March 30, 2022 4:17 am
BERLIN (AP) – Germany’s economy minister says he’s triggering the early warning level for gas supplies amid Russia’s continued demand to be paid in rubles. Robert Habeck told reporters Wednesday that this was the first of three warning levels and entails the establishment of a crisis team in his ministry that will heighten monitoring of the gas supply situation. Habeck said he took the measure after Moscow indicated it would pass measures requiring payment in rubles despite the Group of Seven countries rejecting this demands on Monday. He said that Germany’s gas storages are currently filled to about 25% capacity.
March 30, 2022 4:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about his nation’s forces’ poor performance in Ukraine. That’s according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity Wednesday to discuss the recently declassified intelligence. The official added that the finding says Putin is aware of the situation and there is now persistent tension between him and senior Russian military officials. Meanwhile, the White House said President Joe Biden informed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday that another $500 million in direct aid for Ukraine was on its way.
March 30, 2022 4:10 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s payrolls recorded a big jump in February and the unemployment rate sank to a new post-pandemic low. The state Department of Labor and Industry says Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate dropped three-tenths of a percentage point to 5.1% from January’s rate. The national rate was 3.8%. In a survey of households, the labor force was flat, although the number of employed grew by 12,000. In a survey of employers, non-farm payrolls in Pennsylvania grew in February by 34,000, driven primarily by hiring in manufacturing and the trade, transportation and utilities sectors. Pennsylvania has regained about 80% of the 1.1 million jobs lost in the early months of the pandemic.
March 30, 2022 3:17 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A Republican proposal to prevent transgender girls from competing in girls’ school sports is advancing in the Pennsylvania Legislature. The measure was passed on party lines Tuesday by the Pennsylvania House Education Committee. The “Save Women’s Sports Act” bill would restrict players to male or female teams based on their reproductive organs, biology or genetics at birth. The bill says athletic teams designated for women or girls may not be open to “students of the male sex.” It would give students a route to sue if they feel harmed by violations of that rule. It covers K-12 school teams, college sports, intramurals and club teams sponsored by school entities.
March 30, 2022 2:43 am
Many groups and organizations are striving to reduce the amount of methane in the air due to natural gas drilling across the country and here in Southwestern Pennsylvania. During a W&J Center For Energy Policy Management webinar Wednesday morning, Karen Marsh of the Environmental Protection Agency says the current presidential administration has already taken steps to curb the release of toxins in the air through the proposal of the Clean Air Act. The act will call for the end of venting methane into the air, proper detection and repairs of well leaks as well as using new technologies to track and record data surrounding the drilling operations. Marsh says these practices would save companies money and increase the recovery of natural gas while reducing methane, toxins and smog in the environment. One company that will be vital in this process is Project Canary. The group is looking to provide real-time monitoring of wells and accurate data analytics for those involved in the gas production as well as the EPA.
March 30, 2022 2:34 am
A Fayette County man will face trial on an aggravated assault by vehicle charge along with several other charges. Allen Csonka, 26 of Republic waived his charges to court at his Tuesday morning preliminary hearing. Csonka is accused of hitting a child with his car at an intersection in California. Csonka claimed that the child ran out in front of his car. According to police documents witnesses saw Csonka driving at an unsafe speed before striking the child. In addition to aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, Csonka faces an accident involving injury while not licensed charge and several summary charges. Csonka is in the Washington County jail for lying to the magistrate about his previous criminal history. The magistrate modified his bond to a monetary $10,000 bond. Csonka will be arraigned on April 28.
March 30, 2022 2:07 am
A Scenery Hill man will spend one to two years in county jail for his role in causing injuries to a three month old child by putting it in a bear hug. Nicholas Benson, 29 pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for his role in injuring a three month old child who would not stop crying. The child’s mother noticed the baby vomiting blood. The baby was taken to Children’s Hospital where doctors found bruising and healing rib fractures that were caused by a squeezing incident. Benson admitted to police he had put the baby in a bear hug for three minutes to try and make it stop crying. Benson was sentenced to jail for one year minus one day to two years minus two days. He will be eligible for home monitoring after he spends six months in jail. Benson will report to the Washington County Jail on April 29th.
March 29, 2022 5:39 pm
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Florida and 20 other states have sued to halt the federal government’s pandemic requirement that people wear masks on planes, trains and other public transport. The lawsuit was filed today in federal court in Tampa, Florida. It contends that the mask mandate exceeds the authority of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
March 29, 2022 12:39 pm
(AP) – U.S. regulators are allowing people 50 and older to get another booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration’s decision aims to offer extra protection to the most vulnerable in case the virus rebounds. The FDA said Tuesday that age group can seek a fourth dose at least four months after their previous booster. With COVID-19 cases currently low, it’s not clear if they should rush out and get one. There’s limited evidence to tell how much benefit another booster could offer right now. The FDA ruled without input from its independent advisers
March 29, 2022 4:34 am
Peters Township Council took on a large construction project for 2022 by awarding a contract to build Fire Station Number 3 in the Venetia section of the township. The cost of the project will be $3,720,000 and will be paid by a bond that will be floated later this year. The new station will be located on Bebout Road. According to Fire Chief Mike McLaughlin, the station was identified as a need as early as the 1990’s. Currently the response times for emergency services do not meet the standards recommended by fire safety agencies. The addition of this new station will get those response times into accepted ranges. According to Township Manager Paul Lauer ground will be broken soon and the anticipated completion for the station is the end of 2022.
