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Suspects in North Canton bank robbery arrested in Pennsylvania

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Suspects in North Canton bank robbery arrested in Pennsylvania


Three Canton-area residents who are accused of robbing a bank in Pennsylvania last week are believed to have been involved in robbing the Citizens Bank last month in North Canton, North Canton police said Saturday.

North Canton police listed the suspects as Matthew D. Smith, 32; Christopher Lucius, 36 and Latoya Young, 43, all with Canton addresses.

Police did not disclose what evidence they had linking the three to the July 18 bank robbery.

The department said a man wearing a dark medical mask and wearing a hooded sweatshirt showed a gun at the Citizens Bank at 1000 N. Main St. on July 18. He took an undisclosed amount of money and fled as a passenger in a stolen Honda Civic, according to witnesses.

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Police: Masked, armed man robs Citizens Bank in North Canton

Canton trio accused of bank robbery in Pennsylvania

At 12:40 p.m. Wednesday, Center Township police in Beaver County along with officers from the nearby police departments in Aliquippa and Monaca, Pennsylvania, responded to a report of a bank robbery. The heist took place at the First Commonwealth Bank branch at 80 Wagner Road, Center Township Police Chief Aldo Legge told Beaver County Radio.

The bank is a roughly 96-minute drive from North Canton.

The three Canton residents were arrested after the robbery. Legge told Beaver County Radio that $80,000 was stolen from the bank.

According to Beaver County online court records, the three, were arraigned in Magisterial District Court on Wednesday night. They are being held in the Beaver County Jail each on $1 million bond. They have a preliminary court hearing scheduled for Sept. 11. The three have been charged with felonies of robbery with the threat of immediate serious harm; robbery with the demand of money from a financial institution; and conspiracy to commit robbery with the threat of immediate serious harm. Lucius and Young have also been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery with the demand of money from a financial institution.

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The North Canton police’s statement said officers expect the U.S. Attorney’s Office will file federal charges against the defendants “along with other local cases.”

North Canton police said it worked with the FBI to locate the suspects and that investigators had the three under surveillance Wednesday. And its statement said the FBI and the Pennsylvania State Police were involved in taking the three into custody.

As of Saturday, no federal charges against the three had appeared in the federal court docket, and no local charges related to bank robberies could be found on any Stark County online court docket.

Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. X formerly Twitter: @rwangREP.

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s fall turkey hunting season begins today

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Pennsylvania’s fall turkey hunting season begins today


Pennsylvania’s fall turkey hunting season begins today

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Pennsylvania’s fall turkey hunting season begins today

03:11

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – It’s November which means Thanksgiving is right around the corner and if you don’t want to head to the grocery store – good news, especially if you’re a hunter, Pennsylvania’s fall turkey hunting season kicks off today! 

Hunters who have purchased a hunting license get one fall turkey hunting tag as well as a spring hunting tag. The Pennsylvania Game Commission says that any turkey can be harvested and female turkeys account for more than 50 percent of the fall harvest. 

“Fall seasons were lengthened in several units this year, and the 2024 summer sighting survey results showed above-average poult recruitment in general, with all WMUs [Wildlife Management Units] showing good numbers,” said Game Commission wild turkey biologist Mary Jo Casalena. “The fall 2024 turkey season is shaping up to be a good one.”

Pennsylvania’s annual turkey sighting survey was conducted over the summer in July and August and the Game Commission said that the number of turkey sightings nearly doubled from 2023 with 30,286 being sighted. 

“This annual summer survey allows us to estimate the number of turkey poults seen per hen throughout the state during July and August,” said Casalena. “It is an index of reproductive success over time. We use this in our turkey population model and to assess trends in populations and part of our fall turkey season recommendation process.” 

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Hunters are not required to wear fluorescent orange during turkey season, but the Game Commission does highly recommend it. They also remind hunters that no single-projectile firearms can be used during the fall turkey season. Hunters may use shotguns with fine shot and archery gear only. 

Those who do bag a turkey must tag their bird according to the instructions on their harvest tags and then report it. That can be done either online at this link or over the phone at 1-800-838-4431. When hunters call the commission number, they will have to have their license and a copy of their harvest tag. 

More information can be found on the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s website about harvesting, reporting, and regulations related to fall turkey season. 

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Here are your rights and duties when voting in Pa., N.J. and Del.

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Here are your rights and duties when voting in Pa., N.J. and Del.


New Jersey

The Garden State has a Voters’ Bill of Rights, which outlines what voters can expect at polling places along with resources available.

While casting their ballot, voters have the right to vote in private, bring in a sample ballot and take a “reasonable” amount of time. Instructions on how to use the voting machine are available in polling places. If you don’t see them, ask any poll worker.

Like in Pennsylvania, New Jersey has support for voters with disabilities and they can also bring someone to help them as long as the person is not a representative of their employer or union. If a disabled voter shows up alone, two poll workers of opposite parties may help. A poll worker must fill out a disability certificate before using a machine.

Garden State residents who are not in incarceration as a result of a conviction of any indictable offense can vote by completing a new voter registration form. Also, anyone who is on parole or is awaiting trial, even in jail, can vote.

