February 17, 2024 5:07 am
NORTH FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A truck carrying thousands of gallons of floor wax crashed on Interstate 70 last week, creating a mess in a creek. Some residents in North Franklin Township say they have concerns. Bill Campo took photos of the creek outside his home just after a tractor-trailer overturned on I-70, spilling almost its entire load. The truck was carrying 5,000 gallons of white floor wax which spilled onto the road and into the creek. Township officials say hazmat crews have already pumped out half a million gallons of wastewater from the creek and will continue to pump it out until the DEP gives them the all-clear. The DEP told our news partners at Channel 11 the substance is nonhazardous and nonflammable. Campo says he’s concerned for the long-term effects the spill will have on wildlife in the area, but happy to see that eight days later the creek outside his home is running clear.
February 17, 2024 5:01 am
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — (WPXI) – An interim report from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says there’s no evidence of contamination in western Pennsylvania related to the East Palestine train derailment. A Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous material derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on Feb. 3, 2023. A few days later, a massive explosion during a controlled release of the chemicals inside the train sent heavy black smoke pluming into the air over the small town. The DEP said it and its independent contractor conducted a year of sampling and found no evidence of water or soil contamination related to the derailment in Pennsylvania’s private water wells, surface water and soil. DEP’s contractor also conducted, and continues to conduct, sampling at three sentinel monitoring wells installed in Pennsylvania by Norfolk Southern near the train derailment location. The DEP said groundwater in this area has not been impacted by contamination from the derailment. Samples have been taken at 85 individual private potable water sources, 97 surface soil locations and 18 surface water locations within the commonwealth, totaling hundreds of samples, the DEP said.
February 17, 2024 4:56 am
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – A homicide suspect who was taken into custody at Pittsburgh International Airport Wednesday morning is charged with fatally stabbing his mother during an argument. Allegheny County police said they were dispatched to the parking garage at Pittsburgh International Airport just before 8 a.m. Wednesday for reports of a man who jumped from the second floor. Officers weren’t able to location the person until a short time later when they received a call for medical assistance from a stairwell in the parking garage. The man was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, police said. He was identified as Joshua Leyo, 30, from Altoona. Leyo is charged with first degree murder, aggravated assault, and other charges, for the stabbing death of his mother, Maureen Mazenko. He admitted to getting into an argument with her and stabbing her in the neck, according to the Altoona Police Department. Leyo used his mother’s bank account and took an Uber from Altoona to Pittsburgh, where he was later apprehended at the airport.
February 17, 2024 4:51 am
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) — President Joe Biden is praising what he says were “Herculean efforts” to rebuild at the site of last February’s train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Biden visited Friday, more than a year after a train loaded with hazardous chemicals derailed causing a deadly explosive fire. He blames what happened on the railroad company’s greed. Residents still upset that Biden didn’t visit sooner shouted profanity as the president’s motorcade drove by. Biden has faced criticism that he has ignored the victims of the derailment. Many of them still worry about their health. The White House says Biden wanted to visit when the time was right. He was invited by the mayor.
February 16, 2024 3:50 pm
PITTSBURGH (AP) — President Joe Biden is visiting East Palestine, Ohio, over a year after a deadly explosive fire there caused by a 2023 train derailment. The president’s visit Friday to the village of 5,000 is at the invitation of its mayor. The White House says Biden waited for the right moment to visit East Palestine but he has faced criticism that he has ignored the victims. The Environmental Protection Agency is on the verge of finishing an extensive cleanup paid for by the train company, Norfolk Southern. Republicans have blasted Biden for not visiting sooner and there are some enduring tensions in the community.
February 16, 2024 3:49 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge has ruled against Donald Trump, imposing a $364 million penalty over what the judge said was a yearslong scheme to dupe banks and others with financial statements that inflated the former president’s wealth. Trump also has been barred from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation for three years. However, the judge backed away from an earlier ruling that would have dissolved the former president’s companies. Judge Arthur Engoron issued his decision Friday after a 2½-month trial. The stiff penalty is a victory for New York Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Trump in 2022 over what she said were years of deceptive practices. Trump lawyer Alina Habba calls the verdict “manifest injustice.”
February 16, 2024 8:40 am
Washington County Commissioners awarded $8.7 million in Local Share Account Grant monies on Thursday. Fifty projects will share in those awards in 2024. The approval vote from commissioners was 3-0. The approval was not without controversy. Earlier this week, Commissioner Larry Maggi asked why the Washington City Mission was initially on the list for a grant of $500,000 and roughly a week later they were removed. Walt Turner sits on the Board of Directors of the City Mission and during public comment, he asked that very question. The request was to help fund a 50 bed homeless women’s shelter that is currently under development. Outgoing President and CEO, Dean Gartland and Chief Development Officer, Dr. Sally Mounts both addressed commissioners with their disappointment about being eliminated from consideration. Commissioner Chairman Nick Sherman stated that the approval made today was from a revised list of recipients. According to Sherman, officially, there were never two communications made to grant recipients and he is not sure if a board member may have leaked information to the City Mission before it was official. Washington County received $9.2 million dollars in LSA monies this year. According to Sherman, that $500,000 that was not awarded to the City Mission will be carried over into next year’s awards. Sherman did state that commissioners will be meeting with the City Mission on how to apply for grants next year. Gartland will not be involved in that process as new President and CEO of the City Mission will be former County Commissioner Diana Irey-Vaughan.
February 16, 2024 7:58 am
There is increased security in the Burgettstown School District after writing was found on campus “that could be construed as a threat.” According to a letter from the superintendent, there will be an increased police presence on campus today and Tuesday after administration was made aware Thursday of the writing, found on a restroom stall at the Middle/High School. Superintendent Stephen Puskar said the writing “could be construed as a threat to the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff.” While the threat was “very vague in nature,” it did indicate a date of Feb. 20, and steps being taken were “out of an abundance of caution,” he continued. He said school police, who consulted with Smith Township Police and Pennsylvania State Police departments, will put the plan into place Friday and Tuesday, as there is no school Monday.
February 16, 2024 7:29 am
(AP) – Russian authorities say that Alexei Navalny, the fiercest foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests, died in prison. He was 47. The Federal Penitentiary Service said in a statement that Navalny felt unwell after a walk on Friday and lost consciousness. An ambulance arrived to try to revive him, but he died. Navalny’s spokeswoman said on X that the politician’s team had no confirmation of his death so far and that his lawyer was traveling to the town where he was held.
February 16, 2024 5:06 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia prosecutors are trying to knock down misconduct allegations against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis by calling her father to the witness stand to testify about his knowledge of her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she hired to lead Donald Trump’s case. Willis’ father, John Clifford Floyd III, testified on the second day of an extraordinary hearing that could result in Willis being removed from the case against the former president over a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Willis’ father testified that he had not met Wade until last year and didn’t find out until weeks ago that they had been in a romantic relationship.
