“Things are progressing nicely,” Wakowski said. “It’s looking pretty good.”
Crews took advantage of the lower temperatures and wind conditions overnight to set backfires to take out potential fuel for the blaze, and they continued those efforts Saturday.
The fire, which destroyed five homes, began early Thursday in the Angeles National Forest when Santa Ana winds hit a campfire that authorities said was recklessly set by three men. Gusts quickly spread flames from the San Gabriel Mountains into Glendora and Azusa, where some 3,700 people had to evacuate at the fire’s peak.
SUV driver beaten by bikers to sue NYC
NEW YORK - A man who was dragged from his sport utility vehicle and beaten by a group of motorcyclists after a chase on a Manhattan highway has filed a legal notice saying he intends to sue New York City over the attack.
Prosecutors have said an off-duty police detective was among the bikers who pursued and beat Alexian Lien after a confrontation on the West Side Highway.
The September assault was recorded by one biker and later posted on the Internet.
The New York Post reported Saturday that Lien filed a formal “notice of claim” against the city Dec. 24. It accuses the Police Department of failing to properly train officers.
A spokesman for the city’s Law Department said it would defend the claim if it proceeds to a full lawsuit.
Front Section, Pages 4 on 01/19/2014