Latest news with #Gettysburg
Associated Press
29-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
A man charged in a 2013 Pennsylvania campus sex assault hires a lawyer to review possible plea deal
GETTYSBURG, Pa. (AP) — An American who was extradited from France this year to face allegations of a 2013 campus sexual assault after the accuser went public with her story hired a private lawyer to review a potential plea deal, lawyers in the case said in court Thursday. Ian Cleary, 32, of Saratoga, California, made his first in-person court appearance in Adams County, a half-mile from where the encounter occurred at Gettysburg College. A plea had been in the works, according to Assistant Public Defender Joshua Neiderhiser, who has represented Cleary since he was brought back to the U.S. However, after speaking with his parents, Cleary agreed to hire a lawyer to review the case, delaying a possible deal. 'The initial purpose of my involvement is for a second opinion,' lawyer Steve Rice told Judge Kevin Hess, who was brought in from Cumberland County because an Adams County judge was the district attorney who declined to file charges when victim Shannon Keeler first went to authorities. Keeler, in interviews with The Associated Press, described her decade-long efforts to persuade authorities to pursue charges, starting hours after Cleary, a third-year student, allegedly sneaked into her first-year dorm on the eve of winter break. She renewed the quest in 2021, after finding a series of disturbing Facebook messages from his account that said, 'So I raped you.' Keeler did not attend Thursday's hearing, but her lawyer, Andrea Levy, said she remains ready to see the case through to the end. 'It has been 11 1/2 years Shannon has waited for this defendant to make an appearance in a Gettysburg courtroom face to face with a judge in this criminal charge, so this is an important day and a step forward in the process,' Levy said. Cleary has been in custody since his arrest on minor, unrelated charges in Metz, France, in April 2024. He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the sexual assault charge. He declined the opportunity to speak to the judge Thursday. Family members have declined to comment on the case, and none appeared in court for the hearing. The next hearing is set for July 17. Cleary, who grew up in Silicon Valley, left Gettysburg College after the alleged assault there and finished college near home. He then got a master's degree and worked for Tesla before moving overseas, where he spent time writing medieval fiction, according to his online posts. The AP published an investigation on the case and on the broader reluctance among prosecutors to pursue campus sex assault charges in May 2021. An indictment followed weeks later. Authorities in the U.S. and Europe had been trying to track Cleary down until his capture in France. The AP does not typically identify sexual assault victims without their permission, which Keeler has granted.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gift & toy store closing in Gettysburg citing tariffs, among other reasons
GETTYSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — A locally owned toy and gift shop in Gettysburg will soon be closing down after nearly a decade of operation. Purple Piggy Toys & Gifts located inside the Gettysburg Outlets at 1863 Gettysburg Village Drive, will soon be closing its doors after nearly 10 years of operating in Adams County. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Local Business Beat This initial announcement was made on the Purple Piggy Toys and Gift Facebook page back on Friday, May 2. According to lifelong Pennsylvania owner Keith George, he decided to close down his store for a few reasons. One, he says, is because of the recent tariffs, which have caused his manufacturers to not have what he needs on order. Rite Aid planning second bankruptcy, job cuts This is also coupled with what George says is a 25% increase in costs for his merchandise. Additionally, George says that tourism in Gettysburg is not what it used to be. He says tourists used to come visit Gettysburg and stay in the area, resulting in more sales. But now he says tourists are visiting on buses and going back home instead of sticking around. Moving forward, the hours of operation for the Purple Piggy Toys & Gifts store are: Mondays – Saturdays // 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays // 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. According to George, he currently plans on officially closing down by the end of this month. Prior to the closure, everything in the store is 25% off, with many other items being reduced by 50 to 80%. Store fixtures such as clothing racks and shelving units will also be for sale in the future. The Purple Piggy Toys & Gifts store occupies a 4,500 square foot space, offering a variety of Gettysburg-themed souvenirs and toys, including Barbie and more. abc27 news will keep you updated as more information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Commander of Navy Ship Involved in F/A-18 Friendly Fire Incident Turns over Command
The commanding officer of the USS Gettysburg -- the Navy ship whose crew shot down one of its own fighter jets in the Red Sea in late December -- has finished out his tour on the ship and transferred off, an online statement announced last Thursday. Capt. Justin Hodges was relieved as the commanding officer of the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser during an uncommon "at-sea" change of command ceremony on Jan. 30, the statement said. Despite several ongoing investigations into the friendly fire incident looming over the ship and its crew, Navy officials said Hodges was leaving the ship under regular circumstances and that the change of command was occurring on schedule. Read Next: First 10 Migrants Arrive at Guantanamo Bay and Will Be Held in Terrorist Prison However, other details surrounding the change of command -- details that could offer insight into whether the ongoing inquiries into the mishap that left a F/A-18 Super Hornet destroyed at the bottom of the Red Sea impacted Hodges' future in the Navy -- were not immediately available. Navy officials at the Pentagon couldn't immediately say if Hodges received an "end of tour award," a commendation that is largely considered traditional in all but the most egregious of circumstances, or where Hodges' next duty station was following his time aboard the Gettysburg. According to service data provided to by the Navy, Hodges had been the Gettysburg's commander since February 2023. He had previously served aboard the aircraft carriers USS Eisenhower and USS Nimitz. On Dec. 22, the USS Gettysburg crew fired on an F/A-18 that had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, destroying the aircraft and forcing its two aviators to eject. One of the two sailors suffered minor injuries. The U.S. military was conducting airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels at the time. Since then, few details have been released about the incident and the investigations are still ongoing. However, the Navy's top aviation officer said in mid-January that officials have already done "a big debrief, basically, to make sure we know what happened and why." The Navy's statement on Hodges' change of command made no reference to the incident. Hodges' awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, four Navy Commendation Medals and a Navy Achievement Medal, according to records provided by the Navy. "Serving as the commanding officer of this extraordinary crew has been the privilege of a lifetime," Hodges said in the statement. Meanwhile, the Gettysburg's new commanding officer, Capt. John Lucas, said "what struck me most about this crew was your attitude and resiliency." "I am motivated, honored, and humbled to be your commanding officer," Lucas said. Related: Navy Leaders Say Faster Training Is Key Lesson Learned from Red Sea Conflict
