MOLOKAI, HAWAII (BNO NEWS) — Five people were killed on early Thursday afternoon when a tour helicopter crashed on the island of Molokai in the Hawaiian archipelago, federal officials said on Friday. There were no survivors.

The accident happened at around 12.30 p.m. local time when a Eurocopter crashed on the east end of Molokai near Kilohana Elementary School. “The helicopter was engulfed in flames after crashing,” said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The helicopter was conducting an air tour flight for Blue Hawaiian out of Maui, the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands, when the accident happened. “There were five people on board and all were killed,” Gregor said. Officials identified the passengers as a newlywed couple from Pennsylvania and two people from Ontario, Canada.

Fire officials said the accident happened during rain and strong winds, which may have contributed to the accident. “The school health aid, whose office is in the back side of the campus, actually saw the helicopter run into the ridgeline behind the school,” Richard Stevens, Kilohana Elementary principal, told KHNL-TV.

Blue Hawaiian President Patti Chevalier said the company is “heart-broken” by the tragic events. “We’re devastated and we’re going to do everything we can to cooperate with the authorities,” Chevalier said.

Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the cause of the accident. “It typically takes [the] NTSB months to come up with a probable cause for accidents,” Gregor said.

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SHANKSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA (BNO NEWS) — Thousands of people on Saturday gathered in western Pennsylvania to remember the 40 people who died when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed there on Sept. 11, 2001.

Among those who gathered in Stonycreek Township, near Shanksville, were U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Republican House speaker John Boehner also attended the ceremony.

Saturday’s event was one of two this weekend to dedicate the Flight 93 National Memorial, of which the first phase was recently completed. Sunday’s ceremony will mark the 10th anniversary of the attacks which killed nearly 3,000 people in three locations.

“With the distance of a decade, 9/11 can feel like part of a different era,” Bush, who was Commander-in-Chief during the attacks, said. “But for the families of the men and women stolen, some of whom have joined us today, that day will never feel like history. The memory of that morning is fresh, and so is the pain. America shares your grief. We pray for your comfort. And we honor your loved ones.”

Flight 93, carrying 37 passengers (including the four hijackers) and seven crew members, was hijacked moments after two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. A fourth plane was also hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

With the hijackers in control of Flight 93, the passengers planned a revolt after learning about the planes which had been flown into the WTC. After a 6-minute fight, the Boeing 757-200 violently crashed into a reclaimed coal strip mine in Stonycreek Township, killing everyone on board.

With only 20 minutes from the nation’s capital, the actions of the passengers are believed to have saved the lives of many more as it prevented the hijackers from crashing the aircraft into a third target. It is believed the White House was the primary target, and the U.S. Capitol the alternative.

“When the passengers and crew realized the plane had been hijacked, they reported the news calmly,” Bush said. “When they learned that terrorists had crashed other planes into targets on the ground, they accepted greater responsibilities. In the back of the cabin, the passengers gathered to devise a strategy. At the moment America’s democracy was under attack, our citizens defied their captors by holding a vote. The choice they made would cost them their lives. And they knew it.”

Bush said the passengers of United 93 launched the first counteroffensive in the so-called War on Terror, and credited the passengers for saving many innocent people. “Americans are alive today because the passengers and crew of Flight 93 chose to act, and this Nation will be forever grateful,” the former president said.

Bush said the 40 passengers and crew members left a legacy of bravery and selflessness which inspires America. “For generations, people will study the story of Flight 93,” he said. “They will learn that individual choices make a difference, that love and sacrifice can triumph over evil and hate, and that what happened above this Pennsylvania field ranks among the most courageous acts in American history.”

The Flight 93 National Memorial, a decade later, is still under construction even though phase one has now been completed and dedicated. But $10 million is still required to complete the memorial, and Clinton and Boehner announced they will mount a bipartisan effort to raise the needed money.

Bush said the memorial will ensure that the United States will always remember those who died on Flight 93, but said the country has a duty beyond memory and honoring. “We have a duty to live our lives in a way that upholds the ideals for which the men and women gave their lives – to build a living memorial to their courage and sacrifice,” he said.

Biden, meanwhile, said he has recalled the incident time and again over the last 10 years. “I never fail to be astonished, literally astonished by the courage they demonstrated,” he told the audience.

“I say to you, even as we struggle with this tragedy, even as we grapple with the profound loss and devastating grief, we can look up at the heavens and think of these heroes and know, know with certitude that there is not a single, solitary tragedy that America cannot overcome,” Biden added. “There is not a single moment of hardship that cannot be transformed into one of national strength. The seeds of doubt, planted by those who wish to harm us, will instead grow into flowering meadows like this one where we stand in today, for they cannot defeat the American spirit.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) — Federal regulators on Thursday closed the Public Savings Bank in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, raising the total number of bank failures in the United States so far this year to 65.

The bank was closed by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking after its regular closing time on Thursday, an unusual move as banks are normally shut down on Fridays to avoid customer disruption. It was not immediately clear why the bank was closed on a Thursday instead.

After the closing, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said it immediately entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with the Capital Bank in Rockville, Maryland, to assume all of the deposits of Public Savings Bank.

Most customers should see no or little service disruptions despite the closure of the institution as the Public Savings Bank’s sole branch will reopen on Friday as a branch of Capital Bank, and all depositors of Public Savings Bank will automatically become depositors of Capital Bank.

All of the services of the failed bank, including checks, ATM and debit cards, will remain active. “Checks drawn on the bank will continue to be processed,” the FDIC said in a statement. “Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual.”

As of June 30, Public Savings Bank had approximately $46.8 million in total assets and $45.8 million in total deposits. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of the failed bank, Capital Bank agreed to purchase essentially all of the assets.

The FDIC estimated that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $11 million, but said it was the least costly resolution for the DIF compared to other alternatives.

The failure bring the total number of U.S. bank failures so far this year to 65. It is the first FDIC-insured institution to be closed in the state since the Earthstar Bank in Southampton was closed on December 10, 2010.

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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA (BNO NEWS) – A man from Philadelphia in Pennsylvania was shot dead after his ex-girlfriend posted a murder-for-hire offer on the social networking website Facebook, local authorities said on Tuesday.

Corey White, 22, of Philadelphia, received a fatal gunshot wound to the chest on Monday evening on Hadfield street near his Southwest Philadelphia home, local police told the the Philadelphia Inquirer.

White’s ex-girlfriend, London Eley, 19, of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania and mother of White’s child, had previously posted a murder-for-hire announcement on the social networking website Facebook in June.

After an argument with White, Eley posted: “I will pay somebody a stack to kill my baby father.” Stack is slang for $1,000 and, in response to the posting, several users questioned the request and asked whether she was sure she wanted White dead or just injured.

Eley reportedly responded, “DEAD! HATE HIM!”

Police said Timothy Bynum, 18, of Darby, Pennsylvania, responded with, “say no more, what he look like. where he be at. need that stack 1st ima mop that bull.”

According to Philadelphia Police Captain James Clark, White received the fatal gunshot at around 8 p.m. local time on Monday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The assailant was riding a brown vehicle, stopped near White, and got into an argument with him before fatally shooting him and driving off. White was later pronounced dead at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital.

The brown vehicle was reportedly stolen earlier that day and was later found after being set on fire.

However, after being tipped off, police had already arrested both Eley and Bynum on June 12, well before White was murdered. They have been in custody ever since, including the day White was shot and killed. White had also previously testified against the pair in an initial hearing two weeks ago.

“Obviously this is something we’re going to look at really strongly, as far as a possible reason why Mr. White was killed,” Captain Clark told the media outlet. “However, there are a couple of other theories out there.”

Bynum and Eley allegedly conspired to kill White during Facebook exchanges two months ago, but Municipal Judge Patrick Dugan on Monday agreed to lower Eley’s and Bynum’s bail from $50,000 to $35,000 and $75,000 to $50,000, respectively.

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PHILADELPHIA (BNO NEWS) — Around 50 teenagers have been arrested for violating Philadelphia’s new curfew which took effect on Friday night, authorities said on Saturday.

Authorities imposed the weekend curfew to combat a rash of teen violence by roving mobs. Police spokesman Ray Evers told CNN that there were no signs of trouble late Friday, adding that the curfew did make a difference.

Evers said that police had taken 22 juveniles between the ages of 14 and 17 into custody an hour after the curfew took effect. But in all, some 50 minors were arrested and were not allowed to leave the police precinct until they were picked up by a parent or guardian.

Police patrolled the two areas under curfew, including downtown areas popular with locals and tourists during the Friday night curfew. The 50 teens are among the first charged with violating the newly enforced 9 p.m. weekend curfew, which forbids anyone under 18 from being out on the street in certain designated areas. Throughout the rest of the city, the curfew will remain 10 p.m. for those under the age of 13 and midnight for minors between ages 13 and 18, according to CNN.

Mayor Michael Nutter announced the earlier curfew after a recent epidemic of flash mob violence. “Minors who are caught breaking curfew will be sent home, brought home or transported to a police station where their parents will be contacted,” the city said in a news release.

Minors face fines of up to $300 for a first offense. Parents may be fined up to $500 for successive violations and could also subject to imprisonment for up to 90 days for repeat curfew violation offenses.

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WEST GOSHEN, PENNSYLVANIA (BNO NEWS) — Former reality TV star from MTV’s ‘Jackass’ Ryan Dunn was intoxicated and speeding when he fatally crashed his vehicle in Pennsylvania last Monday, officials said Wednesday.

Dunn died at around 3:30 p.m. local time alongside ‘Jackass Number Two’ production assistant Zachary Hartwell, after his Porsche 911 GT3 hit a tree in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania when he lost control of the vehicle and came off the road.

According to West Goshen Police Chief Michael Carroll, Dunn’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was .196 at the time of the accident, which is more than twice the .08 legal amount established by the state of Pennsylvania, the Daily Local reported. In addition, investigations determined that he was driving his vehicle between 132 and 140 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour zone.

Dunn, who was 34 at the time of his death, was originally of Medina, Ohio and later moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania. He is probably most remembered for being part of the original daredevil crew in MTV’s ‘Jackass,’ but he also participated in other TV shows including ‘Viva La Bam,’ and hosted ‘Homewrecker’ and ‘Proving Ground.’

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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA (BNO NEWS) — The PNC Financial Services Group on Monday announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)’s U.S retail banking unit for for $3.45 billion, or $112 million discount to tangible book value.

Under terms of the agreement, PNC, which is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will have the option to deliver to Royal Bank of Canada at closing up to $1 billion of the consideration in common stock, or 3 percent of PNC’s outstanding common shares based on PNC’s closing price of $57.79 on June 17.

Meanwhile, North Carolina-based RBC Bank (USA), which has approximately $25 billion in assets and 424 branches in North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia and South Carolina, will increase PNC’s existing network to 2,870 branches, ranking it 5th among U.S. banks.

PNC stated it was expecting the transaction to be accretive to earnings by the end of 2013 or sooner depending on the amount, if any, of the $3.45 billion purchase price paid in the form of PNC common stock.

The boards of directors of both companies have approved the transaction, which is expected to close in March 2012 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

In addition, the transaction has an estimated internal rate of return to PNC in excess of 19 percent, while the purchase price is currently estimated at approximately 97 percent of RBC Bank (USA) tangible book value, based on its balance sheet as of April 30. It reflects a negative 0.6 percent deposit premium.

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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA (BNO NEWS) — The eighth member of an international child pornography ring was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday for his participation in the group, prosecutors said.

