October 10, 2020 9:26 am
LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) – Delta is now a tropical storm moving across the U.S. South after striking Louisiana as a major hurricane. The National Hurricane Center said Delta blew ashore Friday evening as a Category 2 only a few miles from where Hurricane Laura struck land just six weeks earlier. Delta ripped tarps off damaged roofs and scattered massive piles of storm debris in the wind and water. Hundreds of thousands are without power as the storm moves north and east, into Mississippi and the Tennessee Valley. In Lake Charles, Louisiana, Mayor Nic Hunter says his city will be in recovery mode for months and probably years.
October 10, 2020 9:24 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – With time running out before the election, President Donald Trump is looking to get his campaign back on track. That’s just a week after he was sidelined with the coronavirus, which has killed more than 210,000 Americans. As questions linger about his health, he will hold an event at the White House on Saturday and what he calls a “BIG RALLY” in Sanford, Florida, on Monday. Trump on Friday held what his campaign billed as a “radio rally” as he dialed in to the show of conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. Public and private surveys show him trailing Democrat Joe Biden, but Trump claims he will win.
October 10, 2020 9:20 am
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – A federal judge has blocked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s order dramatically reducing places where voters could drop off mail ballots during early voting in the November elections. Abbott’s order shuttered dozens of sites statewide, limiting the number of drop-off locations to one per county, including in Texas’ biggest cities. The order also emphasized that poll watchers may observe ballot deliveries. President Donald Trump’s urging that his supporters go to polling places and “watch very carefully” raised concerns about possible voter intimidation. Democrats and voting rights groups call the order voter suppression. Republicans say the reduced drop-off sites enhanced election security.
October 10, 2020 9:18 am
ROME (AP) – Europe’s second wave of coronavirus infections has struck well before flu season even started. Intensive care wards are filling up again and bars are shutting down. And authorities say a widespread case of “COVID-fatigue” is making matters worse. Spain this week declared a state of emergency for Madrid amid increasing tensions between local and national authorities over virus containment measures. Germany offered up soldiers to help with contact tracing in newly flaring hotspots. Italy mandated masks outdoors and warned that for the first time since the country became the European epicenter of the pandemic, hospitals are filling up again.
October 10, 2020 9:14 am
NEW CASTLE, Pa. (AP) – A woman in western Pennsylvania is accused of taking and selling nude photos of her young daughters. New Castle police on Thursday charged the woman, the children’s father and the man who bought the photos. The girls are between 11 and 13 years old. The mother is charged with conspiracy to commit sexual abuse/photographing or filming sexual acts. The father is charged with child endangerment because authorities say he had knowledge his children were being photographed. Their names have not been released in order to protect the identities of their daughters, who have been placed into the custody of child welfare officials
October 10, 2020 9:12 am
(AP) – A white former Philadelphia police officer has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a Black man after a high-speed car chase nearly three years ago. Prosecutors say former Officer Eric Ruch Jr. shot and killed 25-year-old Dennis Plowden Jr. in December 2017 after Plowden crashed his car following a police pursuit. Prosecutors say a dazed Plowden was on the ground and holding his empty left hand in front of his face when Ruch fired the fatal shot. Ruch was fired from the police force after the shooting. He was charged Friday. The police union says its lawyers will defend the former officer.
October 10, 2020 9:11 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – House Republicans in Pennsylvania are dropping plans to fast-track an 11th-hour effort to set up a Republican-majority election panel with subpoena power. It came amid accusations by Democrats that it was an effort to steal the election. Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff said “the muddied waters and misunderstanding” about the intent of the Select Committee on Election Integrity made it clear it’s the wrong time. The presidential battleground state is hotly contested by President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. House Republicans introduced the legislation Sept. 28. That was two days after Trump, at a campaign rally near Harrisburg, claimed he will lose Pennsylvania only if Democrats cheat.
October 10, 2020 4:21 am
Local fire departments and emergency service departments will receive grants to assist with extra expenses due to the Covid-19 pandemic. These grants were announced by State Representative Bud Cook of the 49th district. $50 million was made available through the Office of the State Fire Commissioner and are part of the federal CARES Act. These funds are to be used to supplement operational expenses due to the inability to conduct fund raising activities and other revenue generating activities due to the pandemic. Twenty five departments throughout Washington and Fayette counties were awarded grants.
October 10, 2020 4:08 am
Two long time members of the Washington and Jefferson College Department of Athletics announced their retirements. Debby Lowe will be retiring after 20 years of service to the department. Lowe was an Athletic Secretary who was instrumental in arranging transportation, arranging game contracts and handling preparations for special events. Rich Stevens will be leaving after 41 years. Stevens started in 1979 and has served as W&J’s equipment manager since 1990. Director of Athletics, Scott McGuinness says “We are so thankful for the work that Debby and Rich have conducted for our student-athletes over the years and we wish them the best in their retirements”
October 9, 2020 3:55 pm
GENEVA (AP) – The World Health Organization has announced a record in new daily coronavirus cases confirmed worldwide, with more than 350,000 reported to the U.N. health agency. The new daily high surpasses a record set earlier this week by nearly 12,000 cases. In a press briefing on Friday, WHO emergencies chief Dr. Michael Ryan acknowledged that even as COVID-19 continues to surge across the world, “there are no new answers.” He said that although the agency wants countries to avoid the punishing lockdowns that have devastated economies, governments must ensure the most vulnerable people are protected and that numerous measures must be taken. (Photo: dw.com)
