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Obituaries
She Was His 16-Month-Old 'Mini Me,' Now Her Firefighter Father Is Gone At 24 She Was His 16-Month-Old 'Mini Me,' Now Her Firefighter Father Is Gone At 24
She Was His 16-Month-Old 'Mini Me,' Now Her Firefighter Father Is Gone At 24 Mason Fercovic-Ortegel spent his short life taking care of others. Now, the young Virginia firefighter's family is facing an uncertain future without him. The 24-year-old Spotsylvania County firefighter died in an off-duty drowning incident at Lake Anna on Thursday, Aug. 13, leaving behind his wife and their 16-month-old daughter. Behind the uniform, Ortegel was a husband and a young dad working to build a life for his family. And according to those now rallying around them, that family was the reason he worked so hard. "Mason Ortegel was known well for his service with the Spotsylvania C…

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by Zak Failla
Breaking News
NY Cocaine Pipeline To Penn State Frats Lands Aspiring Lawyers, Entrepreneurs Charges (UPDATE) NY Cocaine Pipeline To Penn State Frats Lands Aspiring Lawyers, Entrepreneurs Charges (UPDATE)
NY Cocaine Pipeline To Penn State Frats Lands Aspiring Lawyers, Entrepreneurs Charges (Update) Aspiring lawyers, entrepreneurs, finance students, and former athletes are among 14 people accused in a cocaine trafficking operation that allegedly moved kilos of drugs from New York to Penn State fraternity houses, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Monday, Aug. 17. Thirteen defendants were Penn State students at or around the time of the alleged conduct in 2023 and 2024, while the 14th is the father of one of the accused students, according to the Attorney General's Office. Agostino Abbatiello, of Westbury, New York, and Thomas Robinson, of Pittsburgh, were identified…

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by Daily Voice
Breaking News
Three Stabbed Inside Maryland Home Before Officers Tase 'Erratic' Suspect: Police Three Stabbed Inside Maryland Home Before Officers Tase 'Erratic' Suspect: Police
Three Stabbed Inside Maryland Home Before Officers Tase 'Erratic' Suspect: Police A late-night disturbance in Maryland left three people stabbed and a man in handcuffs. Officers were called to the 400 block of Morningside Drive in Glen Burnie at approximately 10:25 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16, where they found a 38-year-old man inside a home displaying “erratic behavior,” according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Then they found the victims. Three people at the scene had suffered stab wounds, police said. Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation before ultimately deploying Tasers to take the man into custody safely. All three victims were rushed to an…

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by Zak Failla
Breaking News
Motorcyclist Killed In Pre-Dawn Maryland Crash Identified By Police As 36-Year-Old Man Motorcyclist Killed In Pre-Dawn Maryland Crash Identified By Police As 36-Year-Old Man
Motorcyclist Killed In Pre-Dawn Maryland Crash Identified By Police As 36-Year-Old Man A pre-dawn ride ended in tragedy on a Maryland road Sunday. Alonzo Bibines III, a 36-year-old Glenn Dale man, was riding west on Greenbelt Road shortly before 4 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16, when he approached Aerospace Road in Lanham, according to Prince George's County Police. Coming the other way was a sedan. Investigators say the sedan was traveling east on Greenbelt Road when its driver began making a left turn onto Aerospace Road, putting the two vehicles on a collision course. Bibines struck the sedan and was thrown into the roadway, where officers found him when they arrived at approxi…

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by Zak Failla
Breaking News
No Easy Way Out: Maryland Helicopter Called In After UTV Rider Crashes Deep In Virginia Woods No Easy Way Out: Maryland Helicopter Called In After UTV Rider Crashes Deep In Virginia Woods
No Easy Way Out: Maryland Helicopter Called In After UTV Rider Crashes Deep In Virginia Woods There was no easy way out after a UTV rider crashed deep in the Virginia woods. So rescuers called for backup. A Maryland State Police helicopter responded across state lines shortly before 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15, after the rider was injured in a rollover on a remote trail near Cove Campground in Frederick County, Virginia. Frederick County rescue crews made their way to the injured rider, but getting him back out presented another problem. The location was remote, according to state police. The extrication was expected to take time, but the rider's injuries made waiting for a lon…

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by Zak Failla
Breaking News
Maryland Flasher Gets Medical Reprieve, But Cops Find Him Again Hours Later: Police Maryland Flasher Gets Medical Reprieve, But Cops Find Him Again Hours Later: Police
Maryland Flasher Gets Medical Reprieve, But Cops Find Him Again Hours Later: Police A medical situation gave an accused Maryland flasher a brief reprieve from justice. It didn't last long. Frederick Harris, 37, was arrested twice in a matter of hours after allegedly exposing himself to a woman at the Aberdeen Shopping Plaza, according to the Aberdeen Police Department. It started at approximately 10:18 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, when officers were called to the shopping plaza for a reported indecent exposure. Police say a woman was sitting inside her vehicle when the Aberdeen resident exposed himself to her and committed a lewd act. By the time officers arrived, he was …

