January 17, 2022 3:59 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – The pilot of a medical helicopter that crash-landed without loss of life next to a church in a residential area of suburban Philadelphia last week has been released from a hospital. The pilot has been identified as Danial Moore. He said Sunday morning he didn’t remember much about the accident but was feeling fortunate. Moore expressed gratitude to other crew, first responders and medical personnel treating his injuries. The helicopter was transporting an infant girl when it came down Tuesday afternoon next to Drexel Hill United Methodist Church in Upper Darby.
January 17, 2022 3:58 am

PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – A woman died from injuries suffered after she was hit by a bus Tuesday morning in downtown Pittsburgh, officials said. The Medical Examiner’s office identified the woman 64-year-old Dal Rai. She died two days after the accident. Rai was hit shortly before 6:30 a.m. along Liberty Avenue. It was a Port Authority of Allegheny County bus that was involved. The front of the bus hit Rai, who then became caught between the front bumper and the street, a Port Authority spokesperson said. Paramedics took Dai to a Pittsburgh hospital in critical condition, officials said. The bus driver, who has worked for the Port Authority for 23 years, will be tested for drugs and alcohol, as per policy, the spokesperson said.
January 17, 2022 3:54 am

The region continues to feel the effects of Winter Storm Izzy that rolled through the region Sunday into Monday. Road crews are making progress but some area roads remain snow covered and motorists are advised to use caution and only travel if necessary. Washington County 9-1-1 says there have not been any major issues resulting from the storm so far. State Police in Washington report no problems on the Interstate highways. Many schools and businesses are closed on Monday because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The Washington School district and Canon McMillan school districts had flexible instruction days, while McGuffey went to remote learning. West Penn Power was reporting only a handful of power outages early Monday morning. Garbage collection in the City of Washington and Peters Township was stopped on Monday. Tune to WJPA 95.3FM/1450AM for the very latest information.
January 16, 2022 8:15 am
BOSTON (AP) — Microsoft said late Saturday that dozens of computer systems at an unspecified number of Ukrainian government agencies have been infected with destructive malware disguised as ransomware, a disclosure suggesting an attention-grabbing defacement attack on official websites was a diversion. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear. The attack comes as the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine looms and diplomatic talks to resolve the tense stand-off appear stalled. Microsoft said in a short blog post that amounted to the clanging of an industry alarm that it first detected the malware on Thursday. That would coincide with the attack that simultaneously took some 70 government websites temporarily offline. The disclosure followed a Reuters report earlier in the day quoting a top Ukrainian security official as saying the defacement was indeed cover for a malicious attack.
January 16, 2022 8:13 am
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic left Australia on Sunday evening after losing his final bid to avoid deportation and play in the Australian Open despite being unvaccinated for COVID-19. A court earlier unanimously dismissed the No. 1-ranked tennis player’s challenge to cancel his visa. Djokovic, a 34-year-old from Serbia, said he was “extremely disappointed” by the ruling but respected it. A masked Djokovic was photographed in an Melbourne airport lounge with two government officials in black uniforms. He left on an Emirates flight to Dubai, the same United Arab Emirates city he flew to Australia from. He has won a record nine Australian Open titles, including three in a row, but this time won’t even get the chance to try. “I respect the Court’s ruling and I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country,” he said in a statement.
January 16, 2022 8:12 am
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The tsunami threat around the Pacific from a huge undersea volcanic eruption began to recede Sunday, but the massive ash cloud covering the tiny island nation of Tonga prevented surveillance flights from New Zealand to assess the extent of the damage. Satellite images showed the spectacular eruption that took place Saturday evening, with a plume of ash, steam and gas rising like a mushroom above the blue Pacific waters. A sonic boom could be heard as far away as Alaska. In Tonga it sent tsunami waves crashing across the shore and people rushing to higher ground. The eruption cut the internet to Tonga, leaving friends and family members around the world anxiously trying to get in touch to figure out if there were any injuries. Even government websites and other official sources remained without updates on Sunday afternoon.
January 16, 2022 8:11 am

COLLEYVILLE, Texas (AP) — Four hostages are safe and their captor is dead after an hourslong standoff that began when the man took over services at a Texas synagogue where he could be heard ranting on a livestream and demanding the release of a Pakistani neuroscientist who was convicted of trying to kill U.S. Army officers in Afghanistan. One hostage held Saturday at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville was released during the standoff; three others got out about 9 p.m. when an FBI SWAT team entered the building, authorities said. The hostage taker was killed and FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt DeSarno said a team would investigate “the shooting incident.” Video from Dallas TV station WFAA shows people running out a door of the synagogue, and then a man holding a gun opening the same door just seconds later, before he turns around and closes the door. Moments later, several rounds of gunfire can be heard, followed by the sound of an explosion. FBI and police spokeswomen declined to answer questions about who shot the man. DeSarno said the hostage taker was specifically focused on an issue not directly connected to the Jewish community, and there was no immediate indication that the man was part of any broader plan. But DeSarno said the agency’s investigation “will have global reach.” It wasn’t clear why the attacker chose the synagogue.
January 16, 2022 8:05 am
CLAIRTON, Pa. (WPXI) — A woman was found with a gunshot wound at around 2:21 a.m. in Clairton, the Allegheny County Police Department said. Crews responded to the 700 block of Reed Street where the adult woman was found and evidence of the shooting was located. The victim was transported to an area hospital and is expected to survive, according to police. ACPD detectives are investigating the scene. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the County Police Tip Line 1-833-ALL-TIPS.
January 16, 2022 8:02 am

KITTANNING, Pa. (WPXI) — Nothing is left of the old furniture store on Orr Avenue in Kittanning that was being used for storage. The front of the building collapsed onto the street, and cinder blocks were scattered everywhere after a major fire ripped through the building early Saturday morning. The two apartment buildings on each side are also a total loss. Fortunately, everyone made it out safely. The extreme heat caused significant damage to several cars and houses. Firefighters from Armstrong, Butler and Allegheny Counties helped to put out the fire. Chief Kline said they had challenges with the water supply and the cold. The state police fire marshal is now investigating how this fire started. (Photo: WPXI)
January 16, 2022 2:18 am

Winter Storm Izzy is expected to dump accumulating snow on the area Sunday night and Monday, prompting a winter storm warning from Sunday afternoon at one through Monday afternoon. A storm system entering the Pacific Northwest will dive southeast and end up along the gulf coast over the weekend. The storm will quickly drive northeast into the mid-Atlantic and Appalachians, bringing snow into the region Sunday afternoon and Sunday night. Southwestern Pennsylvania could see 8 to 12 inches of snow according to the National Weather Service. In the meantime, local municipalities are preparing for the onslaught. In the city of Washington, the head of the street department, Joe Pintola says their crews, which had been dealing with a COVID outbreak, are back to full force. He says crews have been pre-treating the streets with brine and if and when the snow falls, they’ll be ready to go. In Canonsburg, Mayor Dave Rhome says their crews are also ready and he is encouraging all residents to move their cars off the streets so road crews will be able to more easily remove the snow. Rhome is also asking residents who may have a fire hydrant in front of or near their homes, to shovel the snow around it so it can be easily accessible should firefighters need to use it. Meanwhile in neighboring Peters Township, officials have declared a Snow Emergency, meaning no cars are allowed to be parked on township streets and residents are asked to avoid travel if possible during the weather event. (Graphic courtesy of NWS Pittsburgh Facebook Page)