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New Jersey is also one of 21 states that restricts wearing campaign swag at polling places. A voter at a polling place in Hamilton Township garnered media attention for throwing a tantrum when she was forbidden by poll workers from entering the polling station because of what she was wearing.

You cannot enter a polling place or stand within 100 feet of the outside entrance of a polling place “wearing or displaying anything that may offer support for or opposition against any candidate, party or public question on the ballot,” including “political badges, buttons, insignias, t-shirts, hats or other display that can be read or viewed to identify support or opposition of a candidate, political party or public questions.”

The state’s law against electioneering is spelled out on a new poster the Division of Elections displayed during early voting for the first time on Oct. 26.

Complaint forms are available for voters at every polling station. Voters can call 877-NJ-VOTER (877-658-6837) for any voting questions.

Delaware

A brief overview of accessible voting options is described in this video on the Delaware Elections YouTube page. Each polling site is surveyed by state elections staff to ensure that it is accessible.

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Similar to surrounding states, those who need assistance in casting their ballot can take someone to assist them. In addition, at least one universal voting console is available at each polling place

Delaware’s voting machines, the ES&S ExpressVote XL, are fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and have been in use since 2019.

A person convicted of a felony can vote if their sentence has been fully discharged and if they were not convicted of a disqualifying felony as stated in the state’s constitution. The disqualifying felonies include murder and manslaughter, with the exception of vehicular homicide. The exclusion is also extended to offenses against public administration involving bribery, improper influence, abuse of office or a sexual offense.

The First State is also among the 21 states that restrict electioneering.

Campaigning and wearing anything that supports or opposes a candidate or issue is prohibited within 50 feet of a polling place.

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Delaware outlines its procedure to file a complaint if you believe your voting rights have been violated. The complaint must be submitted to the Office of the State Election Commissioner or any of the county elections departments. It must be in writing, notarized and signed and sworn by the voter.



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Pennsylvania Fraud Claims Debunked: Trump And Elon Musk Spreading False Fraud Claims In Battleground State

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Pennsylvania Fraud Claims Debunked: Trump And Elon Musk Spreading False Fraud Claims In Battleground State


Topline

Former President Donald Trump and his supporters—including billionaire Elon Musk—have spread claims about election irregularities and fraud in Pennsylvania despite officials saying their claims have no merit, as the ex-president begins sowing distrust in the election results as polls suggest he’s virtually tied with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Key Facts

Trump has repeatedly suggested on social media there’s election fraud in Pennsylvania without showing evidence, writing on Truth Social Thursday, “We caught them CHEATING BIG in Pennsylvania.”

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Pennsylvania is one of the most high-stakes battleground states in the presidential election—awarding 19 electors to whomever wins—and polling there shows Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris neck-and-neck.

Trump’s comments echo his false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, which he used to unsuccessfully try and overturn the vote count after President Joe Biden won, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro claimed on X that Trump is now “trying to use the same playbook to stoke chaos” in this election.

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Trump and his supporters’ claims are being amplified in this election by billionaire Elon Musk, who has shared false fraud claims on X, formerly known as Twitter, and allowed conspiracy theories to spread freely on the social platform, which he owns.

State election officials have debunked and opposed the false claims of fraud, with Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt saying at a media briefing Wednesday, “Spreading videos and other information that lack context, sharing social posts filled with half-truths or even outright lies is harmful to our representative democracy.”

Voter Registrations In Lancaster, York And Other Counties

Trump and other Republicans have made claims of voter fraud based on instances in multiple counties in which election officials received unusually large groups of voter registration applications, which were reviewed and sent to district attorney’s offices to investigate potential fraud. Lancaster County reported “hundreds” of fraudulent applications were sent to investigators and York County reported approximately a quarter of the 3,000 registration applications it received in bulk were declined and are undergoing further review. Officials also reported irregular applications in Monroe County, though election officials in Luzerne County, where some last-minute application forms were also flagged, said after reviewing the applications that none were fraudulent. While Trump and other Republicans have held up these instances as evidence of voter fraud, election officials told The Washington Post they were more likely the “sloppy work of a paid canvasser trying to meet a quota” rather than a malicious instance of fraud. Since the irregularities were only reported in voter registration applications, there is also no impact on any actual ballots or votes.

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Bucks County Cutting Off Line To Vote

The Trump campaign and its allies, including running mate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, have pushed claims that voters were denied the opportunity to vote in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, despite being in line before voting ended for the day, with Vance amplifying claims that Democrat-allied “voter protection” workers were cutting off the line. The Trump campaign ultimately filed a lawsuit that resulted in early voting being extended in the county until Friday. Bucks County has pushed back against the suggestions that voters were intentionally being stopped from voting and cut off in line, saying on Monday, “Contrary to what is being depicted on social media, if you are in line by 5 p.m. for an on-demand mail-in ballot application, you will have the opportunity to submit your application for a mail-in ballot.” (The state does not have traditional early voting, but allows voters to request and submit mail ballots in person.) The county did acknowledge there was a “miscommunication” that meant “individuals in line to apply for an on-demand mail-in ballot were briefly told they could not be accommodated,” but added that those voters “were given the opportunity to submit mail-in ballot applications today.”

