Joey Meyer, a player and longtime coach for Big 10 men's basketball team DePaul, died Friday in a Chicago suburb at age 74.
No cause of death was given for Meyer, who died surrounded by family. Details about a public memorial service will be given at a later date, a statement from DePaul said.
"We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of former DePaul coach and student-athlete, Joey Meyer," DePaul posted on X. "Meyer dedicated more than 30 years to DePaul basketball. Our thoughts are with the Meyer family."
We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of former DePaul coach and student-athlete, Joey Meyer.
Meyer dedicated more than 30 years to DePaul basketball.
Our thoughts are with the Meyer family.
📰 https://t.co/Bb74ZrBJuE pic.twitter.com/TiB3i7lDMv
— DePaul Basketball (@DePaulHoops) December 30, 2023
Meyer grew up attending the DePaul Academy, a Catholic prep school, and playing basketball there, according to DePaul's press release.
He played under his father Ray's coaching at DePaul from 1968 to 1971, averaging 16.4 points in 75 games.
Meyer was the fourth top scorer in the school's history when he graduated in 1971, and he remains a top scorer even now.
He was drafted in the 1971 NBA draft but never played in the NBA.
Meyer served as assistant coach of the Blue Demons for 11 seasons under his father at DePaul before taking over as head coach in 1984 upon his father's retirement.
In his first five seasons of coaching, the Blue Demons reached the playoffs every year. In 1986 and 1987, they reached the Sweet 16.
He had a 231-158 record in a total of 13 seasons as DePaul's head coach.
Some of the top players Meyer coached included Rod Strickland, David Booth, and Tom Kleinschmidt.
After leaving DePaul, Meyer coached with the NBA Developmental League, where he won two Development League Championships with 226 total victories.
After retirement from coaching, he became a regional scout for the L.A. Clippers and a broadcaster for WGN-AM.
Meyer was inducted into the Chicago Catholic League Hall of Fame as a player in 2009, and into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021, where he joined his father and brother Tom.
There had previously been talk of replacing the presidential Air Force One-designated Boeing 747 jets with the slightly smaller and more cost-effective Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, but such talk has likely since been completely scuttled due to recurring problems with the planes.
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing is now urging all airlines that use the 737 MAX jets to conduct emergency inspections for possible loose bolts in the rudder control system, according to Reuters.
That news was shared Thursday by the Federal Aviation Administration, which also stated that it would monitor the situation and potentially take action if necessary if a substantial and widespread problem was discovered.
According to Reuters, an unnamed international airline alerted Boeing to the fact that a routine inspection of the rudder control system on a 737 MAX found a bolt that was missing a nut, which prompted the manufacturer to send out the alert after its inspection of undelivered aircraft found a similar problem in one of the units.
"The issue identified on the particular airplane has been remedied," the company said in a statement. "Out of an abundance of caution, we are recommending operators inspect their 737 MAX airplanes and inform us of any findings. We informed the FAA and our customers and will continue to keep them aware of the progress."
The FAA said in its own statement that it will "remain in contact with Boeing and the airlines while the inspections are under way" and urged the airlines to let the agency know if any "loose hardware" was found or had been discovered previously but not reported.
The emergency inspections reportedly involve the relatively quick process of removing an access panel and verifying that the hardware in question was properly installed.
Those inspections, and any subsequent reports of loose hardware, are expected to give the FAA and Boeing a better idea of whether the problem is widespread or limited in nature.
This news is not particularly good for Boeing and its troubled 737 MAX line of aircraft that only resumed flying normally again in 2021 after being grounded for nearly two years following a pair of tragic crashes, according to CNET at the time the planes were deemed airworthy once again.
Those crashes, the first in Indonesia in 2018 and the second in Ethiopia in 2019, had reportedly involved significant issues with the aircraft's main flight control computer as well as with its wiring and engines.
