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Pa. lawmakers to target gay 'conversion' therapy

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Some state Democratic lawmakers want to bar Pennsylvania mental-health providers from trying to change the sexual orientation of gay minors. Reps. Brian Sims of Philadelphia and Gerald Mullery of Luzerne County said Tuesday they plan to introduce a bipartisan bill to bar gay "conversion" therapy for minors. Sen. Anthony Williams of Philadelphia recently introduced a similar bill in the Senate.

Starbucks says guns unwelcome, though not banned

NEW YORK (AP) -- Starbucks says guns are no longer welcome in its cafes, though it is stopping short of an outright ban on firearms. The fine line that the retailer is walking to address the concerns of both gun rights and gun control advocates reflects how heated the issue has become, particularly in light of recent mass shootings.

NJ boardwalk fire linked to Sandy-damaged wiring

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) -- The massive fire that destroyed part of a Jersey shore boardwalk and dozens of businesses began accidentally in wiring damaged in Superstorm Sandy, and should prompt coastal property owners to get their own equipment inspected for similar danger, officials said Tuesday. The boardwalk fire in Seaside Park and Seaside Heights started Thursday in aged wiring that had been compromised by salt water and sand during the Oct. 29 storm, federal and county investigators said at a news conference. The wind-whipped blaze destroyed more than 50 businesses in the two towns.

Navy Yard gunman told police he was hearing voices

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A month before he went on the rampage that left 13 dead, Washington Navy Yard gunman Aaron Alexis complained to police in Rhode Island that people were talking to him through the walls and ceilings of his hotel rooms and sending microwave vibrations into his body to deprive him of sleep. The account, contained in an Aug. 7 report from Newport, R.I., police, adds to the picture that has emerged of an agitated and erratic figure whose behavior and mental state had repeatedly come to authorities' attention but didn't seem to affect his security clearance.

The PE Sneak Peek: Sept. 17

Here's a look at the stories that are keeping our reporters busy Tuesday: * A stabbing victim is now a drug suspect, as police say cocaine and meth were found in his car after he was discovered with knife wounds. See our breaking online report, and look for a full story Wednesday. * A woman charged with making meth in her grandmother's house goes to court. Get the latest in her case.

The PE Sneak Peek: Sept. 16

Here's a look at the stories that are keeping our reporters busy Monday: * Dirty laundry: A meth suspect's woes began when his mother picked up his clothes basket. See our online breaking news report for more. * Pop quiz: If a group of 14 local workers wins $1 million in the lottery, how much does each get after taxes? The answer is in tomorrow's edition. * There is new open space near the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds this year, but don't try to park there.

12 dead in Navy Yard shooting; 2 gunmen still on loose

WASHINGTON (AP) -- As many as three gunmen opened fire Monday inside the Washington Navy Yard, attacking office workers at a heavily guarded military facility in the heart of the nation's capital. At least 12 people were killed.

Flooding brings tales of rescues, improvisation

ESTES PARK, Colo. (AP) -- As people came down from the flooded foothills of the Colorado Rockies, they brought tales of dramatic rescues, heartbreaking loss and neighbors coming together to protect their families and homes. Here are a few of their stories: ___ Jezebel the cat jumped on a sleeping Jon Johnson, batted his face and yowled until he woke up to find the Big Thompson River spilling into the cottages he and his wife Deyn rented to Estes Park visitors. They ran from cottage to cottage, knocking on doors and shouting to the sleeping occupants, "Purse! Keys! Medicine! Go!"

Mobile home fire kills man, 5 kids

TIFFIN, Ohio (AP) -- A fast-moving fire claimed the lives of a man and five children ages 6 and under on Sunday morning when it swept through a mobile home in northwest Ohio. The fire was reported shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday in a mobile home park in Tiffin, about 50 miles southeast of Toledo. Firefighters got all six people out in about 12 minutes, but all were pronounced dead at a hospital, Tiffin Fire Chief William Ennis said.

World's oldest man dies in NY at age 112

GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. (AP) -- The world's oldest man, a 112-year-old self-taught musician, coal miner and gin rummy aficionado from western New York, has died. He was 112. Salustiano Sanchez-Blazquez died Friday at a nursing home in Grand Island, according to Robert Young, senior gerontology consultant with Guinness World Records. Sanchez-Blazquez became the world's oldest man when Jiroemon Kimura died June 12 at age 116.