October 31, 2019 4:14 am
The fire marshall will investigate a house fire Thursday morning in Peters Township. The blaze broke out just before 4 a.m. in the 200 block of Windermere Court. According to reports from the scene, a husband and wife were inside at the time and called 9-1-1. They made it out safely. Firefighters reported heavy flames when they arrived on the scene. The fire was finally brought under control just before 7 a.m. No other information is being released at this time. (Photo: WPXI)
October 31, 2019 2:54 am
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office says the Humane Society of the United States has seized more than one-hundred cats that were living in a former church in Donora and at another property in Monessen. Authorities say the owner of the cat sanctuary is 41-year-old Chris Harr who was arraigned on Wednesday on charges of aggravated cruelty to animals and released on bond. Authorities say the cats were taken from the former St. mary’s Roman Catholic Church at 320 Second Street and are being taken to an undisclosed safe location. (Photo: WPXI)
October 31, 2019 2:19 am
A rainy forecast is forcing many communities to move their trick-or-treat dates. The National Weather Service out of Pittsburgh says there is a one-hundred-percent chance of rain forecast for Thursday (Halloween) along with gusty winds. The following is a list of changes for trick-or-treat:
City of Washington: Saturday from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
McDonald Borough: Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m.
Burgettstown: Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m.
Independence Township: Saturday from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Bentleyville: Saturday from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Smith Township: Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m.
Centerville: Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m.
Mt. Pleasant Township: Friday from 6 to 8 p.m.
According to Facebook and website posts from Chartiers Township; Canton Township; Claysville; East Washington; North and South Strabane Townships; Peters Township; Charleroi; Canonsburg and Finleyville, trick-or-treat times will not be changing and will remain the same as previously announced.
October 30, 2019 5:54 pm
CHICAGO (AP) – Molson Coors Brewing Co. is laying off 500 workers worldwide and restructuring its operations as it faces declining beer sales. The company expects to save $150 million by closing offices in Denver and making Chicago its North American headquarters. Its brewery in Golden, Colorado, will remain. Molson Coors says it needs to streamline and bring new products to market more quickly, like the canned wine and hard coffee it introduced this year. It’s also dropping “Brewing” from its name to emphasize that it makes more than beer.
October 30, 2019 5:23 pm
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Twitter is banning all political advertising from its service, saying social media companies give advertisers an unfair advantage in proliferating highly targeted, misleading messages. Facebook has taken fire since it disclosed earlier in October that it will not fact-check ads by politicians or their campaigns, which could allow them to lie freely. CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Congress last week that politicians have the right to free speech on Facebook. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted the change Wednesday, saying the company is recognizing that advertising on social media offers an unfair level of targeting compared to other mediums. The majority of money spent on political advertising in the U.S. goes to television ads. Twitter’s policy will start on November 22.
October 30, 2019 3:16 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration is unveiling a website meant to help millions of Americans with substance abuse issues learn about and locate treatment options. FindTreatment.gov is the latest development in the administration’s effort to address the nation’s opioid crisis. The White House says it believes the site going up Wednesday will enable Americans with a variety of substance abuse and mental health issues to better access the care they need. The site modernizes an obscure directory maintained by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration with more user-friendly search criteria and tools. FindTreatment.gov was developed in-house by government coders and is managed by the White House. The administration calls the website an example of “American-First design” that places usability and education at the forefront without breaking the budget.
October 30, 2019 1:44 pm
UNIONTOWN, Pa. (AP) – Misdemeanor charges have been dropped against a Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker who had been accused of injuring his girlfriend during a fight in their western Pennsylvania hotel room this month. Backup linebacker Anthony Chickillo had been charged with simple assault, criminal mischief and harassment after the Oct. 20 fight at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. Fayette County District Attorney Richard Bower said Wednesday that the woman no longer wanted to pursue charges. Police said the pair got into an argument over table games at Lady Luck Casino that later became physical in their hotel room. Chickillo, a 26-year-old Tampa, Florida resident, has been with the Steelers for five years. He has one tackle and half a sack in three games this season, playing primarily on special teams.
October 30, 2019 8:19 am
LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) – Authorities say three people were fatally shot and nine others injured at a home in Long Beach, California. The Los Angeles Times reports that Long Beach fire spokesman Jake Heflin says firefighters arrived at the home around 10:44 p.m. on Tuesday to a scene “filled with chaos.” The department says three men were dead and the nine others were injured. Their conditions weren’t immediately available. It was not immediately known if the shooter had been taken into police custody. Some witnesses say there might have been a Halloween party going on at the house. Forty-seven-year-old Oswaldo Morales told the Times he heard as many as 17 shots. Some residents say they heard up to 20 shots. Morales says minutes later police and fire vehicles could be heard in the neighborhood.
October 30, 2019 5:43 am
ROSCOE, Pa. (WPXI) – A hazmat team was brought in after first responders were exposed to something after they were called for a death investigation early Wednesday morning in Washington County, Pennsylvania State Police said. The incident was reported about 2:30 a.m. at a home on Garfield Avenue in Roscoe. Police said the death is not suspicious. Officials said three firefighters and EMS personnel were taken to a hospital for treatment. All three people were listed in stable condition. It’s unclear what paramedics were exposed to.Officials said there is no threat to the community.
October 30, 2019 4:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Federal Reserve is set to cut its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for a third time this year to help sustain the U.S. economic expansion in the face of widespread trade tensions and slower global growth. But the Fed’s policymakers will likely frustrate anyone who is hoping for a clear signal about what they may do next. The central bank may prefer instead to keep its options open, economists say. Analysts have forecast that the Fed will reduce the short-term rate it controls – which influences a broad range of consumer and business loans – by one-quarter percentage point year to a range of 1.5% to 1.75%. A third cut would nearly reverse the four rate hikes that the Fed made last year in response to a strengthening economy.
