October 11, 2022 4:13 am
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The U.S.’s third largest railroad union rejected a deal with employers Monday, renewing the possibility of a strike that could cripple the economy. Both sides will return to the bargaining table before that happens. Over half of track maintenance workers represented by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division who voted opposed the five-year contract despite 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses. Union President Tony Cardwell said the railroads didn’t do enough to address the lack of paid time off — particularly sick time — and working conditions after the major railroads eliminated nearly one-third of their jobs over the past six years. “Railroaders are discouraged and upset with working conditions and compensation and hold their employer in low regard. Railroaders do not feel valued,” Cardwell said in a statement. The group that represents the railroads in negotiations said they were disappointed the union rejected the agreement, but emphasized that no immediate threat of a strike exists because the union agreed to keep working for now.
October 11, 2022 4:08 am
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) – Former hurricane Julia has dissipated, but is drenching Guatemala and El Salvador with rain after reemerging in the Pacific. Julia is believed to have directly or indirectly caused the deaths of 28 people. Julia hit Nicaragua’s central Caribbean coast as a hurricane on Sunday and survived the passage over Nicaragua’s mountainous terrain, becoming a tropical storm before it dissipated Monday. Its winds had dipped to 35 mph by Monday morning, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Fourteen people died in Guatemala, four in Honduras, nine in El Salvador and one in Nicaragua.
October 11, 2022 4:06 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korea says it has an ability to detect and intercept the variety of missiles that North Korea has launched in a barrage of recent simulated nuclear attacks on its rivals. North Korea said Monday its two weeks of firing drills involved nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, warplanes and other assets to practice possible attacks on South Korean and U.S. targets. South Korean’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday that its missile defense system is capable of detecting and intercepting the weapons systems that Pyongyang said it mobilized in its drills. Some observers have said a portion of the North’s newly developed weapons may overcome South Korean and U.S. missile defenses.
October 11, 2022 4:04 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Russian forces have carpeted Ukraine with a fresh barrage of missiles and munition-carrying drones. The bombardment came a day after strikes across the country killed at least 19 people and knocked out power across the country. The U.N. human rights office says the “particularly shocking” attacks could amount to war crimes. The leaders of the Group of Seven industrial powers also condemned the attacks and said they would “stand firmly with Ukraine for as long as it takes.” Their pledge defied Russian warnings that Western assistance would prolong the war and the pain of Ukraine’s people. Russia launched the attacks in retaliation for a weekend explosion that damaged a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula.
October 11, 2022 3:58 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Pennsylvania Senate candidates Mehmet Oz and John Fetterman are fighting hard for Black voters who might make the difference in their close race. It’s a voting bloc that traditionally lines up solidly behind Democrats. But some community activists worry that the party hasn’t come up with a unified message for candidates and hasn’t done enough to ensure turnout. Fetterman is touting his past work to free people who may have been imprisoned unjustly. Oz and Republicans are seeking to tie Fetterman to increases in crime and violence. In a close race, peeling off just a few Black voters – or an absence of enthusiasm – could make the difference.
October 11, 2022 3:53 am
Peters Township Council made quick work of their meeting Monday night. In a meeting in less than 30 minutes the township did put several things in motion. The township will make application with the state once again to participate in a sharpshooter program to cull deer in the township. Last year township police were stationed across sections of the township with the goal of taking 125 deer in order to cut down on deer related car accidents. The long term goal is to get deer related car accidents to a figure of 65 or less. In other township business council authorized staff to apply for an LSA grant to fix a landslide on Hidden Valley Rd. The repair estimate is approximately $400,000. Township staff will also begin drafting a program for students for a Junior Councilman Program. The program would be modeled after a program developed by the Pennsylvania Boroughs Association. Councilman Frank Kosir is the driving force behind the effort.
October 11, 2022 2:35 am
The Washington County Coroner has identified a body that was found along a roadway in Finleyville, with a gunshot wound, as that of a Monessen man. Authorities say the body of 29-year-old Jaisen A. Irwin was found early Monday morning by an off-duty Monongahela police officer. They say Irwin’s body was found in the 3600 block of Washington Avenue just after one o’clock. The investigation is continuing into the circumstances surrounding Irwin’s death and an autopsy is pending. (Photo: WPXI)
October 11, 2022 2:25 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – The U.S. Supreme Court is invalidating a lower appeals court decision regarding how rules for mail-in ballots had been applied in a Pennsylvania election. The decision Tuesday adds an element of uncertainty about voting procedures four weeks ahead of the state’s high-stakes elections for governor and U.S. Senate. Pennsylvania’s top-ranking elections official says the decision is under review and that guidance to counties about how to handle such ballots will be updated if necessary. The justices vacated a decision in May by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that had said mail-in ballots without a required date on the return envelope must be allowed in a 2021 Pennsylvania judge race.
October 11, 2022 2:20 am
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) – A carbon monoxide leak at a Pennsylvania day care center has sent more than two dozen children and several adults to the hospital. Officials say none of the injuries are considered serious. Emergency responders went to the Happy Smiles Learning Center in Allentown on Tuesday morning on reports of an unconscious child. Authorities say the building was evacuated after air quality detectors worn by firefighters were triggered. The children and adults were evaluated. Eight staffers were also in the building. Investigators say the leak was caused by a malfunctioning heating unit and a blocked venting system. (Photo: AP)
October 10, 2022 3:42 pm
(AP) – The United Methodist Church, long a mainstay of the American religious scene, is beginning to fracture. Hundreds of churches have already disaffiliated from the denomination this year, with hundreds more moving toward the exits. Many plan to join the newly created Global Methodist Church, formed by conservatives frustrated by continued defiance of denominational bans on same-sex marriages and the ordaining of openly LGBTQ pastors. So far the majority of congregations are staying, but several of the largest are planning to leave. The breakup comes amid mutual accusations of hardball tactics and spreading falsehoods. (Photo: AP)
