K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For December 28th, 2017 – Evening

MONTGOMERY, ALA. (AP) - A SPOKESMAN FOR DEMOCRAT DOUG JONES SAYS ROY MOORE IS MAKING A "DESPERATE ATTEMPT" WITH A LAST-MINUTE LAWSUIT SEEKING TO OVERTURN JONES' WIN IN THE ALABAMA RACE FOR U.S. SENATE. JONES SPOKESMAN SAM COLEMAN SAID THURSDAY THAT MOORE'S ATTEMPT TO "SUBVERT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE WILL NOT SUCCEED."

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - AUTHORITIES SAY AN ATTACK ON A SHIITE MUSLIM CULTURAL CENTER IN THE AFGHAN CAPITAL KABUL HAS LEFT AT LEAST 41 PEOPLE DEAD AND 84 WOUNDED. INTERIOR MINISTRY SPOKESMAN NAJIB DANISH SAID AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF SUICIDE ATTACKERS SET OFF AN EXPLOSION OUTSIDE THE CENTER BEFORE CARRYING OUT AN ATTACK INSIDE. THEY SET OFF EXPLOSIVE DEVICES IN THE BASEMENT OF THE BUILDING WHERE SCORES OF PEOPLE HAD GATHERED TO MARK THE DECEMBER 1979 INVASION OF AFGHANISTAN BY THE FORMER SOVIET UNION, HE SAID.

MOSUL, IRAQ (AP) - MOSUL'S OLD CITY, A DISTRICT STRETCHING NEARLY 2 ½ MILES ALONG THE TIGRIS RIVER, IS A CONTINUOUS FIELD OF RUIN. NEARLY EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE WESTERN HALF OF MOSUL HAS ENTIRE BLOCKS OF HOMES OR BUSINESSES BLASTED TO RUBBLE. MOSUL HAS SUFFERED THE MOST EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, BUT THE WAR THAT DEFEATED THE ISLAMIC STATE GROUP WREAKED DESTRUCTION IN TOWNS AND CITIES ACROSS IRAQ. BAGHDAD ESTIMATES $100 BILLION IS NEEDED NATIONWIDE TO REBUILD, BUT NO ONE IS STEPPING UP TO FOOT THE BILL.

PORTLAND, MAINE (AP) - THE BITTER COLD THIS WEEK UNDERSCORES A STARK REALITY FOR LOW-INCOME AMERICANS WHO RELY ON HEATING AID: THEIR DOLLARS AREN'T GOING TO GO AS FAR THIS WINTER. THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HAS PROJECTED ENERGY FUEL COSTS ARE GOING TO TRACK UPWARD. THAT FALLS ON THE HEELS OF TWO WINTERS WHEN COSTS WERE RELATIVELY LOW. ACROSS THE NORTHEAST THIS WEEK, HOMELESS SHELTERS ARE BRINGING IN EXTRA BEDS AND STAFF MEMBERS. THE TEMPERATURE HIT 32 BELOW ON THURSDAY MORNING IN WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

ANAHEIM, CALIF. (AP) - GOODHEARTED NEIGHBORS HEARTBROKEN OVER THE RISING NUMBER OF HOMELESS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES ARE FEEDING AND SHOWERING THOSE IN NEED, HOPING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. BUT SOME QUESTION WHETHER THEY'RE DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD BY HELPING THE HOMELESS GET SOME OF THEIR MOST BASIC NEEDS MET OUTDOORS. IT'S THE CHICKEN-OR-EGG QUESTION OF HOMELESSNESS: DO YOU RESTRICT SERVICES FEARING THEY ATTRACT PEOPLE OR PROVIDE THEM BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED HELP?
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THE FORMER BOARD CHAIRMAN OF A PLATTE COUNTY RURAL FIRE DISTRICT PROBABLY WILL BE SENTENCED IN JANUARY AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO EMBEZZLING NEARLY A QUARTER-MILLION DOLLARS FROM IT.

COURT RECORDS SAY DONALD MOEDE PLEADED GUILTY TO EIGHT FELONY COUNTS -- THREE FOR LARCENY BY PUBLIC SERVANT, AND FIVE FOR THEFT -- DURING HIS ARRAIGNMENT BEFORE EIGHTH DISTRICT COURT JUDGE SCOTT PEASLEY IN WHEATLAND LAST MONTH.

MOEDE ALSO HAS REIMBURSED THE FIRE DISTRICT NEARLY $237,000, THE TOTAL AMOUNT HE EMBEZZLED.

PREVIOUS CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS LISTED 81 COUNTS, MOST OF THEM FELONIES.

IF THE CASE HAD GONE TO TRIAL AND HE WAS FOUND GUILTY, HE COULD HAVE FACED LIFETIME IMPRISONMENT.

MOEDE REMAINS FREE ON BOND BEFORE HIS SENTENCING.

HE WAS ELECTED TO THE VOLUNTARY FIRE DISTRICT BOARD POSITION IN 1994, AND ENDED HIS TENURE IN DECEMBER 2016.

MOEDE, AS PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD, HAD CONTROL OF THE DISTRICT'S FINANCES INCLUDING THE OPERATING ACCOUNT.

HE ALSO HAD ACCESS TO THE DISTRICT'S ACCOUNT AT THE PLATTE VALLEY BANK IN WHEATLAND.

THE CASE STARTED IN MAY AFTER A NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBER REPORTED THE SUSPECTED THEFT OF FUNDS TO THE PLATTE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WHICH ASKED THE WYOMING DIVISION OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION TO LOOK AT THE FIRE DISTRICT'S FINANCIAL RECORDS.

DCI REVIEWED THE RECORDS FROM JULY 2012 TO OCTOBER 2016, AND FOUND CREDIT ACCOUNTS OWNED BY MOEDE THAT WERE RECEIVING FUNDS FROM THE FIRE DISTRICT THROUGH AN AUTOMATED CLEARING HOUSE PAYMENT SYSTEM.

MOEDE USED THE MONEY FOR PERSONAL EXPENSES AND CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS.
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WYOMING GOV. MATT MEAD IS RECOMMENDING ABOUT $66 MILLION LESS IN STATE FUNDING FOR EDUCATION DUE TO THE REVISED SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA AND COUNTIES PROJECTED BEING ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE MORE.

THE GOVERNOR IS PROPOSING THAT THE LEGISLATURE PROVIDE $1.76 BILLION TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S SCHOOL FINANCE DEPARTMENT FOR 2019-20 -- AN AMOUNT LESS THAN THE $1.83 BILLION THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED FOR THE CURRENT BIENNIUM.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICIALS SAY STATE LAWMAKERS EARLIER THIS YEAR ENACTED A NEW LAW PERTAINING TO SCHOOL FUNDING, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT $36 MILLION OF THE REDUCTION.

OFFICIALS SAY THE REMAINING AMOUNT IS BECAUSE OF THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN COUNTY REVENUES.

OFFICIALS SAY THE FINAL AMOUNT FOR EDUCATION WILL BE DETERMINED DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT BEGINS IN FEBRUARY.