January 20, 2021 5:07 am
Louis McQuillan of McDonald has announced his candidacy for Magisterial District Judge 27-3-06 which includes; McDonald Borough, Cecil Township, Mt Pleasant Township and Robinson Township. A lifelong Washington County resident, McQuillan has served as Police Chief in Mt. Pleasant Township for the past ten years. He has been with the department for the past 18 years. McQuillan has twice been elected as a councilman in McDonald Borough. A graduate of Point Park University with a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He is a member of numerous police organizations. McQuillan resides in McDonald with his children who attend school in the Fort Cherry School District.
January 20, 2021 4:25 am
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California officials are pinning their hopes on President-elect Joe Biden as they struggle to obtain coronavirus vaccines to curb a surge that has packed hospitals and morgues. Doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been arriving haphazardly as they make their way from the federal government through the state and finally to counties, cities and hospitals. San Francisco’s public health department says it’s likely to run out of vaccine on Thursday. But Mayor London Breed and others say they’re hopeful that Biden will provide more resources for vaccination after he’s inaugurated on Wednesday. California this week surpassed 3 million COVID-19 cases.
January 20, 2021 4:22 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is placing blame on President Donald Trump for the deadly riot at the Capitol. McConnell on Tuesday said the mob was “fed lies” and the president and others “provoked” those intent on overturning Democrat Joe Biden’s election. McConnell’s remarks come on Trump’s last full day in office. The Republican leader vowed a “safe and successful” inauguration of Biden on Wednesday. It’s an unparalleled time of transition as the Senate presses ahead to Trump’s impeachment trial and starts confirmation hearings on Biden’s Cabinet. Three new Democratic senators-elect are to be sworn into office Wednesday.
January 20, 2021 4:18 am
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Lottery players are getting another shot at the third-largest jackpot in U.S. history. The Mega Millions top prize has hit an estimated $865 million, making Tuesday night’s drawing the biggest in more than two years. The winning number’s in Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing are: 10-19-26-28-50 and a Mega Ball of 16. Powerball, the other lottery game offered in most of the U.S., isn’t far behind at $730 million for a drawing Wednesday night. It’s the first time both lottery jackpots have topped $700 million. No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since Sept. 15. The last Powerball jackpot winner was a day later, on Sept. 16.
January 20, 2021 4:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Joe Biden has officially become the 46th president of the United States. Biden took the oath of office just before noon Eastern time during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. The presidential oath was administered by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Biden was sworn in using a Bible that has been in his family since 1893 and was used during his swearing-in as vice president in 2009 and 2013. Biden’s late son, Beau, also used the Bible for his own swearing-in ceremony as attorney general of Delaware and helped carry the Bible to his father’s 2013 ceremony.
January 20, 2021 4:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has pardoned former chief strategist Steve Bannon as part of a late flurry of clemency action benefiting nearly 150 people, including rap stars and former members of Congress. The pardons and commutations for 143 people, including Bannon, were announced after midnight Wednesday in the final hours of Trump’s White House term. The last-minute clemency, announced earlier Wednesday morning, follows separate waves of pardons over the last month for Trump associates convicted in the FBI’s Russia investigation as well as for the father of his son-in-law.
January 20, 2021 4:12 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Beset by state-ordered closures during the pandemic, casinos and other gambling operators in Pennsylvania reported a drop in 2020’s revenues of more than one-fifth the previous year, even as their take from online gambling and sports betting skyrocketed. Pennsylvania’s 13 operating casinos, fantasy sports operators and truck stops took in $2.65 billion in gross revenue in 2020, compared to $3.4 billion taken in by 12 casinos in 2019, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said. That was a drop of 22%. Not including sports wagering, fantasy sports or truck stops, Pennsylvania’s casinos drew $2.4 billion, a drop of 26% from $3.3 billion.
January 20, 2021 4:10 am
Peters Township residents were able to attend a PennDot public hearing virtually for an upcoming road project. Rachel Duda, Assistant District Executive for Design and Brian Svesnik, Project Manager were on hand to educate residents about a roundabout that is scheduled for construction at the intersection of Valleybrook Road and Bebout Road. Those roads currently carry between 11,000 and 6,000 vehicles respectively on a daily basis. During peak travel times traffic suffers from heavy backups. The roundabout design was chosen because it is less expensive to maintain as compared to an intersection with turning lanes and a traffic light. Roundabouts carry about 30% more traffic than stop controlled intersections. Questions during the presentation were raised about accidents and officials stated that accident rates dropped by 21%, serious injury rates were reduced by 77% and fatalities by 100% when compared to traditional stop controlled intersections. Speed is controlled by the physical design of the roundabout. Cars cannot navigate the roundabout at a high rate of speed. Usually speed is 25 miles per hour through the roundabout. PennDot expects to start the project in October of 2022 and it will last one construction season. The public is invited to make comments to PennDot at their website.
January 20, 2021 4:08 am
North Strabane Township held a conditional use hearing for Key Development Partners, LLC to listen to their proposal to build a Starbucks Coffee outlet adjacent to the Doubletree Hotel on Racetrack Road. The property is described as a shopping center because it will not only house the Starbucks, Chase Bank wants to include a drive through ATM location on the site as well. The owners of the Starbucks describe their project as a prototypical Starbucks with retail, restaurant and a drive through lane. The Chase bank will be located away from the Starbucks at its own distant location. The store will be located on a one acre parcel adjacent to the Doubletree Hotel and access to the site will be through the Doubletree parking lot. The developers hope to break ground in the spring and begin operating in the fall of 2021. Supervisors will act on the approval at their legislative meeting next week.
January 20, 2021 2:52 am
(WPXI) – State Police are still trying to figure out if a police chase and a bizarre burglary in the Bentleyville area are connected. Cellphone video shows the immediate aftermath of a chase and crash that ended in Bentleyville. In the video, you can see an SUV at the bottom of a hill off Main Street. The chase started on I-70, then the suspect’s car crashed into a vehicle, which hit a utility pole near the Bentleyville exit, then hit a parked car, knocking it over the hill. Troopers want to know if that man is connected to a break-in earlier in the day, in which the individual was in a home for about two hours. They say he made himself at home, changing into the homeowner’s clothing, eating his food, using the restroom and spitting chewing tobacco in the sink. The individual fled when the homeowner returned and discovered his house had been broken into. Later that afternoon, police say, is when the chase and crash occurred.
