Allegheny County School Districts Received Bomb Threats

February 28, 2024 4:53 pm

(WPXI) – Two schools in Allegheny County received bomb threats Wednesday. Gateway School District received a threat that led them to evacuate Wednesday morning. Following the threat, Woodland Hills School District said they received a courtesy call from them.  Minutes after the courtesy call, a Woodland Hills student found an anonymous Snapchat with a bomb threat against Woodland Hills Senior High School, officials said. Woodland Hills School District superintendent Dr. Daniel Castagna said all students from the high school were dismissed early and all evening activities are canceled. Police patrols are increased at the elementary buildings and middle school. Gateway also dismissed all high school students. Officials in both school districts deemed the threats non-credible.

Comedian Richard Lewis Dead At 76

February 28, 2024 4:49 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Lewis, an acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname “The Prince of Pain,” has died. He was 76. A regular performer in clubs and on late-night TV for decades, Lewis also played Marty Gold, the romantic co-lead opposite Jamie Lee Curtis, in the ABC series “Anything But Love” and the reliably neurotic Prince John in “Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men In Tights.” He re-introduced himself to a new generation opposite Larry David in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” kvetching regularly.  (Photo:  AP)

McConnell Will Step Down As Senate Leader In November

February 28, 2024 12:42 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitch McConnell says he’ll step down as Senate Republican leader in November. The 82-year-old Kentucky lawmaker is the longest-serving Senate leader in history. He’s maintained his power in the face of dramatic changes in the Republican Party. He’s set to make the announcement Wednesday McConnell on the Senate floor. The Associated Press obtained his prepared remarks in which he says, “One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter.” McConnell says he plans to serve out his Senate term, which ends in January 2027, “albeit from a different seat in the chamber.”  (Photo:  AP)

Biden “Continues To Be Fit For Duty”

February 28, 2024 10:36 am

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — President Joe Biden’s doctor says he “continues to be fit for duty” after conducting an annual physical that will be closely watched as the 81-year-old seeks reelection. “President Biden is a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency,” Dr. Kevin O’Connor has concluded in a six-page memo on the president’s health, following a physical that took him to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for more than 2 1/2 hours. The memo added that Biden, “feels well and this year’s physical identifies no new concerns.” The oldest U.S. president’s annual physical was closely watched.

Hunter Biden Defiant Deposition Blasts GOP

February 28, 2024 5:16 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden has appeared on Capitol Hill for a defiant closed-door deposition with lawmakers. He blasted the Republican impeachment inquiry into his father and the family’s business affairs as a “house of cards” built on “lies” as he faced a battery of probing questions. The deposition of the president’s son Wednesday marks a decisive point for the 14-month Republican investigation into the Biden family. The probe has centered on Hunter Biden and his overseas work for clients in Ukraine, China, Romania and other countries. Republicans have long questioned whether those business dealings involved corruption and influence peddling by President Joe Biden, particularly when he was vice president. But they have yet to produce direct evidence of misconduct by the president.

Wildfires Scorch Texas Panhandle

February 28, 2024 5:15 am

Out-of-control Texas wildfires have shut down a nuclear weapons facility and prompted evacuation orders in small towns across the state’s rural Panhandle. The blazes were fueled by strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures. The Texas A&M Forest Service says the largest fire has already burned nearly 400 square miles. It remained 0% contained late Tuesday. Officials at the Pantex facility that disassembles nuclear weapons says non-essential personnel have been evacuated from the and crews were poised to fight any fires if they got too close. Hutchinson County residents north of the plant faced multiple blazes, as well as power and water outages as officials urged them to evacuate.

Doctor Says Biden “Continues To Be Fit For Duty”

February 28, 2024 5:14 am

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — President Joe Biden’s doctor says he “continues to be fit for duty” after conducting an annual physical that will be closely watched as the 81-year-old seeks reelection. “President Biden is a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency,” Dr. Kevin O’Connor has concluded in a six-page memo on the president’s health, following a physical that took him to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for more than 2 1/2 hours. The memo added that Biden, “feels well and this year’s physical identifies no new concerns.” The oldest U.S. president’s annual physical was closely watched.

Navalny Funeral To Be Held Friday

February 28, 2024 5:12 am

MOSCOW (AP) — The funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died earlier this month in a remote Arctic penal colony, will take place on Friday in Moscow, his spokesperson says. His funeral will be held at a church in Moscow’s southeast Maryino district on Friday afternoon, Kira Yarmysh said Tuesday. The burial is to be at a nearby cemetery. Navalny died in mid-February in one of Russia’s harshest penal facilities. Russian authorities said the cause of his death at age 47 is still unknown, and the results of any investigation are likely to be questioned abroad. Many Western leaders have already said they hold Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible for his death.

Canonsburg Holds Workshop On CHJA Sale

February 28, 2024 5:07 am

Canonsburg Borough Council held a public workshop to update new council members Diane Richie and Eric Miller on the details of a proposed sale of the Canonsburg Houston Joint Authority to Aqua. The basics of the sale are that Aqua would purchase the Authority for $145 million. Anticipated proceeds to Canonsburg would be in excess of $75 million. According to a presentation from PFM Financial Advisors, the proceeds of the sale could be put in a trust so the borough could benefit from the interest earned on that trust for borough operations. A sewage rate projection was shown that indicated that in 10 years, no matter who owns the sewage facility, rates would be equivalent. An item that is new to the equation is that Public Utility Commission legislation is being drawn up that would cap sales prices for purchases such as this. The danger for Canonsburg is that cap under discussion would possibly cut the sale price of the Authority in half. Only a handful of residents were on hand to participate in the meeting. The overall take away from the residents is that more information is needed and that more residents of Canonsburg need to take part in the discussion. Council President Richard Russo stated that council will discuss arranging for large scale meetings in a facility that would hold several hundred people.

Two Families Displaced After Washington Fire

February 28, 2024 5:05 am

WASHINGTON, Pa. — Fire destroyed a home in the City of Washington Tuesday afternoon. The house on East Maiden Street is broken into two apartments and two families are now displaced. According to our news partners at Channel-11, Neighbor Elijah Emerick first spotted the flames on his home security camera. He just happened to check the camera while he was at work. Before rushing home, he called 911 and alerted his fiancée, Dakota Martin. The heat of the flames even busted out a window of a house next door. Thankfully, public safety officials said no one was home when the fire started and no one was hurt. The Red Cross is helping both displaced families. (PHOTO; Facebook)