September 19, 2023 2:53 am
A Greene County woman found guilty of aggravated assault in the July 2022 shooting of her boyfriend’s estranged wife was sentenced on Monday. Michaela Hildreth, 28 will spend the next 7-14 years in state prison for the shooting of Amy Mruk in the 200 block of Moon Road in Chartiers Township. A jury convicted Hildreath in June of 2 counts of aggravated assault, 3 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of simple assault. The shooting was caused by an argument between the victim Amy Mruk and her estranged husband John Mruk along with Hildreth over a missing rifle. Hildreth shot and nearly killed an unarmed Mruk as she approached a vehicle containing Hildreth and Mruk’s former husband. Five character witnesses and testimony from Hildreth did not sway the judge from sentencing Hildreth to a standard range sentence. She received 6-12 years on an aggravated assault charge and 6-12 months on each of two reckless endangerment charges that will be served consecutively. Sentences for the other aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment charges will be served concurrently to the other charges. Hidreth’s attorneys had no comment after the hearing. They did state after the trial and during the sentencing hearing that they will be filing an appeal.
September 19, 2023 1:22 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration says it’s trying to make it easier for someone to register to vote when they are getting or renewing a driver’s license in the state. Starting Tuesday, prompts on the computer screens in driver’s license centers will take users to a template to register to vote. That leaves it up to them to choose not to register. Previously, the user was asked whether they wanted to register to vote. Twenty-three other states and Washington, D.C., already have varying models of what’s called “automatic voter registration.” Researchers say automatic voter registration increases registration and boosts the number of people voting.
September 18, 2023 9:43 am
Hunter Biden has filed a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. He’s arguing that two agents violated his right to privacy when they publicly aired his tax information as they pressed claims that a federal investigation of Biden had been improperly handled. The lawsuit filed Monday says that his personal tax details shared during congressional hearings and interviews was not allowed by whistleblower protections. The suit comes days after Biden was indicted on federal firearms charges amid a long-running Justice Department investigation. The charges alleging that he lied about his drug use to buy and possess a gun in October 2018 could put the case on track toward a possible high-stakes trial as the 2024 election looms.
September 18, 2023 9:29 am
Four Washington County school districts dealt with bomb threats Monday morning. State Police say the threats were made through email and caused the Burgettstown High School and Middle School, the Fort Cherry School District and the Avella School Area District to evacuate students and staff. Authorities say the Washington County Sheriff’s Department bomb dog was sent to Burgettstown and officials reached out to the Trinity School District asking them to send their dog to go through one of the other schools. Burgettstown students were taken to the nearby Pepsi Cola Roadhouse and were home from there. On its website, Fort Cherry officials said that elementary students were sent home immediately. High School students were taken to the football field and were sent home on buses from there. As for the California Area School District, district officials, in a statement, said they worked closely with state and local police and determined that the threat was non-credible and chose not to evacuate anyone. Instead, they said they are continuing to closely monitor the premises. A similar threat was received over the weekend in the Albert Gallitan School District in Fayette County. Authorities there deemed that threat as non-credible as well and said they believed it to be part of a nationwide “swatting” effort.
September 18, 2023 5:16 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Tens of thousands of people in New York City have kicked off a week of demonstrations seeking to end the use of coal, oil and natural gas blamed for climate change. Sunday’s so-called March to End Fossil Fuels featured such politicians as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and actors Ethan Hawke, Edward Norton and Kevin Bacon. It was the opening salvo to New York’s Climate Week, where world leaders in business, politics and the arts are gathering ahead of a new special United Nations summit Wednesday. Protester said they were targeting their efforts at many of the leaders of nations that cause the most heat-trapping carbon pollution.
September 18, 2023 5:16 am
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has flown 103 military planes toward Taiwan in a new daily high for the activity the island considers harassment. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry says it also detected Chinese vessels in the 24 hours from Sunday to early Monday. China’s military regularly sends planes over waters south and west of Taiwan in what some see as a campaign of intimidation for the self-governing island that is claimed by China. The recent actions may be an attempt to sway Taiwan’s presidential election in January. The governing Democratic Progressive Party leans toward formal independence for the island.
September 18, 2023 5:15 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump repeatedly declined in an interview aired Sunday to answer questions about whether he watched the Capitol riot unfold on television. He said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he would “tell people later at an appropriate time.” The current front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination refused to say how he spent Jan. 6, 2021, once the insurrection began, and whether he made phone calls as his supporters stormed the seat of American democracy. Trump said he might consider pardoning some of the rioters charged for their actions that day.
September 18, 2023 5:13 am
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The commitments were far-reaching and ambitious. Among them: End extreme poverty and hunger. Ensure every child on Earth gets a quality secondary education. Achieve gender equality. Make significant inroads in tackling climate change by 2030. Create “universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.” But halfway to that goal, progress is lagging badly — and in some cases going backward. At a two-day summit, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be trying to kick-start action to achieve the 17 goals adopted by world leaders in 2015. Developing countries in particular consider them crucial to closing the widening inequality gap between the world’s rich and poor countries.
September 18, 2023 5:12 am
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Americans held for years in Iranian custody walked arm-in-arm off a plane into freedom. Monday’s release was part of a painstakingly negotiated deal between the United States and Iran. The U.S.-Iran prisoner swap saw the Biden administration agree to the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets owed by South Korea. Despite the release, tensions remain high between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program and other matters. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suggests the deal could be used to build trust with the U.S. But the exchange has unfolded during ongoing disputes between the two rivals and an American military buildup in the Persian Gulf. (Photo: AP)
September 18, 2023 5:10 am
BETHEL PARK, Pa. — (WPXI) – Archers are taking to the woods in municipal parks as part of a plan to cull the deer population. The hunt will run through January. Deer were roaming around Simmons Park on Saturday. Two archer hunters were looking for them nearby. In the same location, some parkgoers were not aware the hunt was happening because there were no signs posted. “I didn’t even know they were down here, so I’ll probably just head back to the house,” Sharon Pilewski from Bethel Park said. Police alerted residents about the archery deer hunt on its Facebook page and got mixed reactions. Some people said they believed the hunt was something that needed to be done while others felt it was horrible. According to police, the deer hunt is being organized through Suburban Wildlife Management Solutions. The volunteer archers who are taking place in the hunt had to undergo an application process and take a proficiency test. They are all licensed and authorized. Bethel Park police say there are currently seven hunters. ethel Park said the hunt is necessary to reduce the deer herd. They said the municipality has seen a 40% increase in the number of vehicle-related deer incidents. he deer meat from the hunt will be donated through Hunters Sharing the Harvest food banks located throughout Allegheny County.