Woman Arrested In Delaware County

The Trump campaign claimed in a campaign email Monday that a woman in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, was arrested “for fighting voter suppression” and “encouraging people to stay in line and vote.” Delaware County responded in a statement, reported by ABC News, saying the woman in question was being “disruptive, belligerent, and attempting to influence voters waiting in line,” and remained in the polling place’s lobby for two hours and “approached various individuals” but did not get in line to vote herself. Police apprehended the woman and asked her to leave after voters complained, county officials said, and first “provided her with verbal guidance on appropriate behavior and allowed her to remain in the lobby.” After additional complaints were lodged against the woman and she refused to leave, she was “briefly detained, and was issued a citation for disorderly conduct,” a county spokesperson told ABC News.

Ballot Delivery In Northampton County

A viral video posted on X Monday purporting to show a man dropping off an “obscene amount of ballots” in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, actually depicted a postal worker delivering ballots to the local elections office, NBC News confirmed. The video, which was shared by right-wing influencers including Alex Jones, has led to the postal worker getting harassed, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure told NBC, adding, “I hope if you do a story that the story will be that this is incredibly stupid election misinformation … And, you know, stop it.”

Ballots Ripped Up In Bucks County

After a video went viral that was purporting to show ballots being ripped up in Bucks County, the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a joint statement saying they had determined “Russian actors manufactured and amplified” the video, describing it as “part of Moscow’s broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of the US election and stoke divisions among Americans.” The video has been attributed to Russian disinformation team Storm-1516, NBC reports. Local prosecutors also separately debunked the video, similarly “conclud[ing]

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that this video was fabricated in an attempt to undermine confidence in the upcoming election.”

Allegheny County Voters Cutting Lines

Trump supporters complained about noncitizens allegedly being allowed to vote in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, after social media posts claimed buses of non-English speakers arrived at a polling place and those voters cut other people in line. Allegheny County issued a statement saying a video posted on social media only showed a “brief conversation between voters, their translators, and a County employee,” after which elderly and disabled voters in the group were allowed to sit down as they waited to vote while able-bodied members of the group went to the back of the line. Sam DeMarco, a local council member who supports Trump, shared the county’s statement, and local outlet TribLive reports that he was told by county lawyers the voters at issue are U.S. citizens who are members of the local Nepalese and Bhutanese community. “These are members of the refugee community, and they are registered to vote in Allegheny County,” DeMarco said, and Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh director Khara Timsina told TribLive the voters became citizens around 2013 and 2014. While Republicans have made false claims about noncitizens voting in the November election, in practice noncitizen voting is extremely rare, with one study finding only 0.0001% of ballots cast in 2016 across 12 states were unlawful votes by noncitizens.

What To Watch For

Trump and his supporters are likely to continue spreading false claims of fraud through and after Election Day. Those claims are likely to spread more rapidly and unchecked on X, CNN notes, where Musk has allowed misinformation and disinformation to spread without the moderation measures that other social platforms have taken—and repeatedly spread the false claims himself. “Elon Musk is a huge problem,” an unnamed Pennsylvania official told CNN. (Musk has not yet responded to a request for comment.) Pennsylvania is one of the states that’s likely to take longer to report election results, due to laws in the state that only allow election workers to start processing ballots on Election Day. That could allow misinformation to further spread while ballots are being counted, as happened in 2020. Trump also filed numerous lawsuits in the state in 2020 taking issue with election processes and falsely alleging fraud—nearly all of which failed, save for one minor lawsuit affecting only a small number of votes—which may happen again this year. Schmidt said Thursday that while the final timing of the election results will depend on how close the race is—and final results will not be available by Election Day—the state has taken steps since 2020 to try and speed up the ballot counting process, like giving counties the funds to invest in more resources for counting. Counties will also now be required to report how many ballots are still left to count, which will help combat claims of ballots being “found” at the last minute that proliferated during the 2020 election.

Contra

While Trump has pointed to issues like the allegedly fraudulent voter registrations as being evidence of the election being fraudulent and rigged against him, election officials told the Post that the fact the registrations were flagged actually shows the guardrails that are in place to catch and prevent election fraud are working as they should. Nina Jancowitz, CEO of anti-disinformation group American Sunlight Project, also noted to CNN that the outsized role Musk is playing in the election and him using X to freely spread false information “is far closer to election interference than any of the allegations that conservatives have made against social media platforms from 2016 to 2022.”

Further Reading

Pennsylvania 2024 Trump-Harris Polls: Race Virtually Tied In 7 New Surveys Of Vital Battleground (Forbes)

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Trump alleges fraud in Pennsylvania, but officials say the election is secure (Washington Post)

Election officials are outmatched by Elon Musk’s misinformation machine (CNN)

‘Big lie’ 2.0: How Trump’s false claims about noncitizens voting lay the groundwork to undermine the election (NBC News)

Pennsylvania officials reject viral claim about illegal voters (BBC)



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