93-3-WMR Audio on Demand presents the Preston and Steve show podcast.

And now Preston and Steve's news updates with Kathy Romano.

Today is Monday, December 9th. Good morning, Kathy.

Good morning in the news this morning.

A powerful volcanic eruption has rocked New Zealand's White Island,

a small uninhabited volcanic islet sticking up out of the sea in the bay of plenty,

50 kilometers off the shore of the country's northern North Island.

Although details are currently a little sparse, the New Zealand police forced a suspect,

they suspect that fewer than 50 people were present on the island

when the eruption took place by visitors by surprise. Several people have been injured, some

reportedly with serious burns and some have been evacuated to the mainland. At least seven people

are critically injured. A number of people on the island are currently unaccounted for, and they're

saying now at least five people are dead. Yeah, they had satellite footage. You see a person of the people who walk around the

crater area that detonated just minutes later. Yeah. The volcanic eruption generated an ash plume

that rose 37 meters or so above the vent. Ash blanketed the crater floor and ash falls

seemed to be more or less confined

to the island. Now, tourists can get boats or helicopters to the island and near a constantly

restless volcano to peer at its hyperactivity, so it's not surprising that tourists were in the

volcano's firing line. But they're saying now, earlier this morning, they were only saying one person

dead and there were people unaccounted for. Now it's up to five and still people unaccounted for. A man who was the instigator behind a false feel-good story that raised more than $400,000 as part of a GoFundMe scam pleaded guilty Friday in New Jersey court, according to prosecutors. 29-year-old Mark Demico pleaded guilty to one count of of second degree misapplication of entrusted property in

Burlington County. He agreed to a five-year term in a New Jersey state prison but will be officially

sentenced in April. The charge stemmed from a viral 2017 story in which D'emiko's accomplice

...