December 1, 2019 7:10 am
MEXICO CITY (AP) – At least five armed civilians have died after Mexican security forces engaged in an hour-long gun battle with a criminal group in the town of Villa Unión, in the state of Coahuila, about an hour’s drive southwest of Eagle Pass, Texas. The group reportedly stormed local government offices, prompting state and federal forces to intervene Saturday. The government of Coahuila said in a statement that: “These groups won’t be allowed to enter state territory,” confirming that five of the shooters were dead. Local media have said that up to 14 people died in total. Images on social media showed burned out vehicles and the facade of the municipal office for the town of 3,000 residents riddled with bullets. Rapid fire could be heard in videos of the shootout.
December 1, 2019 7:08 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Composer Irving Burgie, who helped popularize Caribbean music and co-wrote the enduring Harry Belafonte hit “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),” has died at the age of 95. His death Friday was announced Saturday by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley during the Caribbean country’s Independence Day parade. Burgie wrote the lyrics to Barbados’ national anthem. According to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Burgie’s songs have sold over 100 million records worldwide. Many were recorded by Belafonte, including eight songs on Belafonte’s 1956 album, “Calypso,” the first album to sell over 1 million copies in the U.S. The Brooklyn-born Burgie studied at the Juilliard School of Music. He became a folk singer using the stage name “Lord Burgess” and performed the circuit between New York and Chicago.
December 1, 2019 7:06 am
CHAMBERLAIN, S.D. (AP) – Authorities say nine people have been killed after a plane crashed in South Dakota. Peter Knudson with the National Transportation Safety Board tells The Associated Press 12 people were aboard the Pilatus PC-12 when it crashed about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, shortly after taking off from Chamberlain, about 140 miles west of Sioux Falls. Knudson says nine people were killed and three were injured. The single-engine plane was bound for Idaho Falls, Idaho. Media reports say Chamberlain and central south-central South Dakota were under a winter storm warning at the time of the crash. Knudson says weather will be among several factors NTSB investigators will review, but no cause has yet been determined. He says inclement weather is making travel to the site difficult. No further information was immediately available.
December 1, 2019 7:05 am
CHICAGO (AP) – Airlines at Chicago’s two major international airports are reporting average delays of 15 minutes as a winter storm heads toward the Midwest with heavy snow and ice and gusty winds. The companies have canceled 27 flights at O’Hare and two at Midway as people scramble to get home on the year’s busiest travel weekend. There were 100 flights canceled Saturday and another 182 delayed at Denver International Airport because of winds. The winter storm is also bedeviling motorists around the U.S. as it dumps heavy snow from parts of California to the northern Midwest and drenches other areas with rain. A 5-year-old boy died in Arizona after a vehicle was swept away while attempting to cross a runoff-swollen creek. A storm-related death also was reported in South Dakota.
December 1, 2019 7:04 am
LONDON (AP) – UK counterterrorism police are searching for clues into an attack that left two people dead and three injured near London Bridge. Police said Saturday a man imprisoned six years for terrorism offenses before his release last year stabbed several people on Friday before being tackled by members of the public and shot dead by officers on the bridge. Neil Basu, London’s police counterterrorism chief, said 28-year-old Usman Khan was attending a program that works to educate prisoners when he launched the attack. He killed a man and a woman and injured three others just yards from the site of a deadly 2017 van and knife rampage. Health officials said one of the injured was in critical but stable condition, one was stable and the third had less serious injuries.
December 1, 2019 7:03 am
HONG KONG (AP) – Thousands of people are taking to the streets of Hong Kong under the watch of riot police to demand more democracy and an investigation into the use of force to suppress the six-month-long anti-government demonstrations. Both hardened protesters and parents with children were marching Sunday near Hong Kong’s waterfront on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbour. Many held up a hand to indicate the five demands of the movement. Police in riot gear were out in force for the third march of the day – and the one where violence seemed most likely.
The protesters want to keep up pressure on city leader Carrie Lam after pro-democracy candidates won a landslide victory in a district council election a week ago. Lam has said she’ll accelerate dialogue but has not yielded any ground since the vote.
December 1, 2019 6:57 am
MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. (WPXI) – A huge collision between a car and a motorcycle in McKees Rocks caused a massive fire that could be seen blocks away. The accident happened around 4 p.m. Saturday on Woodward Avenue. The details surrounding the crash and what caused the fire are unclear, but our news partners at Channel 11 crews could see smoke pouring into the sky after the collision. The vehicle was completely burnt. One person was taken to the hospital, but police did not specify if those injuries were due to the crash or fire.
December 1, 2019 4:19 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information about a dog bite incident at Mingo Park that took place on Wednesday, November 27th. According to reports, the office is trying to identify the owner of two Germans Shepherds that frequent the park. One Shepherd is white and one is black. The dogs were not on leashes and were accompanied by an unknown female owner/handler who failed to remain on the scene after the incident to speak with the responding deputy. Anyone with any information please contact the sheriff’s office at 724-228-6840.
December 1, 2019 4:14 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania will require public schools to allow students to apply personal finance class credits toward high school graduation requirements. Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill this week and it will take effect in the 2020-21 school year. Under the new requirement, a student who successfully completes a high school course in personal finance will be allowed to apply up to one credit to satisfy social studies, math, business education or family and consumer science requirements for graduation. Advocates say personal finance courses should be encouraged to help high schoolers learn to make wise financial choices.
December 1, 2019 4:09 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. – Injuries resulted following a two-vehicle crash Friday afternoon just after 1:00 p.m. along Route 40 in South Strabane Township. According to Washington County 9-1-1, fire and EMS crews headed to the area of 2972 East Maiden St. and the Interstate 79 interchange. The crash resulted after one vehicle attempted a U-turn near Miller’s Tax Service. The car pulling the turn was hit by the vehicle following behind it. The trailing car left the roadway over an embankment and caught fire. Witnesses at the scene say the turning vehicle did not signal after pulling off the road before making move. EMS crews transported the driver of the trailing car to Washington hospital for injuries, while two of the three riders in the car attempting the U-turn were flown to Pittsburgh-area hospitals. There is no update on any of the individuals involved.
