In brief: Traffic stop deadly for officer, suspect

EDDYVILLE, Ky . – A Kentucky state trooper who made a traffic stop was trying to arrange for lodging for the vehicle’s occupants when the driver took off, starting a tragic chain of events that led to the deaths of the lawman and the suspect, police said Monday.

Trooper Joseph Cameron Ponder, 31, was shot by the suspect a short time later during a second stop late Sunday in a rural area of western Kentucky, said Trooper Jay Thomas, a state police spokesman.

The suspect, 25-year-old Joseph Thomas Johnson-Shanks of Florissant, Missouri, ran away and was found hours later after a massive overnight manhunt in a wooded area about 9 miles from the initial stop and less than a mile from where the trooper had been shot, Thomas said.

Johnson-Shanks drew a weapon at a state police trooper, ignored commands to drop his weapon and was shot, Thomas said. He died later at a hospital.

Protocol set for use of low-dose aspirin

WASHINGTON – A government task force says a daily low-dose aspirin could help certain people in their 50s and 60s prevent a first heart attack or stroke – and might also protect against colon cancer if they take it long enough.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued draft guidelines Monday recommending aspirin if people meet a strict list of criteria – including a high risk of heart disease and a low risk of bleeding side effects.

The task force said people in their 50s were most likely to benefit, while doctors should consider treating 60-somethings on a case-by-case basis.

Biker bar blaze ruled accidental

STURGIS, S.D . – Authorities investigating a fire that destroyed a popular South Dakota biker bar say the blaze was accidental.

Officials said Monday that investigators can say “conclusively” that the fire at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis started in the main part of the bar and was an accident.

The loss is estimated at $10 million.

A team from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives started investigating the Sept. 8 fire last week, along with state and local officials.

The bar had been the subject of a reality TV series that aired for several seasons starting in 2009.

Trump agrees to Miss Universe sale

NEW YORK – The talent management company WME/IMG says it has acquired The Miss Universe Organization from Donald Trump.

Monday’s announcement comes on the heels of Trump’s announcement last week that he bought out NBCUniversal’s interest in the property, which includes the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants.

Court hearing set on Parenthood cut

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A federal judge has set a Thursday hearing over Arkansas’ decision to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.

U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker on Friday set the hearing over Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit challenging Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s decision to cancel the organization’s Medicaid contract.