August 23, 2019 9:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Billionaire David Koch has died at age 79. Koch was a major donor to conservative causes and educational groups. His older brother, Charles, said on Friday, “It is with a heavy heart that I now must inform you of David’s death.” The Kochs were best known for a vast political network they built that became popularly known as the “Kochtopus” for its far-reaching tentacles in support of conservative causes. The brothers founded the anti-tax, small government group Americans for Prosperity. David Koch was an engineer trained at MIT. He joined Koch Industries in 1970 and serves on its board. He was chief executive officer of Koch Chemical Technology Group, a Koch subsidiary. Charles and David Koch, each with an estimated net worth of $31 billion, tied in fourth place in 2012 on Forbes 500 list of the nation’s richest men.
August 23, 2019 7:29 am
The Meadows Casino has launched a $14-Million dollar facelift of its North Strabane Township facility. According to reports, renovation’s will include a Sportsbook. The Casino, which is now owned by Penn National, applied for a license to allow for sports betting in early July. It will need to present its plans to the State Gaming Control Board and then pay $10-Million for a license to operate it. There is no time table for when it may open. Officials say it will be located where the recently closed ‘Vibe Lounge’ had been on the gaming floor. Other upgrades and changes call for the food court to become a four restaurant setup. ‘Headliner’s’ will undergo an expansion and make-over and additional slot machines will be added.
August 23, 2019 7:20 am
Some traffic issues for motorists traveling Interstate-79 South early Friday morning. A tractor trailer jackknifed near mile-marker 22 in Amwell Township just before 4 a.m. near the Marianna exit. No injuries resulted but both southbound lanes were blocked. Traffic was still able to get by on the shoulder. HazMat crews were called to the scene because of a fuel leak. No other vehicles were involved. State Police say traffic returned to normal just after 8 a.m.
August 23, 2019 4:17 am
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Democratic voters appear to be reassessing their approach to health care, and pragmatic ideas are getting a closer look. “Medicare for All” remains hugely popular, but in a recent poll, majorities of Democratic liberals and moderates said they would prefer to build on “Obamacare” to expand coverage. The Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 55% would prefer that approach, compared to 39% who said they’d favor launching a new government program that would replace America’s mix of private and public insurance. It could mean trouble for Sanders and his supporters, signaling a limit to how far Democratic voters are willing to move to the left. The shifting views are echoed in voter interviews with The Associated Press and in the evolving positions of Democratic presidential candidates themselves.
August 23, 2019 4:16 am
STARKE, Fla. (AP) – A serial killer who preyed on older gay men during a rampage 25 years ago around the U.S. East Coast has been put to death. The office of Gov. Ron DeSantis says 57-year-old Gary Ray Bowles was pronounced dead at 10:58 p.m. Thursday after receiving a lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Starke. He was condemned to die for his murder conviction in the 1994 slaying of Walter Hinton in Jacksonville Beach. That was one of the six known killings that terrorized the Interstate 95 corridor that year and earned him the nickname of the “I-95 killer.” Hinton was Bowles’ sixth victim in the killing spree that began in Daytona Beach with the slaying of John Hardy Roberts. In between, there were victims in Maryland, Georgia and Florida. In each case, Bowles stuffed the victims’ throats.
August 23, 2019 4:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court says Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has completed radiation therapy for a tumor on her pancreas and there is no evidence of the disease remaining. The court said Friday the tumor was “treated definitively and there is no evidence of disease elsewhere in the body.” In a statement, the court said a biopsy performed July 31 confirmed a “localized malignant tumor.” The court said Ginsburg does not need any additional treatment but will continue to have periodic blood tests and scans. The court said Ginsburg canceled an annual summer visit to Santa Fe but has otherwise maintained an active schedule during treatment. Ginsburg, who is 86, has had several bouts with cancer beginning in 1999. In December, 2018, she had surgery for cancerous growths on her left lung.
August 23, 2019 4:13 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania is marshaling more money to help pay for better water treatment in suburban Philadelphia communities where testing has shown tap water contaminated with toxic industrial compounds used in products like nonstick cookware, carpets, firefighting foam and fast-food wrappers. Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday announced $3.8 million in aid and urged the federal government to clean up the chemicals called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Contamination in suburban Philadelphia is traced to sources including Horsham Air Guard Station and the former Naval Air Warfare Center. The state has already approved $5 million for the Warminster Municipal Authority, $3 million for Warrington Township and $10 million for the Horsham Water and Sewer Authority. Wolf’s administration is sampling drinking water statewide for the chemicals, crafting a state drinking-water limit and creating a cleanup plan.
August 23, 2019 4:09 am
UNIONTOWN, Pa. – A 2-year-old girl drowned in Fayette County Thursday afternoon, according to police. This happened around 3:30 p.m. in a pool along Coolspring Street in Hopwood. Her name has not been released. State police are investigation.
August 23, 2019 4:04 am
PETERS TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Peters Township students waiting for their school bus on their first day, witnessed a garbage truck go up in flames Wednesday morning. A Waste Management spokesperson told our news partners at Channel 11 the driver of the truck picked up a grill, and there was a propane tank hidden inside. When the trash was compacted the propane tank ignited, setting everything else on fire. Propane tanks are among a long list of items that cannot be placed in residential trash containers. (Photo: WPXI)
August 23, 2019 3:28 am
The Washington County Coroner’s office has identified a woman who was killed Tuesday night when she was struck by a train. Authorities say 49-year-old Lisa Lees of Charleroi died after being struck by a Norfolk Southern train around 10 p.m. near 7th Street and Railroad Way in Charleroi. The coroner has ruled her death accidental. Officials say Lees was crossing the tracks on foot when she was hit. Police in Charleroi along with Norfolk-Southern are continuing to investigate the incident.