After being grounded worldwide for 20 months -- and even banned completely in dozens of countries -- the 737 MAX was approved to fly again after Boeing did substantial work to correct the reported issues.
Interestingly enough, Aviation Week reported in 2017 that there had been serious discussions about replacing the Boeing 747-7 jets designated as Air Force One with the smaller and less expensive 737 MAX jets or even adapted versions of Northrup Grumann's B-21 stealth bomber.
Part of the reason for the suggested swap, according to Live Science at that time, were the mounting complaints of how costly the continuous upgrades and modifications to the older 747 presidential jets had become -- complaints that were loudly shared by then-President Donald Trump.
Had that switch been made, however, the two designated Air Force One jets would have likely ended up grounded along with all of the other 737 MAX planes just two years later.
Even though former President Donald Trump's 2020 election-related criminal trial in Washington D.C. has been placed on hold pending an appeal on his presidential immunity claim, that didn't stop Special Counsel Jack Smith from filing a substantial motion in the case.
Smith has asked the court to strictly limit what Trump and his attorneys can and can't say during the trial and demanded the specific prohibition of "irrelevant disinformation," "prejudicial issues," and conspiracy theories that might confuse the jury, according to HuffPost.
As infuriating as the motion is, in that it seeks to restrict Trump's free speech rights, it also seemingly reveals a weakness and worry for Smith that Trump and his attorneys may prove capable of defeating the prosecution's arguments with a variety of different and compelling counterpoints and facts.
"Through public statements, filings, and argument in hearings before the Court, the defense has attempted to inject into this case partisan political attacks and irrelevant and prejudicial issues that have no place in a jury trial," Special Counsel Smith said in the 20-page filing. "Although the Court can recognize these efforts for what they are and disregard them, the jury -- if subjected to them -- may not."
"The Court should not permit the defendant to turn the courtroom into a forum in which he propagates irrelevant disinformation, and should reject his attempt to inject politics into this proceeding," the motion continued. "To ensure that the jury remains focused on its fact-finding duty and applies the law as instructed by the Court, the defendant’s improper evidence and argument should be excluded."
Smith went on to remind the court that rules require the exclusion of irrelevant information, but added, "Even if evidence is relevant, the Court may exclude it if 'its probative value is substantially outweighed by a danger of one or more of the following: unfair prejudice, confusing the issues, misleading the jury, undue delay, wasting time, or needlessly presenting cumulative evidence.'"
The Wednesday filing from Special Counsel Smith proceeded to outline several areas in which the court should restrict the speech of former President Trump and his attorneys, including the exclusion of evidence or arguments that "have no bearing on his guilt or innocence, are otherwise irrelevant, or are substantially more prejudicial than probative."
That includes claims that the prosecution is politically motivated or that he is being selectively persecuted by President Joe Biden's administration, as well as raising legal issues like his claim of presidential immunity or speaking of the potential consequences he faces, both politically and personally, if convicted.
Smith also asked the court to bar Trump and his attorneys from referencing the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in "irrelevant or prejudicial" ways, including by asserting various security failures by certain authorities, alleging the participation and violence of government agents and informants in the crowd, or claiming that rioters were incited by foreign influence.
"A bank robber cannot defend himself by blaming the bank’s security guard for failing to stop him. A fraud defendant cannot claim to the jury that his victims should have known better than to fall for his scheme. And the defendant cannot argue that law enforcement should have prevented the violence he caused and obstruction he intended," the filing stated.
Finally, Smith asked the court to prohibit Trump and his attorneys from speaking about "post-crime" changes to certain election-related laws, of asking witnesses for their observations of his alleged state of mind -- apparently only prosecutors can speculate in that regard -- and to constrain any cross-examination of government witnesses to exclude anything that might be classified or privileged.
In response to that filing from Special Counsel Smith, former President Trump took to his Truth Social account on Wednesday and wrote, "Crooked Joe Biden’s errand boy, Deranged Jack Smith, is obsessed with attacking your favorite President, me, and with interfering in the 2024 Presidential Election, which I am Dominating."
