Month: October 2023

A suspect remained at large following the still-unsolved murder of a retired dean near the school last week. Officials said that 77-year-old former dean and professor Honoree Fleming was fatally shot on the Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail last week, killed from a gunshot wound to the head.

Detectives said they have been interviewing numerous witnesses and residents in the area, and are looking at surveillance footage from the area in order to try and identify the suspected killer. Witnesses described a white male with short red hair, approximately 5’10”, last seen wearing a dark grey t-shirt and carrying a black backpack. State police have called the suspect “armed and dangerous” and asked homes and businesses near the trail to go over their security cameras in case they have footage of this man.  Authorities believe that the killing of Fleming appears to be random.

Fleming lived in Castleton with her husband, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Powers. Powers said that the rail trail was one of Ms. Fleming’s favorite walks, and that she started on the hike at around 4pm from the pavilion area at the college campus and was walking south towards Poultney, just a few miles from the New York state border. Mr Powers posted online: “Those of you who knew her know that she was beautifully named. I have never known a more sterling heart and soul than hers. She has taken far more than half my own heart and soul with her … There is an area-wide dragnet out for her killer. Police believe that it was random, but all possibilities remain open.” 

Students returned to Vermont State University on Sunday and Monday ahead of the re-start of classes on Tuesday, after classes were not held at the Castleton campus on Thursday due to fall break. Vermont State University said in a statement on social media: “Honoree was a part of the Castleton family and was beloved by faculty, staff, and students. Scores of students benefited from Dr. Fleming’s teachings and research. … This is an unbelievable tragedy for the Castleton campus and for all of Vermont State University. Honoree will be deeply missed.”

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President Biden said on Monday that at least 11 Americans were among those killed in Hamas attack on Israel over the weekend, after the terrorist group launched the worst attack on the Jewish nation in 50 years. Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Mike Herzog and Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer also said that American citizens were also among those Hamas took hostage and brought to Gaza. President Biden said U.S. officials “also know that American citizens still remain unaccounted for, and we are working with Israeli officials to obtain more information as to their whereabouts. While we are still working to confirm, we believe it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held by Hamas.

Hamas militants invaded Israeli villages and towns on Sunday in an attack from land, air and sea, with disturbing videos on social media showing militants killing Israeli civilians and soldiers, and taking others, including children and elderly women, hostage and bringing them to Gaza. A Hamas military wing spokesperson said that those who were kidnapped were being held in hideouts around Gaza, including in tunnels.

Israel is now striking back against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, after an estimated 700 Israelis have been killed, with more than 2,000 are wounded and 150 are confirmed to have been taken captive by Hamas since Saturday. Gaza health officials report at least 300 Palestinians have been killed with 2,200 injured.

In response to the war, the United States announced it was sending additional military aid to Israel and moving its Ford carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean to “bolster regional deterrence efforts.”

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According to Pennsylvania State Police, one person is dead and at least eight others are hurt after a shooting early Sunday morning at Chevy Chase Community Center on North 5th Avenue in White Township. Pennsylvania State Police say the shooting happened around 12:35 a.m. on Sunday during a private party of about 100-150 college-aged students from inside the community center. The event was not sanctioned by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), which is hosting homecoming festivities this weekend. As of press time, nobody is in custody yet, and police are also still trying to determine how many shooters were involved.

When authorities arrived on the scene, people were running from the community center.  Victims were treated at four different hospitals in the region, with some of them are still receiving treatment, while others have since been released. The person who died as a 22-year-old male from Pittsburgh; the eight other victims are identified as: 5 males, 3 females between the ages of 18-23.  Two students from the university were injured.

In a letter sent to students, Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Tom Segar said he understands the violence is “frightening and may cause continued feelings of fear and worry. IUP is a community that cares about one another. Your safety and security is our priority, and we continue to look for ways to improve our processes. Because we are a community, we welcome — we need — your help… We continue to work with community law enforcement to find those responsible for this incident, and we will update you as information becomes confirmed.”

Authorities ask that anyone with information to immediately contact Troop A, Indiana at 724-357-1960. Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information that solves this case. Anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers can be made by calling 1-800-4PA-TIPS (8477) or by submitting information online.

Governor Josh Shapiro said he was briefed overnight about the shooting in a statement on X, formerly Twitter: “As [State Police] investigate, Lori and I are praying for the victims of this tragedy. We ask anyone with information to reach out to the State Police. Our hearts are with the White Township community.”

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the United States will send multiple military ships and aircraft closer to Israel as a show of support, ordering the deployment of several warships to the Middle East on Sunday following the increase of conflict in Israel. Washington believing Hamas’ deadly attacks may have been motivated to disrupt a potential normalizing of Israel-Saudi Arabia ties.

In a statement, Austin said the United States was sending an armada to the region after the country suffered its bloodiest day in decades on Saturday when Hamas militants rampaged through Israeli towns and fired thousands of rockets at Israel in a surprise attack, killing 350 civilians and leading to retaliatory strikes from Israel that killed at least 313 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Thousands more have been injured or wounded. Austin said he received the go-ahead from President Joe Biden in an effort to deter further bloodshed in the region. Israel battered Palestinians with air strikes in Gaza on Sunday, with hundreds reportedly killed on both sides.

The fleet was being led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, and is being joined by the USS Normandy, a guided missile cruiser, and the guided missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and the USS Roosevelt. Austin said the U.S. military would also “provide the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions, with the first security assistance will begin moving today and arriving in the coming days. We have also taken steps to augment U.S. Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region. The U.S. maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required … My thoughts continue to be with the people of Israel and the many families who have lost loved ones,” he said, without commenting on the violence faced by Palestinian civilians.

The conflict in the Middle East comes after decades of enduring hostilities between Israel and Palestine, which is recognized as a sovereign nation by most countries worldwide and has observer status with the United Nations.

Tensions in the region have surged in recent months as the Israeli military conducted thousands of raids in the Palestinian territory, which led to numerous deadly reprisals against Jewish soldiers and settlers making homes on Palestinian lands.

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The former treasurer for embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., Nancy Marks,  pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal conspiracy charge. Marks resigned from Santos’ team in January amid reports of multiple controversies revolving around his campaign finances. Santos pleaded not guilty in May to a 13-count indictment accusing him of fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds.

Federal prosecutors said that Marks allegedly filed the names of false donors to Santos’ congressional campaign, in order to inflate the amount of campaign donations Santos appeared to have amassed so he could qualify for national party support. Prosecutors stated that the names of Marks’ and Santos’ family members were among those falsely reported to have lent his campaign $500,000, despite not having the financial means to do so. Federal prosecutors said Marks told them: “these reports were created to artificially inflate his funds to meet a threshold.”

United States Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement: “with today’s guilty plea, Marks has admitted that she conspired with a congressional candidate to lie to the FEC and, by extension, the public about the financial state of the candidate’s campaign for New York’s Third Congressional District, falsely inflating the campaign’s reported receipts with non-existent contributions and loans.” 

Marks has been prominent in Republican politics on Long Island for decades. She was a treasurer for Lee Zeldin’s unsuccessful campaign for governor and she worked for several political committees, including God, Guns, Life, Veterans for MAGA and Defend the Constitution. Marks’ attorney, Raymond Perini, said his client does not have a cooperation agreement with the government in place, but “if they subpoena her, she’ll do the right thing.” Marks is scheduled to be sentenced next April.

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