June 24, 2022 3:21 am
CECIL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Southern Beltway southern terminus at the Washington County line is set to be completely open to traffic Friday. The $800 million new toll road that connects Interstate 79 with the Pittsburgh International Airport has been open to vehicle traffic since October of last year, but only ramps for I-79 north traffic onto the toll road and eastbound 579 traffic to I-79 south were opened at that time. Friday, drivers coming south on the interstate will be able to access the toll road. Additionally, ramps will be open so toll road drivers can access I-79 north and Morganza Road. A ramp will also be open for drivers to access I-79 South from Morganza Road via the beltway. A turnpike spokesperson says all ramps at the interchange will be open by 6:00 p.m. Friday.
June 24, 2022 3:17 am
South Strabane Township held a Community Open House on Thursday with a focus on introducing their new fire chief to residents. The event held at the Oak Springs Road fire station welcomed Chief Jordan Cramer. Cramer was hired April 14 and has been busy with his new duties as chief. Cramer stated that he has been working with volunteer and career staff on communication and training techniques. Cramer is a trainer with the International Association of Fire Chiefs who teaches courses on how combination fire crews can get along and succeed. He is working on getting his whole staff advanced training so that everyone is equally trained. Cramer states that community involvement is important to him. He is looking forward to meeting residents of South Strabane. One of the ways that he hopes to do that is to offer classes. He is really looking forward to offering monthly CPR classes, stop the bleed classes and fire prevention programs. Cramer is also the Emergency Management Coordinator. He said that he always is interested in trying to build the ranks of his staff. If anyone is interested in being a fire fighter or emergency technician, reach out to him.
June 24, 2022 1:45 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court said Thursday that Americans have a right to carry guns in public, a major expansion of gun rights. The court struck down a New York gun law in a ruling expected to directly impact half a dozen other populous states. The justices’ 6-3 decision is expected to allow more people to legally carry guns on the streets of the nation’s largest cities. It’s high court’s first major gun decision in more than a decade. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority that the Constitution protects “an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home.” (Photo: AP)
June 24, 2022 1:29 am
The facade of a former restaurant collapsed overnight. The building, located at 352 South Main Street, used to house Hepinger’s Legacy Tavern. Before that, it was known as Nunny’s Place. Washington Mayor Scott Putnam told WJPA News that he didn’t have a lot of information at this time, but he did know that the new owners, Kush Property Management, were doing renovations without a building permit. He said he hoped to have more information within the next several days. Kush Property reportedly purchased the building for 120-thousand-dollars at an auction last year. Putnam said he did not, at this time, know what caused the facade to collapse. The collapse caused bricks and debris to fall onto the sidewalk. There were no reported injuries.
June 24, 2022 1:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Health officials have ordered vaping company Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the U.S. market. It’s the biggest blow yet to the embattled company that is widely blamed for sparking a surge in teen vaping. The announcement Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration is part of a sweeping regulatory review of e-cigarettes, which faced little regulation until recently. Since last fall, the FDA has greenlighted a few e-cigarettes that account for a tiny share of the vaping market. To stay on the market, manufacturers must show their products help reduce the harm of smoking for adults, without appealing to kids.
June 23, 2022 3:47 am
BRUSSELS (AP) – The European Union’s leaders have agreed to make Ukraine a candidate for EU membership, setting in motion a potentially years-long process that could draw the embattled country further away from Russia’s influence and bind it more closely to the West. Ukraine applied for membership less than a week after Moscow invaded on Feb. 24. The decision by the 27-nation bloc to grant Ukraine candidate status Thursday was uncharacteristically rapid. But the war and Ukraine’s request for fast-track consideration lent urgency to its cause. The EU also granted candidate status to Moldova, which borders Ukraine. Gaining membership could take years or even decades. Countries must meet a host of economic and political conditions, including the embrace of certain democratic principles.
June 23, 2022 3:46 am
GAYAN, Afghanistan (AP) – Survivors are digging by hand through villages in eastern Afghanistan reduced to rubble by a powerful earthquake that killed at least 1,000 people. The Taliban and the international community that fled their takeover are now struggling to aid the disaster’s victims. The quake Wednesday was Afghanistan’s deadliest in two decades. Officials fear the toll could rise. An estimated 1,500 others were reported injured. The disaster inflicted by the 6 magnitude quake heaps more misery on a country where millions face increasing hunger and poverty and the health system has been crumbling since the Taliban retook power nearly 10 months ago amid the U.S. and NATO withdrawal.
June 23, 2022 3:44 am
LOGAN, W.Va. (AP) – News outlets are reporting multiple people have been killed in a helicopter crash in West Virginia. The identities were not confirmed, but Ray Bryant of Logan Emergency Management told WSAZ-TV they were not local residents. He says the Vietnam-era helicopter was based at the Logan airport and used for tourism flights. The Federal Aviation Administration said a Bell UH-1B helicopter crashed near Route 17 in Logan County around 5 p.m. with six people on board. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. Bryant said the helicopter was on fire when crews arrived, and firefighters extinguished the flames.
June 23, 2022 3:43 am
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California air regulators are likely to hear a barrage of criticism Thursday on a plan to slash fossil fuel use and reach carbon neutrality by 2045. It would require a sweeping shift in how the state powers its massive economy in the face of climate change. It will be the California Air Resources Board’s first public discussion of this year’s scoping plan, which is updated every five years. The 2045 goal is among the most ambitious in the nation, but the plan has many critics beyond the oil industry, which says the plan has too many bans and mandates. A wide range of environmental advocates say the plan does far too little to quickly lower planet-warming emissions.
June 23, 2022 3:42 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Facing stubbornly high gas prices that average about $5 a gallon nationwide, President Joe Biden has urged Congress to suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes for three months. If savings from the 18.4 cents-a-gallon federal tax on gas are fully passed along to consumers, drivers would save about $2.76 for a 15-gallon fill-up. It’s unclear, though, if Biden can push his proposal through Congress, where lawmakers, including some Democrats, are skeptical or even opposed to the idea. Many economists also are wary of a gas tax holiday.
