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Woman's topless barbershop shut down

LONGMONT, Colo. (AP) -- A woman who allegedly offered topless hairstyling services in northern Colorado faces criminal charges. But police say the problem isn't cutting hair without a top. It's cutting hair without a license. The Longmont Times-Call reports 46-year old Suzette Hall was arrested Wednesday night on suspicion of practicing cosmetology without a license. Hall's former partner says she advertised $45 topless haircuts online. According to the arrest warrant, the former partner called police about the topless styling because she "did not believe this was safe or proper."

'Duck Dynasty' inspires Pa. church to go 'camo'

BRADFORD, Pa. (AP) -- A northwestern Pennsylvania pastor inspired by the popular reality TV series "Duck Dynasty" is encouraging his congregation to come to church in camouflage clothing on Sunday. The Rev. Chris Terbush tells the Bradford Era he's hoping to attract new members to The First Wesleyan Church of Bradford, and to celebrate the state's outdoors heritage before deer-hunting season opens Monday. "Ultimately, the major goal is to draw new parishioners," Terbush said. "I thought it'd be neat if nothing else to show the community who we are."

Scenes from Black Friday across America

About 15,000 people waited for the flagship Macy's in New York to open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Long checkout lines formed at the Target in Colma, Calif., on Friday morning. And by the time Jessica Astalos was leaving North Point Mall in Alpharetta, Ga., after a six-hour buying binge that started on Thanksgiving, another wave of shoppers was coming in about 5:30 a.m. on Friday. "You just have to be out in the midst of all of it," said Ricki Moss, who hit stores near Portland, Ore., at 5:30 a.m. on Friday. "It's exciting."

The PE Sneak Peek: Nov. 29, 2013

Here's a look at the stories that are keeping our reporters busy on this Black Friday: * She stole thousands from an elderly woman, then said she's found religion. Find out what kind of sentence the judge gave her. * An attacker beat and kicked a would-be peacemaker on the street, giving him a concussion, police say. * The sight of a hungry boy in a bad coat prompts a local man to take needy kids shopping. Learn how you can help. * If you can't make the trip to the Berwick Bulldogs playoff game tonight, keep up with us online. We'll have a live news feed throughout the game.

Same-sex couple's wedding a first for Illinois

CHICAGO (AP) -- In a short ceremony inside their Chicago apartment, two beaming brides made Illinois history Wednesday as they became the first gay couple to wed under the state's new law legalizing same-sex marriage. The law approved last week doesn't go into effect until June, but one of the women -- Vernita Gray -- is terminally ill with cancer, so she and her partner of five years, Patricia Ewert, were granted an expedited marriage license by a federal judge's order.

Pa. researchers publish century of disease data

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have published more than a century's worth of data on scores of infectious diseases they compiled while putting together computer models and simulations for research. Professors Donald Burke and William van Panhuis repeatedly dipped into written historical records and finally decided to digitize weekly reports for more than 87 million individual cases of 56 contagious diseases reported from 1888 to 2011.

Luzerne murderer seeks return of ammo box

WILKES-BARRE (AP) -- A northeastern Pennsylvania man who pleaded guilty last month to homicide and attempted homicide in a bar shootout last year is seeking return of items confiscated by police, including a metal ammunition box. The (Wilkes-Barre) Times Leader reports that the request was filed by 26-year-old William Allabaugh of Plymouth in Luzerne County Court. Allabaugh was convicted of third-degree murder and sentenced to 20 to 40 years and a consecutive five- to 10-year term for attempted murder and was ordered to pay $99,000 restitution.

Poultry on patrol

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A giant turkey is roving crosswalks in Las Vegas to squawk on drivers who don't yield to pedestrians. Officers dressed in Thanksgiving bird finery were walking across the road this week as part of a sting operation. It's the fifth annual appearance of the safety mascot dubbed "Butterball One." Police waiting to the sides of the crosswalks are slapping drivers who don't stop with fines starting at $191.

Holiday shopping war: It's Amazon vs. everyone

NEW YORK (AP) -- This holiday shopping season, it's Amazon vs. everyone else. The online giant has attracted customers from big store chains like Wal-Mart and Best Buy with low prices and convenient shipping. Now, stores are fighting to get customers back during the busiest shopping period of the year. Stores are doing things like matching the lower prices on Amazon.com and offering the same discounts in stores as on their websites. For its part, Amazon is giving customers the option to pick up items at physical locations and adding Sunday delivery.

Amish girl with cancer, family flee to avoid forced chemo

AKRON -- A 10-year-old Amish girl with leukemia and her parents have fled their home in Ohio, leaving the country at one point, so that she won't be forced into resuming chemotherapy treatments, the family's attorney said Wednesday. The family has been fighting a hospital in court for months after the parents decided to halt the treatments because they were making the girl sick. They left their home in rural northeast Ohio just days before a state appeals court appointed a guardian in October to take over medical decisions for the Sarah Hershberger, said attorney Maurice Thompson.