Recovery Efforts To Resume In Baltimore

March 26, 2024 5:08 am

BALTIMORE (AP) — Recovery efforts are set to resume for the six construction workers who are presumed dead after a cargo ship hit a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing the structure to collapse. Officials said the recovery efforts for the six missing people would resume Wednesday morning. The ship lost its steering capability before it hit the pillar around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. Audio from first responders shows a scramble to halt traffic just before the crash. The bridge is an important link in the region’s transportation infrastructure, and its collapse is expected to snarl commuter traffic and disrupt a vital shipping port.

Someone Has Won The $1.1 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot

March 27, 2024 5:12 am

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Someone in New Jersey overcame the odds and won the $1.12 billion Mega Millions jackpot, breaking a winless streak that dated to last December. The numbers drawn Tuesday night were: 7, 11, 22, 29, 38 and 4. Until the latest drawing, no one had matched all six numbers and won the Mega Millions jackpot since Dec. 8. It’s tough to win the Mega Millions jackpot because the odds are so long, at 1 in 302.6 million. The prize is the 8th largest in U.S. lottery history. The $1.12 billion jackpot is for a winner who is paid through an annuity. Most winners choose a cash payout, which would be $537.5 million.

Poll Says Trump Evokes More Anger & Fear From Democrats

March 26, 2024 5:11 am

ATLANTA (AP) — Many Americans are unenthusiastic about a November rematch of the 2020 presidential election. But presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump appears to stoke more fear and anger among Democrats than President Joe Biden does among Republicans. That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A potential Trump victory inspires more excitement among Republicans than a Biden win does among Democrats, though, highlighting a potential weak point for Biden. The findings are notable in an unusual campaign pitting an incumbent president against his predecessor, with both men facing doubters within their own parties and among independents.

Israel Won’t Accept Hamas’ Cease-Fire Conditions

March 27, 2024 5:10 am

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his government will not accept Hamas’ “delusional” conditions for a cease-fire in Gaza. The militant group has rejected the latest truce proposal because it says Israel is ignoring the group’s core demands. Hamas wants an end to the war and Israel’s full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Israel seeks to destroy Hamas and recover all of the roughly 100 Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Netanyahu on Tuesday also rebuked U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. Much of the Gaza Strip is in ruins after nearly six months of war. Most of its 2.3 million residents are displaced, and a third of the besieged population is on the brink of famine.

It May Be “Time” For A Change

March 27, 2024 2:42 pm

(AP) – For the first time in history, world timekeepers may have to consider subtracting a second from our clocks in a few years because the planet is rotating a tad faster. Wednesday’s study in a scientific journal says that clocks may have to skip in a second — called a “negative leap second” — around 2029. Ice melting at both of Earth’s poles has been counteracting the planet’s burst of speed and is likely to have delayed the global second of reckoning by about three years. It’s a complicated situation that involves, physics, global power politics, climate change, technology and two types of time.  (Photo:  AP)

Community Bands Together To Help Fire Survivors

March 26, 2024 3:28 pm

(WPXI) – Five days after a devastating fire in Jeannette, the community is still finding new ways to help and support the survivors. The tragic fire at a home on Guy Street claimed the life of Tyler King and four of his children. Miranda John and two of their other children survived. Immediately, the community sprang into action to help. “We’re all here to support her, her children, to make sure that she doesn’t have to worry. She can be financially stable, and she knows the community loves her,” said Jennifer Deemer, who started a GoFundMe, which has raised more than $100,000. Deemer also organized an enormous community event Monday night which included a vigil and prayer service inside the Jeannette American Legion Post and a celebration of life outside on 5th Street. According to Deemer, the three survivors are now out of the hospital.

Residents Upset With Proposed Zoning Changes

March 26, 2024 4:44 am

Somerset Township residents packed two governmental meetings to address concerns that they have with an ongoing update to zoning ordinances and the subdivision and land development ordinance. Residents are concerned that any updates made, especially to the zoning ordinance, may allow businesses to locate in the Agricultural 1 district that according to William Pollock, Chairman of the Planning Commission, makes up 80% of Somerset Township. The update process has been going on for nearly two years. Pollock pointed out proposed changes made to the zoning ordinance that the planning commission feels are not appropriate for the district, or have conditions that are still too lenient for their intended use. Examples from the current update have a special events barn governed by a use by right, a microbrewery allowed as a special exception and an automotive repair garage eligible as a conditional use. The planning commission complained that they have been largely ignored by the board of supervisors when trying to negotiate the update and they are concerned about resident safety and increased traffic. The planning commission unanimously rejected the changes to the zoning ordinances. According to Township Solicitor Jim Liekar, township supervisors have been informed that code enforcement has been having difficulty enforcing anticipated property uses. He says that township supervisors are looking out for residents by making sure that they protect them from development that has no controls. Immediately following the Planning Commission meeting, the Board of Supervisors met and unanimously voted to schedule a public hearing on May 20 to gather comments from residents about the zoning changes and updates to the SALDO.

At Least Six People Presumed Dead In Bridge Collapse

March 26, 2024 4:51 am

BALTIMORE (AP) — A cargo ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, destroying the span in a matter of seconds and plunging it into the river in a terrifying collapse that could disrupt a vital shipping port for months. Six people were missing and presumed dead.  The ship’s crew issued a mayday call moments before the crash took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge, enabling authorities to limit vehicle traffic on the span, Maryland’s governor said.  The ship struck one of the bridge’s supports, causing the structure to collapse like a toy. A section of the span came to rest on the bow of the vessel, which caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.  With the ship barreling toward the bridge at “a very, very rapid speed,” authorities had just enough time to stop cars from coming over the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said.  “These people are heroes,” Moore said. “They saved lives last night.”

Hanover Township Man Sentenced In Fatal Car Crash

March 26, 2024 2:37 am

Stewart Wilson, 48 of Hanover Township will receive a sentence of 30 days to six months in jail followed by a 5 year probationary sentence with the first 12 months on electronic home monitoring for pleading guilty to a DUI automobile accident that claimed the life of his wife Denise Pierce-Wilson on Easter Sunday 2022. The accident occurred on Stuebenville Pike near the intersection of Grant Lane. Wilson was formally sentenced on Monday after 5 victim impact statements were read. The most emotional was from Stewart’s daughter Allison who also was a victim of the crash that killed her mother. She stated that a 30 day jail sentence was not enough to provide justice for the accident that tore her family apart. She admonished Wilson for his continued drinking and never apologizing for the incident. She called him out for finding a new girlfriend and maintaining a lifestyle that does not indicate remorse over the accident. Wilson asked for an additional 7-10 days to arrange his affairs before he reported to jail. The judge said he had 24 hours and must report by noon on March 26.

GOP Efforts To Make Voter Registration Changes Fails

March 26, 2024 5:37 pm

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A federal court has dismissed an attempt by conservative Pennsylvania lawmakers to overturn automatic voter registration, along with lawmakers’ other challenges to actions designed to boost voter access. Pennsylvania U.S. District Judge Jennifer Wilson wrote in her decision Tuesday that the lawmakers did not have legal standing in their filing. The lawsuit, filed by 24 Republican state lawmakers, challenged the legality of a 2021 executive order by President Joe Biden ordering federal agencies to consider ways to expand voter access. The lawsuit also challenged a state order regarding automatic voter registration and a directive that counties can’t reject registration if a driver’s license number or Social Security digits don’t match the government agency database.