September 26, 2020 4:41 am

A former General Presbyter of Washington Presbytery has died. Reverend Dr. David Lee Bleivik, passed away on September 22nd in Ellicott City, Maryland. Bleivik, who was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in 1946, graduated from Taylor University with a degree in education. Following graduation, he bicycled for six weeks across the United States, from San Francisco to New York City, with Wandering Wheels. He then entered the army and served for three years as a counterintelligence agent stationed in Nurnberg, Germany. After the army, he attended Princeton Theological Seminary. From there, he had a wide and varied career, serving in various ministries across the country. A memorial service will be held in the spring.
September 26, 2020 2:41 am

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A day before a rally scheduled in south central Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf is accusing President Donald Trump of blatantly disregarding social distancing and masking requirements during his frequent campaign rallies in the battleground state. Wolf, a Democrat, in a statement Friday, called the practice dangerous and disappointing, and asked the Republican president to ensure Saturday’s rally abides by guidance designed to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Wolf said two of the president’s rallies earlier this month in Pennsylvania violated public health guidance. Wolf has said efforts to contact the White House about the matter have gone unanswered. Saturday’s rally is scheduled for Harrisburg.
September 25, 2020 5:26 pm

(AP) – The Mid-American Conference, the first major college football league to postpone its season, has become the final one to jump back in. That makes it 10 out of 10 conferences that will play in the fall. University presidents in the Big Ten, Pac-12 and Mountain West have all decided to play this fall after all instead of spring. MAC games will start Nov. 4 and the championship game will be played Dec. 18 or 19.
September 25, 2020 6:13 am

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Police in Portland, Oregon, have declared an unlawful assembly at a demonstration where a fire was set outside a police union building late Thursday. Several photos and videos posted online showed flames erupting outside the doors of the Portland Police Association office. News outlets report the fire was quickly extinguished. On Wednesday night people hurled several firebombs at officers in Oregon’s largest city during a demonstration over a Kentucky grand jury’s decision to not indict officers in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor, police said. The city has already seen nearly four months of nightly protests over racial injustice and police brutality.
September 25, 2020 5:13 am

WASHINGTON, Pa. — Police have identified the local man hit by a train Wednesday afternoon in Washington. According to authorities, Bruce Gaito, 47, was struck by a locomotive on the tracks behind Chestnut Veterinary Clinic on West Chestnut Street Wednesday afternoon. Police said Gaito was conscious when crews arrived, but he was in serious condition. The man was flown by helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh and is currently in a medically induced coma according to a relative.
September 25, 2020 3:27 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lay in state at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, the first woman in American history so honored at the domed building. Presidential nominee Joe Biden arrived at the Capitol and running-mate Kamala Harris also attended. Harris said Ginsburg “absolutely” and intentionally cleared a path for women like her in public life. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi welcomed Ginsburg’s casket and invited guests to a brief ceremony marked by “profound sorrow.” The justice died last week at 87. Mourners had paid tribute as her casket was on public display at the court’s steps before it made the short trip across the street to the Capitol. (Photo: CNN)
September 25, 2020 3:26 am

NEW YORK (AP) – A federal appeals court is set to hear arguments Friday in President Donald Trump’s long-running fight to prevent a New York top prosecutor from getting his tax returns. Trump’s lawyers appealed to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a district court judge last month rejected their renewed efforts to invalidate a subpoena issued to his accounting firm by the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. A temporary restraining order remains in effect, preventing any tax records from being turned over at least until the latest appeal is decided. Trump has said he expects the case to return to the Supreme Court, making it unlikely the dispute will be resolved before the November election.
September 25, 2020 3:25 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans are expecting President Donald Trump to announce Saturday that he is nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, as he aims to put a historic stamp on the high court just weeks before the election. Even before Trump unveils the pick, conservative groups and congressional allies are laying the groundwork for a swift confirmation process for Barrett. They, like the president, are wasting little time moving to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, organizing multimillion-dollar ad campaigns and marshalling supporters both to confirm the pick and to boost Trump to a second term.
September 25, 2020 3:24 am

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Police in Louisville, Kentucky, say at least 24 people were arrested from a protest in the city on Thursday. A statement says charges included unlawful assembly, failure to disperse and riot in the first degree. Authorities allege the protesters broke windows at a restaurant, damaged city buses, tried to set a fire and threw a flare into the street. Protests have broken out across the country following the announcement Wednesday that no officers were directly charged in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor. The Black woman was killed during a police raid in March. Police pulled back from the Louisville protest on Thursday night after negotiating an ending with demonstrators.
September 25, 2020 3:21 am

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WPXI) — A loaded handgun was found in a passenger’s carry-on bag at the main security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport Thursday evening. According to a release from Allegheny County police, TSA screeners saw the loaded 9mm gun in the person’s bag and alerted police. Investigators said the 34-year-old man had a valid concealed carry permit and accidentally left the firearm in his bag. The passenger was permitted to fly after authorities notified the FBI of what happened. No charges are expected to be filed, but county police still have the man’s weapon.