August 5, 2021 2:57 am
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – West Virginia regulators have approved a rate increase request for two American Electric Power subsidiaries. It will allow Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power to upgrade three coal-fired plants to comply with federal environmental regulations. The facilities are the John Amos plant in Winfield, the Mountaineer plant in New Haven and the Mitchell plant in Moundsville. The state Public Service Commission says the move will enable all three plants to remain operational through 2040. The commission approved a surcharge to recover construction costs. Monthly bills for the average residential customer will increase 38 cents starting next month. Regulators in Kentucky and Virginia also must weigh in on the proposal.
August 4, 2021 4:15 am
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – A federal judge has ordered Texas to not allow state troopers to stop vehicles carrying migrants on the grounds that they may spread COVID-19. The temporary restraining order handed down Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone comes as worries and new cases are rising along the U.S.-Mexico border. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott last week had authorized Texas’ growing presence of state troopers along the border to “stop any vehicle upon reasonable suspicion” that it transports migrants. The Biden administration accused Abbott of potentially worsening the spread of COVID-19. It argued that impeding the transfer of migrants would prolong the detention of unaccompanied children in “increasingly crowded” facilities.
August 4, 2021 4:13 am
NEW YORK (AP) – An investigation into New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has found that he sexually harassed multiple current and former state government employees. State Attorney General Letitia James announced the findings Tuesday. The investigation, conducted by two outside lawyers, found that the Cuomo administration was a hostile work environment “rife with fear and intimidation.” Cuomo faced multiple allegations last winter that he inappropriately touched and sexually harassed women who worked with him or who he met at public events. Cuomo remained defiant Tuesday following the investigation’s findings, saying that “the facts are much different than what has been portrayed.” President Joe Biden called for Cuomo’s resignation.
August 4, 2021 4:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a new moratorium on evictions that would last until October 3. The Biden administration is trying to quell intensifying criticism that it was allowing vulnerable renters to lose their homes during a pandemic. The new moratorium could help keep millions in their homes as the coronavirus’ delta variant has spread and states have been slow to release federal rental aid. It would temporarily halt evictions in counties with “substantial and high levels” of virus transmissions and would cover areas where 90% of the U.S. population lives.
August 4, 2021 4:11 am
GREENVILLE, Calif. (AP) – Thousands of firefighters are preparing for a tougher fight against California’s largest wildfire as extremely dangerous weather returns, threatening to stoke flames into explosive growth. Authorities say the area could be hot, bone-dry and lashed with 40-mph gusts on Wednesday and Thursday. Fire officials say the Dixie Fire jumped some perimeter lines Tuesday, prompting additional evacuation orders for some 15,000 people. Dozens of fires are burning throughout the drought-stricken West. The Bootleg Fire in Oregon is 84% contained and firefighters are busy strengthening lines as they face the upcoming extreme weather. It is the nation’s largest burning wildfire.
August 4, 2021 4:01 am
A preliminary hearing for 22-year-old Rahshad Grigsby of Washington has been continued. Grigsby is charged with burglary and aggravated assault. Authorities allege that Grigsby, alongs with three others, allegedly broke into a man’s residence at Jefferson Avenue in June. The victim recognized Grigsby, who reportedly struck him in the head with a loaded handgun. The identities of the other individuals are still unknown.
August 4, 2021 3:52 am
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) – The former president of Penn State is out of jail after serving nearly two months for endangering the welfare of children by his response to a report that Jerry Sandusky had been seen physically abusing a boy on campus. áCentre County Correctional Facility Warden Christopher Schell said Wednesday the 73-year-old Graham Spanier served 58 days. Spanier still faces two months of electronic monitoring at home and two years of probation. Spanier didn’t testify at his trial. Spanier received a report from two of his top lieutenants in early 2001 that a graduate assistant football coach had happened upon Sandusky and the boy in a team shower on a Friday night. They didn’t call police.
August 3, 2021 3:17 pm
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio State University says everyone who enters Ohio State buildings, including medical facilities, must wear a mask indoors. The new rule announced Monday follows updated guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that people who are fully vaccinated should resume wearing masks indoors if they live in areas where the virus is surging. The Columbus Dispatch reports President Kristina M. Johnson sent an email with the new guidance to the Ohio State community Monday afternoon, saying it came into effect immediately. Students and others attending the outdoor commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium on Saturday will not be required to wear masks there. (Photo: CNN)
August 3, 2021 10:53 am
UNDATED (AP) – New York City will soon require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations for indoor activities, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. It is the first big city in the U.S. to impose such restrictions. The new requirement will go into effect Aug. 16. It applies to indoor dining, gyms and indoor entertainment venues. De Blasio said Monday he was making “a strong recommendation” that everyone wear a mask in public indoor settings but stressed that the city’s “overwhelming strategic thrust” remained getting more people vaccinated. Data shows that about 66% of adults in New York City are fully vaccinated.
August 3, 2021 10:34 am
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Florida has risen to an all-time high of 11,515 patients. The data was released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is used to track admissions and staffing shortages. The figures also show 2,400 of those patients are in ICU beds. The previous day, the data showed there were 10,389 COVID-hospitalizations in the state. The new number breaks a previous record for current hospitalizations set more than a year ago before vaccines were available. Last year, Florida hit its previous peak on July 23, with 10,170 hospitalizations.
