July 20, 2022 2:38 am
(WPXI) – A 6-year-old girl was flown to a hospital after she was attacked by a stray cat in Washington County. According to Washington County 911, the call came in around 1 p.m. Officials said the attack happened in either the 100 block or 200 block of 7th Street in California. There is no word on the child’s condition but California Borough police confirmed that she was taken to Children’s Hospital.
July 20, 2022 2:11 am
Jury deliberation is underway in the trial of Nyieka Speer 29 of Canton Township. She is facing three felony charges, drug delivery resulting in death, possession with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communication device. Speer is accused of selling a fatal dose of heroin laced with fentanyl to Sara Nicole Morrison Jones, 25 of Somerset Township. The bulk of Tuesday’s testimony came from prosecutor’s witnesses came from state police investigators and the husband of Jones. State police testified to two different interviews given to them by Jones’ husband Brenden Jones. The first interview was very light on detail and the second several weeks later was much deeper in detail in how Sara Jones purchased heroin on the day of her death in April of 2019. Data extraction from Jones’ cell phone tracked how the purchase of two bundles of heroin were purchased from Speer and how Speer agreed to give Jones an additional five bags for free for a ride to Jollick Manor so Speer could get the drugs needed for the sale. Brendan Jones’ testimony corroborated all that state police said. The defense attorney brought up past drug use by both trying to make the connection that former suppliers could have been liable for selling the fatal dose. Jones testified that Speer was the only dealer that they purchased from. Testimony was delayed on Wednesday for several reasons, including one juror who reportedly came down with COVID.
July 19, 2022 2:57 pm
BOULDER CITY, Nev. (AP) – Officials say no one was injured when a transformer at Hoover Dam briefly caught fire Tuesday morning. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Reclamation said the fire ignited around 10 a.m. and was extinguished about half an hour later. She said there is no risk to the power grid and power is still being generated. Police in Boulder City, Nevada, has previously said they were headed to the Hoover Dam after reports of an explosion Tuesday morning. Videos posted on social media showed what appeared to be a fire or explosion in a building near the base of the dam. Boulder City officials said on Twitter that the fire was out before the fire department arrived.
July 19, 2022 12:32 pm
(WPXI) – A Greensburg police officer is facing charges after he was accused of domestic violence. According to a criminal complaint, law enforcement met with the victim at the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office at 1:53 p.m. on July 15th. The victim told detectives that she and the Greensburg officer, Kenneth Burke, had been dating since May 2022. She also said they were intimate partners and they sometimes lived together. The complaint said that just before midnight on July 14th, the victim went to Burke’s house, where he was standing near the front door. She said he got in her face and started screaming about an unknown woman having his phone number and accusing the victim of giving it to her. Burke then stood behind her, put his arm over her shoulder and placed his arm around her neck in a choke-hold. Burke is being charged with strangulation, harassment and simple assault. He is also on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.
July 19, 2022 4:54 am
The magisterial office in Peters Township has been operated by senior judges since Common Pleas Court Judge Jesse Pettit was sworn in at the beginning of this year. As of Monday, the office now has a permanent Magistrate in former Common Pleas Judge Phillippe A. Melograne, Esq. Melograne, a Peters Township resident, worked through the public notice about the open position. He obtained sponsorship from State Senators Camera Bartolotta and Devlin Robinson to have his name submitted to the Governor’s office for nomination. Once approved by the Governor, Melograne was unanimously approved by the State Senate. Melograne will be filling out the remainder of Judge Pettit’s term. His first try at election will be the May 2023 primary. That all depends on whether the Peters Township office will remain open. The County Court is looking to realign the magisterial system and eliminate two offices. The easiest to eliminate would have been the Peters Township office as it had a vacancy. Now that the vacancy is filled, it remains to be seen if the office will close. Melograne’s start date is pending the review of all documents submitted for the position. Melograne thanked his wife and family for their support and thanked many other friends and colleagues at his swearing in ceremony at the courthouse Monday afternoon.
July 19, 2022 4:20 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The House is set to vote to protect same-sex and interracial marriages. Tuesday’s vote stands as a direct confrontation with the Supreme Court, whose conservative majority in overturning Roe v. Wade abortion access signaled that other rights may be in jeopardy. While the Respect for Marriage Act is expected to pass the House, it is almost certain to stall in the Senate, where most Republicans would surely block it. But it’s part of a political strategy setting up an election-year roll call that will force all lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, to go on the record with their views on the high-profile social issue.
July 19, 2022 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Two former White House aides are expected to testify at the House Jan. 6 committee’s hearing Thursday as the panel examines what Donald Trump was doing as his supporters broke into the Capitol, according to a person familiar with the plans. Matthew Pottinger and Sarah Matthews are expected to testify, according to the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and requested anonymity. Pottinger is a former deputy national security adviser and Matthews is a former press aide. Both resigned immediately after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection that interrupted the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.
July 19, 2022 4:17 am
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) – Bankruptcy has forced Sri Lanka’s government to a near standstill. The once-beloved and now reviled former president fled to Singapore before resigning. The acting president and prime minister is seen as his proxy and opposed by angry crowds. Parliament is expected to elect a new leader Wednesday, but it’s unclear if that’s enough to placate a furious nation that has grown disillusioned with politician of all stripes. The International Monetary Fund is monitoring the situation closely, but any bailout package will be contingent on Sri Lanka’s debt-restructuring strategy and political stability. The government owes $51 billion in debt and is unable to make payments on its loans. Its currency has collapsed by 80%, making imports more expensive and worsening inflation.
July 19, 2022 4:16 am
LONDON (AP) – Britain has recorded its warmest ever night, ahead of a day when temperatures are forecast to hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The U.K.’s Met Office weather agency said provisional figures showed the temperature remained above 25 C (77 F) overnight in parts of the country for the first time. Met Office forecaster Rachel Ayers said Tuesday’s highs would be “unprecedented,” with temperatures hitting 40 or 41 Celsius. It comes as a heat wave scorching Europe wallops a country more used to mild weather and rain. Hot weather has gripped southern Europe since last week, triggering wildfires in Spain, Portugal and France
July 19, 2022 4:15 am
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iran starting Tuesday is intended to deepen ties with regional heavyweights as part of Moscow’s challenge to the United States and Europe during its grinding campaign in Ukraine. In only his second trip abroad since Russian tanks rolled into its neighboring country in February, Putin is scheduled to hold talks with Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about some of the most pressing issues facing the region, including the conflict in Syria and a U.N.-backed proposal to resume exports of Ukrainian grain to ease the global food crisis.
