December 21, 2024 4:49 am
Emergency crews responded to a structure fire in downtown Washington early Saturday morning. The blaze broke out shortly after 4 AM at 54 West Maiden street, which is located across from City Hall. Multiple residents were displaced and the Red Cross helped provide a warming station for those impacted by the fire. One person was transported to the hospital with difficulty breathing. No word on what caused the blaze.
December 21, 2024 4:20 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has rushed through final passage of a bipartisan plan to fund federal operations and prevent a government shutdown. It now goes to President Joe Biden, who is expected to quickly sign it into law. The House passed the package late Friday in an overwhelming vote. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed into the night to finish early Saturday, just after the midnight deadline. The bill would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, but drops President-elect Donald Trump’s demands for a debt limit increase into the new year. Speaker Mike Johnson had insisted Congress would “meet our obligations” and not allow federal operations to shutter ahead of the Christmas holiday season. He also said Trump is happy with the outcome.
December 21, 2024 9:34 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine has brought the war into the heart of Russia with drone attacks that Russian authorities said damaged residential buildings in the city of Kazan, some 600 miles from the front line. The press service of Kazan’s governor, Rustam Minnikhanov, said that eight drones attacked the city, six of which hit residential buildings. Local authorities said there were no casualties. Moscow sent 113 drones into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukrainian officials said, all of which were shot down or “lost,” likely having been electronically jammed. Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said eight people were wounded Friday night in drone attacks.
December 21, 2024 5:45 am
MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — Germans are mourning a violent attack after a Saudi doctor intentionally drove a black BMW into a Christmas market teeming with holiday shoppers, killing at least five people, including a small child, and injuring at least 60 others. Authorities arrested a 50-year-old man at the site of the attack Friday evening and took him into custody for questioning. He has lived in Germany for nearly two decades, practicing medicine. Several German media outlets identified him as Taleb A. There were still no answers Saturday as to what caused him to drive into a crowd in the eastern German city of Magdeburg. Describing himself as a former Muslim, he shared dozens of posts daily focusing on anti-Islam themes.
December 21, 2024 9:31 am
(AP) — The U.S. flu season is underway. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday released its latest flu-monitoring data, and noted sharp increases in several measures. Thirteen states last week were reporting high or very high levels of flu-like illness last week, about double from the week before. No flu strain seems to be dominant, and it’s too early in the season to know how good a match the flu vaccine will be. Flu experts suggest everyone get vaccinated, especially as people prepare to attend holiday gatherings where respiratory viruses can spread widely.
December 21, 2024 4:39 am
(AP) Drivers and airline passengers without reindeer and sleighs better make a dash for it: it’s beginning to look like another record for holiday travel in the U.S. The auto club AAA predicts that more than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday and New Year’s Day. The two weekends on either side of Christmas are tempting a lot of people to head out earlier. U.S. airlines expect to have their busiest days to be Friday and Sunday this week and next Thursday, Friday and Sunday. A government shutdown that could start as soon as Saturday was not expected to immediately affect flights and airport operations.
December 20, 2024 4:46 pm
A school bus crashed into a ditch in Washington Friday afternoon. Washington County 911 said crews were called to Willow Road at Jefferson Avenue just before two-thirty for a school bus that went over a hillside and ended up on its side in a ditch. It had some front-end damage and appeared to have crashed into trees. Dispatchers said there were no children on the bus. There’s been no word on what caused it to leave the road. (Photo: WPXI)
December 20, 2024 3:51 pm
BERLIN (AP) — The deputy mayor of the Germany city of Magdeburg says at least one person was killed and dozens were injured after a car plowed into a busy Christmas market in what authorities suspect was an attack. German news agency dpa reports that Regina-Dolores Stieler-Hinz said more than 50 people were injured when the car drove into the market. Authorities say the driver of the car was arrested. The suspected attack came eight years after an Islamic extremist drove into a Berlin Christmas market, killing 13 people and injuring others.
December 20, 2024 9:21 am
Former Washington County Judge John Bell has died. Bell served on the bench for two terms from 1976-1995. He did work in the criminal, civil and juvenile divisions. Bell served as a senior judge from 1996 through 2013. Bell died on December 18 surrounded by family. Friends may visit Bell at the Warco-Falvo funeral home in Washington from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm and 6:00 pm -8:00 pm on December 27. His funeral will be on December 28 at 11:00 am at the Immaculate Conception Church, St. James Parish. Bell was 88 years old. (Photo: Legacy.com)
December 20, 2024 4:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Veering toward a midnight government shutdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson is proposing a new plan. It would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster relief for a few months, but punts President-elect Donald Trump demands for a debt limit increase into the new year. Johnson inaists there will be no government shutdown. Trump doubled-down on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal — and if not, he said in a morning post, let the closures “start now.” Johnson knows there won’t have enough support within the GOP majority to pass any package, since many Republicans prefer to slash federal government. He is talking with Democratic Leader Jeffries, who would be needed for passage.
