5.1 quake cracks North Carolina roads
SPARTA, N.C. -- The most powerful earthquake to hit North Carolina in more than 100 years shook much of the state early Sunday, rattling homes, businesses and residents.
The National Weather Service in Greenville said the 5.1-magnitude temblor struck at 8:07 a.m., following a much smaller quake several hours earlier.
There were no reports of injuries, but some minor structural damage was reported in Sparta, as well as cracks in roads. Images on social media also showed items knocked off grocery store shelves.
It was the largest earthquake to hit the state since 1916, when a magnitude 5.5 quake occurred near Skyland, the weather service said.
The U.S. Geological Service said the quake's epicenter was about 2.5 miles southeast of Sparta, just south of the Virginia-North Carolina border. The USGS said the population in the affected region resides in structures "that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist."
The quake was felt in nearby states including Virginia, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Teen dead, officer hurt in D.C. gunfire
WASHINGTON -- A dispute that turned into gunfire during a large outdoor party in Washington, D.C., early Sunday left one person dead and some 20 others injured, including an off-duty officer "struggling for her life," according to police.
Christopher Brown, 17, died in the shooting that occurred after midnight in a southeast side neighborhood where people had gathered for music and food, Peter Newsham, the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, told reporters.
"There was some kind of a dispute," Newsham said. "Multiple weapons were produced."
Police said at least three shooters may have been involved, though no arrests were immediately announced. Newsham said a motive for the shooting wasn't clear.
Fellow officers took the injured off-duty officer to a local hospital.
"She's struggling for her life right now," he said. He added that "the rest of the gunshot wounds, as far as we know, are nonlife-threatening."
Mayor Muriel Bowser, speaking to reporters near the scene of the shooting, noted that public drinking and marijuana use outside were prohibited, as were gatherings of more than 50 people as a precaution against spreading the coronavirus.
"It's very important that as a community we have a zero-tolerance for this activity," she said. Bowser added that police will have to make some "difficult decisions" and "break up these events."
USDA to buy shrimpers' $30M haul
BATON ROUGE -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will buy $30 million worth of shrimp from Gulf Coast fishermen in an effort to stabilize the industry.
The announcement comes after Louisiana and Mississippi officials called for federal assistance over fears that the price of seafood could collapse because of an excess in product amid the pandemic, news outlets reported.
"This is a step in the right direction for helping the seafood industry and Louisiana shrimpers in particular," Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said. "This will help keep our shrimpers in their boats and in business. However, we still have work to do to get our entire seafood industry the assistance it deserves."
Mississippi's two U.S. senators and one of its U.S. representatives said in a news release that they sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in May, asking the USDA to buy shrimp and distribute it to needy people during the coronavirus pandemic.
"At a time when American families and seafood producers alike are suffering from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, this agreement will provide healthy, high-quality protein for American dinner tables and support the vibrant domestic shrimping industry, which employs thousands of people across the southern United States," Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said in the release.
Texas crash kills 3 wildlife workers
AUSTIN, Texas -- Three Texas Parks and Wildlife employees died after their helicopter crashed in a West Texas wildlife preserve, the department announced Sunday.
The group was surveying desert bighorn sheep in the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area on Saturday when the helicopter went down, according to a statement from the agency. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, which Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called a "tragic accident." It killed Dewey Stockbridge, a wildlife biologist, Brandon White, a department technician, and Dr. Bob Dittmar, a veterinarian. The helicopter's pilot, a private contractor, survived and was taken to El Paso for treatment, according to the department.
The Black Gap Wildlife Management Area is near the U.S.-Mexico border in Brewster County, some 300 miles southeast of El Paso.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Texas Game Wardens are investigating the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the crash of a Bell 206B helicopter but staff are not traveling to the site.
-- Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports