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A2 u.s. news
Monday 12 deceMber 2022

It's all downhill for 300 skiing Santas, a Grinch and a tree

NEWRY, Maine (AP) — A It wasn't exactly a winter the annual tradition. Santa
bunch of Santa looka- wonderland — there was Sunday has grown in popu-
likes took to the ski slopes little natural snow. The larity over more than two
to spread some seasonal snow-making machines decades, raising $7,500 this
cheer on Sunday. at Sunday River produced year for a local charity.q
More than 300 jolly ol' enough of the fluffy stuff for
elves — all dressed in red
— dashed together down
a mountain with white Numbers on panel examining Va.
beards and Santa hats Beach mass shooting dwindle
flapping in the breeze at
the Sunday River ski resort
Skiers dressed in Santa Claus outfits hit the slopes for charity at in Maine. A skiing Grinch
the Sunday River Ski Resort, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, in Newry, and a skiing Christmas tree
Maine. joined the party.
Associated Press

A makeshift memorial rests at the edge of a police cordon in
front of a municipal building that was the scene of a shooting in
Virginia Beach, Va., June 1, 2019.
Associated Press
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) in investigating," Cariens
— Several members of a added. "The net result of
state commission tasked their lack of enthusiasm to
with conducting an inde- investigate is that it does
pendent investigation of a protect the city."
2019 mass shooting in Vir- A city engineer fatally shot
ginia Beach, Virginia, have 12 people and wounded
stepped down in recent four others on May 31,
months -- raising doubts 2019, at the Virginia Beach
among some whether the Municipal Center before
panel can perform its job. he was killed by police. The
The Virginia Beach Mass commission charge in part
Shooting Commission be- is to recommend improve-
gan with 21 members, but ments to Virginia's laws,
10 members have resigned, policies and other areas
according to a spokesper- to minimize the risk for fu-
son for the state office that ture shootings. Kate Hourin,
oversees the panel. communications director
Some current and former for the Office of the State
members have expressed Inspector General, which
frustrations with the way oversees the commission,
the investigation into the confirmed the 10 resig-
shooting has been han- nations last week but de-
dled, The Virginian-Pilot of clined to comment further.
Norfolk reported. Washington, a former Flu-
"We have lost 10 people; vanna County sheriff and
I am quite upset about it," state law enforcement ad-
said current member David ministrator, said he hopes
Cariens, telling the news- the vacancies will be filled
paper that most have left but that the commission's
in the past six months. work will continue regard-
"I think there are people less. The group meets
on the commission who do about once a month in
not want to be aggressive Richmond.q