November 13, 2021 4:31 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A federal court has declined to lift its stay on the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more workers. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had granted an emergency stay last Saturday of the requirement by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration that those workers be vaccinated by Jan. 4 or face mask requirements and weekly tests. Lawyers for the Justice and Labor departments filed a response Monday. It said stopping the mandate from taking effect will only prolong the COVID-19 pandemic and “cost dozens or even hundreds of lives per day.” The appeals court rejected that argument Friday.
November 13, 2021 4:22 am
MORGANTOWN (WPXI) — West Virginia University Police issued a Campus Warning at 7 p.m. on Friday after officers received a report of an arson on campus earlier in the afternoon. The Morgantown Fire Department responded to a fire shortly after 4 p.m. that appears to have been set near an upstairs doorway in the Mountainlair. The fire caused damage to a bench and the surrounding flooring. Students and employees are encouraged to be vigilant. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 304-293-COPS (2677) or visit the department at 992 Elmer Prince Drive, Morgantown, 26505.
November 13, 2021 4:19 am
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WPXI) — With the holidays right around the corner, there is some growing concern and more questions over a looming new Covid-19 variant. It’s called the “delta plus” or AY.4.2 variant, and cases have already been reported in more than 10 states. None have occurred in Pennsylvania; however, doctors are monitoring the situation. “Viruses constantly change. That’s why we have to get flu vaccines every year and the more people are vaccinated, the less chance that a variant or changed virus will actually cause any major disease,” said Dr. Jennifer Preiss, primary care physician with Allegheny Health Network. Preiss says there is no need to panic at this point. She says roughly 10% of the new variant cases are in Great Britain and that the information on the variant and how quickly it may spread are still new, and research is ongoing. CNBC reports the delta plus variant can spread 12-18% more efficiently than the original delta variant. Distinguishing it from the flu can be a bit challenging, so testing and masking are more important than ever before.
November 13, 2021 1:45 am
A Washington County man pleaded guilty to a felony count of homicide by vehicle in plea court on Friday. Joshua Scott, 30 of Washington will receive jail time for his role in a single car crash in Amwell Township that took the life of his father 63-year-old James Scott in March of 2020. Scott also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence. In all, Scott will receive a jail term of 11 ½ months to 23 months in jail and serve three years probation for the homicide by vehicle charge. He will also serve up to six months in jail for the DUI charge. That sentence will run concurrently to the first. Scott will pay a $1000 fine and will have his driver’s license suspended for four years. Scott will report to the Washington County Jail on December 27th.
November 13, 2021 1:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Steve Bannon, a longtime ally to former President Donald Trump, has been indicted on two counts of contempt of Congress after he defied a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The Justice Department said Friday that Bannon was indicted on one count for refusing to appear for a deposition and the other for refusing to provide documents in response to the committee’s subpoena. It wasn’t immediately clear when he would be due in court. A second witness, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, defied a similar subpoena from the committee on Friday.
November 12, 2021 11:50 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Graeme Edge, a drummer and co-founder of The Moody Blues, has died. He was 80. The band’s frontman Justin Hayward confirmed Edge’s death Thursday on the group’s website. The cause of his death has not been revealed. Hayward called Edge the backbone of the British rock band, which was inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. In 1964, Edge co-founded the group in Birmingham, England. His drumming expertise was a key ingredient for the band’s massive prog-rock hits between the 1960s-70s including “Nights in White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” and “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band).” (Photo: Pinterest)
November 12, 2021 9:54 am
(AP) – Johnson & Johnson is splitting into two companies, separating the division that sells Band-Aids and Listerine, from its medical device and prescription drug business. The company said Friday that the division selling prescription drugs and medical devices will keep Johnson & Johnson as its name. The new consumer health company will house brands including Neutrogena, Aveeno, Tylenol, Listerine, Johnson’s, and Band-Aid. A name was not disclosed for the new company. Details are sparse, but the company expect the split to occur in the next two years.
November 12, 2021 7:04 am
No classes Friday in the McGuffey School District. Officials initially called for a two-hour delay because of a power outage near the high school in Claysville. West Penn Power crews were dispatched. A short time later, the district announced that they would be cancelling classes because repairs and the restoration of power in that area was going to take some time. A West Penn Power spokesman tells WJPA News that there was extensive damage in an area near the high school. It was the result of storms and strong winds that rolled through the region overnight. A power line was brought down and the cross-arm to at least one utility pole was damaged. Additional crews were called to the scene to make repairs but it is unclear when power may be restored.
November 12, 2021 4:24 am
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) – A prosthetic-tailed dolphin named Winter that starred in the “Dolphin Tale” movies has died at a Florida aquarium despite life-saving efforts by animal care experts. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium said the 16-year-old female bottlenose dolphin died Thursday evening while being treated for a gastrointestinal abnormality. It says staffers are heartbroken by Winter’s death and the aquarium will be closed Friday to give them time to grieve. Winter was two months old when her tail became entangled in a crab trap near Cape Canaveral, forcing its amputation. “Dolphin Tale” was released in 2011 and chronicled Winter’s recovery and the unprecedented effort to fit her with a prosthetic tail. A sequel followed three years later.
November 12, 2021 4:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked the release of White House records sought by a U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, granting – for now – a request from former President Donald Trump. The administrative injunction issued Thursday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit effectively bars until the end of this month the release of records that were to be turned over Friday. The appeals court set oral arguments in the case for Nov. 30. The case is likely to end up in the U.S. Supreme Court.