"Deranged Jack is so Viciously and Desperately Angry that the Supreme Court just unanimously rejected his flailing attempt to rush this Witch Hunt, that he is ignoring the Law and clear instructions from the D.C. Court that this 'case' should be stayed, and there cannot be any more filings," he continued.
"Today’s pathetic motion is not just Illegal, it is also another Unconstitutional attempt to take away my First Amendment Rights, and to prevent me from saying the TRUTH -- that all of these Hoaxes are nothing but a political persecution of me, the MAGA Movement, and the Republican Party by Crooked Joe and his Despicable Thugs," Trump added. "The Radical Left Communists, Marxists, and Fascists are petrified of me speaking the TRUTH because the American People don’t want them destroying our Country. Make America Great Again!"
Former President Donald Trump and Special Counsel Jack Smith are currently locked in battle at the D.C. Circuit Court, and likely soon the U.S. Supreme Court, over the question of whether Trump retains presidential immunity as a protection against prosecution for actions taken while in office.
Unsurprisingly, the Democrat-aligned media is freaking out over the implications of Trump's immunity argument and how "dangerous" it would be for the nation if the courts rule in his favor, as exemplified by a recent MSNBC op-ed.
In their zeal to "get Trump," however, the former president's detractors overlook the fact that if Trump is denied the immunity from prosecution he has claimed, so too would President Joe Biden be opened up to potential prosecution on several different fronts once he has left office.
SCOTUSblog reported last week that the question of former President Trump's presidential immunity claim will be dealt with on an expedited basis by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals after the Supreme Court rejected an admittedly "extraordinary" demand from Special Counsel Smith to bypass normal procedures and issue a swift ruling on the matter.
That dispute at the appeals court level stemmed from the rejection earlier in December by D.C. District Judge Tanya Chutkan of Trump's motion to dismiss all federal election-related charges against him based on his claimed immunity from prosecution for actions taken in the course of his presidential duties.
Those previously dismissed arguments have now been reiterated with dozens of supportive precedents and citations in a 71-page filing with the circuit court over the holiday weekend by Trump's attorneys.
Trump's main argument -- that his actions in the aftermath of the 2020 election to challenge and question the disputed results were justified as part of his presidential duties -- was summed up in a Truth Social post on Tuesday.
"I wasn’t campaigning, the Election was over. I was doing my duty as President to expose and further investigate a Rigged and Stolen Election. It was my obligation to do so, and the proof found is voluminous and irrefutable. Therefore, among other reasons, of course I am entitled to IMMUNITY. ADDITIONALLY, I DID NOTHING WRONG. Stop the Witch Hunt NOW!" he wrote.
Yet, the former president's critics, including in the MSNBC op-ed, are infuriated by Trump's claims of immunity and have asserted that, if true, Trump would essentially be untouchable in terms of efforts to impose accountability on him for allegedly illegal or unethical behavior.
Were the courts to rule in Trump's favor and construe his post-election activities as covered "official acts" under presidential immunity, the op-ed argued, "Neither Congress, nor the courts, nor the voters themselves can constrain a president in his framing."
"For the courts to agree would make Trump a president in name, an emperor in practice, and nothing close to what the Constitution and its drafters intended," the piece added.
That said, if the courts rule that former President Trump is not immune from prosecution for actions taken during his presidency, then President Biden might want to go ahead and lawyer up in anticipation of the inevitable tit-for-tat that will follow once he leaves office, as Trump alluded to in a Christmas Eve post to his Truth Social account.
