4 college students killed in plane crash

4 college students killed in plane crash

CLEVELAND

A small rented airplane crashed and burned shortly after takeoff Monday, killing four college students who were taking a sightseeing flight around Cleveland after their first day of classes.

The four men were students at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Three were members of the varsity wrestling team.

The wrestlers were identified as 20-year-old Lucas Marcelli of Massillon, Ohio; 18-year-old Abraham Pishevar of Rockville, Md.; and 18-year-old John Hill of St. Simons, Ga. The fourth student was the pilot, 20-year-old William Felten of Saginaw, Mich.

Investigators: VA didn’t cause deaths

WASHINGTON

Government investigators found no proof that delays in care caused veterans to die at a Phoenix VA hospital, but they found widespread problems that the Veterans Affairs Department is promising to fix.

Investigators uncovered large-scale improprieties in the way VA hospitals and clinics across the nation have been scheduling veterans for appointments, according to a report released Tuesday by the VA’s Office of Inspector General.

The report said workers falsified wait lists while their supervisors looked the other way or even directed it, resulting in chronic delays for veterans seeking care.

No sign of quick end to Ukraine conflict

MINSK, Belarus

Ukraine’s president said today that Vladimir Putin accepts the principles of a peace plan for Ukraine, but the Russian leader insisted that only Kiev can reach a cease-fire deal with the pro-Moscow separatists.

After meetings between Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that included a one-on-one session that stretched into the night, there was no indication of a quick end to the fighting that has engulfed eastern Ukraine.

“This is not our business,” Putin said of any cease-fire plan. “This is Ukraine’s business.”

Russia “can only help to create an atmosphere of trust for this important and necessary process,” Putin said.

Associated Press