New Jersey
Woman charged in deaths of mom, grandmom to be extradited
VENTNOR, N.J. (AP) - A woman accused of beating her mother and grandmother to death in their beach home will be extradited to New Jersey next week.
Heather Barbera was taken into custody in New York City on July 11, a few days after the bodies of her mother, 67-year-old Michelle Gordon, and 87-year-old Elaine Rosen were found in Ventnor. Another relative found the victims after going to the home when he couldn't reach them by phone.
Barbera faces robbery, murder and weapons charges. Authorities say the 41-year-old used a nightstick to beat the victims, who died of blunt force trauma. Their deaths have been ruled a homicide.
Authorities have said Barbera confessed to the killings. It's not clear whether she has retained an attorney.
New York
Shaken community has fond memories of slain 101-year-old
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - A shaken western New York community is remembering a slain 101-year-old woman for her lively spirit, kindness and generosity.
Police have arrested a neighbor in connection with the death of Marcia Morrison in Rochester.
The Democrat and Chronicle says court documents indicate Morrison was repeatedly stabbed in the neck, throat and upper torso.
Police and firefighters found her dead at her apartment on Tuesday. A senior transportation company had gone there for her weekly ride, but she didn't answer.
Building resident Sandra Fields says the feisty and funny Morrison was a grandmother figure with "a lot of get-up-and-go."
Gregory Jesner pleaded not guilty on Wednesday during his arraignment on a second-degree murder charge.
The public defender representing Jesner didn't return a call Thursday seeking comment on the charges.
New Jersey
Attorney general denounces 'turban man' slur; hosts off air
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Two New Jersey radio hosts were kicked off the air after calling the nation's first Sikh attorney general "turban man."
Gurbir Grewal tweeted Thursday that it's "not the first indignity I've faced and it probably won't be the last."
WKXW-FM hosts Dennis Malloy and Judi Franco made the comments Wednesday while discussing Grewal's recent order to suspend marijuana prosecutions in the state. Malloy said he couldn't remember Grewal's name and he told Franco: "I'm just going to say the guy with the turban."
The pair continued to call Grewal "Turban Man" throughout the segment.
Malloy and Franco acknowledged their words might be offensive, but Malloy said "if that offends you then don't wear the turban and maybe I'll remember your name."
The station, known as New Jersey 101.5, tweeted Thursday that it had suspended the pair indefinitely and was investigating the matter. The station said it would have additional comment.
Neither host has responded to emails seeking comment.
The American Civil Liberties Union and Gov. Phil Murphy denounced the hosts' statements, with the Democratic governor saying hate speech "does not belong on our airwaves."
Grewal addressed the radio duo's comments on Twitter on Thursday morning, noting he has three daughters "and yesterday, I told them to turn off the radio." In a follow-up tweet, he added: "It's time to end the small-minded intolerance."
Arizona
Lawyers in inmate care suit suggest how fine should be spent
PHOENIX (AP) - Lawyers in a lawsuit challenging the quality of health care in Arizona's prisons have suggested how a $1.4 million fine against the state should be spent.
A month ago, a judge imposed the fine and held Corrections Director Charles Ryan in contempt of court for failing to adequately improve inmate care.
The inmates' attorneys suggested 90 percent of the money should go toward hiring medical experts to investigate complaints of inadequate care.
They say a $100 payment should also be made to inmates involved in instances in December and January during which the state failed to make improvements.
Attorneys for the state say the money should be spent on paying expert witnesses, hiring people to audit its health care contractor's performance and making improvements to infirmary beds at four prisons.
Pennsylvania
Court strikes blow to nuns' pipeline fight
LITTLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) - An appeals court has struck down an order of nuns' attempt to stop a natural gas pipeline project on their rural Pennsylvania property.
The federal appeals court ruled in support of a lower court finding Wednesday, saying the court did not have jurisdiction to hear the lawsuit from the Adorers of the Blood of Christ.
The Adorers are arguing that the pipeline planned to go through their Lancaster County cornfield violates their religious freedom and duty to preserve the earth.
The judges say the Adorers should have brought up their concerns about the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline during the federal process that approved construction, not afterward.
The Adorers say they are exploring their options after the court ruling Wednesday.
Virginia
4th Circuit sides with pipeline in eminent domain case
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A federal appeals court has sided with the Mountain Valley Pipeline in an eminent domain lawsuit brought by landowners in the project's path.
A panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday affirmed the ruling of a lower-court judge who didn't rule on the case's constitutional issues but dismissed them, saying she lacked subject matter jurisdiction.
Justin Lugar, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said his clients are evaluating the opinion and possible next steps.
A pipeline spokeswoman declined comment.
Work on the natural gas pipeline is under way in West Virginia and Virginia. An executive with pipeline partner NextEra Energy said in an earnings call Wednesday that construction delays mean the project won't be in service until the first quarter of 2019 at the earliest.
Published: Fri, Jul 27, 2018
