K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For January 4th, 2018 – Morning

WASHINGTON (AP) - ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS IS GOING AFTER LEGALIZED MARIJUANA. HE'S RESCINDING AN OBAMA-ERA POLICY THAT LET LEGALIZED MARIJUANA FLOURISH WITHOUT FEDERAL INTERVENTION ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THAT'S ACCORDING TO TWO PEOPLE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE DECISION. THE MOVE WILL LET U.S. ATTORNEYS WHERE POT IS LEGAL DECIDE WHETHER TO AGGRESSIVELY ENFORCE FEDERAL MARIJUANA LAW. IT LIKELY WILL ADD TO CONFUSION ABOUT WHETHER IT'S LEGAL TO GROW, BUY OR USE MARIJUANA IN STATES WHERE IT'S LEGALIZED.
WASHINGTON (AP) - THE REAL WEATHER TERM "BOMB CYCLONE" SOUNDS SCARY AND IT FITS THE STORM BREWING OFF THE U.S. SOUTHEAST. JUST LIKE THE PHRASE POLAR VORTEX FOUR YEARS AGO, THE WEATHER TERM BOMB IS EXPLODING ON SOCIAL MEDIA. METEOROLOGISTS USE THE TERM WHEN A STORM INTENSIFIES RAPIDLY. THEY SAY THE WORST OF THIS STORM WILL BE THE HIGH WINDS AND BITTER COLD THAT FOLLOWS. MOST OF THE STORM IS STAYING OUT AT SEA.

TEHRAN, IRAN (AP) - IRAN'S INTERIOR MINISTER IS SAYING AT MOST SOME 42,000 PEOPLE TOOK PART IN THE WEEK OF PROTESTS THAT ROILED THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC. ABDOLREZA RAHMANI FAZLI SAID IN A STATEMENT THURSDAY THAT THE FIGURE WAS "BASED ON PRECISE STATISTICS WE HAVE." FAZLI SAID THE CONTINUATION OF THE PROTESTS DURING THE PAST WEEK WAS BECAUSE OF THE "LENIENCY, RESTRAIN, TOLERANCE AND INTERACTION" OF THE GOVERNMENT. HE DID NOT ELABORATE.
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THE MAN WHO HOLED UP IN A CASPER HOME FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND FIRED FOUR SHOTS DURING AN ARMED STANDOFF WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT IN JUNE WAS SENTENCED TO A TERM OF IMPRISONMENT WEDNESDAY IN NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT.

JUDGE DANIEL FORGEY SENTENCED 37-YEAR-OLD ZACHARY LOVELACE TO A SEVEN- TO NINE-YEAR TERM IN PRISON. LOVELACE PLEADED GUILTY IN SEPTEMBER TO FOUR COUNTS OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, AND SAW TWO OTHER CHARGES DISMISSED AT HIS CHANGE-OF-PLEA HEARING.

COURT DOCUMENTS SAY ON THE MORNING OF FRIDAY, JUNE 2, A MAN WAS FISHING OFF OF BESSEMER BEND ROAD WHEN LOVELACE APPROACHED HIM AND ASKED TO USE THE MAN'S PHONE TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY CALL.

THE MAN LOANED LOVELACE HIS PHONE. IN RETURN, LOVELACE POINTED A GUN AT THE MAN, THREATENED TO KILL HIM AND THEN DROVE OFF WITH THE PHONE.

USING AN APP, THE VICTIM'S WIFE WAS ABLE TO TRACK HIS IPHONE, WHICH WAS INDICATED TO BE INSIDE A HOME IN THE 6800 BLOCK OF SHARROCK ROAD.

THE SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM WAS LATER ACTIVATED. WHILE THEY WERE INSIDE THE HOME, LOVELACE FIRED TWO SHOTS FROM WITHIN THE ATTIC. HE LATER FIRED TWO MORE ROUNDS.

OFFICERS PUMPED PEPPER SPRAY INTO THE ATTIC THROUGH A VENT.

THROUGHOUT THE FIVE-HOUR STANDOFF, A NEGOTIATOR ATTEMPTED TO GET LOVELACE TO SURRENDER.

LOVELACE EVENTUALLY KICKED A HOLE THROUGH THE CEILING OF A BEDROOM, CLIMBED OUT A WINDOW AND STARTED RUNNING WITH A BLACK GLOCK IN HIS RIGHT HAND. HOWEVER, LOVELACE FELL, AND SRT OFFICERS TOOK HIM INTO CUSTODY.

AS HE WAS BEING DRIVEN TO JAIL, LOVELACE SLIPPED HIS HANDCUFFS TO THE FRONT AND CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR OF A PATROL VEHICLE.

ALTHOUGH THAT CHARGE WAS DROPPED AS PART OF THE PLEA DEAL, LOVELACE DID AGREE TO PAY RESTITUTION FOR THAT INCIDENT, WHICH WILL TOTAL OVER $3,500.

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A MAN IS DEAD AFTER THE COMMERCIAL TRUCK HE WAS DRIVING ROLLED OVER EARLY SUNDAY, AND STATE TROOPERS SUSPECT A MEDICAL EVENT MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE.

50-YEAR-OLD CURTIS KEELIN WAS SOUTHBOUND ON WY 530 NEAR MILEPOST 41 IN SWEETWATER COUNTY BEFORE THE CRASH. AT ABOUT 12 A.M. SUNDAY, HIS TRUCK LEFT THE ROADWAY TO THE WEST, ACCORDING TO A CRASH REPORT FROM THE WYOMING HIGHWAY PATROL.

THE TRUCK CONTINUED PARALLEL TO THE HIGHWAY FOR ABOUT 300 FEET BEFORE HITTING A CULVERT. AFTER HITTING THE CULVERT, THE TRUCK WENT ANOTHER 200 FEET BEFORE ROLLING ONTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE.

KEELIN WAS NOT WEARING HIS SEAT BELT AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH, THE REPORT INDICATES. THE ROAD WAS DRY AND WEATHER WAS REPORTEDLY CLEAR THAT NIGHT.

AN AUTOPSY WAS SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY TO DETERMINE WHETHER KEELIN SUFFERED A MEDICAL EVENT BEFORE THE CRASH. THE ONLY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR LISTED IN THE REPORT WAS A POSSIBLE, UNSPECIFIED MEDICAL CONDITION.