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by Zak Failla
Breaking News
Flames Tower Over Trees As 100-Plus Vehicles Burn In Virginia (PHOTOS) Flames Tower Over Trees As 100-Plus Vehicles Burn In Virginia (PHOTOS)
Flames Tower Over Trees As 100-Plus Vehicles Burn In Virginia (Photos) This wasn't your average early-morning car fire in Virginia. Firefighters were called shortly after 4 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 17, to Pick-A-Part in the 9000 block of Patriot Highway in Spotsylvania County, where the initial report described flames towering above the trees. Crews got there about eight minutes later. What they found was massive. Stacks of demolished vehicles were engulfed, with the burning area estimated at roughly 150 feet by 150 feet and flames reaching about 20 feet high, according to the Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Department. The Spotsylvania fire. Spotsylvan…

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by Zak Failla
National Interest
Jonas Brothers Bringing 'Burning Up' Tour To DC Area Jonas Brothers Bringing 'Burning Up' Tour To DC Area
Jonas Brothers Bringing 'Burning Up' Tour To DC Area The Jonas Brothers are taking the "Burning Up" era nationwide — all over again. Following an overwhelming response to three sold-out Madison Square Garden shows, Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas announced Monday, Aug. 17, that "The Burning Up Tour All Over Again" is expanding into a 45-city North American tour. The tour grew out of a celebration of the band's original "Burning Up Tour," the blockbuster arena run that became a defining moment for the brothers and a generation of fans. "Our last tour reminded us just how much this music means to us and to the fans who've been with us from the star…

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by Cecilia Levine
Breaking News
Death Investigation Launched After Woman Found With Traumatic Injuries In Virginia (DEVELOPING) Death Investigation Launched After Woman Found With Traumatic Injuries In Virginia (DEVELOPING)
Death Investigation Launched After Woman Found With Traumatic Injuries In Virginia (Developing) A woman was found dead with signs of trauma Monday morning in Northern Virginia, prompting an extensive death investigation. Officers from the Fairfax County Police Department were called to the 8800 block of Georgetown Pike in Great Falls on Aug. 17, where an adult woman was found suffering from trauma to her upper body. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives were called to the area as police began working to determine what happened. Few details have been released. Investigators have not identified the woman or released details about the trauma she suffered. A media staging a…

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by Zak Failla
National Interest
Trump Rips Fox News Anchor, Revives Mangled Insult Trump Rips Fox News Anchor, Revives Mangled Insult
Trump Rips Fox News Anchor, Revives Mangled Insult President Donald Trump has opened a new front in his long-running dispute with a network usually considered friendly territory. Trump targeted Fox News anchor Shannon Bream, 55, in two Truth Social posts Sunday, Aug. 16, accusing her of showcasing negative polls, selecting hostile guests, and ignoring his administration’s accomplishments. The attacks followed an episode of “Fox News Sunday” featuring Attorney General Todd Blanche. Bream questioned Blanche about the administration’s Supreme Court bid to continue construction on Trump’s White House ballroom instead of seeking authorization fr…

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by Joe Lombardi
On Your Side
Win Free Oreos For A Year As New Flavors Launch: Here's How Win Free Oreos For A Year As New Flavors Launch: Here's How
Win Free Oreos For A Year As New Flavors Launch: Here's How Oreo is launching three new flavors and giving fans a chance to win a year's supply of cookies. Mondelez International announced the launch of its "Twist, Lick, Vote" campaign in a news release on Thursday, Aug. 13. The contest promotes three new Oreo cookies: Banana Pudding, Deep Fried, and Chicken & Waffles. The three limited-edition flavors will hit stores nationwide beginning Monday, Aug. 24. Presales will begin Monday, Aug. 17, on Oreo's website, with limited quantities also available through the SnackWorks TikTok Shop. The new Oreos include these tastes: Banana Puddin…

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by Chris Spiker
On Your Side
McDonald's Energizes Drink Menu With Red Bull Partnership: See What's New McDonald's Energizes Drink Menu With Red Bull Partnership: See What's New
McDonald's Energizes Drink Menu With Red Bull Partnership: See What's New Some extra energy is coming to the McDonald's drink menu with a new Red Bull beverage. McDonald's is launching the Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer nationwide, the company announced in a news release on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The beverage will be available at participating restaurants starting on Monday, Aug. 17. The new drink combines Red Bull with blue raspberry syrup and freeze-dried dragonfruit. Customers looking for less sugar can substitute Red Bull Zero as the base. McDonald's will also sell 8.4-ounce cans of Red Bull on their own at some locations. "We've seen growing enth…

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by Chris Spiker