Police: 3 dead after shooting at Maryland mall

COLUMBIA, Md. (AP) -- Someone armed with a gun opened fire at a busy shopping mall in suburban Baltimore on Saturday. Three people died, including the person believed to be the shooter, police said. The shooting took place at the Mall in Columbia, a suburb of both Baltimore and Washington, according to Howard County police. Someone called 911 at around 11:15 a.m. to report a shooting at the mall. Police responded to the scene and found three people dead, including one person who was found near a gun and ammunition. No details were released about their identities.

Wanted man arrested after falling through ceiling

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- A man wanted by Colorado authorities is in custody after he fell through a ceiling while being chased by police and took refuge in a bathroom. Colorado Springs police say 27-year-old Andrew Stiern burst into Comfort Dental on Thursday and attempted to escape through the roof. But the attempt failed when he fell through the ceiling. Police say he then barricaded himself inside a bathroom and refused to surrender. After negotiating with police, Stiern turned himself in.

Molester sent to prison; says he's 'totally sorry'

BLOOMSBURG -- A Lightstreet man apologized to family members Friday moments before being sentenced to state prison for up to 10 years for repeatedly molesting a young girl in his home. "I'm totally sorry," said 54-year-old Alan D. Osborn, adding that he will be "paying for this the rest of my life." Osborn, a military veteran of 22 years who was never arrested before, was charged with multiple instances of molesting and engaging in sexual acts with an 11-year-old girl over more than a year.

Charity offers overnight spot to stay warm

BLOOMSBURG -- AGAPE plans to open its headquarters to anyone who needs warmth starting tonight. The group, best known for its recovery work after the 2011 flood, will open 19 E. Seventh St. for business from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. each night beginning now and and running until at least Saturday, Feb. 1, said AGAPE's director Eileen Chapman. That's in addition to its regular hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Chapman said.

Car-insurance claim attempt backfires on owner

DANVILLE -- Tyler M. Benner struck a deer with his Subaru on June 4, then tried to file an insurance claim on a policy that was activated two days later. It was the digital photo that did Benner in -- it was time-stamped before he had an active policy in place. Now Benner, 21, of Liberty Township must pay $1,000 to a special insurance fund, monthly fees to the court, and perform 50 hours of community service for his attempt to defraud Nationwide Insurance of $3,487. The costs he claimed included damage to his 2006 Subaru Impreza, plus the costs of a rental car, police said.

Verdict in dorm-room rape: Not guilty

BLOOMSBURG -- A former Bloomsburg University student is not guilty of rape, a jury announced this afternoon. Lemuel Darrell was acquitted to end a two-day trial in Columbia County Court. He was accused of having sex with a female friend in a dorm-room bunk bed against her will in 2012. Darrell's lawyers, however, argued that the sex was consensual, and suggested the woman was trying to keep that from her then-boyfriend.

Furnace explodes in home

BLOOMSBURG -- A furnace exploded in a home in Bloomsburg early this morning, knocking a man who was sleeping in the first floor above it across the room, into a wall, officials said. The explosion was so violent, it blew out windows and doors -- complete with their frames -- and knocked at least two tables so high into the air, they hit the ceiling above them, Town Fire Chief Bob Rupp said. It sent cracks through the 129 Millville Road home's foundation and walls and damaged its beams, leaving the building structurally unsafe and unlivable. It may have to be torn down, Rupp said.

School delays across region Wednesday

The cold weather has every school district in the area delaying opening for two hours this morning. Here's the complete list, compiled from wnep.com and whlmam.com: * Benton Area - two-hour delays * Berwick Area - two-hour delay. * Bloomsburg Area - two-hour delay * Bloomsburg Christian - two-hour delay * Central Columbia - two-hour delay * Columbia County Christian - two-hour delay, learning center open * Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech - two-hour delay

Victim takes stand in alleged dorm-room rape; story questioned by defense

BLOOMSBURG -- A woman who said she was raped by a friend in a college dorm admitted flirting and having slept in the same bed with him in the past. But the woman, a Bloomsburg University freshman with a boyfriend at the time, denied there was anything romantic or sexual between her and 21-year-old Lemuel Darrell, who is on trial for rape based on her accusations about that January 2012 night. "We were strictly friends," she testified in a courtroom Tuesday.

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