January 18, 2020 4:54 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Gov. Tom Wolf says he’ll follow through on his plan to close another state prison. Wolf’s administration made the announcement Friday after it carried out the required hearings on its plan. The move was announced originally in August as a cost-cutting step amid a declining inmate population and rising prison costs. The plan was criticized by the corrections’ officers union and state lawmakers whose districts surround Retreat state prison in northeastern Pennsylvania. Retreat, about 10 miles west of Wilkes-Barre, has about 400 employees and about 940 inmates. The administration says the closing could occur in four months at an annual savings of $40 million.
January 18, 2020 4:51 am
The Department of Education awarded $350,000 dollars in grants to local schools to expand computer science programs for students. State Senator Camera Bartolotta (R-46) announced that 10 local schools will receive $35,000 each to support the introduction and expansion of computer science programming and provide training for educators to teach computer science to students from pre-kindergarten through high school. The grants were awarded through the PAsmart Targeted grant program. The local schools receiving grant monies are the Carmichaels, Avella, Beth Center, Brownsville, Charleroi, Ringgold, Trinity School Districts and the Mon Valley Career and Technology Center. A total of 163 schools statewide received grants.
January 17, 2020 5:20 pm
At least two medical helicopters were called Friday afternoon after a massive explosion near the town of Hunker in Westmoreland County. Massive flames and smoke could be seen for several miles after an explosion at a commercial garage in East Huntington Township. The garage is located at 1500 New Stanton Ruffsdale Road. Initial reports are that a tanker truck might have exploded and started the blaze. The business is believed to be Fleet Services. (Photo: WPXI)
January 17, 2020 4:55 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – JetBlue is raising bag fees again. The airline is adding $5 to the charge for checking one bag – that’s now $35 – and a second bag now costs $40. That’s for flights within the U.S. Passengers can save $5 if they pay for up to two bags at least 24 hours before their flight. The changes took effect for tickets bought on Thursday and were posted on the airline’s website. JetBlue last raised the fees in 2018, and other airlines quickly followed at the time.
January 17, 2020 3:20 pm
The Washington County Chamber of Commerce opened their 2020 business year with a breakfast briefing. Washington Health System CEO Brook Ward spoke to a crowd of 100 members and told them of the challenges and successes WHS has had over the last year. Ward addressed cost escalation of care pointing out that medical care rose 1.8% last year and costs for prescriptions and insurance both rose more than 4%. Ward spoke of the success WHS has had in addiction treatment in their Long Term Residential program based in Waynesburg. The 90 day in patient program currently has 26 beds and Ward expects to add 16 more. Ward spoke of WHS commitment to obstetrics pointing out their newly remodeled obstetrics unit. Economics is always a concern and Ward pointed out the system’s recent inclusion in the experimental payment program operated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This is a 5 year experimental program designed to keep medical care available in rural areas of the nation and help keep hospitals financially afloat so rural area do not see hospital closures and loss of jobs. After the meeting Ward addressed competition from West Virginia University by stating that WHS is not interested in being taken over by WVU.
January 17, 2020 9:50 am
UNDATED (AP) – Authorities say one person has died and one person is seriously injured after an avalanche at a Northern California ski resort. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office says the avalanche happened Friday at Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows, a ski resort in the Squaw Valley area of Lake Tahoe. An avalanche at Alpine Meadows in 1982 killed seven people, including several employees of the ski resort.
January 17, 2020 9:49 am
The Allegheny County Health Department has announced fines of more than $743,000 against U.S. Steel in connection with air pollution control violations and permit violations at its Clairton Coke Works. According to the health department, ninety-percent or nearly $670,000 will go to the Community Benefit Trust for impacted communities. The remaining ten-percent will be paid to the Clean Air Fund.
January 17, 2020 9:38 am
The Fayette County Coroner has released the identities of the two people killed in an early morning crash Wednesday in Redstone Township. 22 year old Jamal Ryan and 25 year old Julie Olsen died of blunt force trauma. Two other victims were also ejected when the vehicle went over an embankment around 4:30 a.m. along Route 40. They have not been identified. Both were transported to Uniontown Hospital and then transferred to Ruby Memorial in Morgantown, West Virginia. Officials say it appears that none of the occupants were wearing seat belts. Uniontown State Police continue to investigate.
January 17, 2020 4:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – How involved was President Donald Trump in an alleged plan to push Ukraine for an investigation of a political rival? A close associate of Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani is claiming Trump was directly involved in the effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rival Joe Biden. Lev Parnas says he delivered an ultimatum in May to the incoming president of Ukraine that no senior U.S. officials would attend his inauguration and vital American security aid would be withheld if an investigation into Biden wasn’t announced. If true, Parnas’ account undercuts a key Republican defense of Trump during the impeachment investigation.
January 17, 2020 4:17 am
MEXICO CITY (AP) – A 5.3 magnitude earthquake has shaken southern Mexico, causing some damage in part of the southern state of Oaxaca. The U.S. Geological Survey says the temblor occurred at 8:07 p.m. Thursday and was centered 3.6 miles (5.9 km) southwest of Santiago Ixtaltepec in Oaxaca. It struck at a depth of 16 miles (27 km). The Oaxaca state civil defense agency says there was damage in the isthmus region, but has not offered any specifics.
