December 23, 2021 4:16 am
The State Police Fire Marshall is investigating an overnight fire at Thomas Campbell Apartments in South Strabane Twp. Washington County 9-1-1 tells WJPA News the call came in just after midnight. The initial report was for a kitchen fire in a sixth floor apartment. Arthur Keys, the Chairman of the Board for the complex tells WJPA that six people were transported to area hospitals. He says two were flown by medical helicopter to Pittsburgh hospitals but there is no word on their identities or conditions. Keys says some 35 other residents have been displaced are are at the Suburban Inn at Jessop Place and are being assisted by the Red Cross. Keys says two apartments suffered major fire damage while others below have water damage. According to 9-1-1, eight fire departments responded along with some 19 ambulance services. South Strabane Township Fire Chief Scott Reese says numerous residents had to be rescued and assisted from the building. Tune to 95.3FM/1450AM for the very latest.
December 23, 2021 4:09 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is using his veto on a bill that would have required school districts to post information about textbooks, course material and state academic standards online. The Democratic governor said Wednesday the legislation “politicizes what is being taught in our schools” and that state regulations already require public schools to provide similar material upon request. It áwould have required links or titles for every textbook and course summaries to be posted on district websites, starting with the next academic year. Both legislative chambers were split nearly along party lines in votes on the measure. Republicans supported the bill and Democrats were opposed.
December 23, 2021 4:07 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s top state election official is warning that delays in drawing new legislative districts boundaries may require pushing back next year’s spring primary election. That’s as a group of voters asked Pennsylvania’s highest court to pick a new map of congressional districts if Gov. Tom Wolf and lawmakers fail to agree on one soon. Pennsylvania must redraw state legislative districts and congressional districts to account for a decade of demographic shifts, but partisan disagreements are threatening to delay both processes. Acting Secretary of State Veronica Degraffenreid told the Legislative Reapportionment Commission in a letter Tuesday that its current schedule will not work with the current primary deadlines.
December 23, 2021 2:22 am
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is forecasting a robust holiday travel period with 5.4 million motorists expected to travel the turnpike from December 23 through January 2. Travel outlooks leading up to Christmas have driver estimates of
650,000 on Thursday December 23
450,000 on Friday December 24
405,000 on Saturday December 25
Recent updates to the 511PA traveler information service can alert them to specific information along their travel routes. Motorists can check roadway conditions including color coded winter conditions by visiting www.511PA.com
December 22, 2021 1:54 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Biden administration is extending a student loan moratorium that has allowed millions of Americans to put off debt payments during the pandemic. Under the action Wednesday, payments on federal student loans will remain paused through May 1. Interest rates will remain at 0% during that period, and debt collection efforts will be suspended. Those measures have been in place since early in the pandemic but were set to expire Jan. 31. This is the second extension from the administration. President Joe Biden says the administration understands that borrowers are still coping with the impact of the pandemic.
December 22, 2021 1:26 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. has authorized the first pill against COVID-19, a Pfizer drug that Americans can take at home to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death. The Food and Drug Administration announcement comes as the U.S. braces for a wave of new infections from the omicron variant that is threatening already-strained hospitals. Pfizer’s prescription pill is the first U.S. medication that doesn’t require an injection or an IV, a long-awaited milestone in the battle against the virus. But initial supplies will be extremely limited with just enough to treat tens of thousands of people. The drug was authorized for high-risk patients who are most likely to get severe illness.
December 22, 2021 9:33 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. economy grew at a 2.3% rate in the third quarter according to a third and final estimate of the nation’s economic growth for that period. áBut prospects for a solid rebound going forward are being clouded by the rapid spread of the latest variant of the coronavirus. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that the nation’s total output of goods and services, was higher than last month’s estimate of 2.1% growth in the third quarter. The new-found strength came from primarily from stronger consumer spending than previously thought and a stronger performance by businesses in rebuilding their inventories.
December 22, 2021 9:30 am
A train derailed Wednesday morning in Clairton, shutting down a street in the area. The derailment happened in the area of State Street and Blair Avenue. Three empty train cars derailed, Allegheny County tweeted shortly after 8:30 a.m. State Street/Route 837 is closed in both directions between Maple Avenue and Walnut Street. No injuries have been reported. Emergency dispatchers said police and fire crews were called to the scene.
December 22, 2021 4:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden has announced plans to deliver 500 million free COVID-19 tests to Americans, increase support for hospitals and expand the availability of vaccines to confront a winter surge of coronavirus cases driven by the fast-spreading omicron variant. Biden said in a speech to the nation Tuesday that it’s Americans’ “patriotic duty,” as well as a wise medical step, to get vaccinated. The world is facing a second straight holiday season with COVID-19, but scientists say vaccination should offer strong protections against severe illness and death. Biden’s top medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said Biden was delivering “a stark warning of what the winter will look like” for unvaccinated Americans.
December 22, 2021 4:13 am
The U.S. Secret Service says nearly $100 billion has been stolen from COVID-19 relief programs set up to help businesses and people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. The staggering sum represents but a small percentage, less than 3%, of pandemic benefits program funds. The estimate is based on Secret Service cases and data from the Labor Department and the Small Business Administration. It doesn’t include cases handled by the Justice Department. Roy Dotson is the national pandemic fraud recovery coordinator for the Secret Service. He says his agency has more than 900 active criminal investigations into pandemic fraud.
