June 10, 2022 4:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court is allowing elections officials to count mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania that lack a handwritten date but were received in time. The unsigned order Thursday applies to a Lehigh County judicial election from 2021. But Justice Samuel Alito warned in a dissent that the issue could affect the November elections. Last week, Alito had imposed a temporary hold on counting the ballots to give the justices more time to consider the matter. At the time, former hedge fund CEO David McCormick was locked in a tight contest with celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. McCormick has since conceded to Oz.
June 10, 2022 4:13 am
The Hollywood Casino at The Meadows reopened its sportsbook as the Barstool Sportsbook on Thursday. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held and Vice President, General Manager Tony Frabbiele stated that the reconstruction project took more than six months and $7 million to complete. Frabbiele points not only to the sports betting activity that enthusiasts have come to enjoy but to other amenities that are available. The new area has a 48 foot video wall, 46 large screen televisions, a restaurant and several hang out areas. Other amenities include a 360 degree bar, slot machines and a low limit table games pit. Frabbiele considers Barstool Sportsbook as the premiere sports betting and dining experience in Pennsylvania.
June 10, 2022 4:10 am
Washington City Council held a public hearing to gather testimony on seven properties that they would like to see demolished. Council immediately convened their regular voting meeting to confirm those demolitions. The vote to condemn was unanimous and Mayor Scott Putnam noted that 5 of the properties are owned by absentee landlords that live outside the city. He said council is working hard to change the 57% rental housing stock rate in the city to more owner occupied houses. The city also promoted three policemen. Officer Daniel Florian was promoted to Corporal. Corporal Willis McConnell was promoted to Sergeant. Sergeant James Markely was promoted to Lieutenant. City Hall will be closed on June 14 for Flag Day and will reopen on June 15.
June 10, 2022 2:14 am
Greene County District Attorney Dave Russo announced on Thursday that Greene County is immediately implementing an emergency response team specifically trained to give emergency response and tactical entry in the event of a school shooting within county school districts. Russo says that in the wake of the tragedy that occurred in Uvalde, Texas and in response to the surge in school shootings, which are becoming more frequent, it is imperative for law enforcement to take appropriate actions for the protections of children and schools. Russo says he believes the single common factor for the prevention of loss of life that has occurred in Texas, Parkland Florida, Columbine and other school shootings is response time and the availability of a trained emergency response team to immediately engage an active shooter at the incident location. Russo says his team will be made up of county detectives, major crimes unit and local law enforcement who will be on call for immediate response to neutralize and/or de-escalate any threat of a shooting in local school districts. The selected individuals will be specifically trained in dynamic entry, threshold entry, active shooter location, and will monitor social media for prevention of any potential incidents. A hot line will also feed directly to my office of any possible issues developing in schools for the public to utilize. Russo says they’ll be working directly with local school districts to initiate response plans in the event of an active shooter and will coordinate and develop evacuation plans for each of the schools. Russo says funding, for now, will come out of their current budget and they will begin training immediately.
June 9, 2022 5:52 pm
SMITHSBURG, Md. (AP) – Authorities say a suspect opened fire at a business in western Maryland, leaving three dead before the suspect and a state trooper were wounded in a shootout. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that three victims were found dead Thursday at Columbia Machine Inc. in Smithsburg. The releases says the suspect then fled in a vehicle and was tracked down by Maryland State Police. The sheriff’s office says the suspect and a trooper were wounded in an exchange of gunfire. Both were being treated for their wounds. News photographs showed a large law enforcement presence, including emergency vehicles, at the scene.
June 9, 2022 3:51 pm
(WPXI) – Crews worked Thursday to rescue two people after they became trapped in a chocolate tank at an M&M/Mars factory in central Pennsylvania, according to multiple reports. Officials confirmed a rescue mission began shortly before two-thirty. Lancaster County dispatchers told PennLive.com that two people fell into the tank at the facility just after 1:50 p.m. They were not hurt but could not get out on their own. First responders had to to cut a hole into the tank to free them. Dispatchers told PennLive.com that the tank had some chocolate in it at the time of the incident. The chocolate was believed to be about waist-high.
June 9, 2022 1:58 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania state lawmakers are advancing proposed new limits on fireworks in response to growing complaints after a 5-year-old state law greatly liberalized their sales and use. The House of Representatives voted 160 to 38 on Wednesday for legislation that would restrict their use to 10 a.m.-10 p.m. except during July 2-4 and Dec. 31, when they could be used until 1 a.m. There would be greater penalties for improper sales or illegal use. Until the 2017 law change, fireworks in Pennsylvania were largely limited to sparklers and similar novelties. The changes permitted the sale of the full array of fireworks that meet federal consumer standards.
June 9, 2022 12:40 pm
(WPXI) – For the first time ever, the price of gas in the Pittsburgh region jumped over the $5 mark. As of Thursday, it’s at $5.01. This comes after the Pennsylvania average hit that mark on Wednesday. Now, the Federal Trade Commission is warning people about getting unsolicited calls, texts and emails about a government relief program for high gas prices. It doesn’t exist. In one case, a woman signed up for the program after getting a phone call but instead was duped and lost a lot of money from her checking account.There’s also another scam involving $500 Speedway fuel gift cards for $1.95. A post widely shared on Facebook claimed the gas station was trying to help people out with the skyrocketing price of gas. It directs people to a link that you should not click on. Facebook flagged the post, but it’s still there and has been shared hundreds of times. Speedway said the post is face and they are not running any type of promotion like that.
June 9, 2022 4:21 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The House has passed a wide-ranging gun control bill in response to recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. The bill would raise the age limit for purchasing a semi-automatic rifle and prohibit the sale of ammunition magazines of more than 15 rounds. The legislation has almost no chance of becoming law as the Senate pursues more modest proposals. But it does allow Democratic lawmakers a chance to show voters where they stand. Democrat Veronica Escobar of Texas says, “We can’t save every life, but my God, shouldn’t we try?”
June 9, 2022 4:19 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Television viewers will find nearly blanket prime-time coverage of a Congressional hearing Thursday on the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. That’s with the exception of Fox News Channel. The top-rated cable channel said it will cover the first in a series of House Select Committee public hearings as “news warrants.” Other corporate siblings will carry the hearing. In contrast, major broadcast networks ABC, NBC and CBS will cover the 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern hearing as it unfolds. So will cable news channels CNN and MSNBC.
