August 24, 2019 8:56 am
EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) – U.S. Steel is planning to idle a northwestern Indiana facility and lay off about 150 workers. The Pittsburgh-based company says it will halt production by mid-November at its East Chicago Tin plant, which makes tin-plated metal for uses such as food and paint cans. U.S. Steel spokeswoman Meghan Cox tells The (Northwest Indiana) Times that the East Chicago plant was underutilized because low-priced imports have captured roughly half of the U.S. tin products market. Cox says about half of the East Chicago plant’s some 300 workers are expected to be offered jobs at the company’s nearby Gary or Portage plants. U.S. Steel earlier this month told Michigan officials it would lay off up to 200 workers as it idles a blast furnace at its mill near Detroit.
August 24, 2019 8:53 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Meadows Racetrack and Casino is pursuing more changes as a $14 million project gets underway. The gaming center has filed to get its own sports book. The Meadows will need to send their plans and proposal to the State Gaming Control Board. If approved, the casino would owe $10 million for a license and would have to run a trial period. The Vibe Lounge in the casino closed weeks ago to make way for the sports book. Additionally, 120 slot machines will on the way, raising the total to 2,506. There are also plans in place for food changes on the floor.
August 24, 2019 8:47 am
PITTSBURGH, Pa (WPXI) – A messy water main break in Oakland had a stream rushing over parts of Forbes Avenue. The break occurred right near South Bouquet near the ‘O’. Crews were on hand working to shut off the water Friday night. With Pitt students back and the many restaurants in the area, there were concerns the impact could be widespread. There’s no word yet from PWSA on when the break will be fixed.
August 24, 2019 4:28 am
KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) – Republicans for a half century have built a loyal following among white evangelical Christians. But presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is trying to demonstrate that there’s a strong religiosity among Democrats, too. President Donald Trump’s reelection fortunes are rooted deeply in the unshakable support among religious conservatives. But Buttigieg’s regular references to his own Christian faith offer a counterweight that could be an influential asset in Iowa and beyond as Democrats parry the secular labels that Republicans have tried to apply to them.
Not since Bill Clinton has a Democratic presidential candidate leaned so heavily on religious references in everyday campaign events, though the South Bend, Indiana, mayor says he’s wary of coming off as overly pious.
August 24, 2019 4:27 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court says Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has completed radiation therapy for a tumor on her pancreas and there is no evidence of the disease remaining.
The court said Friday the tumor was “treated definitively and there is no evidence of disease elsewhere in the body.” In a statement, the court said a biopsy performed July 31 confirmed a “localized malignant tumor.” The court said Ginsburg does not need any additional treatment but will continue to have periodic blood tests and scans. The court said Ginsburg canceled an annual summer visit to Santa Fe but has otherwise maintained an active schedule during treatment. Ginsburg, who is 86, has had several bouts with cancer beginning in 1999. In December, 2018, she had surgery for cancerous growths on her left lung.
August 24, 2019 4:23 am
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (AP) – West Virginia politicians are calling for answers after a Vietnam veteran’s death at a VA hospital was ruled a homicide. U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito vowed Friday to investigate after a news report on the death of retired Army Sgt. Felix Kirk McDermott at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia. A lawyer for McDermott’s estate provided The Associated Press with a legal document sent to the VA claiming the 82-year-old was wrongly injected with a fatal dose of insulin in April 2018. It also contains an autopsy report from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner that rules the death a homicide. Manchin also questioned the hospital’s treatment of other patients. The hospital didn’t return a voicemail. A VA spokeswoman did not comment.
August 23, 2019 5:23 pm
PITTSBURGH – A woman was stabbed Friday afternoon along Market Street, the third stabbing in downtown Pittsburgh this month. The stabbing was reported about 12:30 p.m. in Triangle Park, which is surrounded by Market Street and Liberty and Fifth avenues. Police said the woman was stabbed in her arm. She was taken to a hospital in stable condition. A man who is considered a suspect was arrested, police said. He was taken to the Allegheny County Jail.
August 23, 2019 5:18 pm
BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. (WPXI) – A school bus driver was killed by stepping on live wires after a crash in Beaver County on Friday. Emergency responders said there were no students on the bus, just the bus driver, as the flames broke out on Foster Road around 3 p.m. Authorities say the driver hit a pole and brought down power lines on the bus, which then caught fire. The driver ran out of the bus, stepped on the wires and died, according to officials.
August 23, 2019 3:52 pm
CHICAGO (AP) – Illinois health officials are reporting what could be the United States’ first death tied to vaping. In a Friday news release, the Illinois Department of Public Health says a person who recently vaped died after being hospitalized with “severe respiratory illness.” The agency didn’t give any other information about the patient, including a name or where the person lived. Melaney Arnold, an agency spokeswoman, says the death is the first in the state that could be linked to vaping. The release also says the number of people who have experienced respiratory illness after vaping doubled to 22 in the past week. In a Wednesday news release announcing 149 cases of severe lung illness nationwide that may be tied to vaping, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said no deaths associated with vaping had been reported. (Photo: CNN)
August 23, 2019 3:35 pm
LONG PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) – Authorities in Minnesota have charged the son of former NFL lineman Barry Bennett in Bennett’s death. Barry Bennett and his wife, Carol, were found dead in their home in Long Prairie, a small town about two hours northwest of Minneapolis, on Wednesday. Their 22-year-old son Dylan has been sought since then. Both Bennetts were shot. A criminal complaint says Dylan Bennett’s car was at the scene with an empty box for a 9 mm handgun inside, along with ammunition. Authorities say they traced transactions after the Bennetts’ death suggesting Dylan Bennett had flown to Mexico, and a warrant has been issued. The complaint says Barry Bennett reported in December that Dylan had expressed thoughts of killing his parents while in a mental health facility. Barry Bennett played 11 seasons with New Orleans, the New York Jets and Minnesota.