Trump wrote, "Almost everybody agrees, even most of the crazed Radical Left Lunatics, that the Colorado decision is political delusion, and that I am, separately, fully entitled to PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY, without which Crooked Joe Biden, whose Deranged Prosecutor, Jack Smith, is merely serving his bosses wishes, would be prosecuted for destroying our Country, including his incompetently handled withdrawal from Afghanistan and, also, allowing millions of people to ILLEGALLY INVADE our Country and destroy the very fabric of what the United States stands for, and is all about. Should Crooked Joe be prosecuted for these, and other of his acts of stupidity?"
Thus, the short-sighted nature of the left's effort to strip Trump of presidential immunity, if successful, could backfire in an unexpected twist and render Biden, if not also other prior Democratic presidents like Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, vulnerable to criminal prosecutions for actions taken during their respective presidencies.
The fallout of the ongoing feud among members of the British Royal Family appears to be such a deep split that not even the Christmas holiday spirit is enough to smooth things over.
That was made obvious by the apparent snub of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle in King Charles III's Christmas message from Buckingham Palace on Monday, according to the New York Post.
Some of the king's words were interpreted to be a jab at his estranged son and daughter-in-law, as was their notable exclusion from a variety of video clips within the holiday message that featured other members of the Royal Family, including Prince William, his wife Princess Kate, and their three children.
According to the Post, the apparent theme of King Charles' Christmas message was one of being caring and compassionate and maintaining a spirit of service unto others less fortunate and, in a nod to his fixation on environmentalism, toward the earth and nature itself.
The Mirror reported that King Charles snubbed Harry and Meghan for the second time in a row in his special Christmas message by making no mention and featuring no images or pictures of his youngest son and daughter-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who live in the United States.
In contrast, the king's eldest son and heir, William, along with his wife Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their three children plus other Royal Family members and the king himself were featured in several video clips within the Christmas message that showed them providing charitable services of some sort for others.
Some of the king's words, including heralding the "selfless army of people" who paid homage during his coronation this year and praising their efforts to serve others instead of themselves, were also viewed by some as a slight against his youngest erstwhile son.
According to the Post, the Royal Family's falling out dates back to before 2020, when Prince Harry and Meghan all but denounced their royalty and moved to the U.S. to pursue their own profitable interests.
Per Sky News Australia, that included the publication of Harry's tell-all memoir "Spare" and the couple's Netflix docuseries, both of which contained explosive and scandalous claims of racist elitism among other members of the Royal Family.
Things have not improved much over the past few years despite reported efforts to patch things over amid the death of Queen Elizabeth II and Charles' ascension to the throne. Indeed, The Mirror reported that there had been some talk of Harry and Meghan joining the Royal Family for Christmas in Sandringham, but any such plans never materialized and the Duke and Duchess are believed to have remained home in California for the holiday.
Those efforts to fix the strained relationships, if they made any success, were undoubtedly derailed recently by allegations of racism and other scandalous claims from Harry and Meghan against others in the Royal Family that were included in a new book known as "Endgame" by author Omid Scobie, according to The Royal Observer.
In advance reference to the king's upcoming Christmas speech, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams accurately predicted to the Observer, "Harry and Meghan are unlikely to be mentioned. Omid Scobie's Endgame, which was an attack on the monarchy and caused considerable controversy, certainly won't be."
"It does seem likely that, with the situation in Gaza causing such concern, that it will be mentioned. The coming year is an election year in Britain. The King’s message, above party politics, will symbolize the continuity which the monarchy provides and which is so important," he added.
The Washington Examiner just published a report explaining why it is that there continues to be speculation about Nikki Haley possibly becoming former President Donald Trump's running mate in 2024.
According to the outlet's report, there are two main reasons.
One reason is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and the other is a recent CBS report.
Before we get to that, it is worth pointing out why talk of a Trump-Haley ticket is raising eyebrows.
There has been much speculation about who Trump is going to choose as his vice president because polling has suggested that it is a foregone conclusion that Trump will win the Republican Party's presidential nomination for 2024.
Trump has not really given any hints about who it is that he may pick to be his number two. But, in an interview that he did with NBC in September, he suggested that he is leaning towards choosing a woman.
