May 19, 2021 12:50 pm
Teachers in the West Greene School District in Greene County have voted to authorize a strike. At a general membership meeting on May 5, 2021, an overwhelming majority of WGEA’s membership chose to authorize the WGEA Negotiations Committee to issue a strike notice if a new contract is not reached soon, “A strike authorization provides the WGEA Negotiations Committee with the authority to call a strike, if necessary, under Pennsylvania’s public sector strike law, Act 88 of 1992. At this time, WGEA will continue negotiations with the Board in order to reach a fair and equitable contract settlement,” said Nicole Redlinger, WGEA spokesperson. “By taking this action, the membership of the WGEA has clearly indicated to the Board that we will take any and all steps available to us under Pennsylvania law in order to reach a contract settlement that treats all members of our union fairly and equitably,” said Matthew Rychtarsky, WGEA president. WGEA represents 69 teachers and professional education staff at the West Greene School District.
May 19, 2021 12:31 pm
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Fire crews have brought under control a fire in a downtown Pittsburgh high-rise that prompted evacuation of the building but caused no reported injuries. Pittsburgh public safety officials said the 9:30 a.m. Wednesday blaze was contained to the basement of the 44-story Gulf Tower, although smoke could be seen rising from the roof from what officials said was a ventilation shaft. Firefighters went floor to floor of the 582-foot-tall building to evacuate any remaining occupants. The blaze was declared under control shortly after 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. (WPXI)
May 19, 2021 4:21 am
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective protest of Israel’s policies. It came as Israeli missiles toppled a building in Gaza and militants in the Hamas-ruled territory fired dozens of rockets that killed two people. Moves to broker a cease-fire appeared to gain some traction. U.S. officials said the Biden administration was privately encouraging Israel to wind down the bombardment of Gaza. And Egyptian negotiators working to halt the fighting were optimistic international pressure would force Israel to the table. The general strike by Palestinians was mostly peaceful. However clashes between Israeli forces and protesters in the occupied West Bank left three Palestinians dead.
May 19, 2021 4:20 am
PHOENIX (AP) – Firms hired to run a partisan audit of the 2020 election for Senate Republicans in Arizona said Tuesday that data was not destroyed, reversing earlier allegations that election officials eliminated evidence. The claim of deleted databases was amplified by former President Donald Trump and his supporters, who believe conspiracy theories about election irregularities. On Tuesday, a data expert working on the audit team told senators he had recovered all data. The revelation came a day after officials in Arizona’s most populated county released a scathing letter saying the auditors couldn’t find the data because they weren’t looking in the right place.
May 19, 2021 4:19 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The New York attorney general’s office says that it is conducting a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s business empire, expanding what had previously been a civil probe. Attorney General Letitia James’ investigators are working with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which has been conducting a criminal investigation into Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, for two years. The Manhattan DA’s office obtained Trump’s tax records after a long legal fight in February. A message seeking comment was left with a lawyer for Trump.
May 19, 2021 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The House is poised to vote on a 9/11-style commission on the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The vote on Wednesday is the first step toward creating an independent, bipartisan panel that would investigate the siege. But the bill creating the commission is expected to be a more difficult sell in the Senate. Republicans are signaling that they will try to block or at least slow the effort. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that he is “pushing the pause button” on the legislation. Democrats would need at least 10 GOP votes in the Senate to pass it under Senate rules.
May 19, 2021 4:16 am
TOKYO (AP) – The IOC and local organizers are starting three days of meetings, some of the final planning before they attempt start the postponed Olympics in little more than nine weeks. They are meeting widespread skepticism with polling showing 60-80% oppose holding the games. Medical groups have also expressed strong opposition with the virus far from under control in Japan where only 1-2% of the population is fully vaccinated. The meetings will be headed by IOC vice president John Coates. He will attempt to again assure the Japanese population that the games will be “safe and secure.” The Olympics are to open on July 23.
May 19, 2021 4:12 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto has lost his bid for re-election to five-term state representative Ed Gainey, as the city took a big step toward electing its first Black chief executive. Peduto had been seeking a third term against three primary challengers but instead called to congratulate Gainey. Peduto tweeted late Tuesday that he was “wishing him well.” Meanwhile, Pennsylvania voters were given the opportunity to limit a governor’s emergency authority, more than a year after Gov. Tom Wolf’s pandemic restrictions drew fierce backlash among legislative Republicans. It was the headline question in an otherwise quiet off-year primary election.
May 19, 2021 3:38 am
NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) – President Joe Biden has delivered his first commencement address as commander-in-chief, praising new graduates at the Coast Guard Academy for excelling during the pandemic. He also stressed their vital role as the United States reasserts itself on the world stage. But Biden’s remarks in New London, Connecticut on Wednesday made no mention of several current global hotspots, including the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Hours earlier, Biden had issued a call for a cease-fire in the Mideast.
May 19, 2021 12:56 am
Unofficial election results from Tuesday nights election showed some runaway races and a few competitive races. With 178 of 180 Washington County voting precincts reporting results just after midnight Wednesday, here is a rundown of results in several contested races countywide.
Judge of the Court of Common Pleas
Democrat: Jesse Pettit 63% 11,555 votes / Joyce Hatfield-Wise 37% 6696 votes
Republican: Pettit 69% 13,438 / Hatfield-Wise 31% 6192
Controller of Washington County
Democrat: Ben Bright 57% 9879 / Randy Barli 43% 7340
Republican: April Sloane 62% 11,476 / H. Carl Brandtonies 38% 7029
Magisterial District Judge 27-1-01 (Washington, North Franklin)
Democrat: Kelly Stewart 50% 725 / Patrick Puskarich 33% 479 / Robert Dulaney 17% 236
Republican: Puskarich 47% 484 / Stewart 27% 274 / Dulaney 26% 263
Magisterial District Judge 27-3-02 (Bentleyville, North Bethlehem, West Pike Run)
Democrat: Curtis Thompson 78% 1113 / Ronald Tardivo 22% 324
Republican: Thompson 73% 957 / Tardivo 27% 362
Magisterial District Judge 27-3-06 (Mt. Pleasant, Cecil, Robinson McDonald)
Democrat: Lou McQuillan 55% 1063 / Kristin Clingerman 45% 859
Republican: McQuillan 68% 1482 / Clingerman 32% 710
Magisterial District Judge 27-3-10 (Amwell, Blaine, Buffalo, Claysville)
Democrat: John Bruner 52% 662 / Dan Stanek 38% 480 / Scott Bernett 10% 127
Republican: Bruner 48% 1161 / Stanek 36% 892 / Burnett 8% 210 / Jason Moore 8% 188
