August 12, 2020 4:09 am
ALLEGHENY CO., Pa. — (WPXI) – A longtime assistant district attorney for Allegheny County, Russ Broman, has died after a battle with COVID-19. District Attorney spokesperson Mike Manko confirmed Broman, 65, had been hospitalized with the coronavirus since July 7. A family attorney said in July that he was not on a ventilator but that it could be a possibility in the future. He was listed in critical condition on July 14 and remained critical over the past few weeks. The family’s attorney told our news partners at Channel 11 previously that Broman thinks he was exposed to the coronavirus on June 30 while at the Allegheny County Courthouse. Just a week later, he had to be taken to the hospital. Broman worked in the district attorney’s office since the early 1980s, and his accolades are endless. He argued in front of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court twice and 3rd Circuit Court multiple times, and he’s won a number of awards.
August 12, 2020 4:05 am
Supervisors in North Franklin Township spent their Tuesday afternoon meeting addressing left over business items. Supervisors look forward to continuing progress on the West Chestnut Street storm drain repairs. They came down hard on 4 property owners authorizing the advertisement of bids to demolish properties that long have been described as nuisance properties. Those demolition bids will be opened at noon on August 26. Supervisors also will advertise an ordinance to terminate the Recreation and Business Improvement Authority. Supervisors also will look to approve an ordinance that will establish a $20 pay per call stipend to the North Franklin Volunteer Fire Company. This stipend will be paid on all calls that the fire department is called out to answer. The funds for this program come totally from the township. Residents needing assistance will not be assessed this fee. Supervisor Bob Sabot says this is out of the generosity of the township as a way to help the fire department offset costs now that their normal fund raising activities are at a halt because of Covid-19
August 12, 2020 2:26 am
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) – Joe Biden introduced his newly chosen running mate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, with the former vice president and California senator appearing for the first time together as the Democratic presidential ticket. Biden pitched his former primary rival as a smart, tenacious figure who will help him defeat President Donald Trump in November amid a pandemic, cratering economy and national reckoning on racism. Harris is making history as the first Black woman on a national major party ticket, and she’d be the first woman to hold national executive office if Biden wins. Democrats see Harris as appealing to progressives, mainstream liberals and some independents and Republicans unhappy with Trump. The president and his allies are attempting to cast her as too left-wing for the country.
August 12, 2020 2:08 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — (WPXI) – A day after the Washington Wild Things suspended games following a warning by Pennsylvania State Police, the state’s health department seemed to contradict what the team said the reasoning was behind its decision. According to the team, the organization was warned by state police that if their season continued, they could be held accountable. When Gov. Tom Wolf permitted professional sports to resume play in front of 250 people, the organization put together a plan that would let fans enjoy the game in a safe and healthy environment. However, the Pa. Department of Health clarified by saying PSP received complaints about too many people attending games and that the organization never applied for a waiver that would allow the Wild Things to extend capacity beyond 250 people. Health department officials said “there was no intent for the Washington Wild Things to shut down,” and that the team can continue its season as long as it meets the 250 capacity limit.
August 11, 2020 3:43 pm
(AP) – The Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences won’t play football this fall because of concerns about COVID-19. The decisions take two of college football’s five power conferences out of a crumbling season amid the pandemic. The Big Ten’s announcement that it was postponing all fall sports and hoping to make them up in the second semester came first. An hour later, the Pac-12 called a news conference to say that all sports in its conference would be paused until Jan. 1, including basketball. The Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 and Southeastern Conference are still moving forward with plans to conduct a football season.
August 11, 2020 9:48 am
The Houston Pumpkin Festival is the latest, local even to cancel because of the coronavirus pandemic. Officials posted the announcement on their Facebook page saying “We waited as long as possible with hopes the situation may change”. “The health and safety of our community, vendors, and volunteers is most important to us”. The Pumpkin Festival is a three-day event held the second weekend in October. It is sponsored by the Houston Volunteer Fire Department and is their primary fundraiser. That made the decision especially difficult. Festival officials say they are looking ahead to 2021.
August 11, 2020 6:25 am
MOSCOW (AP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin says that a coronavirus vaccine developed in his country has been cleared for use and one of his daughters has already been inoculated, even as international experts have questioned its safety. Speaking at a government meeting Tuesday, Putin said that the vaccine has proven efficient during tests, offering a lasting immunity from the coronavirus. Putin added that the vaccine underwent the necessary tests. He added that one of his two adult daughters has received two shots of the vaccine. Russian authorities have said that medical workers, teachers and other risk groups will be the first to be inoculated.
August 11, 2020 4:55 am
The coronavirus put a number of activities on hold since it shut down normal life back in March. One of the activities that Peters Township Council paused was its capital improvements program. Council voted unanimously to resume a limited number of those projects. Township Manager Paul Lauer suggested about a half dozen projects that can be completed. Among those projects are the replacement of the smoke and fire detection system in the municipal building and the upgrade to the HVAC system in the library. Lauer hopes to be able to include an air cleaning system to filter out impurities and viruses such as Covid-19. Lauer said that roads will be addressed. The rejuvenator and crack sealing process will take place. Lauer praised council and their conservative budgeting practices that allow them to continue these plans. Revenues are running slightly behind in 2020, but the budgeting is what gave council the liberty to tackle the projects and their $460,000 price tag.
August 11, 2020 4:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump was abruptly escorted by a U.S. Secret Service agent out of the White House briefing room as he was beginning a coronavirus briefing Monday afternoon. He returned minutes later, saying there was a “shooting” outside the White House that was “under control.” Trump says, “There was an actual shooting and somebody’s been taken to the hospital.” He says the shots were fired by law enforcement, and he believes the individual who was shot was armed. The shooting took place near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue just blocks from the White House, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.
August 11, 2020 4:22 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Police camera video of Minneapolis officers arresting George Floyd has been released to the public and is now available for publication. The footage became available Monday after a Hennepin County judge ordered it released. News organizations including The Associated Press had already viewed and written about the footage, and also pressed for the right to publish it. The video comes from the body cameras of former Officers Thomas Lane and J. Kueng. The footage shows Floyd pleading with the officers as they struggle to place him in a squad car in the minutes before his death on May 25. Floyd, a handcuffed Black man, died after Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes.
