December 28, 2019 4:38 am
The number of mass killings carried out in the United States in 2019 is one of the biggest ever. A database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University shows that 2019 had the most mass killings since at least the 1970s. In all, there were 41 mass killings, defined as when four or more people are killed excluding the perpetrator. The killings included a trio of massacres in August in El Paso and Odessa, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. More than 210 people were slain in mass killings in 2019.
December 28, 2019 4:35 am
PERTH, Australia (AP) – Thousands of koalas are feared to have died in a wildfire-ravaged area north of Sydney, further diminishing Australia’s iconic marsupial, while the fire danger has accelerated in the country’s east as temperatures soar. The mid-north coast of New South Wales was home to up to 28,000 koalas, but wildfires in the area in recent months have significantly reduced their population. Koalas are native to Australia and are one of the country’s most beloved animals, but they’ve been under threat due to a loss of habitat. Environment Minister Sussan Ley told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that up to 30% of their habitat has been destroyed by the wildfires.
December 28, 2019 4:29 am
EAST DEER TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WPXI) — Fire crews are on the scene of a fire in East Deer Township that has damaged at least three homes. The fire began Friday morning around 11:30 in the 400 block of Freeport Road. According to our partners at Channel 11, the driver of a pickup truck crashed into several parked cars then hit a gas meter outside one of the homes, which caused it to go up in flames. By the time firefighters arrived, the house was engulfed. Police at the scene told Channel 11′s Aaron Martin that a man, his pregnant fiancee and her four children were in the home that was destroyed but they were able to escape safely. However, the family said they lost two cats in the fire. The man ran downstairs to get his fiancee and the four kids — all under the age of eight. He knew they only had seconds to get out of the house. He said it all happened within 50-55 seconds, and the flames already hit the dining room. Smoke started to fill downstairs, so they ran to the backdoor. Allegheny County officials said there is a Comcast phone outage due to the fire, as flames burned through their fiber cables. It’s only affecting landline customers, so anyone affected is asked to use their cellphones if possible during the outage. (Photo: WPXI)
December 28, 2019 1:41 am
HARRISBURG (AP) – It could soon cost more than $50 to drive across Pennsylvania on the nation’s first superhighway. Tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike will rise for the 12th straight year in January. The 6% hike is part of a 2007 law designed to raise billions for infrastructure improvements and debt service. The cash rate to travel from the Ohio Border to the Delaware River crossing near Levittown will rise to $53.50. The EZ Pass rate will be $38.40. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale fears the toll hikes will lead people to find other routes and further stress the state’s finances. The turnpike opened in 1940.
December 27, 2019 3:32 pm
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) – One of the largest school districts in the United States will allow students one excused absence per school year to participate in civic activities such as protests. News outlets report Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia plans to start the process Jan. 27, 2020. School officials say students in seventh through 12th grades can use the day for civic engagement activities such as attending marches or meeting with lawmakers. Some experts say skipping school to attend protests tends to favor liberal causes. Students must give two days notice before they take the day off and need permission from a parent or guardian.
December 27, 2019 1:16 pm
CINCINNATI (AP) – Police say a shopping mall in suburban Cincinnati was temporarily shut down on the busy day after Christmas when large groups of teenagers showed up and fighting broke out in a food court. Colerain Township police Sgt. Jim Love says the teens apparently responded to a social media post urging them to gather at the Northgate Mall on Thursday evening. Police estimate more than 200 teens arrived unsupervised. The chaos scared employees and customers, who took cover and began calling police.áWKRC-TV reports at least 10 people were arrested on charges such as disorderly conduct. No serious injuries were reported.
December 27, 2019 1:16 pm
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Uber is increasing its footprint in the Pittsburgh area with the purchase of a $9.5 million parcel to be used as a new test track for self-driving cars. Uber spokeswoman Sarah Abboud has confirmed the purchase to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review but says she can’t yet share details of the plan. The San Francisco ride-hailing giant bought the nearly 600-acre parcel in Findlay Township from a developer through an Uber affiliate. The headquarters for Uber’s autonomous vehicles branch is in the city’s Strip District. But the company has been looking for a new location for the test track.
December 27, 2019 7:38 am
A fire at a western Pennsylvania apartment complex has left two people injured and displaced more than a dozen residents. The blaze broke out early Friday at the Versailles Castle Apartments in North Versailles, causing thick smoke to pour out of windows and doorways. It caused heavy damage to one building, and at least two people were briefly trapped on a back porch there before emergency responders were able to rescue them. Both are expected to survive. The fire displaced about 15 people overall, and many of them were receiving help from the American Red Cross. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
December 27, 2019 6:39 am
HONOLULU (AP) – The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a tour helicopter with seven people aboard in Hawaii. A news release says the owner of the tour helicopter contacted the Coast Guard around 45 minutes after it was due back from a tour of Kauai’s Na PaliáCoast on Thursday evening. The release says two of the passengers were believed to be minors. The helicopter has an electronic locators, but no signals had been received as of late Thursday night, local time. A Coast Guard officer described weather conditions for the search as “challenging.” Further details weren’t immediately available.
December 27, 2019 6:19 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Tony Award-winning composer who wrote the cheerful, good-natured music and lyrics for such classic shows as “Mame,” “Hello, Dolly!” and “La Cage aux Folles,” has died. Jerry Herman was 88. The creator of 10 Broadway shows and contributor to several more, Herman won two Tony Awards for best musical: “Hello, Dolly!” in 1964 and “La Cage aux Folles” in 1983. He also won two Grammys – for the “Mame” cast album and “Hello, Dolly!” as song of the year – and was a Kennedy Center honoree. Herman wrote in the Rodgers and Hammerstein tradition, an optimistic composer at a time when others in his profession were exploring darker feelings and material.
