NEWS OF THE DAY From Across the Nation
Newlyweds killed: A Texas couple was killed in a helicopter crash just hours after they were married. Will Byler and Bailee Ackerman were married Saturday at a ranch in Uvalde. Byler’s grandfather, William Byler, said the couple died when the helicopter that had departed the wedding reception went down. TV station KTRK reported the pilot also died in the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating, and the cause of the crash is not yet known.
Lottery winner: A single mother from the small town of Redfield, Iowa, has claimed her share of a nearly $700 million Powerball prize. Lottery officials confirmed Monday that Lerynne West, 51, was one of two winners of the $688 million jackpot drawn Oct. 27. She’ll share the prize with someone who bought the other winning ticket in New York City. West opted for the cash option, which will pay her $198.1 million, minus taxes. West said “once you have won, you realize the responsibility and the impact you can make, and all the frivolity goes out the window.”
Rapper autopsy: The Los Angeles County coroner’s office on Monday ruled rapper Mac Miller’s death an accidental overdose due to a combination of drugs and alcohol. The coroner’s report found the 26-year-old died from “mixed toxicity,” saying cocaine, alcohol and the powerful opioid fentanyl were found in his system. Paramedics found Miller unresponsive in his Los Angeles home on Sept. 7 and declared him dead soon after. The Pittsburgh native was in a two-year relationship with Ariana Grande that ended earlier this year. His music often examined his depression and drug use.
Trump ad: NBC and Fox News Channel, both based in New York City, and Facebook in Menlo Park all said Monday that they will stop airing President Trump’s campaign advertisement that featured an immigrant convicted of murder. CNN had rejected the same ad, declaring it racist. Fox pulled the ad Sunday “upon further review,” said Marianne Gambelli, head of the network’s ad sales department. The ad aired on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” and MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” and drew a heated online response. The ad includes footage of Luis Bracamontes, a twice-deported immigrant from Mexico sentenced to death in California for killing two deputies in Sacramento.
Long flight: What should have been an eight-hour flight from Orlando to London on British Airways turned into a three-day travel nightmare for 250 passengers last week. Flight 2036 was scheduled to take off from Orlando on Thursday evening but was grounded until Friday because of mechanical issues, the airline said. When it finally got off the ground Friday evening, it was soon diverted to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York early Saturday “as a precaution” because of a technical issue, airline spokeswoman Michele Kropf said Monday. The airline sent a replacement aircraft to JFK, and the weary passengers eventually made it to London on Sunday. “We have apologized for the long delay,” Kropf said.
Chronicle News Services