Plane That Slid Off Runway Has Been Removed

February 11, 2021 3:56 am

PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – A Delta Air Lines flight slid off a runway at Pittsburgh International Airport Wednesday evening. Officials said shortly before 6:30 p.m., Delta Air Lines flight 2231 heading to Atlanta slid off a taxiway, which is adjacent to the runway. There were 77 people on board. No injuries were reported. The plane involved was a Boeing 717, which has three seats on one side and two seats on the other in the main cabin. Heavy snow showers were pushing through the region Wednesday evening, but it is not clear at this point if weather was a factor in the incident. It took several hours for emergency crews to get there and get people off the aircraft. A slide could not be used to get people off the plane due to the angle of the plane. Firefighters had to use ladders. Buses were used to shuttle people back to the terminal. A spokesperson for Delta said many passengers chose to continue their travel late Wednesday night on an alternate aircraft it provided. Others left Thursday morning on a regularly scheduled flight.  The plane was cleared from the area late Thursday afternoon.

Massive Crash Leaves At Least Five Dead In Texas

February 11, 2021 2:52 am

DALLAS (AP) – Police say at least five people were killed and dozens injured in a massive crash involving 75 to 100 vehicles on an icy Texas interstate. The pileup on Interstate 35 near downtown Fort Worth happened as a winter storm is dropping freezing rain, sleet and snow on parts of the U.S. A spokesman for the Fort Worth ambulance service said 36 people were taken to hospitals. Several were critically injured. In suburban Austin, emergency officials said that more than two dozen vehicles were involved in a pileup on an icy highway, and five people were taken to the hospital.

Hot Dog! The Wienermobile Is Coming To Pittsburgh

February 10, 2021 12:36 pm

(WPXI) – The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is coming to Pittsburgh this weekend. From Thursday to Sunday, you can find the 27-foot long ride across the area. Pittsburgh native Relish Rachel will be behind the wheel of the Wienermobile. She’s part of the Hotdogger program. The Hotdoggers are a group of 12 college graduates who become spokespersons for Oscar Mayer. Here’s where you can check it out:

Thursday, Feb. 11: Seven Springs from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 13: PPG Ice Rink from 11a.m. – 2 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 14: Heinz History Center from 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

The Wienermobile has been traveling across America since 1936, and the Hotdogger program has been running since 1988.

One In Three Americans Likely Won’t Get COVID Vaccine

February 10, 2021 9:46 am

NEW YORK (AP) – About one in three Americans say they definitely or probably won’t get the COVID-19 vaccine. That’s according to a new poll that some experts say is discouraging news if the U.S. hopes to achieve herd immunity and vanquish the outbreak. The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that while 67% of Americans plan to get vaccinated or have already done so, 15% are certain they won’t and 17% say probably not. Many expressed doubts about the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, even though few if any serious side effects have turned up more than a month and a half into the vaccination drive.

One Dead & Four Hurt In Minnesota Shooting

February 10, 2021 4:17 am

BUFFALO, Minn. (AP) – Authorities say one person is dead and four others are wounded in a shooting at a Minnesota health clinic. A 67-year-old local man said to have been angry with the care he received was arrested. The five people were taken to hospitals after Tuesday’s attack at the Allina clinic in Buffalo, a community of about 15,000 people roughly 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis. Three of the victims remained in critical condition Tuesday evening, and one was discharged from a hospital. The alleged shooter was identified as Gregory Paul Ulrich, of Buffalo. Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer said Ulrich was well-known to authorities before the attack.

Dems Push School Funding, Wage Increase

February 10, 2021 4:16 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Democrats muscled past Republicans on major portions of President Joe Biden’s pandemic plan, including a proposed $130 billion in school relief and a gradual increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Democrats on the Education and Labor Committee say schools won’t be able to reopen safely until they get an infusion of funding to repair ventilation systems, buy protective equipment and take other steps recommended by health officials. The panel met Tuesday to craft its portion of a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that tracks with Biden’s reopening plan. Republicans say they oppose the legislation.

CDC Says Two Masks Are Better Than One

February 10, 2021 4:15 am

NEW YORK (AP) – A new government study finds that wearing two masks can be better than one in protecting against coronavirus spread. But health officials are stopping short of recommending that everyone double up. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday reported the results of a lab experiment. The researchers found that particles were blocked twice as much when two masks were worn. The CDC is updating its guidance to address wearing two masks. It says that a cloth mask worn over a surgical mask can tighten the gaps around the mask’s edges that can let virus particles in.  (Photo:  CNN)

Dems Say Trump “Built” Mob Who Attacked The Capitol

February 10, 2021 4:14 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats are arguing that former President Donald Trump “built” the mob that attacked the Capitol. Prosecutors at Trump’s impeachment trial on Wednesday said Trump fired up his supporters with lies about a stolen election and followed up with an invitation to a Jan. 6 rally. House impeachment manager Eric Swalwell detailed how Trump announced the rally on Twitter: “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” Swalwell said Jan. 6 was Trump’s “last chance to stop a peaceful transition of power.” Swalwell said Trump’s tweet wasn’t a “casual, one-off reference or a single invitation.” Swalwell said he repeatedly reminded his supporters to show up.

Historic Pittsburgh Building To Be Demolished

February 10, 2021 4:09 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Authorities say a multistory building on Pittsburgh’s South Side built at least 141 years ago will be demolished on safety grounds after a massive fire and partial collapse. Pittsburgh Public Safety officials said in a Twitter post Tuesday that the structure is “considered structurally unsound” after the collapse. Fire crews fought for hours Monday to contain the blaze reported at about 2:30 p.m. that sent flames and smoke poured from the building. At one point, the side of the building facing 11th street collapsed, showering the streets with bricks, glass and other materials. No one was injured. The cause of the fire is under investigation. (Photo: WPXI)

Violence Continues In Philadelphia

February 10, 2021 4:08 am

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Police say seven people were killed Monday around the city of Philadelphia in a sharp increase in violence that had already surged to near-record levels last year. The killings brought the total number of homicides so far this year to 62, a 55-percent increase over the number at the same time last year that saw a total of 499 homicides. Police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said many factors are behind the surge, including more people at home and more people inside. She said police were trying to ensure that mediation is available and to deal with narcotics, which has been driving a lot of the violence.