K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For September 22nd, 2017 – Morning

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) - NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG UN HAS LOBBED A STRING OF INSULTS AT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, CALLING HIM A "MENTALLY DERANGED U.S. DOTARD" AND HINTING AT A FRIGHTENING NEW WEAPON TEST. IT'S THE FIRST TIME FOR A NORTH KOREAN LEADER TO ISSUE SUCH A DIRECT STATEMENT TO A U.S. PRESIDENT, RAISING THE INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR STANDOFF TO A NEW LEVEL.

NEW YORK (AP) - SECRETARY OF STATE REX TILLERSON SAYS NORTH KOREA'S KIM JONG UN IS "BEING TESTED" BY THE STRONGEST SANCTIONS EVER PUT IN PLACE BY THE U.S. AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. TILLERSON WON'T SAY WHAT THE U.S. RESPONSE WOULD BE IF KIM'S GOVERNMENT TESTED A HYDROGEN BOMB IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN. TILLERSON SAYS IT WOULD BE PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S DECISION, BUT HE ADDS THAT ALL MILITARY OPTIONS REMAIN ON THE TABLE.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (AP) - PUERTO RICAN OFFICIALS SAY AT LEAST SIX PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN CONNECTION WITH HURRICANE MARIA. PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY SECRETARY HÉCTOR M. PESQUERA SAID FRIDAY THAT AUTHORITIES WERE AWARE OF "OTHER POTENTIAL FATALITIES" BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONFIRM THEM.

MEXICO CITY (AP) - RESCUE EFFORTS WERE SUSPENDED OVERNIGHT AT A QUAKE-COLLAPSED SEVEN-STORY BUILDING IN MEXICO CITY'S ROMA NORTE NEIGHBORHOOD AS RAIN DRENCHED THE AREA AND DESTABILIZED THE PILE OF RUBBLE. WORKERS WERE EAGER TO RESTART UNDER OVERCAST BUT DRY CONDITIONS AS SOON AS EXPERTS CONFIRM IT'S SAFE TO DO SO.

MEXICO CITY (AP) - SHE REPORTEDLY WIGGLED HER FINGERS AS RESCUERS TRIED TO SAVE HER, AND SHE WAS EVEN GIVEN A NAME - "FRIDA SOFIA." NOW OFFICIALS IN MEXICO SAY A LITTLE GIRL BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN BURIED UNDER THE RUBBLE OF A SCHOOL DESTROYED BY THIS WEEK'S EARTHQUAKE, NEVER EXISTED. ASSISTANT SECRETARY ANGEL ENRIQUE SARMIENTO SAYS SEVERAL BODIES WERE REMOVED FROM THE DESTROYED SCHOOL, AND RESCUERS MAY HAVE MISTAKENLY THOUGHT THEY HAD SEEN FINGERS MOVE.
==================================

A NATRONA COUNTY MAN WHO ADMITTED EARLIER THIS YEAR TO INAPPROPRIATELY TOUCHING A GIRL AND SHOWING HER A SEX TOY DID NOT SHOW UP FOR HIS SENTENCING HEARING THURSDAY MORNING.

NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE CATHERINE WILKING ISSUED A BENCH WARRANT FOR THE ARREST OF 63-YEAR-OLD BRUCE ROBERT SHAMPANG, WHO PLEADED GUILTY TWO MONTHS AGO TO ONE COUNT OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR.

NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIKE BLONIGEN ON THURSDAY TOLD WILKING THAT SHAMPANG'S FAILURE TO ATTEND THE HEARING CONSTITUTES A BOND VIOLATION AND PUTS SHAMPANG'S PLEA DEAL IN JEOPARDY.

IN EXCHANGE FOR SHAMPANG'S GUILTY PLEA, PROSECUTORS HAD AGREED TO ARGUE FOR A PRISON SENTENCE OF NO MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS. HOWEVER, SHAMPANG'S BOND VIOLATION NOW MEANS BLONIGEN CAN INVOKE THE DEAL'S 'COLD PLEA' PROVISION AND TAKE THE SENTENCING AGREEMENT OFF THE TABLE.

WYOMING STATUTE PROVIDES FOR A MAXIMUM PRISON SENTENCE OF 15 YEARS AND A FINE OF $10,000.

SHAMPANG'S ATTORNEY SAID SHAMPANG HAS MAINTAINED CONTACT WITH THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE, AND THE ATTORNEY DOES NOT BELIEVE SHAMPANG IS ON THE RUN.

WILKING SAID SHE WOULD CONSIDER TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ANY LEGITIMATE REASON FOR SHAMPANG'S ABSENCE AT THURSDAY'S HEARING, IF SUCH A REASON IS PRESENTED.

================================

FRONTIER AIRLINES IS RETURNING TO JACKSON HOLE NEXT YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2014, AND IS OFFERING FLIGHTS TO DENVER FOR AS LOW AS $39.

FRONTIER WILL CONNECT TO JACKSON ON TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS AND SUNDAYS FROM JUNE 8 TO AUGUST 9 IN 2018.

FRONTIER SPOKESMAN RICH OLIVER SAYS FOR NOW THE PLAN IS TO ONLY OFFER SUMMER SEASONAL SERVICE.

OLIVER SAYS THE AIRLINE WILL EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE AND GAUGE THE DEMAND FOR THE FLIGHTS.

FRONTIER WILL BE FLYING AIRBUS A320 JETS, WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE REGIONAL JETS AND PROPELLER-DRIVEN PLANES THAT THE AIRLINE PREVIOUSLY FLEW INTO JACKSON HOLE FROM 2008 TO 2014.

FRONTIER'S ARRIVAL ADDS COMPETITION TO ONE OF JACKSON'S BIGGEST CONNECTING MARKETS, WHICH IS DENVER.