Nation roundup for April 23

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Snow may fall on parts of E. Coast

Snow may fall on parts of E. Coast

NEW YORK (AP) — A spring nor’easter rumbled along the East Coast on Sunday and was expected to bring rain and heavy winds and even snow in some places as it strengthens into early today, a punctuation to a relatively dry stretch of weather for the Northeast.

The storm is atypical for April but not uncommon, said David Stark, a National Weather Service meteorologist in New York City, where 2.5 to 3.5 inches of rain are expected in the city with wind gusts of 25-30 mph.

With the storm came a spate of disruptions. Pro baseball games were postponed in New York and Washington. The space shuttle Enterprise’s scheduled arrival in New York City was pushed back. An Earth Day celebration at a park in Virginia Beach, Va., was canceled.

From Philadelphia north through New York City and into southern New England up to 4 inches of rain could fall, with the heaviest downpour expected early today.

Some higher-elevation areas in the western parts of Pennsylvania and New York and in West Virginia and Ohio could even see snow. Forecasts called for 4 to 12 inches.

Rare 1792 penny sells for $1.15M

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (AP) — When is a penny worth $1.15 million? When it is a rare experimental penny minted in 1792.

The unusual coin was auctioned off Thursday at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in suburban Chicago.

Officials with Heritage Auctions say Kevin Lipton of Beverly Hills, Calif., bought the penny on behalf of a group of unnamed investors. The winning bid was $1 million, but the investors also must pay the auction house’s 15 percent commission.

The coin is made from copper and incases a small plug of silver.

The silver was added to make the penny heavier, said Todd Imhof, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions. On one side of the coin, a depiction of Miss Liberty is ringed by the phrase “Liberty Parent of Science & Industry.” The back of the coin reads “United States of America One Cent.”

“After 200 years, we can only account for 14 of these,” said Imhof, who added that the penny was never actually put into circulation.

Massive search for missing girl

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A police spokeswoman says investigators found “suspicious circumstances around a possible entry point” at the home of a 6-year-old Arizona girl who has gone missing from her Tucson home.

Police Sgt. Maria Hawke wouldn’t comment Sunday on whether the entry point was a bedroom window or a door.

However, family friend Mary Littlehorn says she heard from others close to the family that a window screen in the girl’s bedroom had been knocked down.

The disappearance of first-grader Isabel Mercedes Celis has prompted a massive search, with more than 150 law enforcement officers trying to figure out whether she has been abducted.

Hawke says the girl’s parents say they last saw their daughter in her bedroom at 11 p.m. Friday and discovered her missing at about 8 a.m. Saturday. The parents phoned 911 minutes later.

‘Think Like a Man’ new No. 1

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The date-night movies “Think Like a Man” and “The Lucky One” finally have knocked “The Hunger Games” off its No. 1 box-office perch.

“Think Like a Man,” based on Steve Harvey’s dating-advice best-seller, debuted as the top weekend draw with $33 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. That’s almost double what studio executives had expected for the Sony Screen Gems ensemble movie, which features Michael Ealy, Taraji P. Henson and Gabrielle Union.