July 24, 2021 4:29 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — There has been an increase in violence in recent months in the South Side, including shootings and fights. Also, as more people return to the area following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, sidewalks have become more crowded and more people are walking into streets, leading to some instances in which people have been hit by cars. Police are now investigating a deadly shooting in the South Side Slopes, hours after a violent night rocked a different part of the neighborhood. According to police, after the shooting, a friend of the victim started to drive them to the hospital but stopped after seeing police patrolling the area. The friend then asked the officers for help. Unfortunately, after they tried to render aid, the victim died. Witnesses said this happened near a youth football game. Police said children as young as 12 are hanging out in the middle of the night along Carson Street. Police have increased patrols, as well as the presence of surveillance cameras. Spotlights have also been added to improve lighting in the area. In addition, there have been talks about setting up a police substation in the South Side. Public safety officials said bars and restaurants are cooperating. Public safety leaders said they’re concerned the violence could worsen in the coming weeks when colleges go back, as many bars and restaurants in Oakland are closed.
July 24, 2021 3:56 am
The Washington County Commissioners tasked their Elections Review Committee to make a recommendation to them as to whether the county should entertain the possibility of auditing past elections specifically the 2020 Presidential election. The committee voted 7-4 against recommending an audit. Nearly 100 people, the vast majority Democrats, turned out to witness the two and a half hour meeting and offer their opinions on the possibility of an audit. Committee Chairman Dave Ball, Chairman of the county Republican Party worked hard to make the audience understand that a forensic audit turning over voting machines and ballots to a third party was not what was being discussed. What was being discussed was third party review of processes employed by the county during elections. The meeting nearly got out of control with audience allegations of voter suppression and illegal aliens voting before sheriff’s deputies were brought in. Once discussion began, several committee members said they were caught by surprise that a request for proposal for a third party audit was being discussed. Chairman Ball stated that the committee should be looking for ways to improve on an already stellar voting performance. Committee member Peter Marcoline wondered aloud what the problems with elections were, or was the committee looking to spend money trying to find a problem. New committee member Ashley Duff presented the committee several pages of research that she performed indicating voter fraud and held out for a full forensic audit and hoped the decision would be tabled until the committee had time to digest her presentation.
July 24, 2021 1:42 am
Another chapter in the battle between Washington County officials and some row officers. Washington County President Judge John DiSalle issued a five-page order Thursday threatening to hold Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans Court James Roman in contempt. The order claims the office “has failed to maintain accurate and up to date docket, scanned images of filings, orderly physical files and timely (or actual) service of decrees and/or orders.” The order focuses on adoption cases says ‘the failure to carry out this statutory duty is causing harm to adopted children and their families.” Judge DiSalle says the court has received numerous complaints “among judicial officers, staff, and members of the Bar.” Back in January, the court issued an administrative order to the office setting procedures for offices including; hours of operation and regulations for timely processing of filings. Earlier this month, Judge DiSalle threatened to hold Clerk of Courts Brenda Davis in contempt if her office did not follow his orders to ‘cooperate fully and in good faith to ensure a successful transition of collection functions’ with the Adult Probation Office.
July 23, 2021 4:12 pm
A 15 year old boy has been arrested in connection with the early morning shooting of three men that occurred at 18th and Carson Streets on Pittsburgh’s South Side. Our news partner WPXI states that the 15 year old boy is from Clairton and will be charged as an adult. He remains unidentified. He will face charges of criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault, gun offenses, criminal mischief and recklessly endangering another person. One of the victims remains in critical condition the other two men are in serious condition.
July 23, 2021 3:54 pm
DETROIT (AP) – General Motors is recalling some older Chevrolet Bolts for a second time to fix persistent battery problems that can set the electric cars ablaze. Until repairs are done, GM says owners should park the cars outdoors and limit charging to 90% of battery capacity. They also should not deplete batteries below 70 miles of range. GM says the Bolts should not be charged overnight, and should be parked outside immediately after they are charged. The second recall comes after two Bolts that had been fixed under a previous recall caught fire. It covers about 69,000 Bolts worldwide from 2017, 2018 and part of the 2019 model year. GM says it’s still working on repairs but it’s likely battery parts will be replaced.
July 23, 2021 3:53 pm
MIAMI (AP) – Firefighters have officially ended their search for bodies in the debris of the collapsed Surfside condo building. But police and forensic specialists continue working to identify human remains recovered from the disaster. Miami Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah says the firefighters declared their mission over at noon on Friday. They left the site in convoy of official vehicles. The June 24 collapse killed at least 97 people and at least one more person believed missing in the disaster has yet to be identified.
July 23, 2021 4:09 am
NEW YORK (AP) – U.S. health officials say they now have evidence that an untreatable “superbug” fungus has spread in two hospitals and a nursing home. Outbreaks of the Candida auris fungus were reported in a Washington, D.C, nursing home and at two Dallas-area hospitals. A handful of the patients had invasive fungal infections that were impervious to all three major classes of medications. Health officials have sounded alarms for years about the superbug after seeing infections in which commonly used drugs had little effect. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the cases Thursday.
July 23, 2021 4:07 am
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas is beginning to arrest migrants on trespassing charges along the U.S.-Mexico border. Authorities said Thursday that at least 10 people have been jailed so far and more are expected in the coming weeks. The arrests are part of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s actions that he says are needed to slow the number of border crossings. He has also said he would continue building former President Donald Trump’s border wall and called on other governors to deploy law enforcement to the southern border. Val Verde County Attorney David Martinez says all of those arrested so far have been single adult men. He says it is his understanding that state troopers would not be arresting anyone arriving as part of a family unit.
July 23, 2021 4:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Calling the probe “deadly serious,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says a committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection “will do the job it set out to do” whether Republicans participate or not. House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy said Republicans won’t participate after Pelosi rejected two of the Republicans he chose to sit on the panel. Pelosi made clear on Thursday that she won’t change her mind. It is unclear whether Pelosi will try and appoint other members to the panel, as she has the authority to do under committee rules. She left open the possibility that she would do that.
July 23, 2021 4:05 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican lawmakers are under increasing pressure to persuade vaccine skeptics to roll up their sleeves and take the shots as a new, more contagious COVID-19 variant sends caseloads soaring. But it may be too late to change the minds of many who are refusing. After months of ignoring – and, in some cases, stoking – misinformation about the virus, more Republicans have been imploring their constituents to lay lingering doubts aside. The outreach comes as COVID-19 cases have nearly tripled in the U.S. over the last two weeks, driven by the explosion of the new delta variant, especially in pockets of the country where vaccination rates are low.
