January 3, 2024 9:50 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran says explosions at an event honoring a prominent Iranian general slain in a U.S. airstrike in 2020 have killed at least 103 people and wounded 141 others. Iranian state media call them a “terroristic” attack. No group has immediately claimed responsibility. The blasts on Wednesday struck an event marking the the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force. who died in Iraq in January 2020. The explosions occurred near his grave site in Kerman, about 820 kilometers (510 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran.
January 3, 2024 5:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The downfall of Harvard’s president has elevated allegations of plagiarism as a possible new weapon in conservative attacks on higher education. President Claudine Gay’s resignation Tuesday followed weeks of mounting accusations that she lifted language from other scholars in her doctoral dissertation and journal articles. The allegations surfaced amid backlash over her congressional testimony about antisemitism on campus. The plagiarism claims came not from her academic peers but her political foes, part of a conservative effort to remake higher education, which has often been seen as a bastion of liberalism.
January 3, 2024 5:00 am
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is appealing a decision by Maine’s Democratic secretary of state that he cannot be on the ballot there because he violated a constitutional ban against people who “engaged in insurrection” holding office. The Republican presidential candidate’s appeal to Maine’s Superior Court came Tuesday, and he is expected to soon appeal a similar ruling by Colorado’s Supreme Court to the U.S. Supreme Court. The nation’s highest court has never ruled on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court is likely to have the final word on Trump’s eligibility in Colorado, Maine and elsewhere.
January 3, 2024 4:58 am
TOKYO (AP) — Transport officials and police have begun separate investigations at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, a day after a large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway and burst into flames, killing five people. The accident occurred Tuesday evening when the Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 plane landed on one of Haneda’s four runways after the coast guard aircraft — a Bombardier Dash-8 — had also entered, preparing to take off. Both sides said they received a go-ahead from aviation officials.
January 3, 2024 4:56 am
SUZU, Japan (AP) — Japanese rescue workers and canine units are searching urgently through rubble ahead of predicted bitter cold and heavy rain in what the prime minister called a race against time after powerful earthquakes killed at least 62 people. Dozens more people are believed to be trapped under collapsed buildings in western Japan. Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas were rattled by a 4.9 magnitude aftershock early Wednesday. It’s just one of dozens that have followed a magnitude 7.6 temblor that struck on Monday. Experts say the first 72 hours are critical for rescues because the prospects for survival greatly diminish after that. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters on Wednesday: “More than 40 hours have passed. This is a race against time.”
January 3, 2024 4:53 am
South Strabane Township reorganized their board of supervisors Tuesday night by welcoming two new supervisors. Jeff Bull and George Rowand will take over for Bracken Burns and Richard Luketich. Both men are looking to bring back what they describe as “fiscal responsibility“ to the township. Both men say that voters constantly complained of high taxes and the increasing unaffordability to live in South Strabane. Bull went right to work asking that nominations for zoning officers be tabled because last year, $250,000 was spent on code enforcement. He says that is too much for a township the size of South Strabane. Bob Weber was named chairman of the board by a 3-2 vote over Jeff Bull. Supervisors moved meeting times to the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6 PM instead of the current 7 PM start time.
January 3, 2024 4:53 am
Washington County reorganized all of the offices that were up for election in November. At the top of the list were the swearing in ceremonies for Commissioner. Republicans Nick Sherman and Electra Janis took their chairs as majority members. Democrat Larry Maggi will begin his sixth term as commissioner in the minority. Second term commissioner Sherman says that he will be making sure that the County 9-1-1 emergency response system is studied. He stated that two consulting agencies have been hired and both found glaring issues with the proposed system. His goal is to make sure the system is the best available for emergency responders. Maggi begins his sixth term and is looking to keep civility and cohesiveness in the board of commissioners while keeping control of spending. Janis, who is beginning her first term as a commissioner says that she would like to enhance economic development. She pointed to the successes of Canonsburg and Washington in their efforts to open shops and restaurants. She would like to see the same success brought to other towns, especially in the Monongahela Valley. County Row Offices also were sworn in. Coroner Tim Warco, District Attorney Jason Walsh, Prothonotary Laura Hough, Register of Wills James Roman and Treasurer Tom Flickinger were all sworn in as incumbents. Clerk of Courts Ray Phillips will begin his first term.
January 3, 2024 2:50 am
For the first time in the history of the City of Washington, a person of color will occupy the Mayor’s chair. JoJo Burgess assumed his position at his swearing in ceremony during the reorganization meeting of the city at noon on Tuesday. Burgess thanked many people for their help, most recently during his campaign, but also in his early life. He pointed out Mike and Butch Marino, two brothers that guided him during his early teens from a life of trouble, into a life of help and service. He spoke of how they taught him that wrestling was a better method of anger relief than that of a life on the streets. Burgess also paid homage to the Putnam administration that he says has the city “going in the right direction.” He wants to continue that motion by “jumping on a moving train” and continuing city improvements. Also sworn in were councilmen Joe Pintola and Ken Westcott. Controller Nick Dubina and Treasurer Anthony Nicolella also were sworn in for another four year term. All department assignments remained the same with Westcott directing Accounts and Finance, Pintola stays on as Streets and Public improvements director. Andrew Callan stays as director of Parks and Public Buildings and Joe DeThomas heads Public Safety. Additionally, Steve Devenney was sworn in as the city’s new Chief of Police. He takes over for the retired Dan Rush.
January 3, 2024 2:22 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — In 2024, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro could face a more complicated sophomore year in charge of Pennsylvania. He’s facing pressure to respond to a court ruling that Pennsylvania’s system of public school funding unconstitutionally discriminates against poorer districts. Meanwhile, his administration must oversee a presidential election that, four years ago, was marred by Donald Trump-allied efforts in court to overturn it. In 2024, Shapiro is facing calls for billions of new dollars for public schools. He says school funding needs more equity. But he also says someone has to pay for it. Shapiro also says administration officials have been meeting for months to prepare for the 2024 presidential election.
January 2, 2024 5:01 pm
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is appealing a decision by Maine’s Democratic secretary of state that he cannot be on the ballot there because he violated a constitutional ban against people who “engaged in insurrection” holding office. The Republican presidential candidate’s appeal to Maine’s Superior Court came Tuesday as he was expected to appeal a similar ruling by Colorado’s Supreme Court to the U.S. Supreme Court. The nation’s highest court has never ruled on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court is likely to have the final word on Trump’s eligibility in Colorado, Maine and elsewhere.