The concern that some Republicans have is that, although Trump seems to have secured the Republican vote, he may struggle, in the general election, to get enough votes from independents and more centrist voters to win the election. This is why there have been many suggestions that Trump ought to pair up with someone like Haley, who would have a much better chance at getting those votes.
From this point of view, a Trump-Haley ticket makes sense. But, from just about every other point of view, it does not.
To sum the situation up, Haley and Trump do not have the same politics, and, personally, the two seem to have found themselves in a bitter feud. Trump continuously bashes Haley, and Haley, at times, has returned the favor. Haley has also stated that she has no interest in being Trump's running mate.
According to the Examiner, part of the reason is that DeSantis continues to push the idea of a Trump-Haley ticket.
The outlet reports:
DeSantis's allies on social media have pushed the Trump-Haley rumors. DeSantis’s campaign has launched a website claiming the two of them are working together against him to “make the establishment great again.”
Then, according to the Examiner, there is a recent report from CBS News that claims that Trump has been asking his supporters what they think about a Trump-Haley ticket.
CBS reports: "Former President Donald Trump has been asking allies and advisers for their thoughts about Nikki Haley as a potential vice presidential candidate, two sources familiar with the conversations tell CBS News."
Given some of the words that Trump and Haley have exchanged, it is hard to imagine Trump and Haley ever again teaming up. But, now we know at least part of the reason why talk of a Trump-Haley ticket continues.
The country music world lost a legend last week.
According to the Washington Examiner, musician Laura Lynch, founding member of "The Chicks," formerly known as "The Dixie Chicks," died in a tragic vehicle accident.
Lynch, 65, was traveling down a Texas highway when a vehicle in the other lane that was attempting to pass the car in front of it collided with Lynch's vehicle.
She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.
The Chicks released a statement through their Instagram account announcing the tragic death of Lynch and praised her for her contributions to the band.
Since there seems to be alot of confusion. Laura was replaced by Natalie Maines in 1995 and was not with the Dixie Chicks during their popularity years.
Laura Lynch of the Dixie chicks was the bass player shown singing here. RIP. pic.twitter.com/oEf2wBGM9R
— Echo tone Music (@EcHoToNe) December 24, 2023
"We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding member of The Chicks. We hold a special place in our hearts for the time we spent playing music, laughing and traveling together. Laura was a bright light…her infectious energy and humor gave a spark to the early days of our band," the band wrote.
They added, "Laura had a gift for design, a love of all things Texas and was instrumental in the early success of the band. Her undeniable talents helped propel us beyond busking on street corners to stages all across Texas and the mid-West."
"Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones at this sad time."
It was noted that the driver and passengers in the other vehicle involved in the fatal accident sustained non-life-threatening injuries. It's unclear at this time if the driver of the vehicle will face charges.
Given her contributions to country music, Lynch received an outpouring of tributes.
"Listening in honor of Laura Lynch (even though she was not on this record, it is by far my favorite and Rick Rubin does it so much justice). Cheers to Laura’s friends and The Chicks," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "So sorry to hear about the loss of Laura. She will be greatly missed."
The Chicks' founding member is survived by her husband Mac Wells and daughter Asia.
Talk about a bad neighbor: Actor Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men) had to call 911 on Wednesday when a female neighbor forced her way into his Malibu house and attacked him, ripping his shirt and trying to strangle him.
Electra Schrock, 47, allegedly knocked on Sheen's door. When he answered, she forced her way in and became violent with Sheen, 58.
Sheen was apparently able to fight off Schrock with the help of other neighbors, and she had returned to her own home by the time police and paramedics arrived.
Schrock was arrested at her home and has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and burglary for entering Sheen's home.
Sheen was not taken to the hospital for any injuries.
He said he doesn't know why Schrock attacked him, but that he suspects she threw a sticky liquid onto his car in an earlier incident.
