December 13, 2021 3:34 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection is set to recommend contempt charges against former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. The expected action Monday comes as lawmakers are releasing new details about documents Meadows has handed over to the committee. In laying out the case for the contempt vote, the nine-member panel released a 51-page report Sunday evening that details its questions about the documents he has already provided. The panel did not release the documents but described some of them, including details about Meadows efforts’ to help Donald Trump overturn his defeat in the presidential election.
December 13, 2021 3:32 am
MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) – Kentucky’s governor said that at least 64 people were killed in the state during a devastating cluster of tornadoes. At least 14 people are dead in four other states: Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told reporters Monday that it could take days more to tally a final death toll because of the sheer devastation from the twisters Friday. As searches continued for those still missing, efforts also turned to repairing the power grid, sheltering those whose homes were destroyed and delivering drinking water and other supplies. Kentucky officials warned that residents could be without heat, water or electricity in frigid temperatures for weeks or longer.
December 13, 2021 3:30 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Philadelphia is the latest large city to require proof of vaccination to dine indoors. City officials announced Monday that proof of vaccination will be required starting Jan. 3 for bars, restaurants, indoor sporting events, movie theatres and other places where people eat indoors close to each other. For the first two weeks of the mandate, patrons and employees can show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 24 hours of entry. Employees and children ages 5-11 will also have some extra time to get vaccinated under the policy, with a first dose required by Jan. 3 and full vaccination required by Feb. 3, officials said.
December 13, 2021 3:27 am
WEST PIKE RUN TWP., Pa. — Multiple Crews responded to a house fire in Daisytown Sunday morning around 7:00 a.m. A neighbor called the duplex fire in to 911 after seeing smoke coming from the attic on the 300 block of Pike Run Road according to reports. Richeyville, Bentleyville and California Fire Departments were called to the scene, and crews took about two and a half hours to put the blaze out. Officials say no one was injured during the incident. The Fire Marshal was called to investigate the scene. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. (Photo: Facebook — Bentleyville Fire-Rescue)
December 13, 2021 3:19 am
CANONSBURG, Pa. — Just two days after the statewide mask mandate was tossed out for school children, one Washington County school district has already made face coverings optional for students and staff. The Canon-McMillan School District released a memo on Sunday stating that it will be optional to wear masks in their schools starting Monday. The district says masks will still be mandatory on all school transportation services, since that is a federal mandate. The district also says they are aware of the elevated rates of COVID-19 in the area, and that masks are still recommended in schools. The state Supreme Court announced its decision on Friday but the court didn’t issue a full opinion that explains their reasoning. They upheld a lower court decision that the masking mandate, which also applies to child care facilities, is not valid because it was imposed by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s acting health secretary without legal authorization. The practical impact of the decision will depend on which schools and school districts impose their own masking requirements.
December 13, 2021 1:13 am
WAYNESBURG, Pa. (WPXI) — Police are investigating an incident in Waynesburg, where a vehicle crashed into an empty storefront. The crash occurred at the Greene Plaza in Waynesburg Saturday afternoon, and a truck ended up completely inside the building. The storefront was empty. According to a family member, the man driving the vehicle had a medical emergency in a nearby drive-thru. He was transported via ambulance to a WVU Hospital for treatment. (Photo: Mike Hice)
December 13, 2021 1:07 am
BALDWIN BOROUGH, Pa. (WPXI) –A train derailment in Baldwin has led to a nearby road being closed due to an expected day-long clean-up, Baldwin Police said in a press release. Norfolk Southern, the company that runs the train, said in a press release that the derailment occurred because the train struck a rock slide. According to police, the derailment happened around 4:45 a.m. around River Road (State Route 837) in Baldwin. Emergency crews responded and found a Norfolk Southern train had overturned while traveling on the upper track parallel to River Road. County 911 confirmed no one was injured. Two people were reportedly on the train and were pulled out by medics. Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire said one engineer was able to get themselves out. Norfolk Southern said in a press release that the train was traveling from Chicago to New Jersey and initial reports stated that both locomotives and five cars derailed after the train struck a rock slide. According to police, there are no threats or hazards to the public as a result of the derailment. Clean-up is underway and is expected to last 24 hours. As a result, River Road is closed in both directions from the Glenwood Bridge to Becks Run Road. (Photo: Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire)
December 12, 2021 8:22 am
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — More U.S. drivers could find themselves stuck on snowy highways or have their travel delayed this winter due to a shortage of snowplow drivers — a reality that could hit home Friday as winter storms start dumping snow from the Intermountain West to the Upper Great Lakes. States from Washington to Pennsylvania, including Montana and Wyoming in the Rocky Mountains, are having trouble finding enough people willing to take the comparatively low-paying jobs that require a Commercial Driver’s License and often entail working at odd hours in dangerous conditions. The labor shortage and lingering concerns about the pandemic have left employers scrambling to find enough school bus drivers, waiters, cooks and even teachers. The shortage comes as the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped last week to the lowest level in 52 years and some are seeking a better work-life balance.
December 12, 2021 8:20 am
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Sunday that “the world’s largest economies are united” in warning Russia that an invasion of Ukraine would have “massive” — though largely undisclosed — consequences. Russia’s military buildup near the Ukrainian border has dominated talks among foreign ministers from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies in the English city of Liverpool. The U.S. and its NATO and G-7 allies worry that the movement of Russian troops and weapons to the border region could be a precursor to an invasion, and have vowed to inflict heavy sanctions on Russia’s economy if that happens. Moscow denies having any plans to attack Ukraine and accuses Kyiv of its own allegedly aggressive designs.
December 12, 2021 8:19 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A major storm is headed toward Northern California, promising to drop up to 10 feet of snow on Sierra Nevada mountain peaks and bring much-needed rain throughout the region. Rain was expected in the Bay Area, with snowfall in the Sierras starting Sunday before getting heavier between Monday and Tuesday, according to forecasters. There could even be a dusting of snow on Bay Area mountaintops. Another storm system predicted to hit California midweek could deliver almost continuous snow, said Scott McGuire, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Reno office, which monitors an area straddling the Nevada state line. Downed trees and white-out conditions could endanger motorists; meanwhile the Sierra Avalanche Center warned heavy snow and strong winds on top of a weak snowpack could cause large and destructive avalanches.
