July 4, 2022 10:15 am
ROME (AP) – Heavy rain was hampering the search in Italy for those unaccounted for – perhaps as many 15 – a day after an enormous chunk of an Alpine glacier broke off and slammed into hikers. Italian state TV said a body was located on Monday, raising to seven the known death toll of the avalanche from the Marmolada glacier a day earlier. Italian news reports said so far, four victims have been identified in a morgue set up in an ice rink in the resort town of Canazei. State TV reported that three of the dead were Italians, while the fourth was from Czechia. áWith conditions too dangerous for rescuers and dogs to search the slope, drones were being used for most of Monday morning.
July 4, 2022 10:12 am
AKRON, Ohio (AP) – Authorities say a Black man was unarmed when Akron police chased him on foot and killed him in a hail of gunfire, but officers believed he had shot at them earlier from a vehicle and feared he was preparing to fire again. Akron police released video Sunday of the pursuit and killing of 25-year-old Jayland Walker. The mayor called the June 27 shooting “heartbreaking” while asking for patience from the community. It isn’t yet clear how many shots were fired by the eight officers who were involved, but Walker sustained more than 60 wounds.
July 4, 2022 8:38 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — Pittsburgh police are investigating a shooting that happened on Pittsburgh’s South Side on Monday morning. According to our newsparter WPXI, officers were called around 3:40 a.m. for shots fired. When they arrived on the scene in the 3200 block of East Carson Street, they found evidence of a shooting, including shell casings. Police said they were then alerted to two victims in the hospital who said they were shot along East Carson Street. Both are in stable condition. Police said they also located the car of one of the victims in the 3400 block of East Carson Street. The investigation is ongoing as police review camera footage from the area.
July 4, 2022 4:12 am
Food Helpers and the Washington County Food Bank are announcing a cooperative effort with the CNX Foundation to fight hunger in school children. George Omiros, CEO of Food Helpers announced that the CNX Foundation will be donating $100,000 to the 471 Kids Food Challenge. They will also fund a $135,000 matching challenge gift. The 471 Kids Food Challenge is named for a statistic that states that on any given night, 471 kids in Washington County go to bed hungry every night. The challenge will be in effect from now through December. The challenge will also go hand in hand with a nutrition program that the group will sponsor. Food Helpers has partnered with Carnegie Mellon University to help students learn about nutrition using the Little Moochi app. Students take a picture of their food and an animated character will help them make good decisions about the foods they eat. Donations for the program may be made on line at FoodHelpers.org. Volunteer opportunities are available to help pack the Moochi Packs that students may obtain at their schools. Other opportunities are available at their retail outlet and warehouse on Rt. 40 in Centerville.
July 4, 2022 4:10 am
Canonsburg held its 59th annual 4th of July celebration Monday. The day started out with the Whiskey Rebellion 5K Race and Walk at 7:30 a.m. Opening remarks took place at the reviewing stand along Pike Street at 9:05 and the parade kicked-off at 10:00 a.m. Town Park Pool offered free admission from noon to 6:00 p.m. with live music from the main pavilion at 1:30 and 3:30. The celebration capped off with a Zambelli fireworks display at 10:00 p.m. Canonsburg Memorial Stadium was not open to the public for watching fireworks this year.
July 3, 2022 8:20 am
SYDNEY (AP) — Thousands of residents in Sydney suburbs were told to evacuate their homes on Sunday after heavy rains caused floodwaters to rise and rivers to overflow in what authorities called life-threatening emergencies. The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for heavy rain and flash floods and winds of up to 55 miles per hour along the coast of Australia’s most populous city and other parts of New South Wales state. Authorities said that Warragamba Dam in western Sydney began overflowing overnight and the peak spill would be comparable to devastating flooding in March last year. Residents in a number of suburbs have been ordered to evacuate, but Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said people don’t need to wait to be told to leave.
July 3, 2022 8:18 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia’s defense minister said Russian forces took control Sunday of the last major Ukrainian-held city in Ukraine’s Luhansk province, bringing Moscow closer to its stated goal of seizing all of Ukraine’s Donbas region. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin that Russia’s troops together with members of a local separatist militia “have established full control over the city of Lysychansk,” a ministry statement said. Taking Lysychansk constitutes “the liberation of the Luhansk People’s Republic,” one of two separatist regions in Ukraine that Russia recognizes as sovereign, the statement said. Ukrainian fighters spent weeks trying to defend Lysychansk and to keep it from falling to Russia, as neighboring Sievierodonetsk did a week ago. A presidential adviser predicted late Saturday that the city’s fate could be determined within days. Ukrainian officials did not immediately provide an update on its status.
July 3, 2022 8:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Last Fourth of July, President Joe Biden gathered hundreds of people outside the White House for an event that would have been unthinkable for many Americans the previous year. With the coronavirus in retreat, they ate hamburgers and watched fireworks over the National Mall. Within weeks, even some of the president’s allies privately admitted that the speech had been premature. Soon the administration would learn that the delta variant could be transmitted by people who had already been vaccinated. Masks went back on, then came polarizing vaccination mandates. The even-more-contagious omicron variant would arrive months later, infecting millions and causing chaos during the holiday season. That sunny speech one year ago marked a crossroads for Biden’s presidency. The pandemic appeared to be waning, the economy was booming, inflation was negligible and public approval of his job performance was glowing. As Biden approaches his second Fourth of July in the White House, his standing couldn’t be more different. A series of miscalculations and unforeseen challenges have Biden struggling for footing as he faces a potentially damaging verdict from voters in the upcoming midterm elections. Even problems that weren’t Biden’s fault have been fuel for Republican efforts to retake control of Congress. “People are grouchy,” said Lindsay Chervinsky, a presidential historian. The latest poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that his approval rating remains at 39%, the lowest since taking office and a steep slide from 59% one year ago. Only 14% of Americans believe the country is headed in the right direction, down from 44%.
July 3, 2022 8:02 am
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. (WPXI) — Allegheny County police have arrested the man they believe robbed two convenience stores and attempted to rob a third in one night. According to police, a robbery happened in West Mifflin at the BP station at 4731 Buttermilk Hollow Road at 8:20 p.m. on Friday. Police said the suspect involved in the incident is believed to have robbed a BP station in Pleasant Hills about 30 minutes earlier. Officers then responded to an attempted robbery in Monroeville. Monroeville police arrested a man during the attempted third robbery. Police have identified 29-year-old David Vankavelaar of Clairton as the man in custody. Vankavelaar is being held at the Allegheny County Jail and charged with robbery, terroristic threats, theft by unlawful taking, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
July 2, 2022 8:18 am
The Washington County Democratic Committee sponsored a rally Friday afternoon to rally citizens for the right for women to have choice over their bodies. The event held on the courthouse steps was estimated to be roughly 500 people. Abortion rights supporters lined Main Street from Cherry Street to West Beau Street on both sides. The vocal crowd heard several speeches harkening back to the days before the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision became law. The crowd spanned multiple generations and was not made up solely of women. A large contingent of men also rallied for women’s rights. Ultimately, all of the speakers made it a point to make sure all participants get out and vote and encourage all of their friends and family to get out and vote.