Sheen said he had talked to the neighbor about the incident with his car, and they had decided to let "bygones be bygones."
The woman had also dumped trash on Sheen's front porch on Tuesday, the day before the attack.
Schrock had a previous unrelated felony arrest in March 2023, according to NBC News, which did not elaborate on the previous charges.
Another neighbor said Sheen appears to live a quiet life since getting sober six years ago.
"He's really mellow and really, really nice. I see him at the mailbox all the time," Mandana Brenden said. "He’s always with his son."
Sheen is raising teen 14-year-old twin boys pretty much on his own while their mother, Brooke Mueller, works on some issues in her own life, People reported.
He's dealing with all the usual single dad of teen challenges, like too much screen use and being a constant chauffeur.
After having a very public falling out with Two and a Half Men producer Chuck Lorre before he got sober, he was able to make amends and now stars in Lorre's new show, The Bookie.
Sheen plays a fictional version of himself in the show, which also stars comedian Sebastian Maniscalco as a Los Angeles bookie.
Given his status as a country music icon, one might presume that legendary singer/songwriter and guitarist Willie Nelson, 90, has led a charmed life -- but that couldn't be further from the truth.
Instead, the highest achievements in Nelson's nine decades of life have been tempered and shaped by a series of tragedies and losses involving his family, finances, and freedom, according to the New York Post.
All of that and more is covered in the new Paramount+ four-part docuseries "Willie Nelson & Family" that was produced by Taylor Sheridan, the acclaimed creator of the network's popular "Yellowstone" series.
Per the Post, the thrice-divorced Nelson has had four wives -- Martha Matthews, 1952-1962; Shirlie Collie, 1963-1971; Connie Koepke, 1971-1988; and Annie D'Angelo, 1991-present -- and fathered eight children with three of those wives and one mistress.
That includes daughters Lana and Susie and late son Billy with Matthews; late daughter Renee with friend Mary Haney; daughters Paula and Amy with Koepke, and sons Lukas and Micah with D'Angelo.
Tragically, son Billy committed suicide in 1991 at age 33, according to People magazine, as he reportedly suffered from depression that was possibly caused or worsened by his mother Matthews' death from liver failure just two years earlier in 1989, per the Post. Nelson himself had contemplated and even attempted suicide at multiple points but always stopped short of doing so.
Though Nelson has long proclaimed his deep love for each of his four wives, he nonetheless frequently engaged in extramarital affairs, and the Post reported that one of those affairs was uncovered by his second wife Collie, resulting in their 1971 divorce, when she received a hospital bill for the birth of his daughter Paula with Koepke -- mistakenly naming her as "Mrs. Connie Nelson" -- whom he married shortly thereafter that same year.
"Shirley wanted to know who in the hell was Connie Nelson," Nelson recalled in the documentary. "The truth is Connie had been my girlfriend for several years before becoming pregnant."
Eldest daughter Lana said of stepmother Collie, "She had no idea there was a Connie. She had no idea there was a baby until she got the hospital bill. That’s how she found out about Connie. That’s how I found out about Connie."
Speaking of his several wives, Nelson explained, "I’ve always said there’s no such thing as a former wife. Once in your life a wife never leaves. I regret the pain I caused Connie, and Martha and Shirley before her. I have no excuses. I’d be hard-pressed to define love. I know God's love is pure, but worldly love is flawed love, and lots of times confused love. When it came to romance, I had a gift for complicating things, but marrying Annie wasn’t complicated at all. It’s about the smartest thing I ever did."
Nelson and several members of his family, including both his first and third wives, narrowly escaped a potential tragedy when he and a bandmate got into a shootout with daughter Lana's abusive ex-husband after Nelson confronted him about the abuse and the ex-son-in-law then shot up Nelson's home with everybody in it while Nelson and his bandmate returned fire toward the other man's car.
