October 8, 2020 7:44 am
President Donald Trump says he won’t participate in next week’s debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden if it’s virtual. Debate organizers announced Thursday that the debate would be virtual because of Trump’s diagnosis of COVID-19. The Commission on Presidential Debates made the announcement a week before Trump and Biden were scheduled to face off in Miami. It said the candidates will “participate from separate remote locations,” while the participants and moderator remain in Miami. But Trump told Fox News that he’s “not going to do a virtual debate.” He was diagnosed with the coronavirus a week ago and said he looked forward to debating Biden on stage in Miami.
October 8, 2020 6:21 am
A McMurray man was killed in a motorcycle crash Wednesday afternoon in Cross Creek Township. The Washington County Coroner’s office says 64 year old David Copeland was pronounced dead along Avella Road (State Route 50) just before 5 p.m. He was the operator of a three-wheel motorcycle that was traveling west when he struck a fallen tree in the road and lost control. A cause and manner of death are pending. State Police continue to investigate.
October 8, 2020 4:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The vice presidential debate featured plexiglass barriers erected to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. They were no match for the night’s most infamous intruder, a fly that briefly buzzed around the stage before spending a long stretch perched on Mike Pence’s head. The incident went unmentioned on the debate stage, with the Republican vice president and Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris continuing to discuss systemic racism in the justice system. But as the insect remained embedded in Pence’s white mane, the social media firestorm was immediate. It easily created more, well, buzz, than nearly anything else that occurred.
October 8, 2020 4:13 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is crediting an experimental drug treatment with helping his recovery from COVID-19 and suggesting his diagnosis could be a “blessing in disguise” for the nation’s battle against the pandemic. But there is no way for the president or his doctors to know whether the drug had any effect. In a new White House video posted Wednesday evening, Trump says his improving condition sheds light on an experimental antibody cocktail. He promises to swiftly get the drug approved for broader use – and distribute it for free – even though he does not have the power to order that himself.
October 8, 2020 4:11 am
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic challenger Kamala Harris traded barbs through plexiglass shields Wednesday night in a debate dominated by the coronavirus pandemic. Harris said President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic, which has killed more than 210,000 Americans is “the greatest failure of any presidential administration.” Pence said Trump has constantly put the American people first. The president himself was back at the White House recovering from his own battle with the virus. The debate was far more civil that last week’s when Trump constantly interrupted and was almost yelling at times in his faceoff with Joe Biden.
October 8, 2020 4:10 am
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – A hurricane warning has been issued for a stretch of the northern U.S. Gulf Coast as Hurricane Delta has begun its trek on a path forecast to take it toward Louisiana. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Delta is expected to become a major hurricane again, like it was days earlier before crossing part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. But some weakening is forecast once Delta approaches the northern Gulf Coast on Friday. As of 10 p.m. CDT Wednesday, Delta was about 525 miles south-southeast of Cameron, Louisiana. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 90 mph, slightly stronger after crossing part of southern Mexico into the lower Gulf.
October 8, 2020 4:07 am
GREENSBURG, Pa. — Our news partners at Channel 11 have confirmed two residents at Westmoreland Manor have died from COVID-19. One of those people, Ed Gavlak, died Tuesday morning. Gavlak’s family said he was diagnosed last Wednesday and was transferred to the hospital on Friday. The county coroner confirmed that Gavlak died from the coronavirus. He is the 52nd person in the county to die from the virus. “I don’t know what the problem is. I’m sure people are trying the best they can, but why is it happening so suddenly?” said his daughter Denise Gavlak. The identity of the other person who died is not yet known. Channel 11 has reached out to officials from Westmoreland County, which owns the facility, about the escalating outbreak. Westmoreland Manor has been dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak in recent weeks. The National Guard was brought in to help control the outbreak and take over testing so that employees can focus on patient care. County Commissioner Gina Cerilli posted on Facebook on Monday that National Guard members will remain with the facility through at least Oct. 12. As of Wednesday afternoon, 104 residents and 32 staff members had tested positive. Most of the residents are asymptomatic, but four required hospitalization.
October 7, 2020 7:38 am
Two people were transported by ambulance to area hospitals following a three vehicle crash Wednesday morning in Canton Township. It happened just after 5:30 a.m. at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Smiley Road. Washington County 9-1-1 dispatch tells us one of the vehicles was a motorcycle. There is no word on the identity or condition of those injured. Crews from numerous departments cleared the scene and had traffic flowing normally through the area less than two-hours later. An investigation into the crash continues.
October 7, 2020 5:24 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI)- The mother of a former California University of Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh Central Catholic football standout confirmed that her son died of COVID-19 complications and blasted President Donald Trump’s statements about the illness. The mother of Jamain Stephens, Kelly Allan, expressed her frustrations Tuesday on MSNBC. “I feel taunted,” Allen said during an interview with Ayman Mohyeldin. “To see the devastation that the coronavirus has had on over 200,000 people, no other country has experienced the devastation and loss that the U.S. has.” Trump announced Friday morning that he tested positive for COVID-19 and went to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment. He tweeted Monday “Don’t be afraid of Covid.”
October 7, 2020 4:33 am
The writer, singer and producer of the classic “I Can See Clearly Now” has died. Johnny Nash’s son says his father died Tuesday at his home in Houston of natural causes at 80. Nash was a Houston-born artist who rose from pop crooner to early reggae star to chart-topping status with “I Can See Clearly Now.” Released in 1972, the tune was covered by artists ranging from Ray Charles and Donny Osmond to Soul Asylum and Jimmy Cliff, whose version was featured in the 1993 movie “Cool Runnings.” It also turned up in the film “Thelma and Louise,” and a Windex commercial.
