September 15, 2021 1:05 am
CARLISLE, Pa. (AP) – More than $104 million in Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls went uncollected last year as the agency fully converted to all-electronic tolling. Turnpike records show the millions of motorists who don’t use E-ZPass have a nearly 1 in 2 chance of riding without paying under the “toll-by-plate” license plate camera system. The turnpike says nearly 11 million out of the total of about 170 million turnpike rides generated no revenue for the agency last year and its bad debt expense has more than quadrupled in the past seven years. About 10,000 Pennsylvania vehicle registrations are currently suspended for overdue toll bills, but that doesn’t apply to out-of-state drivers.
September 14, 2021 2:50 pm
Sequoia National Park has been shut down and its namesake gigantic trees are potentially threatened as forest fires burn in steep and dangerous terrain in California’s Sierra Nevada. Two fires were ignited by lightning last week and their combined sizes cover nearly 5 square miles on Tuesday. Both fires are projected to advance in the direction of Giant Forest, which is home to more than 2,000 giant sequoias. A park spokesman says Giant Forest is not imminently threatened but that there is a potential threat.
September 14, 2021 1:20 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – One of the recurring debates among theater lovers has been what would signify Broadway’s return after the global pandemic shuttered live theater in March 2020. For the producers of three powerhouse shows – “The Lion King,” “Hamilton” and “Wicked” – the answer is Tuesday, when the spiritual anchors of modern Broadway’s success rev their engines again. “The Lion King,” “Hamilton” and “Wicked” all staked out Tuesday to reopen together in early May after then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo picked Sept. 14 for when Broadway could begin welcoming back audiences at full capacity.
September 14, 2021 4:20 am
As hundreds of mostly unvaccinated COVID-19 patients filled Alabama intensive care units, hospital staff in north Alabama contacted 43 hospitals in three states to find a specialty cardiac ICU bed for Ray Martin DeMonia, his family writes in his obituary. The resident of Cullman, Alabama, was finally transferred to Meridian, Mississippi, about 170 miles away. The 73-year-old antiques dealer died there Sept. 1. Now, his family is making a plea. “In honor of Ray, please get vaccinated if you have not, in an effort to free up resources for non-COVID related emergencies,” his obituary reads. After describing the search for an ICU bed for DeMonia, the obituary adds: “He would not want any other family to go through what his did.”
September 14, 2021 4:18 am
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A federal judge has ordered the state of Iowa to immediately halt enforcement of a law that prevents school boards from ordering masks to be worn to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Judge Robert Pratt said in an order signed Monday that the law passed in May substantially increases the risk of several children with health conditions of contracting COVID-19. Several parents with children that have various medical conditions sued the state. Pratt says he has looked at data on the effectiveness of masks to reduce spread of the virus and agrees with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics on mask wearing in schools. Gov. Kim Reynolds says the state will appeal.
September 14, 2021 4:17 am
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Republicans led by former President Donald Trump are raising unsubstantiated claims that California’s recall election against Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is rigged. That messaging poses a problem for Republican Party officials, who are encouraging everyone to vote while maintaining concerns about the state’s election security. GOP officials have vowed to watch over the race and possibly sue to challenge any irregularities. As of Saturday, 7.8 million ballots have been cast, or 35% of registered voters. The secretary of state says California has the nation’s strictest voting system security requirements. Much of the GOP criticism of California’s elections has focused on the wide use of mail-in ballots.
September 14, 2021 4:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – House Democrats have unveiled a sweeping proposal for tax hikes on big corporations and the wealthy to fund President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion rebuilding plan. Congress is speeding ahead to shape the far-reaching package that touches almost all aspects of domestic life. The proposed top tax rate would revert to 39.6% on individuals earning more than $400,000, or $450,000 for couples. There would be a 3% tax on wealthier Americans making beyond $5 million a year. For big businesses, the proposal would lift the 21% corporate tax rate to 26.5%. The tax hikes are in line with Biden’s own proposals.
September 14, 2021 4:14 am
HOUSTON (AP) – The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Hurricane Nicholas has made landfall along the Texas coast, bringing the threat of up to 20 inches of rainfall to parts of the Gulf Coast. The hurricane center says the storm touched down on the eastern part of the Matagorda Peninsula, about 10 miles west southwest of Sargent Beach, Texas, with maximum winds of 75 mph. Nicholas was the 14th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. The biggest unknown about Nicholas was how much rainfall it would produce in Texas, especially around flood-prone Houston. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says authorities have placed rescue teams and resources in the Houston area and along the coast. Storm-battered Louisiana was also expected to see heavy rain and flooding from Nicholas.
September 14, 2021 4:10 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – People would need to wear masks at all indoor events and some outdoor events under new legislation that is expected to be introduced at Tuesday’s Allegheny County Council meeting, according to our news partners at Channel 11. Under the new proposal, sponsored by council members Bethany Hallam and Olivia Bennett, people would be required to wear masks at any outdoor gathering of more than 250 people. Anyone who fails to comply could be fined up to $100. If passed, it would be effective until Apr. 30, 2022, unless the council acts to repeal it sooner, according to reports. “It’s not taking away personal freedoms. It’s giving our people the right to live. This virus is killing people and so we’re leading and we’re making these decisions. We have to make the decisions that are going to help save our constituents’ lives,” Bennett said. “The goal is for it to look kind of like what we were doing at the beginning of the pandemic.”
September 14, 2021 2:50 am
Washington Health System’s President and CEO Brook Ward wants to assure the public that beds in both Washington and Waynesburg Hospitals are available despite reports of rising Covid numbers in the county. Ward says that part of the reason for availability is the county’s 70% vaccination rate. The problem facing the hospitals is a shortage of staff, but that could be solved by rearranging some staff or programs, but Ward says there has not been a need for such actions yet. There are currently 31 in-patients in both hospitals, the high last year was 58.
