Repeat after me: The SKS is not an assault rifle. Nor are they “high-powered”. Nor were they ever “banned”.

Philadelphia Daily News:

The mastermind of the Port Richmond bank robbery was Howard Cain, who was fatally shot by police Saturday while fleeing in a minivan minutes after he fired a once-banned high-powered Chinese assault rifle, killing Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, police say.

[…]

The trio hopped in a blue Jeep Liberty. Hearing flash information about the Jeep, Liczbinski chased the vehicle, which stopped twice before hitting a pole. Cain jumped out and fired the high-powered SKS assault rifle five times at the officer, hitting his left trunk and leaving him in a pool of blood, at Schiller and Almond streets, police said.

First, SKS’s were never banned.

And it wasn’t just China that made the rifles. The rifle was originally developed by the Soviets. They were also made by the East Germans, the Yugoslavians, the Albanians, the North Koreans, and the Vietnamese.

Nor are SKS’s with their 7.62 x 39mm ammunition “high-powered”. Federal Ammunition’s 7.62 x 39mm has around 1520 foot-pounds (ft·lb) of force when fired. A .308 Winchester/7.62 x 51 NATO (used in the M-14 among others) has around 2648 ft·lb (74.2% more) when fired. A 30-06 Springfield (used in the M1 Garand) has around 2820 ft·lb (85.5% more) when fired.

Nor are they “assault rifles”. The blog Rule .303 went through this junk after the Omaha mall shooting and stated the following:

The textbook definition of ‘assault rifle’ is a selective fire rifle chambered for an intermediate cartridge. ‘Selective fire’ means that it can fire full auto, like a machine gun. Bullets come out for as long as you hold down the trigger. The SKS is not selective fire. It is a semi-auto, meaning that you have to pull the trigger once for each shot. Therefore it is not an assault rifle. Just a rifle.

Four errors in seven words. New record?

Congrats

The Free Lance–Star:

WFLS-FM has been named the Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters’ Outstanding News Operation for the third straight year and fifth time since 2000.

The award was one of several the station received yesterday at the VAPB’s annual awards luncheon.

The out-of-state panel of judges noted that WFLS covered a wide range of stories with a “large-market sound.” The station, which is owned by The Free Lance-Star Cos., also received the Outstanding News Operation award in 2000, ’04, ’06 and ’07.

WJMA in Orange received the Meritorious Award for Outstanding News Operation.

WFLS also won eight Superior Awards yesterday:

Best Spot News Coverage for reports on a fiery crash involving several tractor-trailers on Interstate 95 in Caroline County last June.

Continuing News Coverage for “What’s Polluting Fairview Beach?” The coverage of that issue also received a Meritorious Award for the Douglas Southall Freeman Award for Public Service Through Radio Journalism.

Best Feature for “The Weiner Is,” about a hot dog-eating contest at the University of Mary Washington.

Best Documentary or In-Depth Report for “Focus: Recovering From a Brain Injury.”

Best Effort by an Individual Reporter and Best News Anchor: Deirdre Blake.

Best Web Site; wfls news.com has won that award each year since the category’s inception in 2005.

The WFLS news staff includes Niche Herman, Nancy Ball, Deirdre Blake, Bill Dubensky and News Director Frank Hammon.

Changes in ownership of Channel 6 (WTVR) and 12 (WWBT) in Richmond

Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Today’s completion of the sale of WWBT-Channel 12 means the Richmond area has two TV stations with the same owner — temporarily.

Alabama-based Raycom Media Inc. bought WWBT for $583 million and already owns WTVR-Channel 6.

Owning two stations in one market is generally against federal regulations, but the Federal Communications Commission agreed last week to give Raycom six months to sell WTVR.

[…]

Tom Henson of Belmoro Corporate Advisors, which is handling the WTVR sale, said no changes will be made at WWBT in front of the camera or behind it. One exception, Henson said, is that the station will air editorials written and produced by the station staff.

Raycom Vice President Jeff Rosser said the company chose to keep NBC affiliate WWBT and sell CBS affiliate WTVR because WWBT’s has better ratings and financial numbers.