August 22, 2019 10:16 am
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – New Jersey hasn’t fared too well in the latest national rankings of state highway systems. A report released Thursday by the Reason Foundation ranks New Jersey dead last in cost-effectiveness and conditions. The nonpartisan public policy think tank found New Jersey has the highest per-mile costs and has the highest total spending per mile of any state. On a more positive note, New Jersey’s overall road fatality rate was fourth in the nation. The foundation ranked New York 45th overall and Pennsylvania 35th. North Dakota ranked first. The report used statistics compiled by the Federal Highway Administration from data reported in 2016 and 2017 by each state.
August 22, 2019 4:17 am
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) – President Donald Trump says he scrapped his trip to Denmark because the prime minister made a “nasty” statement when she rejected his idea to buy Greenland as an absurdity. Trump says, “You don’t talk to the United States that way, at least under me.” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the whole thing “an absurd discussion” and said she was “disappointed and surprised” that Trump had canceled his visit. Trump says Frederiksen’s comment labeling his idea as absurd “was nasty. I thought it was an inappropriate statement. All she had to say was say, ‘No, we wouldn’t be interested.'” Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of the U.S. ally, and Frederiksen said the U.S. remains one of Denmark’s close allies.
August 22, 2019 4:15 am
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) – Two people close to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee have told The Associated Press that he intends to seek a third term as governor. The news comes after Inslee announced the end of his Democratic presidential campaign on MSNBC on Wednesday night. The two people close to Inslee said he will announce his reelection intentions in an email to supporters Thursday. They were not authorized to discuss the announcement publicly and spoke to the AP on Wednesday on condition of anonymity. Inslee always kept the option of a third term open, even as Democratic candidates had started lining up ready to get into the race if he didn’t. Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and King County Executive Dow Constantine had signaled they would run if Inslee didn’t.
August 22, 2019 4:13 am
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – The will that Jeffrey Epstein signed just two days before his jailhouse suicide puts more than $577 million in assets in a trust fund that could make it more difficult for his dozens of accusers to collect a share of his riches. Estate lawyers and other experts say prying open the trust and dividing up the financier’s fortune is not going to be easy and could take years. One attorney says Epstein managed to manipulate the system one last time from beyond the grave. The 66-year-old Epstein killed himself Aug. 10 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He was accused of sexually abusing dozens of teenage girls.
August 22, 2019 4:12 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Authorities say an elevator accident in a New York city high-rise has killed a man who was apparently pinned between the elevator car and the shaft. It happened around 8:30 a.m. Thursday in a high-end rental building on Third Avenue in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan. Police and building inspectors are investigating. Police say it appears 30-year-old Samuel Charles Waisbren was trying to get out of the elevator when it continued downward and trapped him. Waisbren died at the scene. A message has been left for the company that owns the building. The New York Times reports the building was fined $1,300 in May after inspectors found a safety feature on one of its two elevators had been disabled or tampered with.
August 22, 2019 4:09 am
ELIZABETH BOROUGH, Pa. – (WPXI) – A former Elizabeth Borough police chief pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges related to stealing drugs from the police department’s evidence room. Tim Butler pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, one count of possession and one count of obstructing the administration of law. According to the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, Butler confessed to a subordinate officer that he was addicted to heroin, and when asked if there was any missing evidence, replied that “it was all gone.” As part of Butler’s plea, charges connected to the alleged theft of money from borough parking meters were withdrawn. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 20. (Photo: WPXI)
August 22, 2019 4:04 am
DOWNINGTON, Pa. (AP) – A Pennsylvania Roman Catholic priest is accused of stealing nearly $100,000 from his parish and spending it on a beach house and men he met on dating apps. The Chester County District Attorney’s Office says 56-year-old Monsignor Joseph McLoone was arrested Wednesday for theft from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Downingtown. Prosecutors allege the priest diverted funds into secret accounts and misappropriated fees charged to parishioners. They say McLoone used the money for a beach house in Ocean City, New Jersey, as well as spending it on men he was dating. Prosecutors allege McLoone gave himself a raise by doubling the amount he collected as a stipend for each Mass, wedding and funeral. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia says McLoone is on leave and they’re cooperating with authorities.
August 22, 2019 3:56 am
Nearly 100 supporters of the LGBTQ Community gathered on the Washington County Courthouse steps to await an announcement from the Washington County Gay Straight Alliance. Lt. Governor John Fetterman (pictured) was invited to announce that Washington will host its inaugural Pride Fest on June 27, 2020. The festival will fall on the 50th anniversary of the first Pride Fest event. Aside from Fetterman, Local officials on hand included Mayor Scott Putnam who delivered a proclamation. County Commissioners Larry Maggi and Harlan Shober attended and Common Pleas Judge John Disalle delivered a stirring address promoting diversity and decrying hate and division in our society today. Kathy Cameron, Executive Director of the Washington County Gay Straight Alliance commended County Commissioners for their recent efforts to extend protections to members of the county workforce who identify in the LGBTQ community. The WCGSA seeks to achieve equality in treatment and protections for the LGBTQ community. Supporters point out that currently there are no protections from discrimination for the LGBTQ community federally or in Pennsylvania. For more information on how you can support the cause, go to www.pavalues.org
August 21, 2019 5:23 pm
PLUM BOROUGH, Pa. (WPXI) – A driver whose car plunged into a swimming pool in Plum Borough Wednesday morning has died, police said. The man lost control of the car, which crashed through a fence and into the pool at a home along Carrie Ann at Repp roads just before 8 a.m. Police officers and fire crews jumped into the pool and pulled the driver from the water. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as 49-year-old William Gibson of Penn Hills. No one inside the home was injured.
August 21, 2019 1:50 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – Christie Brinkley, Hannah Brown of “The Bachelorette” and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer are among the contestants on the next season of ”Dancing with the Stars.” ABC announced the celebrity lineup Wednesday on “Good Morning America.” The season kicks off Sept. 16. The lineup also includes Lauren Alaina, Ally Brooke, and Mary Wilson and athletes Lamar Odom and Ray Lewis. Kate Flannery, Karamo Brown, Kel Mitchell and James Van Der Beek round out the list of celebrity dancers. In a change from previous seasons, viewers won’t lean the celebrity-pro pairings until the season premiere. Professional dancer Peta Murgatroyd returns to the ballroom this year.
