May 21, 2021 2:51 am
PHOENIX (AP) – Arizona’s top elections official says voting machines from the state’s most populous county should not be used after they were handed over to state Senate Republicans for an audit of the 2020 election results. Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said in a letter that Maricopa County lost control of the machines after they were handed over and doesn’t know what was done to them. She urged the county not to use the machines any longer and threatened to initiate a process that could lead to their decertification. County officials say they’re evaluating their next steps but will not use any machines that could pose a risk to free and fair elections.
May 21, 2021 2:50 am
NEW YORK (AP) – CNN says it was inappropriate for news anchor Chris Cuomo to be involved in phone calls with the staff of his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The Washington Post reports that the CNN news anchor was involved in strategy sessions on how to respond to sexual harassment allegations against his older brother. The Post said Chris Cuomo advised not resigning in the wake of the accusations, which his brother has not done. CNN has not disciplined its prime time anchor for being involved in the phone calls. Chris Cuomo apologized on his show Thursday night for being involved in the calls.
May 21, 2021 2:49 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Federal prosecutors say 18 electronic devices taken during raids last month on Rudolph Giuliani’s home and his law firm in a probe of his dealings in Ukraine belong to Giuliani and employees of his firm. The previously redacted facts were revealed when prosecutors on Thursday re-filed an April 29 letter on the public record in Manhattan federal court. The letter had sought the appointment of a “special master” to ensure nothing subject to attorney-client privilege was revealed to the government. The investigation is examining Giuliani’s ties to Ukraine and whether he violated a federal law that governs lobbying on behalf of foreign countries or entities.
May 21, 2021 2:48 am
JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel and Hamas have announced a ceasefire to end a bruising 11-day war that caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip and brought life in much of Israel to a standstill. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced late Thursday that his Security Cabinet approved the Egyptian-mediated proposal. Hamas quickly followed suit and said it would honor the deal. At 2 a.m. local time, just as the cease-fire took effect, life returned to the streets of Gaza. People went out of their homes, some shouting “Allahu Akbar” or whistling from balconies. The move came after heavy U.S. pressure to halt the offensive. At least 230 Palestinians were killed in the fighting, along with 12 people in Israel.
May 21, 2021 1:56 am
GREENSBURG, Pa. — Former Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez was convicted on 15 counts in the sexual assault trial of a then 13-year-old victim Thursday evening. Vazquez was found guilty of statutory sexual assault, indecent sexual assault, sexual abuse of children, unlawful contact with a minor, and corruption of a minor. Vazquez was found not guilty on 10 child porn charges related to video and picture evidence in the case. The jury only deliberated for four hours. Earlier Thursday, Vazquez took the stand as the trial entered its fourth day. He didn’t deny the sexual relationship that he had with the victim, but he did deny knowing that the victim was only 13. He also admitted to lying under oath. The prosecution painted a picture of Vazquez grooming the underage girl and calling her “kid” in texts. The defense said that the former MLB player’s career is over, and they don’t know what was going through the jury’s mind. The case isn’t over as the prosecution has cases in Florida and St. Louis.
May 21, 2021 1:46 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — Life Flight was needed after a two vehicle accident in Canton Township Thursday night. Washington County 911 says a two-vehicle accident had traffic stopped just before 10:00 p.m. on Interstate 70 eastbound just before the Jessop Place exit. Reports say one helicopter was deployed to the scene, while a second air unit was dispatched to the Washington Hospital to take a patient to a Pittsburgh facility. There is no word on the identities of the individuals involved, or what caused the accident. State Police led the investigation on scene.
May 21, 2021 1:11 am
Washington County Commissioners on Thursday, approved a resolution, at the request of Washington County Judge John DiSalle, to shift collection duties from the county’s Clerk of Courts Office to the Adult Probation Office. As a result of the move, four employees currently under the supervision of Brenda Davis, will be moved into the Adult Probation Office. County Court Administrator, Patrick Grimm, says they have been looking at the possibility of shifting the collections duties to Adult Probation for several months because that is the way it used to be. Grimm says it’s easier for criminal defendants to take care of all fines and fees in one office. Davis took exception to the move, claiming the commissioners were firing the employees. Commissioners though, reiterated, after a heated dispute with Davis, that no one was getting fired and there would be no change in pay or benefits. The move is expected to take effect June first.
May 20, 2021 5:29 pm
Pennsylvania is firing a company that performed COVID-19 contact tracing and exposed the private medical information of tens of thousands of residents. That’s according to the state health secretary. Employees of Insight Global used unauthorized Google accounts to personal information about residents who had been reached for contact tracing. The state had planned to drop Insight Global once its contract expires at the end of the July, but the Health Department told House Republicans on Thursday that it will terminate the contract early, on June 19.
May 20, 2021 4:58 pm
A Washington man is facing charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats and harassment in connection with an assault early Wednesday at a home along Third Street in Washington. Authorities say 55-year-old Fernando Milan allegedly stabbed a man in the face and neck with a broken bottle. Milan is also charged with assaulting and threatening a witness. Milan was last reported in the Washington County jail on one-hundred-thousand-dollars bond.
May 20, 2021 4:23 pm
The State Police Fire Marshal is investigating a fire Thursday morning along Baird Avenue in North Franklin Township. Authorities say the blaze broke out just after six o’clock in a one-story commercial building listed as Choice Extraction, Inc., a hemp extraction facility. There were no injuries.
