January 15, 2020 9:31 am
MOSCOW (AP) – The Tass news agency says Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has submitted his resignation to President Vladimir Putin. Russian news agencies said Putin thanked Medvedev for his work. They said Putin will name Medvedev as deputy of the presidential Security Council. Putin asked Medvedev’s Cabinet to keep working until the new Cabinet is formed.
January 15, 2020 9:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has signed a new trade agreement with China that’s expected to boost exports from U.S. farmers and manufacturers.áTrump said during a White House ceremony that the the agreement is “righting the wrongs of the past.” And he promoted the signing as a way of delivering economic justice for American workers. The White House ceremony is giving the president a chance to cite progress on a top economic priority on the same day that the House prepares to vote to send articles of impeachment to the Senate for a trial.
January 15, 2020 9:16 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The posthumous inductees Whitney Houston and The Notorious B.I.G. will lead this year’s class into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. They’ll be joined by Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Nine Inch Nails and T-Rex. Houston, the gospel-trained singer with the soaring voice, had a string of No. 1 singles including “I Will Always Love You.” Before being killed in a drive-by shooting in 1997, Biggie was a leader of East Coast rap. The annual induction ceremony is being held in Cleveland this year and is being televised live for the first time ever, on May 2.
January 15, 2020 6:35 am
Police in Charleroi say a pedestrian was struck and killed by a train in Charleroi just before four o’clock Wednesday morning. Authorities say they believe 22-year-old Anthony Lee Meyer may have stepped off a dumpster and onto the train tracks near 3rd Street and Railroad Way. They say they believe no foul play was involved and toxicology reports are pending. The rail line is owned by Norfolk Southern and a company official said the train was traveling from Graysville to Baltimore when Meyer was killed.
January 15, 2020 6:29 am
Authorities say a one-vehicle crash in Fayette County killed two people and injured two others. Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene on Route 40 in Redstone Township at about 4:45 a.m. Wednesday. No details were immediately available about the circumstances of the crash, which occurred in the southbound lanes. Initial reports were that a car had gone over a hillside between Colvin Run Road and Grindstone Road. The two people injured were taken to a hospital, but there was no immediate information about their conditions.
January 15, 2020 4:19 am
The financial outlook for 2020 is much brighter in North Franklin Township. Supervisors set the stage for the New Year by doing some financial work in 2019. Supervisor Chairman Bob Sabot is pleased with the current financial status. He explains that the township does not need to take out a tax anticipation loan. Refinancing of township debt allowed the township to acquire $1.1 million dollars in additional capital without raising taxes and without extending the debt’s retirement date. Sabot anticipates an additional $600,000 once the Recreational Authority ceases operation. Funds left over at the dissolution of the Authority will become property of the township. Supervisors are looking to put that capital to use on a new borough building. Planning is in the early stages, Sabot hopes to identify a new location for the building in the next several months.
January 15, 2020 4:18 am
BELLAIRE, Texas (AP) – School officials say a 16-year-old student has been shot to death at a Texas high school, and a suspect and another person police said was connected to the case were arrested hours later. Grenita Lathan, interim superintendent of the Houston Independent School District, confirmed the victim of the Tuesday afternoon shooting at Bellaire High School had died. The district later issued a statement that Wednesday classes at the school were canceled.
January 15, 2020 4:16 am
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) – A federal judge in California has revoked bail for attorney Michael Avenatti after prosecutors revealed evidence of new crimes. Prosecutors said Wednesday that Avenatti orchestrated several schemes to hide assets from creditors as he lived a life of luxury while awaiting trial. The development threatens to disrupt next week’s scheduled trial in New York on charges he tried to extort $25 million from Nike. Avenatti has declared his innocence. He was arrested at a bar court hearing in Los Angeles where state lawyers were seeking to prevent him from practicing law because he allegedly stole from clients.
January 15, 2020 4:13 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – The Pennsylvania House is voting to force public agencies to post agendas on their websites a day before meetings when they’ll be voted on. State representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday for the proposed amendments to the state Sunshine Act. Officials wouldn’t be able to vote on anything that’s not on the posted agenda, except when an emergency arises that threatens life or property or an issue is considered extremely minor and doesn’t involve spending money. Items could also be added to agendas during meetings by a majority vote. It’s being sent to the state Senate for its consideration.
January 15, 2020 4:12 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – A former western Pennsylvania church administrator has been sentenced to 10 to 20 years in the theft of $1.2 million that prosecutors said he and his wife used for vacations, sports tickets and other personal expenses. An Allegheny County judge also ordered 50-year-old David Reiter to pay restitution. Reiter pleaded guilty in October to receiving stolen property, theft, and other charges. His wife faces trial later this month. Prosecutors say the money was stolen over the course of about 17 years from Westminster Presbyterian Church in Upper St. Clair. The church says it hopes for “rehabilitation, restitution, and even restoration.”