He also lost nearly everything, including some of his children, in a house fire in the 1970s, but son Billy was able to rescue infant sister Paula, and Nelson himself recalled rushing into the flaming home to save his famed guitar Trigger and "a bag of primo Colombian pot," and joked in the documentary, "I wasn’t about to lose a couple of pounds of good pot."
The superstar country singer also narrowly avoided bankruptcy in the 1990s when the IRS seized most of his property over $32 million in unpaid taxes dating back to the mid-1970s, though he managed to recoup some of that property through the kindness of friends and ultimately paid off that debt through album sales.
According to Texas Monthly, son Lukas summed up his famous father's life and said, "Dad has been homeless, he’s had his house burnt down, he’s been through four marriages, he’s been up and down, he’s been broke, he’s fought the IRS, he’s lost a child," but added, "That’s what makes him inspiring to me: His resilience in the face of adversity."
Tragedy befell the tight-knit community of local journalists in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania when a news helicopter working for one of the local stations crashed Tuesday night while returning from an assignment, the New York Post reported.
Local ABC affiliate WPVI's Action News Chopper 6 reportedly went down in the heavily wooded Wharton State Forest area of New Jersey, killing both the pilot and photojournalist who were on board the helicopter that was flying back to Philadelphia from the Jersey Shore.
An investigation is now underway involving local authorities and law enforcement led by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
WPVI reported that its Action News team was mourning the loss of its two members, pilot Monroe Smith, 67, and photojournalist Christopher Dougherty, 45, who both "have a long history with our station and have been working as part of the Action News team for years."
Our hearts are with the families of Monroe Smith and Christopher Dougherty. ♥️https://t.co/cSCMDveNY2 pic.twitter.com/WN1A84OMdi
— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) December 21, 2023
During a live news report about the crash, reporter Katherine Scott said, "Our hearts are just broken for these men. They're broken for their families. We just can't believe this has happened."
Reporter Maggie Kent, after speaking with colleagues of the crash victims at the Northeast Philadelphia Airport where Chopper 6 was based, said, "They are described as the best guys that you would want to know, on the job for decades. They are highly skilled in what they do. They loved their craft."
CBS News reported that Chopper 6, an American Eurocopter AS350B2 helicopter, which was contracted to the local station via U.S. Helicopters, went down shortly after 8 pm Tuesday, though the crash site and wreckage in the thickly wooded area weren't discovered until hours later.
An initial search of that location was also suspended until Wednesday morning due to low visibility and the remote location of the crash, according to New Jersey State Park Police Chief George Fedorczyk, who further noted that the FAA and NTSB would take the lead in investigating the incident once their teams were fully in place.
That investigation will focus on "flight track data, maintenance records, weather conditions, flight experience, and witnesses statements, among other records," and will also involve the eventual relocation of the helicopter's wreckage to a safe location. A preliminary NTSB report will likely be released within 30 days but it could be one to two years before the agency's final report is issued.
"We deeply sympathize with their families and share in their grief as a result of this tragic event. We will share arrangements in accordance with the families' wishes," North Carolina-based U.S. Helicopters said of the "beloved" pilot and photographer who were killed in the crash, according to WPVI.
"We will cooperate with the FAA and other authorities during their investigation and are still gathering information, so we cannot comment or provide further information on the cause of this tragedy," the company's statement added. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of our cherished colleagues."
Retired photojournalist Pete Kane was a close friend and former high school classmate of pilot Monroe Smith, and told CBS News, "Everyone that knew him loved him because he was very soft-spoken, he was a listener, he enjoyed telling you what he did in the service, and he enjoyed doing what he did," and added, "We're competitors at TV stations, but in reality, we're all friends. We all look out for each other and when one goes down, we all go down, you know? And that's what hurts."
Kane was also friends with Dougherty and told WPVI that often talked of his wife and two daughters over dinner, would sometimes play guitar while waiting at the office for an assignment, and was the type of person who would do anything he could to help out a friend in need.