July 28, 2021 4:13 am
LAPORTE, Texas (AP) – Two people are dead after a chemical leak at plant in La Porte, Texas. LyondellBasell spokesperson Chevalier Gray said in a statement that the incident happened about 7:35 p.m. Tuesday and involved an acetic acid leak at the company’s facility in the La Porte Complex. Emergency responders from the City of La Porte and Channel Industries Mutual Aid were on the scene Tuesday night. Gray said two people “sustained fatal injuries.” Seven others sustained injuries, including burns. Some were treated at the scene and others were sent to a hospital. The company said it was working closely with responders to confirm all employees were accounted for.
July 28, 2021 4:11 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A transportation funding commission is preparing to recommend how to raise billions more dollars in Pennsylvania for a 21st-century highway system, a report that is expected to kick off a debate that could last years. The report, expected this week, was ordered by Gov. Tom Wolf in March to find ways to replace Pennsylvania’s gas tax. It is expected to contain a blend of recommendations, but the primary revenue-raiser will be a vehicle-miles-traveled fee. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Stan Saylor said it’s a difficult time to raise taxes and fees, as the economy rebounds from the pandemic, and he predicted no action before 2023, at the earliest.
July 28, 2021 4:09 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Gov. Tom Wolf says he’s not considering a statewide mask mandate as coronavirus cases surge in Pennsylvania and across the country, while his administration said it isn’t requiring masks in schools. Wolf, speaking on KDKA-AM radio in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, said his strategy to fight the spread of COVID-19 has been the vaccine. Wolf’s comments came as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed course Tuesday, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the delta variant of the coronavirus is fueling infection surges. Wolf’s administration says it is recommending that Pennsylvanians and Pennsylvania schools follow federal guidance.
July 28, 2021 4:07 am
MACUNGIE, Pa. (AP) – President Joe Biden has checked out the big rigs at a Pennsylvania truck factory and promised workers that his policies will reshape the U.S economy for the working class. It’s a message clearly aimed at a group of voters who have drifted to the GOP. Biden is highlighting new “buy American” rules that his administration is proposing, saying they would put new muscle behind an initiative that he says has had become a “hollow promise” in recent years. The Biden administration believes the Democrats’ political prospects next year might hinge on whether Biden succeeds in reinvigorating a sector that has steadily lost jobs for more than four decades.
July 28, 2021 4:05 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A one-time top aide to the late former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter and a longtime lobbyist and political consultant from Philadelphia will run for U.S. Senate as an anti-Trump Republican. Craig Snyder announced his candidacy Wednesday and aimed it squarely at middle-of-the-road voters. The seat is opening up with the retirement of Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. Pennsylvania’s Republican and Democratic primaries are already crowded for what is expected to be a competitive contest in next year’s election. In his announcement video, Snyder attacks both “Trumpism” and “socialism,” and laments that centrist voters have come to see the Republican Party as “even crazier” than the ultra-left wing. (Photo:Twitter)
July 28, 2021 4:02 am
North Strabane Township Supervisors held a public hearing to weigh a proposed expansion to the Lakeview Village housing development on McDowell Lane near Canonsburg Lake. The multi-family housing development was initially approved in 2019 for 129 units divided up among 88 apartments and 41 townhomes. The plan was modified to raise the total number of housing units to 145 made up of 96 apartments and 49 townhomes. All of the proposed units would be rental units. The scope of the conditional use hearing was to make sure that the expansion abided by the conditions already approved by the supervisors. Such conditions would include unit density, parking regulations and public safety needs for the additional units. All conditions were met by developers but public comment did raise some concerns. One concern about garage size was raised. A resident of a neighboring development questioned whether garage sizes for proposed townhouses would fit some of the newer larger vehicles that are now available. Issues of increased traffic were addressed by a more recent traffic impact study. Supervisors were to consider the plan at the following legislative meeting but the item was tabled. Supervisors will weigh public comment before voting on the item at the August 24 legislative meeting.
July 28, 2021 2:34 am
PITTSBURGH — UPMC has named a new president and chief executive officer to replace Jeffrey Romoff, who announced his retirement. Leslie Davis, who most recently served as president of the Health Services Division at UPMC and has 30 years of health care experience, will succeed Romoff, effective Aug. 1. “I am honored to have the opportunity to lead UPMC and work with the board, our talented physicians and nurses and all the employees associated with our provider, insurance, international and enterprises businesses as we seek to offer residents of the communities we serve the very best health care services,” Davis said in a statement. Romoff has been with UPMC for 48 years, having led the organization since 1992. He will be named president emeritus to serve as a resource to Davis and UPMC until Oct. 1. (PHOTO; WPXI)
July 27, 2021 5:52 pm
ATHENS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio University has suspended another fraternity for violating hazing rules. The Athens-based school has notified the Delta Pi chapter of Sigma Chi that it has been suspended for four years following an investigation by the school that revealed student code of conduct violations. The fraternity accepted responsibility for providing false information to school officials or law enforcement and two hazing-related counts. The suspension comes about two weeks after the university found the Beta Chapter of Delta Tau Delta committed nine violations and was also suspended for four years. Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed a measure that put in place tougher penalties for hazing at Ohio universities and colleges starting this fall.
July 27, 2021 1:45 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – Four officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection are giving emotional and angry accounts of the attack. They testified Tuesday that they were beaten as the mob of Donald Trump supporters overwhelmed them, broke through windows and doors and interrupted the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential win. A new House committee is launching its probe with a focus on the law enforcement officers who protected them. Officers testified with emotion that they felt they might well be killed. And they rebuked Republican lawmakers for resisting the investigation and playing down the violence of the mob.
July 27, 2021 12:32 pm
(AP) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reversing course on some masking guidelines. The agency announced new recommendations Tuesday that even vaccinated people should return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging. Scientists cited new information about the ability of the delta variant to spread among vaccinated people. The CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status. The new guidance follows recent decisions in Los Angeles and St. Louis to revert to indoor mask mandates amid a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations that have been especially bad in the South.
