October 15, 2020 2:28 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania is “at the start of the fall resurgence” of COVID-19. That’s according to the state health secretary, who is urging residents once more to take steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Wednesday marked the ninth consecutive day that Pennsylvania’s daily case count surpassed 1,000. Though some of the increase caseload is due to expanded testing, hospitalization and test positivity rates are also rising. Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine says that indicates increased viral spread.
October 14, 2020 4:29 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – Melania Trump says her 14-year-old son, Barron, has tested positive for the coronavirus but has no symptoms. The White House initially said he had tested negative, after both of his parents tested positive earlier this month. The first lady said Wednesday that subsequent testing showed Barron had also come down with COVID-19.
October 14, 2020 12:50 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Conchata Ferrell, who became known for her role as Berta the housekeeper on TV’s “Two and a Half Men,” has died. Ferrell was 77. áA publicist says the actor died in Los Angeles following cardiac arrest, with her family at her side. Ferrell gained fame on the sitcom after a long career as a character actor on stage and in movies, including “Mystic Pizza” and “Network.” áFerrell received two supporting actress Emmy nominations for “Two and a Half Men,” and an Emmy nod for her role as Susan Bloom on “L.A. Law.” She is survived by her husband, Arnie Anderson, and her daughter, Samantha.
October 14, 2020 4:09 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Fire crews from across the state are being deployed to Northern California where hot, windy conditions are renewing the threat of fire. The threat comes in the region where massive blazes have already destroyed hundreds of homes and killed 31 people this year. The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning for extremely dangerous fire conditions from Wednesday through Friday morning. With bone-dry humidity and wind gusts possibly hitting 55 mph, Pacific Gas & Electric also may cut power Wednesday to as many as 54,000 customers in 24 counties. The shutoffs could last up to 48 hours.
October 14, 2020 4:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is trying to shore up support from constituencies that not so long ago he thought he had in the bag: big business and voters in the red state of Iowa. Trump on Wednesday expressed puzzlement in an address to business leaders that they would even consider supporting his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden. He’s headed to Iowa later today, a state he won handily in 2016 but where Biden is making a late push. Biden is holding a virtual fundraiser from Wilmington, Delaware, and delivering pre-taped remarks to American Muslims, but he doesn’t have any public campaign events scheduled Wednesday.
October 14, 2020 4:06 am
MOSCOW (AP) – A trio of space travelers has launched successfully to the International Space Station, for the first time using a fast-track maneuver to reach the orbiting outpost in just three hours. NASA’s Kate Rubins, along with Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, lifted off as scheduled Wednesday from the Russia-leased Baikonur space launch facility in Kazakhstan for a six-month stint on the station. For the first time, they are trying a two-orbit, three-hour approach to the orbiting outpost. Previously it took twice as long for the crews to reach the station. Rubins said the crew spent weeks in quarantine to avoid any threat from the coronavirus.
October 14, 2020 4:05 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Amy Coney Barrett has said repeatedly at her confirmation hearings that she’d be her own judge if she’s confirmed to the Supreme Court. But she was careful not to take on the president who nominated her. And she sought to create distance between herself and her own personal positions, past writings on controversial subjects and even her late mentor. Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court to take the seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg seems inevitable, as even some Senate Democrats acknowledged on Wednesday. The shift would cement a 6-3 conservative majority on the court and would be the most pronounced ideological change in 30 years, from the liberal icon Ginsburg to the conservative appeals court judge.
October 14, 2020 4:03 am
(AP) – The Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump administration can end census field operations early, in a blow to efforts to make sure minorities are properly counted in the crucial once-a-decade tally. The decision is not a total loss for plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the administration’s decision to end the count early. They managed to get nearly two extra weeks of counting people as the case made its way through the courts. However, it increased the chances of the Trump administration retaining control of the process that decides how many congressional seats each state gets – and by extension how much voting power each state has.
October 14, 2020 4:00 am
ALTOONA, Pa. — (WPXI) – Sheetz announced Tuesday plans to hire over 3,000 employees company wide including here in our area. The convenience store chain is looking to expand its full-time positions at its store locations, in addition to food operations, distribution services and more. The company says it is committed to staying open during the pandemic to serve the needs of the community and officials said it wants to provide employment opportunities for those who have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 crisis. The company has also implemented several safety measures to keep both employees and customers safe, including installing plexiglass at registers and Made-to-Order areas. Sheetz currently operates over 600 stores and offers competitive pay and benefits packages, 12-week fully paid maternity leave, a 401 (k) retirement plan, college tuition reimbursement and more.
October 14, 2020 2:50 am
In a press release in advance of their monthly meeting, North Franklin Township Supervisors released results of a community survey. The survey was sent to nearly 1800 residential properties and approximately 25% of the property owners responded. According to Supervisor Chairman Bob Sabot, one of the questions was about policing in the township. In a 2-1 margin residents wished to continue with police service provided by Pennsylvania State Police and not to contract with any neighboring police force. Residents also weighed in on plans for recreation choices in the township. Sabot says residents are looking for walking trails, dog walking trails and physical facilities like basketball courts. Sabot also announced that supervisors are actively considering a nearly 14% tax cut in property taxes. Sabot says that the township has gone from a $700,000 deficit in 2018 to a budget surplus of $700,000 in 2020. Supervisors will be increasing budget commitments to the fire department in the range of 80% and will continue with a $500,000 road improvement campaign and will move forward with the construction of a new municipal building while still delivering the tax cut in 2021. The preliminary budget will be advertised in November and formally adopted in December.