Dave Dean, 43, a former truck driver from Arizona and Texas, was the last of eight people sentenced of the “Stephen’s Group,” which used the Internet and social networking sites to exchange images and videos of child pornography, involving children as young as infants who were raped and tortured, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

“It was outrageous, my conduct, and I deeply regret having done it,” a tearful Dean said. “It’s clear I have a serious problem.”

Despite Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Haller admitting Dean’s apology could be sincere, Haller also noted that Dean is sexually excited by the rape and torture of little girls. As a member of the group, Dean uploaded at least 169 files of child porn, including some involving girls as young as 2 years old.

The group was led by Stephen Sims, 57, of San Leandro, California, and according to Jim Kilpatrick, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in charge of the case, the group had over 150 members, as federal prosecutors have convicted at least 22 of 30 members who have been contacted.

The first member of the group, which is also known as the “Boy Lovers Inner Circle,” who was arrested was a Pennsylvania man that has cooperated with federal agents to help break the group’s security and identify some of its members. The man was prosecuted for possessing child porn, but prosecutors have protected his identity.

All of the eight individuals were trialed in the Western District of Pennsylvania and were sentenced from 7 to 17 years.

Since October 1, 2010, the ICE has opened over 2,000 possible child exploitation investigations, as many images and videos come from abroad and child porn rings usually have international links.

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SOUDERTON, PENNSYLVANIA (BNO NEWS) — A 24-year-old Pennsylvania man was charged on Tuesday in connection with the kidnapping, sexual assault, and brutal murder of a 9-year-old girl.

9-year-old Skylar Kauffman was abducted at around 7 p.m. local time on Monday while she was playing in the parking lot of her apartment complex in Souderton, a normally quiet borough in Montgomery County. Police later found her body in a dumpster.

“We responded to the call of a missing child. We responded to the call, took the initial complaint [and] as it got darker we became concerned,” Souderton Police Chief James Leary told WFMZ-TV. “When it became full dark we became very concerned.”

Numerous police departments and other agencies were mobilized as it became dark, and a state-wide Amber Alert was eventually issued. “We conducted a huge search of the apartment complex [and the area] and it was in the course of that search that unfortunately we found the little girl. She was deceased and she was clearly the victim of a homicide,” Leary added.

One of the girl’s neighbors, 24-year-old James Lee Troutman, came to the police’s attention while they spoke with neighbors. One detective noticed blood on Troutman’s sneakers during a second interview, after which he was taken into custody.

WTXF-TV reported that Troutman confessed to killing Kauffman because she knew she ‘could get him in trouble.’ About two weeks ago, the young girl was seen running away from the suspect’s apartment, apparently screaming and crying during that incident. It is unclear what happened.

Leary said Kauffman was found wrapped in cloth at the bottom of a dumpster near the apartment complex. “The crime scene indicates it was a violent crime. There was an assault. The child obviously struggled,” he said.

At E. Merton Crouthamel Elementary School, grief counselors met with students on Tuesday. “There is no greater loss than that of a child. Our first thoughts are with the family and friends of this student,” Souderton Area School District Superintendent Frederick Johnson said.

Troutman was charged on Tuesday with first and second degree murder, various charges of sexual assault, and false imprisonment.

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HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA (BNO NEWS) — At least seven children died on Tuesday night during a farmhouse fire in rural Pennsylvania, officials said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, at around 11 p.m. local time, the two-story farmhouse in Blain, Pennsylvania – about 20 miles from Harrisburg – caught fire, killing six girls and one boy, aged 7 months to 11 years old. A three-year-old child, however, was able to make it out safely.

During the incident, Pennsylvania State Police said the children’s mother was milking cows in the family barn, and the father was taking a nap near their milk delivery truck. The three-year-old girl who escaped informed her mother about the fire.

The mother then sought help from two neighbors until the second was able to call 911. She then ran to find her husband and they hurried back to the farmhouse, but by the time of their arrival, it was completely engulfed in flames. Firefighters were already there, but there was little they could do.

The cause of the fire is still unclear, and the Perry County coroner said the children died from smoke inhalation and no autopsies will be conducted.

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