November 15, 2023 5:00 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Lawmakers are advancing an estimated $1.8 billion boost to the pensions of Pennsylvania state government and public school retirees. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed the legislation by a 140 to 63 margin on Tuesday. All Democrats supported the measure. Republicans opposing said the state has sought to help low-income older Pennsylvanians through other measures. It now goes on to the state Senate, where it faces an uncertain future. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office did not say whether he supports it, but were continuing to review it.
November 15, 2023 2:37 am
Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and Highmark Health announced plans on Wednesday to build a new full-service, all-private-room hospital in Washington County to replace Canonsburg Hospital. The new approximately 300,000-square-foot facility will have 50-100 beds and will be built on AHN Canonsburg’s existing Medical Boulevard campus in North Strabane. Officials say construction of AHN’s new, state-of-the-art Canonsburg facility is expected to begin in 2024, pending all necessary approvals, and will open in 2027. AHN says it will also develop the new clinical campus to accommodate additional planned facilities, including a medical office building and a potential future cancer center. The total investment to transform the medical campus is approximately $232 million. AHN Canonsburg was established in 1904 and has operated at the current Medical Boulevard location since 1983. The new hospital will provide an array of advanced clinical services, including primary, emergency, and critical care; state-of-the-art surgical capabilities; advanced cardiac, orthopedic, and neurosurgical care; and various multi-disciplinary programs including women’s health. “The population served by our Canonsburg Hospital has grown over the years and we are excited to create a beautiful, modern facility and clinical campus that will enable us to better meet the diverse healthcare needs of the community and advance our living health model,” said Jim Benedict, President, Allegheny Health Network. “Our goal is to provide enhanced access to a much broader array of integrated, high-quality, comprehensive clinical programs that will enable more patients to stay close to home for the services they need.” The new AHN Canonsburg Hospital is expected to create hundreds of additional permanent health care jobs when fully operational, as well as hundreds of construction jobs. Currently, there are approximately 400 employees at AHN Canonsburg, all of whom will be tracked to the same roles at the new facility. AHN officials expect to begin discussions with local municipal leaders and agencies to seek approvals for the construction plans in the coming days and weeks. (Photo: Allegheny Health Network)
November 15, 2023 2:34 am
SHEFFIELD, England (AP) — Police in England have arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter in the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson whose neck was cut by a skate during a game. Johnson, 29, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers in an Oct. 28 game when the blade cut his neck. South Yorkshire Police did not name the suspect or provide his age. He was in police custody. The player whose skate cut Johnson’s neck was Matt Petgrave, 31, who plays for Sheffield. Johnson was a Minnesota native who had a brief NHL career with the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Photo: AP)
November 15, 2023 2:22 am
Washington County Commissioner Nick Sherman says he and Commissioner-elect Electra Janis have formed a Transition Team to study the effectiveness of Washington County government. “This highly skilled volunteer team’s directive is about exploring and recommending best business practices and ensuring transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility,” Sherman stated. “The voters recently entrusted us with much responsibility, and we owe it to them to take a “deep dive” into the way county government conducts its business to ensure they are getting the most effective and efficient government,” he added. Sherman says the team will focus on specific areas of policy leadership and management thought to have the most significant impact on long-term success of Washington County like furthering good government and transparency; invest in and plan for economic development; commit to fiscal responsibility and protecting taxpayers; achieve positive public engagement and execute operational excellence. According to Sherman, the Transition Team will be comprised of eight members that will meet over the next few weeks with a target of January 31st for recommendations to the Commissioners. The team members are: Chairman, Daryl Price, Member, Washington County Redevelopment Authority; Jeffrey A. Mills, Attorney, Member, Cozen O’Conner; Daniel Ostrowski, Project Manager at Burns Scalo Real Estate; Dave Ball, Retired Executive, US Steel; Andy Walz, North Strabane Township Manager; State Senator Camera Bartolotta; Washington County Treasurer Tom Flickinger and Dr. John Six, VP of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Washington Health System. (PHOTO: Washington County Commissioner Nick Sherman Facebook)
November 14, 2023 5:43 pm
DETROIT (AP) — A Michigan judge has ruled that former President Donald Trump will remain on the state’s primary ballot. Court of Claims Judge James Robert Redford said in an order released Tuesday that Trump has followed state procedure to qualify for the ballot and that a clause in the Constitution can’t be used to disqualify him. Activists had sued to force Michigan’s secretary of state to bar Trump from the ballot. They pointed to a section of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment that prohibits a person from running for federal office if they have engaged in insurrection. A Trump campaign spokesman said the cases are an attempt to “deny the American people the right to choose their next president.”
November 14, 2023 4:34 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supporters of Israel have rallied by the tens of thousands on Washington’s National Mall, voicing solidarity in the fight against Hamas and crying “never again.” The “March for Israel” offered a resounding and bipartisan endorsement of one of America’s closest allies as criticism has intensified over Israel’s offensive in Gaza, set off by the bloody Oct. 7 Hamas incursion. Overlooking a sea of Israeli and U.S. flags, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jefferies and Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa joined hands on the stage. Schumer repeatedly chanted “We stand with Israel.” (Photo: AP)
November 14, 2023 2:50 pm
(WPXI) – Police are investigating after a body was found in the Allegheny River near Penn Hills. Police responded to the 4700 block of Allegheny River Boulevard, near Sandy Creek Road. The Allegheny County Police Department’s Homicide Unit was requested to respond.
November 14, 2023 10:51 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation in the United States slowed last month in a sign that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes are continuing to cool the consumer price spikes that have bedeviled consumers for the past two years. Tuesday’s report from the Labor Department showed that prices either fell or rose only slowly across a broad range of goods and services, including gas, new and used cars, hotel rooms and housing. Overall inflation was unchanged from September to October, down from the 0.4% jump the previous month. Compared with 12 months ago, consumer prices rose 3.2% in October, down from the 3.7% rise in September and the smallest year-over-year increase since June.
November 14, 2023 5:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation in the United States likely remained high last month, a trend that if sustained could raise concerns at the Federal Reserve, which is considering whether to raise interest rates again. Still, cheaper gas might have slowed a broad measure of overall inflation in October. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, core inflation is forecast to have risen 0.3% from September to October for a third straight month. Monthly increases at that pace would be too high to meet the Fed’s 2% annual inflation target. Economists pay particular attention to core prices, which are believed to provide a good signal of inflation’s likely future path.
November 14, 2023 5:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Error-ridden state reviews have purged millions of the poorest Americans from the Medicaid program in recent months. Now, poverty experts are questioning if the Biden administration is doing enough to stop states from wrongly removing people from the government health care program. Estimates show as many as 30 million people could be dropped from Medicaid at some point as states finish reviewing their Medicaid rolls over the next year. Advocates interviewed around the country say problems with the government forms, websites and phone lines in states like Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Arkansas have led to the high number of people losing Medicaid.
