July 17, 2022 1:30 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. – Authorities are investigating the murder of a Tennessee teenager early Friday morning in Washington. The Washington County Coroner’s Office says autopsy results are pending on the body of nineteen-year-old Antonio Martinez of Clarksville, Tennessee. Washington City Police say Martinez was shot outside of the Jollick Manor Housing Complex just after midnight. He was taken to Washington Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police say they have identified a possible suspect but no arrests have been made and they are asking anyone with information or who may have witnessed the shooting to call them or 911.
July 17, 2022 1:18 am
Two children are among the six people who died in a Montana pileup after a Friday evening dust storm caused blackout conditions on Interstate 90, a major route in both Montana and the Western U.S. Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Jay Nelson said investigators so far have found no other factors that contributed to the pileup that also sent eight other injured people to hospitals. The pileup was just west of Hardin, with additional ambulances called in from Billings to help. The identities of the dead and conditions of the survivors are not yet being released. The crash was reported around 4:30 p.m., as 21 vehicles, including six commercial semi-trucks, lost control in the dust storm that was fueled by gusts topping 60 mph (97 kph), authorities said. Nelson said there was zero visibility for a mile-long stretch during a peak summer traffic hour for those commuting home from work or traveling for outdoor recreation. It took more than six hours to fully reopen the road.
July 16, 2022 9:32 am
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) – Many Somalis are reacting with horror – and a sense of understanding – at British runner Mo Farah’s tale of being trafficked to Britain as a child and forced to look after other children. Olympic champion Farah was born in present-day Somaliland, a territory by the Gulf of Aden that has asserted independence from the Horn of Africa nation of Somalia. Here, in the Somali capital Mogadishu, those who have heard of Farah’s account express sadness for what he went through as a child forced to work in servitude. But they also point out that he is not alone.
July 16, 2022 9:28 am
NEW YORK (AP) – New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is among the most famous politicians in America, perhaps the most famous member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and it shows even in the most run-of-the-mill parts of the job. Ocasio-Cortez says in an interview that she wants to ensure she’s connected to her district and does not appear out-of-touch while having an outsized national profile. She’s building those local ties by holding town halls, steering earmarks to her district and helping constituents navigate government programs. That routine work lays the roots for a long congressional career, if that’s what she chooses to pursue.
July 16, 2022 9:24 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Two news outlets’ decision to release an excruciating 77-minute video this week showing police inaction during the Robb Elementary School mass shooting drew a harsh response from residents of Uvalde, Texas, even though they have sought this type of transparency for weeks. Families of the 19 children and two teachers killed by an 18-year-old gunman on May 24 said the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV displayed insensitivity by releasing the video to the public before those directly affected had a chance to see it. The community’s response reflects the raw feelings directed toward reporters who came to Uvalde to probe what happened, and the reality that journalism often steps on toes.
July 16, 2022 9:22 am
MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexican marines were closing in on infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero deep in the mountains of his native state of Sinaloa. But it was a 6-year-old bloodhound named “Max” who rousted from the undergrowth the man allegedly responsible for the murder of a U.S. DEA agent more than three decades ago. While the United States’ motivation to find Caro Quintero was never in doubt – hence the $20 million reward for information leading to his capture – there was less certainty about the commitment of Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who had made clear his disinterest in pursuing drug lords, was less certain. Yet on Friday, three days after López Obrador and U.S. President Joe Biden met in the White House, the DEA’s most wanted target was in Mexican custody.
July 16, 2022 9:15 am
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) – President Joe Biden has told Arab leaders that the United States “will not walk away” from the Middle East. Biden spoke Saturday at a summit of Arab Gulf countries being held in Saudi Arabia. Biden pledged continued U.S. involvement in the region as he tries to help foster stability in a volatile corner of the world. The U.S. president is on the final leg of a four-day trip to the region. Hours before the summit, the White House released intelligence showing Russian officials have recently visited Iran to see weapons-capable drones it is looking to acquire to use against Ukraine.
July 16, 2022 3:50 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation Monday to increase penalties for motorists who have multiple DUI convictions to try to end what critics call Pennsylvania’s “revolving door” for the most serious drunken drivers. The state Senate passed the final version last week after a couple of attempts to get the bill through the Legislature. The new law takes effect in November and increases penalties for some offenders who receive a third or subsequent DUI conviction. It aims to lengthen sentences by requiring someone convicted of a third DUI offense to serve consecutive sentences for separate counts, instead of serving the sentences at the same time. The law also increases the grading of offenses — and the potential length of the sentence — for someone convicted of a fourth DUI if they are caught with drugs or record a high blood alcohol content. The bill was inspired by the death of Deana Eckman. A five-time drunken driver killed the 45-year-old Delaware County woman in 2019 when he drove his pickup truck across a double yellow line and slammed head-on into the car she was riding in, driven by Eckman’s husband, who was seriously injured. The 30-year-old pickup driver pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and other charges and was sentenced to 25 1/2 to 51 years in prison. The driver, David Strowhouer, had been freed from state prison a few months before the crash after serving a concurrent sentence for his fifth DUI conviction.
July 16, 2022 3:50 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. (WPXI) — A Washington man has been federally charged for cyberstalking following a PFA order from his ex-wife. Authorities say 53-year-old Eric Scholl placed a GPS device underneath his ex-wife’s car, tracking her location for months. They say he also hacked into her phone, changing the linked email address to his own. According to 53-year-old Eric Scholl’s ex-wife, the abuse began in March of 2021 when Scholl placed his hands on her neck. And police say Scholl didn’t stop. After the PFA was filed, he turned to the internet, weaponizing her personal information. Authorities say he hacked her cell phone, changed the linked email to his own, posted lewd sexual videos to Reddit as if it was her, and infiltrated her PayPal. Officials say he committed many of these crimes while living in a halfway house in downtown Pittsburgh. According to the criminal complaint, Scholl sent threatening emails, broke into her home, removed her firearm and camera, placed a GPS tracker on her car, and terrorized the woman for nearly 2 years. Scholl was indicted in federal court on a count of cyberstalking and is detained.
July 16, 2022 3:50 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — Washington City Council continued its battle against blight by approving nine more properties to be demolished. Combined with last month’s list the City of Washington will send 16 properties to the Washington County Redevelopment Authority for tear down. Mayor Scott Putnam says it is important to get these properties torn down for safety reasons. He also pointed out that it will help neighboring home owner’s property values to have these properties gone. Putnam also discussed the high number of rental homes in the city. He stated that the stock of rental properties in the city is nearly double of any other municipality in the county. He pointed to home buyer assist programs through Blueprints, the Redevelopment Authority and local bank’s first time buyer programs as methods to get new buyers into the market and hopefully move out absentee landlords that do not care for their properties. Putnam was also happy with the latest façade improvements made with LSA grants through the city’s façade improvement program. Putnam says $125,000 has been distributed and the business district is seeing results from the grants.
