Magnitude-5.0 quake hits south Alaska
JUNEAU, Alaska -- The Alaska Earthquake Center reported that a magnitude-5.0 earthquake hit southern Alaska. It was felt by people in the state's capital, Juneau.
The center said the earthquake hit at 8:32 p.m. Saturday and had an epicenter 43 miles west of Klukwan, a village of about 95 people. The earthquake had a depth of less than a mile.
Several Juneau residents reported on social media that they felt the quake. One person tweeted: "Juneau just had an earthquake... I actually felt it. My bed was literally moving."
There were no reports of significant damage.
The last big earthquake to hit Alaska took place on Nov. 30, when a magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck near Anchorage.
Alaska's 1964 earthquake had a magnitude 9.2.
Man interested in shootings released
STAMFORD, Conn. -- A Connecticut man who authorities say showed an interest in mass shootings and lived in a home where there were several guns and ammunition present has been released on $250,000 bond.
The Hour reports that Brandon Wagshol, 22, was released Friday with conditions, including that he undergo a mental health evaluation, wear a GPS monitoring device and check in with the probation office daily.
The Norwalk man was charged last month with four counts of illegal possession of large-capacity magazines.
Police started investigating when they received a tip that Wagshol was trying to buy large-capacity rifle magazines from out of the state.
Authorities say a social media posting showed his interest in committing a mass shooting.
His attorney said his client was interested in getting closer to his father, a gun enthusiast.
Florida grocery chain backs food banks
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Publix Supermarkets is giving a total of $500,000 to food banks in Alabama.
The Florida-based grocery store chain recently announced the donations. They're part of $5 million Publix is giving to organizations across the Southeast in September.
Al.com reports that the grocery store's charity organization is donating $150,000 each to the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama in Birmingham and Feeding the Gulf Coast in Theodore and $100,000 each to the Food Bank of North Alabama in Huntsville and the Montgomery Area Food Bank.
"Millions of people in the Southeast -- many of them children and seniors -- may not know where they will find their next meal. Together, we can help change that," said Kelly Williams-Puccio, executive director of Publix Super Markets Charities.
"We are proud to continue our commitment to feeding communities across the Southeast and offer dignity and nourishment to our neighbors in need," she said.
One in eight people across the country struggles with hunger, including more than 9 million in the Southeast, Publix executives said, citing federal data.
"Every day, food banks in the Feeding America network are on the ground helping children and families who need it most, but we know that we can't end hunger alone," Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, chief executive officer of Feeding America, said in a statement. "We are grateful to Publix and Publix Super Markets Charities for their long-standing commitment to fighting hunger in communities across the Southeast. Your donations will have a tremendous impact on the lives of people we serve."
The grocery store company also donated funds to food banks in Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
Few Louisiana felons register to vote
BATON ROUGE -- A Louisiana law change earlier this year restored voting rights to thousands of convicted felons, but at most, only a few hundred have registered to vote so far.
Data from the secretary of state's office shows modest upticks in the number of felons who have registered to vote since the law loosened March 1.
Louisiana legislators agreed to allow people on probation or parole for a felony to register to vote if they haven't been incarcerated for at least five years, a change estimated to make 36,000 felons eligible for voter registration.
But since the law took effect, 581 felons have had their voting rights restored. The secretary of state's office has said it cannot determine which were able to register specifically because of the law change.
The data show 82 felons had their voting rights reinstated in February before the voting rights restoration took effect. By comparison, the number was 77 in March and 88 in April. The secretary of state numbers show 179 felons had their voting rights reinstated in May, followed by 99 in June and 138 in July.
Some supporters of the voting-rights restoration have said officials are doing too little to reach out to the potential voters and the multistep registration process is too complicated.
-- Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports
A Section on 09/02/2019