KIRYAT SCHMONA in Israel hit by Hezbollah rockets (Wikipedia).

The widening war between Israel and Hezbollah continued on Friday with the Israeli military claiming it destroyed the main headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon.

Fighter attacked the target, which Israel claims was located below residential buildings, according to the Associated Press. Casualties are unknown.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the United Nations General Assembly in New York promising that Israel would continue its offensive, then left the U.S. to return to his home country.

So far, an estimated 720 people have been killed in the battle, mostly from Israeli air strikes. There is concern that Israel may inflict similar destruction in Lebanon as has been done in Gaza.

The conflict started when Hezbollah began launching rockets into Israel in support of Hamas militants since war broke out on Oct. 7.

About 200,000 people have been rendered homeless in Lebanon because of the  violence.

Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc widely

HELENE at its peak (NWS).

A wide area from Florida’s “Big Bend” all the way to North Carolina and Tennessee felt the lash of Hurricane Helene on Friday, imposing floods and landslides.

In some cases, roads were blocked and helicopters had to be employed to pluck people from the roof of a hospital in Tennessee, according to The New York Times. Evacuations have been ordered in an area where the failure of a dam seemed possible.

Electrical power was out for an estimated 4.2 million customers in the Southwest and Southeast. In Florida, power was out with 532,000 customers, but had been restored to 1.86 million customers.

3,400 fugitives arrested by U.S. Marshals

“Operation North Star,” a wide-ranging operation by the U.S. Marshal Service, has arrested over 3,400 fugitives in the period from mid-May to mid-September.

U.S. MARSHAL SERVICE

According to United Press International, the U.S. Department of Justice reports that 3,421 people were apprehended, including 216 for homicide, 803 for assault and 482 for weapons offenses.

The crackdown took place in nine urban areas, mostly in the South and Southeast. In the course of their work officers recovered firearms, cash and illegal drugs.

Since North Star began in July of 2022, over 10,200 people have been taken into custody of whom 1,153 were homicide suspects.

Weather: Back to the Eighties

Sun and warmer days are in the forecast for our West Orange County cities into the weekend and beyond. Saturday is expected to hit a daytime high of 76 with an overnight low of 60. Sunday will warm to 78 (60), Monday to 82 (61) and Tuesday to 84 (68). Sunny skies are forecast for all week.

Great Thoughts:

“If you would be a real seeker after truth, it necessary that as least once in your life doubt, as far as possible, all things.”

– Rene Descartes