DOUCHE OF THE DAY: Man Walks Around Va. Grocery Store With Loaded AR-15

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It's time for more fun with guns from the great state of Virginia! Shoppers at a Kroger supermarket in Charlottesville got a bit of a scare yesterday evening when a 22-year-old man walked into the store toting a loaded AR-15 rifle. Sounds frightening, and it was for some customers who ran out of the store upon seeing a large, semi-automatic gun similar to the one used by Newtown, Conn. shooter Adam Lanza in their grocery aisles. Take it away, Daily Progress:

Charlottesville police Lt. Ronnie Roberts said the man did not break any laws. Since he legally owned the rifle and it was not concealed, he was within his rights, Roberts said.

Virginia requires a permit to carry a concealed weapon, but has no such restriction on guns in plain view.

According to police, the man originally entered the store unarmed, then went back to his car and retrieved his rifle. He then walked back into the store briefly before leaving again.

So, basically, it's totally legal to carry whatever size gun you want anywhere in Virginia, so long as you have a permit. At least the supermarket managers were able to take some meaningful action. The gunman received a lifetime ban from the Kroger, according to The Daily Progress. [DCist]

‘Old Fire’ Arsonist Sentenced to Death

The arsonist convicted of murdering five men who died of heart attacks during the Old Fire was sentenced to death by a judge on Monday. Rickie Lee Fowler, 31, was convicted last August of five counts of first-degree murder and two counts of arson in connection with the 2003 blaze. A jury recommended in September that he die by lethal injection. The fire burned for nine days, charring 91,000 acres in the San Bernardino Mountains and destroying more than 1,000 structures. Five men died after their homes burned or as they tried to evacuate. [KTLA]

Royal Prank Radio Show Axed for Good

An Australian radio show whose prank targeting Prince William’s pregnant wife went horribly wrong has been taken off the air for good. “The Hot30 Countdown” was suspended temporarily after the December prank, when the network expressed deep regret for the nurse who apparently committed suicide after routing through a call from the show’s DJs to the royal ward. Over the weekend, the show was permanently taken off the air. The show’s Facebook page directed listeners to the show’s replacement called “The Bump.” In response to a user comment, the Facebook page said the two DJ’s, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, “continue to have our full support and we look forward to them returning to work when the time is right!” [KTLA]

Early-Warning System for Earthquakes Urged

A state lawmaker is proposing legislation to create an earthquake early-warning system for California. Supporters of the technology say it’s about improving public safety for Los Angeles and all of California. Right now, Caltech is testing out this technology, which is already used in other parts of the world. On Monday, Caltech seismologists demonstrated how people miles from the quake’s epicenter would have critical seconds to react before they would feel the earth shake. The potentially life-saving information would be relayed to devices like your cell phone or computer and help speed up the emergency response. Although, the only real problem is funding, but once funding is in place, scientists believe it would take a year or so to get the system fully online — hopefully before the next big one hits. [KTLA]

Dodgers, Time Warner Cable Announce SportsNet LA

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It's a regional sports network! The Dodgers announced they will be launching their very own RSN SportsNet LA in an agreement with Time Warner Cable. "We concluded last year that the best way to give our fans what they want - more content and more Dodger baseball - was to launch our own network," Dodger chairman Mark Walter said in a press release. SportsNet LA will be the exclusive home to Dodger games beginning in the 2014 season. Not announced was whether the Dodgers will also create a Spanish-language station like the Lakers and Time Warner Cable did. However what is expected like the Lakers is carriage and distribution battles with other cable and satellite providers in the outset of the 2014 season. [LAist]