May 13, 2021 4:16 am
DENVER (AP) – Federal officials say two airplanes collided in the air near Denver and managed to land without anyone being hurt. Authorities say the collision between the twin-engine Fairchild Metroliner and the single-engine Cirrus SR22 happened Wednesday as both planes prepared to land at a small regional airport in a Denver suburb. Key Lime Air says its Metroliner’s tail section was substantially damaged, but that the pilot landed safely at the Centennial Airport. Authorities say a pilot and one passenger were on the other plane that deployed a parachute and drifted safely down to a field.
May 13, 2021 4:15 am
CLEMMONS, N.C. (AP) – The cybersecurity attack on the Colonial Pipeline has stricken fear and stress into the lives of people in the Southeastern U.S. who have been waiting in long lines amid distribution problems and panic-buying. The company said it initiated the restart of pipeline operations late Wednesday. But it will take several days for deliveries to return to normal. The situation forced some people to face the prospect of lost wages and missed doctors appointments. Restaurants and bars may be particularly squeezed since some workers may not be able to come to work and some customers may abandon plans to eat out.
May 13, 2021 4:12 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Legislation that would give parents in Pennsylvania the option to have their children repeat a grade in school because of disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic is on its way to the state House of Representatives. The bill passed the state Senate unanimously on Wednesday. Under the bill, parents could have their child repeat, event if the student met the grade-level requirements to move up a grade. Currently, schools and teachers make the decision on whether to hold a student back. The bill also provides similar enrollment exceptions for children in programs for special education or for deaf and blind students.
May 13, 2021 4:10 am
The trial for Chris Williams (pictured), the 55 year old Waynesburg man charged in the shooting of Anthony Ward at the Regal Cinemas at the Washington Crown Center has completed two days of testimony. The prosecution called the constable on duty at the theater that night to testify how the shooting transpired and how the scuffle was brought under control. DNA and forensics experts from the Pennsylvania State Police were called on to provide evidence linking the gun to Williams and to the functionality of the handgun. The defense called the defendant to offer his recollection of the events that transpired on March 23, 2019. Williams’ testimony often contradicted what had been presented earlier in the trial. During Williams’ testimony about how he was attacked after he allegedly struck Lamar Wormsley in the face, he broke down in tears several times. Judge Valarie Costanzo paused testimony to allow Williams to compose himself. Under cross examination the prosecution pounded Williams as to why he recalled things differently than seven eye witnesses and the constable. Williams was asked why he cried today but never in three previous interviews he had given investigators. Williams was asked why he decided to confront the bothersome group instead of calling management, the constable or simply just leaving. The day’s testimony ended after two character witnesses. The defense is expected to call two additional witnesses on Thursday before resting its case.
May 13, 2021 2:03 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – The Pennsylvania attorney general’s office is looking into a breach of COVID-19 contact tracing data that may have compromised private information of some 72,000 people. Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Wednesday that investigations have begun “on multiple fronts,” but he declined to elaborate. The state Health Department disclosed two weeks ago that employees of contact tracing vendor Insight Global ignored security rules and created unauthorized documents outside the state’s secure computer systems. Insight Global has acknowledged mishandling sensitive information and apologized. The state has paid Insight Global about $28.7 million since March 2020.
May 12, 2021 1:40 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will induct Jay-Z, Foo Fighters and the Go-Go’s, elected this year on the first ballot. They will join Tina Turner, Carole King and Todd Rundgren as performers ushered into the Rock Hall. The Cleveland-based museum will hold an induction ceremony Oct. 30 in Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, before what they hope is a full house paying tribute to the return of live music. The hall is also honoring LL Cool J, Billy Preston, Randy Rhoads, Kraftwerk, Gil Scott Heron and Charley Patton in special categories. The hall announced its 2021 class on Wednesday.
May 12, 2021 12:37 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – Ellen DeGeneres is calling time on her long-running talk show. Reports say the daytime host, who has seen a ratings hit after allegations of running a toxic workplace, has decided that her upcoming season will be the last. “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” started airing in 2003 and has a mix of dancing, games and giveaways along with A-list celebrities. But the host, who built her brand on the motto “Be Kind,” opened season 18 in September with a lengthy apology. Three of the show’s producers exited over the summer amid allegations of a dysfunctional workplace that harbored misbehavior, including sexual misconduct and racially insensitive remarks.
May 12, 2021 4:13 am
(AP) – COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have tumbled to an average of about 600 per day – the lowest level in 10 months. The number of lives lost per day has dropped to single digits on average in well over half the states and has hit zero on days. Confirmed infections, meanwhile, have fallen to about 38,000 day on average, their lowest mark since mid-September. They have plummeted 85% from a peak of more than a quarter-million cases per day in early January.
May 12, 2021 4:12 am
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – Israel has killed a string of senior Hamas military figures and pounded three multi-story towers as it hammers the Gaza Strip with airstrikes. Meanwhile, militants in the territory fired barrages of rockets Wednesday. Dozens have died in the worst outbreak of violence since a 2014 war, with no resolution in sight. The fighting has taken on many hallmarks of that devastating 50-day conflict between Israel and Hamas. But now it comes with a startling new factor: a burst of fury from Israel’s Palestinian citizens in support of those living in the territories as well as counter violence by Jewish Israelis. In response, Israel deployed border guards in two mixed Arab-Jewish cities that saw unrest in previous days.
May 12, 2021 4:11 am
UNDATED (AP) – Federal health advisers have endorsed use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in kids as young as 12. Earlier in the week, the Food and Drug Administration cleared the expanded use of Pfizer’s shots, citing evidence the shots worked as well in those 12 to 15 years old as those 16 and older. Kids in some places are already rolling up their sleeves. But much of the nation was waiting for Wednesday’s recommendations from advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many states will be shipping doses to pediatricians and even to schools.
