July 28, 2021 4:35 pm
Houston (AP) – ZZ Top says bassist Dusty Hill, one of the Texas blues trio’s bearded figures, has died at his Houston home. He was 72. In a Facebook post Wednesday, guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard said Hill had died in his sleep. They didn’t give a cause of death, but a July 21 post on the band’s website said Hill was “on a short detour back to Texas, to address a hip issue.” At that time, the band said its longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis, would fill in on bass, slide guitar and harmonica. Born Joe Michael Hill in Dallas, he, Gibbons and Beard formed ZZ Top in Houston in 1969. (Photo:TMZ)
July 28, 2021 11:49 am
(AP) – McCormick & Co. is voluntarily recalling some seasonings due to possible salmonella contamination. The company said this week that it’s recalling McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning, McCormick Culinary Italian Seasoning and Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Ranch Seasoning. Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. No illnesses have been reported to date in relation to the recalled products. McCormick said that the potential risk was brought to its attention by the FDA during routine testing. The products were shipped between June 20 and July 21 to 32 states, Bermuda and Canada. McCormick said that consumers should dispose of the recalled products and their containers. The company can be reached at 1-800-635-2867 weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT for a replacement or full refund, and with general questions.
July 28, 2021 4:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republicans negotiating a $1 trillion infrastructure bill with Democrats say they have reached agreement on the major outstanding issues and are ready to take up the bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has announced a possible test vote that could come as soon as Wednesday evening. The infrastructure bill is a key part of President Joe Biden’s agenda. The outcome will set the stage for the next debate over Biden’s much more ambitious $3.5 trillion spending package, which includes child care, tax breaks and health care. The Republican senators met Wednesday morning with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who appears to have given his nod to proceed to consider the emerging legislation.
July 28, 2021 4:15 am
Four law enforcement officers have detailed the racism and bigotry on display during the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. The officers testifying before a congressional panel Tuesday included veteran Black and Hispanic officers who added their wrenching stories to the official record. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn told lawmakers about an exchange he had with rioters who disputed that President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump in the last presidential election. When Dunn, who is Black, argued with the rioters that he voted for Biden and that his vote should be counted, the rioters began calling him a racial slur.
July 28, 2021 4:13 am
LAPORTE, Texas (AP) – Two people are dead after a chemical leak at plant in La Porte, Texas. LyondellBasell spokesperson Chevalier Gray said in a statement that the incident happened about 7:35 p.m. Tuesday and involved an acetic acid leak at the company’s facility in the La Porte Complex. Emergency responders from the City of La Porte and Channel Industries Mutual Aid were on the scene Tuesday night. Gray said two people “sustained fatal injuries.” Seven others sustained injuries, including burns. Some were treated at the scene and others were sent to a hospital. The company said it was working closely with responders to confirm all employees were accounted for.
July 28, 2021 4:11 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A transportation funding commission is preparing to recommend how to raise billions more dollars in Pennsylvania for a 21st-century highway system, a report that is expected to kick off a debate that could last years. The report, expected this week, was ordered by Gov. Tom Wolf in March to find ways to replace Pennsylvania’s gas tax. It is expected to contain a blend of recommendations, but the primary revenue-raiser will be a vehicle-miles-traveled fee. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Stan Saylor said it’s a difficult time to raise taxes and fees, as the economy rebounds from the pandemic, and he predicted no action before 2023, at the earliest.
July 28, 2021 4:09 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Gov. Tom Wolf says he’s not considering a statewide mask mandate as coronavirus cases surge in Pennsylvania and across the country, while his administration said it isn’t requiring masks in schools. Wolf, speaking on KDKA-AM radio in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, said his strategy to fight the spread of COVID-19 has been the vaccine. Wolf’s comments came as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed course Tuesday, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the delta variant of the coronavirus is fueling infection surges. Wolf’s administration says it is recommending that Pennsylvanians and Pennsylvania schools follow federal guidance.
July 28, 2021 4:07 am
MACUNGIE, Pa. (AP) – President Joe Biden has checked out the big rigs at a Pennsylvania truck factory and promised workers that his policies will reshape the U.S economy for the working class. It’s a message clearly aimed at a group of voters who have drifted to the GOP. Biden is highlighting new “buy American” rules that his administration is proposing, saying they would put new muscle behind an initiative that he says has had become a “hollow promise” in recent years. The Biden administration believes the Democrats’ political prospects next year might hinge on whether Biden succeeds in reinvigorating a sector that has steadily lost jobs for more than four decades.
July 28, 2021 4:05 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A one-time top aide to the late former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter and a longtime lobbyist and political consultant from Philadelphia will run for U.S. Senate as an anti-Trump Republican. Craig Snyder announced his candidacy Wednesday and aimed it squarely at middle-of-the-road voters. The seat is opening up with the retirement of Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. Pennsylvania’s Republican and Democratic primaries are already crowded for what is expected to be a competitive contest in next year’s election. In his announcement video, Snyder attacks both “Trumpism” and “socialism,” and laments that centrist voters have come to see the Republican Party as “even crazier” than the ultra-left wing. (Photo:Twitter)
July 28, 2021 4:02 am
North Strabane Township Supervisors held a public hearing to weigh a proposed expansion to the Lakeview Village housing development on McDowell Lane near Canonsburg Lake. The multi-family housing development was initially approved in 2019 for 129 units divided up among 88 apartments and 41 townhomes. The plan was modified to raise the total number of housing units to 145 made up of 96 apartments and 49 townhomes. All of the proposed units would be rental units. The scope of the conditional use hearing was to make sure that the expansion abided by the conditions already approved by the supervisors. Such conditions would include unit density, parking regulations and public safety needs for the additional units. All conditions were met by developers but public comment did raise some concerns. One concern about garage size was raised. A resident of a neighboring development questioned whether garage sizes for proposed townhouses would fit some of the newer larger vehicles that are now available. Issues of increased traffic were addressed by a more recent traffic impact study. Supervisors were to consider the plan at the following legislative meeting but the item was tabled. Supervisors will weigh public comment before voting on the item at the August 24 legislative meeting.
