News

PITTSTON — The 42nd Pittston Tomato kicked off with the first of a four-day celebration on what is the unofficial end of summer before school begins everywhere.

LOS ANGELES — Erik Menendez was denied parole Thursday after serving decades in prison for murdering his parents with his older brother in 1989.

RODANTHE, N.C. — Hurricane Erin kicked up big waves Thursday along the mid-Atlantic coast and began a slow march out to sea after pelting North Carolina’s Outer Banks with strong winds and swells that flooded a few places on the barrier islands.

VILLANOVA — False reports of active shooters at Villanova University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Thursday led to panic and temporary lockdowns at the two campuses as they kicked off their fall semesters.

Gracie Jane Sinclair and the Band perform at SOMA in Midtown Village on Thursday.

A version of this story first appeared in Talk of the Town — a daily newsletter from the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown.

PHILADELPHIA — Sixteen critically endangered western Santa Cruz tortoises born to some very old parents got a slow walk and the red carpet treatment Wednesday at a Philadelphia Zoo event to show off the highly prized hatchlings.

86 years ago, MGM’s “The Wizard of Oz” premiered at the Leows Capitol Theatre in New York City.

NEWPORT TWP. — You say you want a revolution? Local musician John Ferrato, best known as a member of Strawberry Jam, might have something in mind.