Mask And Vaccine Arguments Getting Violent At Times

August 22, 2021 7:29 am

PHOENIX (AP) – Across the country, more anti-vaccine and anti-mask demonstrations are taking scary and violent turns. People have been stabbed, punched or harassed at their homes for being in favor of vaccine and mask mandates. Often the assailants are parents. Educators, medical professionals and public figures have been stunned at the level at which they have been vilified. But with just over half the U.S. population vaccinated and the surging delta variant, harassment and outright assaults over efforts to curb the virus’ spread are looking to become their own epidemic. There is worry this kind of conduct will be tolerated as a new normal.

Henri Weakens As Storm Makes Landfall In Northeast

August 22, 2021 7:28 am

Henri weakened slightly to a tropical storm early Sunday as it edged closer to landfall. Millions of people on New York’s Long Island and in southern New England braced for flooding, toppled trees and extended power outages. Henri was on course to crash into a long stretch of northeastern coastline by midday Sunday. The center of the storm was projected to pass over the eastern tip of Long Island. Rain and flooding began in some areas late Saturday. Storm surges were also expected early Sunday. People in the projected path spent Saturday scrambling to stock up on groceries and gasoline. Those close to the coast boarded up windows, and some evacuated.

Man Dies In Fayette County Shooting

August 22, 2021 4:23 am

NORTH UNION TWP, Pa. — State police are investigating a deadly shooting Friday afternoon in North Union Township. It happened at Meridian Point Apartments on Confer Vista Drive shortly after 12:30 p.m. According to police, Michael Cole Debeary, 32, was shot during an altercation involving two other men. Debeary died at the scene. The other two men required medical treatment for unspecified injuries. State Police said the Fayette County district attorney has been consulted as part of the ongoing investigation.

Man Shot At Rivers Casino Friday Night

August 22, 2021 4:16 am

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A man is in stable condition after being shot in the leg at the Rivers Casino overnight. According to officials, Pittsburgh EMS, Police and the Pennsylvania State Police responded to the 700 block of Casino Drive for a male shot around 1 a.m. When first responders arrived, they located the male victim on the upper level of the garage. He was transported to a local hospital. The suspect was arrested on scene without incident. According to officials, police learned the victim and suspect knew each other and there was no immediate danger to the public. SWAT was called on scene to clear the parking garage. The investigation is ongoing at this time.

Eighty Four Man Dies In Car Accident

August 22, 2021 2:16 am

SOUTH STRABANE TWP., Pa. – An Eighty Four man is dead following an accident at the South Junction of Interstates 70 and 79 early Saturday morning. According to the Washington County Coroner’s Office, Samuel Schoedel, 22, was the operator and lone occupant of a vehicle traveling on Interstate 79 northbound attempting to take the ramp onto Interstate 70 eastbound. The man collided with a guardrail and overturned his vehicle. Schoedel was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the incident. This accident happened just before 2:00 a.m. The cause and manner of Schoedel’s death are still pending. The accident is under investigation by Pennsylvania State Police. Ambulance and Chair Service as well as the South Strabane Fire Department responded to the incident.

Singer Tom Hall Dies At 85

August 21, 2021 4:31 am

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Singer-songwriter Tom T. Hall, who composed “Harper Valley P.T.A.” and sang about life’s simple joys as country music’s consummate blue collar bard, has died. He was 85. His son, Dean Hall, confirmed the musician’s death Friday at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. áHall was known as “The Storyteller” for his unadorned yet incisive lyrics. He composed hundreds of songs and had several No. 1 hits as a singer. Born in Kentucky, Hall wrote his first song by age 9. Throughout the ’70s, Hall became one of Nashville’s biggest singer-songwriters. His hits included “I Love,” “Country Is,” “I Care,” “I Like Beer,” and “Faster Horses (The Cowboy and The Poet.)”

Man Jailed After Library Of Congress Incident

August 21, 2021 4:30 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – A man who claimed he had a bomb in a pickup truck near the U.S. Capitol has told a federal judge he has not taken his “mind medication” and was ordered to undergo a mental competency hearing. Floyd Ray Roseberry appeared Friday before a judge in Washington and was charged with threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to use an explosive device. The 49-year-old drove a pickup truck onto the sidewalk outside the Library of Congress Thursday morning and began shouting that he had a bomb. Police later searched the vehicle and said they did not find a bomb but did collect possible bomb-making materials.

Relief Arrives To Haitian Quake Victims

August 21, 2021 4:29 am

LES CAYES, Haiti (AP) – Haitians left hungry and homeless by a devastating earthquake are rushing relief shipment trucks and in some cases stealing desperately needed supplies. People stole foam mattresses, tarps and food Friday in the small, hard-hit port city of Les Cayes. In the town of Vye Terre, men climbed onto the back of a half-open container truck and pulled out sacks of food that others then carried away. The attacks on relief shipments illustrate the rising frustration of those left without food or shelter after the magnitude 7.2 earthquake. The Aug. 14 quake killed nearly 2,200 people, injured more than 12,000 and destroyed or damaged more than 100,000 homes.

U.S. Envoy Arrives In S. Korea For Nuclear Talks

August 21, 2021 4:27 am

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – President Joe Biden’s special envoy for North Korea arrived in South Korea Saturday for discussions over stalemated nuclear diplomacy with the North. Sung Kim’s visit comes amid fresh tensions over ongoing U.S.-South Korean military exercises, which the North has described as an invasion rehearsal and threatened unspecified countermeasures that would leave the allies facing a “security crisis.” Kim will meet his South Korean counterpart Noh Kyu-duk on Monday and also plans to hold separate talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, who also arrived in Seoul on Saturday.

Western Wildfires Continue To Blaze In California

August 21, 2021 4:26 am

PLACERVILLE, Calif. (AP) – Crews are digging in and burning out fire lines amid fears that another round of high winds will bring renewed fury to a Northern California wildfire. The Caldor Fire in the northern Sierra Nevada has destroyed dozens of homes and on Friday authorities closed down a 46-mile stretch of Interstate 50, the main route between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. They’re concerned about forecasts of winds Saturday up to 40 mph. The blaze is one of about a dozen large California wildfires that have scorched Northern California, incinerating at least 700 homes. Thousands of homes remain under threat and 10 national forests in the region have been closed.