July 16, 2020 4:05 am
Unidentified hackers have broken into the Twitter accounts of technology moguls, politicians, celebrities and major companies in an apparent Bitcoin scam. The ruse discovered Wednesday included bogus tweets from Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and a number of tech billionaires including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The fake tweets offered to send $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to a bitcoin address. Twitter said it was aware of a “security incident impacting accounts on Twitter” and was working to fix it. The FBI also said it was aware of Twitter’s security breach, but declined further comment.
July 16, 2020 4:03 am
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) – A U.S. judge has halted the execution of a federal death row inmate whose lawyers argue suffers from dementia. Wesley Ira Purkey was scheduled to be the second inmate executed by the government this week after a 17-year hiatus. A judge in Washington, D.C., imposed two injunctions Wednesday, and an appeals court panel upheld one of them Wednesday night. But the Supreme Court has still to be heard from, and the execution still might proceed. Purkey’s lawyers say he can no longer grasp why he’s slated to die. Purkey, of Lansing, Kansas, was convicted of the 1998 killing of a girl in Kansas City, Missouri.
July 16, 2020 4:02 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Target and CVS Health have joined the list of the nation’s largest retailers that will require customers to wear masks as cases of COVID-19 spike. Target’s policy will go into effect Aug. 1., while CVS’s rule will start Monday. More than 80% of Target’s 1,800 stores already require customers to wear masks due to local and state regulations. Target said Thursday that it will hand out masks at entrances to those who need them. The nation’s largest retailer, Walmart, announced this week that masks would be mandatory in all stores starting Monday. Starbucks, Best Buy, Kohl’s and Kroger Co. also have put mandatory face shield rules in place.
July 16, 2020 3:59 am
Washington County Commissioners dedicated a new Shelter 10 in Mingo Creek County Park. Commissioners were proud to display the newly rebuilt shelter and several other attractions throughout the park on Wednesday afternoon. A $1.4 million dollar investment into the park not only brought about the shelter renovation, but the refurbishing of the Henry House and the rebuilding of the Sumney Log House. A 9 hole par 3 disc golf course was built for adult exercise, as was a new playground on the Maintenance Hill play area. The new playground is built to allow children of all abilities the option to play. Ramp access and wheel chair accessible components highlight the new playground. Commissioner Chairwoman Diana Irey-Vaughn is excited to bring the park renovations to citizens to enjoy for years to come. Commissioner Larry Maggi calls the park a jewel in the county. And Commissioner Nick Sherman is particularly pleased with the playground. The park was paid for by funds generated by a natural gas lease signed with Range Resources.
July 16, 2020 3:56 am
The results of a state grant funded study on Charleroi Borough’s financial and management situation have been released. At Wednesday’s recessed meeting, state officials presented the results of the Strategic Management Planning Program (STMP) financial review to council via ZOOM. The process began in late 2018 when council had concerns over the financial situation. At present, the findings report that the borough is in good financial shape but needs to keep a close eye on the budget moving forward. In addition, the study calls for the hiring of a borough manager, which will be partially funded by a state grant. Other areas of concern include: management of personnel, Charleroi Regional Police Force policies and expenses, an abundance of vacant and blighted buildings, the need for economic and community development, and the lack of borough marketing. Council President, Mark Alterici, said he was “pleased” with the results of the study and thinks it would be “foolish” if the borough fails to follow through with the implementation of the plan.
July 16, 2020 3:53 am
The Avella Area school board has approved its reopening plan with classes scheduled to begin Aug. 26. The board addressed several procedures needed for effectively reopening the schools under COVID-19. Superintendent Cyril Walther expressed comfort in how the board has dealt with the situation. “I think it’s fluid now as information continues to change, and I think that’s going to happen throughout the school year”, Walther said. Although there will be an increase in spending for safety measures, Walther nonetheless felt that these precautions were justified. Such precautions include students mandatorily wearing masks, with the exception of being six feet apart in a classroom, and temperature checks for both students and staff members. Under a yellow phase, students will take online classes on certain days, but attend school on other days, according to their specific schedules. In a red phase, the school will resort to only online classes. However, students are welcome to attend online classes during the current green phase. As of now, the board is awaiting a final approval from the federal government in regards to funding. According to Business Manager Laura Schola, the schools could potentially receive a sum of $147,000. A safety committee meeting will occur on Aug. 13 to discuss any further updates or changes in regards to the reopening.
July 16, 2020 2:42 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday, announced broad new statewide restrictions on bars and restaurants and larger indoor gatherings. The state reported about 1,000 new infections Wednesday. As of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, July 16th, nightclubs will be shut down, bars will also be closed unless they also offer dine-in meals, and bars and restaurants will be limited to 25% capacity. Indoor events and gatherings of more than 25 people will be prohibited, as well as outdoor gatherings of more than 250, and businesses will be required to have their employees work remotely to the extent possible. Gyms and fitness facilities will be permitted to remain open but are being directed to prioritize outdoor physical fitness activities. The recently elevated statewide virus numbers have been driven in large part by increased spread in the Pittsburgh area, where officials attribute the spike to younger people and others congregating in bars and restaurants.
July 15, 2020 4:21 am
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (AP) – Florida surpassed its one day record for coronavirus deaths, amid rising fears of a resurgent pandemic. The 132 new deaths pushed the state’s seven-day average to more than double what it was two weeks ago. Britain and France announced Tuesday they will require people to wear face masks in public indoor spaces and an Australian state threatened to jail anyone caught violating quarantines, amid rising global fears about a resurgence of the pandemic. British officials announced the requirement after weeks of dismissing the value of masks, and said it will take effect July 24. In France, President Emmanuel Macron said masks will be required by Aug. 1, after recent rave parties and widespread backsliding on social distancing raised concerns about a rebound.
July 15, 2020 4:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court says Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been admitted to a hospital for treatment of a possible infection and will remain there for a few days. The court says in a statement that the 87-year-old Ginsburg went to a hospital in Washington on Monday evening after experiencing fever and chills. She then underwent a procedure at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on Tuesday afternoon to clean out a bile duct stent that was placed last August. The statement says the justice is resting comfortably and will receive intravenous antibiotic treatment.
July 15, 2020 4:17 am
PASADENA, Calif. – Organizers have canceled the Rose Parade because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on long-range planning for the New Year’s tradition. The Tournament of Roses Association say the decision was put off until organizers were certain safety restrictions would prevent staging the 132nd parade. The watched parade is held every Jan. 1 except when New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday. Since its inception in 1891, the parade has been canceled only three times — in the World War II years of 1942, 1943 and 1945.
