July 9, 2024 12:40 pm
The Washington County Coroner says a 29-year-old male died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday morning. State Police were called to Park Avenue just after ten o’clock after a caller to 911 reported that a man was in a garage threatening suicide, and then hearing a gunshot. Police shut down a section of Park Avenue between Franklin Farms Road and West Maiden Street for several hours while they dealt with the situation. The road was re-opened early in the afternoon later after they deemed it to be safe. State Police told WJPA News that there was never an immediate threat to the area, because it was a contained situation. (Photo: WPXI)
July 9, 2024 4:50 am
Temperatures will quickly jump into the low 90s again Tuesday, but the increase in humidity will combine to make it feel even hotter, with the heat index expected to push into the mid to upper 90s. Plan some breaks if working outside and check on neighbors and pets throughout the day. The remnants of Hurricane Beryl will move in late Tuesday and Wednesday bringing a quick surge of tropical moisture which will make it feel uncomfortable. We’ll see numerous showers and storms from Beryl late Tuesday night and Wednesday. Widespread severe weather and flooding is not expected at this time.
July 9, 2024 4:47 am
Washington City Council heard a presentation from their financial consultant on a measure to free up funds in the city by reworking a current bond. Councilman Ken Westcott is the Finance Director for the city and his department has negotiated a “debt smoothing action” that will give the city approximately $450,000 in fund flexibility. The current city pension bond will be reduced to $1.738 million dollars in September and is scheduled to be fully retired in 2026. This action will extend the payment term by one year and free up those funds for other purposes. Westcott says that he expects current pension obligations to rise about $200,000 per year at least. This flexibility will allow the city to meet those obligations without raising taxes. Westcott called the measure a creative way to achieve the financial goals of the city keeping the best interest of the taxpayers in mind. The measure will be voted on in August. In other anticipated city business, council will authorize funding measures for work and lighting on the tennis and pickleball courts.
July 8, 2024 2:27 am
Officials with the Avella School District announced that 47-year-old Corey McConn, school board president and long-serving member of the school board, died in a tragic accident while on vacation in Florida. According to officials, McConn was vacationing in Bradenton, when he drowned. In a statement, the school board wrote: “Corey McConn’s commitment to our district was unwavering. His leadership and dedication over the years have greatly contributed to the progress and success of our schools. He was passionate about education and deeply valued our community, always striving to make a positive impact. Mr. McConn’s presence and guidance will be profoundly missed. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.” Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
July 8, 2024 2:47 am
(WPXI) – TSA officers stopped a gun from getting on a plane at Pittsburgh International Airport over the weekend. Officials say a man tried carrying his unloaded 9mm handgun that was in a bag through the airport’s busy checkpoint on Sunday, the busiest checkpoint day in TSA’s history. “This was a rare instance in which the man had his unloaded firearm in a locked hard-sided case as he was supposed to do, and when he brought it to the airline check-in counter to declare he wanted to fly with it. Instead, the man took the case to the checkpoint,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s federal security director for the airport. “The man was permitted to properly check the firearm for transport as checked baggage. However, when our officers detect a firearm at a checkpoint, it delays the passengers in that lane until the situation is resolved.” Civil penalties for bringing a weapon into a checkpoint can reach up to $15,000, depending on the specific weapon and the circumstances. This was the 22nd gun stopped at the airport in 2024.
July 8, 2024 4:56 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — NATO leaders are gathering in Washington this week as the military alliance confronts the prospect of the return of NATO skeptic Donald Trump to the White House. The summit kicks off Tuesday and heads of state will work to shore up transatlantic support for Ukraine in its battle against Russia. But for host President Joe Biden, it’s just as much about demonstrating he’s capable of meeting the grinding demands of the presidency for four more years. The president said his work at the summit would be a good way to judge his continued ability to do the job. His reelection campaign has been in a tailspin following a disastrous June 27 debate performance against Trump.
July 8, 2024 4:58 am
MIAMI (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is getting back on the campaign trail. He is rallying voters Tuesday at his flagship golf resort in the Miami suburb of Doral in a celebratory mood as Democrats face tough calls over President Joe Biden’s reelection chances. Trump is nearing a deadline of his own to announce his running mate but appears in no rush. Much of the attention is still centered on questions about Biden’s ability to govern for another four-year term after some Democrats started calling for him to step down as the nominee following his dismal debate performance.
July 9, 2024 4:59 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll finds that a solid majority of Americans oppose a federal abortion ban and that a rising number appear to support access to abortions for any reason. The findings from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey highlight a politically perilous situation for candidates who oppose abortion rights as the November election draws closer. Around six in ten Americans think a person should be able to obtain a legal abortion in their state for any reason, underscoring that views toward abortion may be getting more permissive in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade two years ago.
July 9, 2024 4:53 am
DEATH VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Hundreds of Europeans touring the American West and adventurers from around the U.S. are still being drawn to Death Valley National Park, even though the desolate region known as one of the Earth’s hottest places is being punished by a dangerous heat wave blamed for a motorcyclist’s death over the weekend. Much of the country is sweltering in heat wave that has seen dozens of locations in the West and Pacific Northwest tie or break previous heat records. Record daily high temperatures in Oregon are suspected in four deaths reported in the Portland area.
July 9, 2024 4:55 am
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Alec Baldwin’s trial in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer is about to begin. Jury selection starts Tuesday in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the actor’s trial on a charge of involuntary manslaughter that could get him 18 months in prison. The judge and attorneys in the case say they expect the 12 jurors will be seated in one day and opening statements can begin on Wednesday. Jurors will be tasked with deciding whether Baldwin committed a felony when a gun he was pointing at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal for the film “Rust” went off and killed her in 2021.
