August 13, 2019 1:51 pm
Students in the Bethlehem-Center School District will get a few extra days of summer vacation. School officials say they have postponed the start of classes for one week because of ongoing renovation projects. District officials say a more than ten-million-dollar heating, ventilation and air-conditioning project began in April and there is still work that needs to be finished before classes can start. Classes were supposed to start on August 21st, but will instead start on August 28th. The project included new roofs on school buildings, better security systems and doors and air conditioning in the middle and high schools. Officials say the air conditioning system is mostly completed at the middle school but is not finished at all at the high school.
August 13, 2019 12:30 pm
WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) – A West Virginia suspension bridge has reopened more than a month after it was closed when a charter bus weighing well over the weight limit crossed the span. The state Division of Highways says in a news release the Wheeling Suspension Bridge was opened to traffic Tuesday. A charter bus weighing more than the bridge’s 2-ton (1.8-metric ton) limit crossed the bridge in late June, leading to the bridge’s closure. The driver of the bus was cited for the overweight vehicle and failing to obey a traffic control device. The statement says vertical barriers of 7 feet, 6 inches (2.3 meters) have been installed at the entrances. Motorists also must maintain a minimum 50-foot (15.2 meters) distance between vehicles.
August 13, 2019 4:56 am
(AP) – Numerous women have told The Associated Press that celebrated opera superstar Placido Domingo tried to pressure them into sexual relationships by dangling jobs and in some cases punishing them when they refused his advances. A half-dozen other women said suggestive overtures by Domingo made them uncomfortable. And almost three dozen more people in the opera world said they witnessed inappropriate sexually-tinged behavior by Domingo and that he pursued younger women with impunity. Domingo called the allegations “deeply troubling and, as presented inaccurate,” adding “I believed that all of my interactions and relationships were always welcomed and consensual.” Seven of Domingo’s nine accusers told the AP they feel their careers were adversely impacted after they rejected his advances, with some saying that roles he promised never materialized.
August 13, 2019 4:13 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A new report shows child care providers charge more than federal subsidies provided to low-income parents in most states across the U.S. The report, released Tuesday by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, focuses on the Child Care Development Fund, an $8.2 billion block grant. The federal recommendation is that states provide payment rates at the 75th percentile, which allows eligible families to access 3 out of 4 providers without paying more out of pocket. But the report shows most states set their rates much lower. The Administration for Children and Families says it has placed 33 states on a corrective action plan to ensure they’re complying with equal access requirements. ACF says it will provide states with training and guidance.
August 13, 2019 4:09 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The Justice Department says two guards assigned to watch Jeffrey Epstein when he killed himself in jail have been placed on administrative leave. The department says in a statement Tuesday that the warden at the Metropolitan Correctional Center has also been temporarily reassigned to an office post pending the outcome of two investigations. Both the FBI and the Justice Department’s inspector general are investigating Epstein’s death.
August 13, 2019 4:06 am
ERIE, Pa. (AP) – A fire chief says there weren’t enough working smoke detectors at a Pennsylvania home day care center where a fire killed five children. Fire Chief Guy Santone told a Tuesday news conference that state officials who inspect home day care centers do not check for smoke detectors. City authorities and state legislators are working on legislation that would make home day care centers register with the city, so it can deploy inspectors. A message seeking comment was left with the Department of Human Services. Santone said fire officials suspect the blaze that broke out Sunday morning at Harris Family Daycare was accidental. An adult and two adolescent boys were able to escape the fire. Five children ranging in age from 8 months to 7 years died.
August 13, 2019 4:02 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A Pennsylvania appeals court questioned why Bill Cosby’s legal team never got a supposed non-prosecution agreement in writing as his latest lawyers fought Monday to have his sexual assault conviction overturned. The 82-year-old actor was not in court Monday as his lawyers attacked the trial judge’s decision to send Cosby to trial and to let five other accusers testify. The three-judge Superior Court panel asked why Cosby’s lawyers never got the supposed agreement in writing or approved by a judge in 2005. He was arrested by another prosecutor a decade later after dozens of other accusers came forward. Cosby was the first celebrity tried and convicted in the #MeToo era. He is serving a three-to 10-year prison term.
The court typically takes several months to rule.
August 12, 2019 4:51 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – California and Massachusetts say they’ll go to court to fight the Trump administration’s overhaul of the Endangered Species Act. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (hahv-YEHR’ beh-SEH’-rah) said Monday that they planned to sue. It came hours after the administration announced broad changes to the way the government would enforce endangered species protections. Both Democratic state prosecutors pointed to a United Nations report earlier this year warning that more than 1 million species globally are in danger of extinction. Becerra told reporters that “this is not the time to go low, go slow or go backward.” Several conservation groups also have promised court fights. The administration says the changes will reduce regulatory burdens while still protecting struggling species. (Photo: CNN)
August 12, 2019 4:45 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – School lunch menus already have Meatless Mondays and Taco Tuesdays. Now some may get Trade Mitigation Thursdays. This fall, some school cafeterias are expecting shipments of free food courtesy of President Donald Trump’s trade disputes. The products are coming from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is giving away the foods it’s buying to help farmers hurt by trade negotiations. In Maryland, one district is awaiting a truckload of canned kidney beans – one of several “trade mitigation” items schools were offered. The USDA has long purchased and distributed foods to help farmers. But for the groups that get the foods, Trump’s trade disputes are resulting in an unusual bounty. Other schools say they can’t put the extras to use.
August 12, 2019 4:16 pm
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) – Federal authorities say the friend of the Ohio shooter bought him the necessary equipment to carry out a mass shooting. Connor Betts opened fire in a popular entertainment district in Dayton, Ohio, about a week ago, killing his sister and eight others. Officers shot Betts within 30 seconds, killing him just steps outside a crowded bar. A charging document obtained by The Associated Press Monday says Ethan Kollie “indicated he purchased body armor and a firearm accessory for Betts.” Investigators though, say there is no indication that he knew that his friend was planning a mass shooting. Federal prosecutors say Kollie bought the armor, a gun accessory and a 100-round magazine for Betts and he used that equipment on Aug. 4, when he opened fire. Todd Wickerham of the FBI tells reporters Monday that it does not appear Kollie knew how Betts would use that equipment. Prosecutors are accusing Kollie of lying on federal firearms forms. Those charges are not related to the shooting. A message seeking comment was left with Kollie’s attorney.
