August 11, 2023 4:00 am
The Washington Chamber of Commerce held their monthly briefing at Peters Township High School. Superintendent Dr. Jeanine French welcomed chamber members to the recently opened facility. French’s presentation covered several areas that the PTSD concentrates on and other topics that face school districts no matter where they are located in Pennsylvania. French described the district’s return on investment of each student. Most recent figures showed that Peters spent just shy of $18,000 per student where neighboring districts spent $4000 dollars more per student to achieve similar or lesser results on student performance. French credits the “Fundamentals” approach the district uses. She states that the district does not go for the “latest bling” but concentrates on basics like having students beginning to be able to read for understanding at the end of third grade. They make sure courses in the high school are challenging. They feature 21 AP courses along with other college affiliated programming. And the district is expanding its focus on technology careers. French touched on funding biases indicating that Peters receives the least amount of funding per student from Pennsylvania than any other school district in Washington County. French says that the formula Pennsylvania uses sends more money to school districts that do not have a tax base that can support the school district. According to French the Peters Township School District has just over 4000 students and enrollment has been relatively flat despite its population growth.
August 10, 2023 9:44 am
Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger vowed to make its streaming services profitable via a planned October price hike on its ad-free Disney+ and Hulu plans and a crackdown on password sharing expected to extend through next year. The increases will raise the monthly cost of ad-free Disney+ by $3, or roughly 27%, to almost $14, and of ad-free Hulu by 20% to $18. Disney reported narrower losses on its Disney+ streaming platform in the quarter but said it shed Disney+ subscribers for the second quarter in a row. Disney is in the middle of a “strategic reorganization″ aimed at saving $5.5 billion across the company.
August 10, 2023 9:41 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation in the United States edged up in July after 12 straight months of declines. But excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core inflation matched the smallest monthly rise in nearly two years, a sign that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes continue to slow price increases. The inflation figure the government reported Thursday showed that overall consumer prices increased 3.2% from a year earlier. That was up from a 3% annual rise in June, which was the lowest rate in more than two years. The latest figure remained far below last year’s peak of 9.1%, though still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% inflation target.
August 10, 2023 9:39 am
Washington City Police say no injuries were reported after officers responded to a report of shots fired overnight. Washington Police Chief Dan Rush tells WJPA News it happened around midnight in the area of Church and N. Franklin Streets. Rush says two unidentified men had an encounter and shots were fired. One male, in a black hoodie, fled the area possibly in a Dodger pickup truck. No other information has been released. The investigation is on-going.
August 10, 2023 5:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The latest federal indictment against Donald Trump vividly illustrates the extent to which the former president’s final weeks in office were consumed by a struggle over the law, with two determined groups of attorneys fighting it out as the future of American democracy hung in the balance. The indictment released last week, coupled with evidence compiled in congressional investigations, show how Trump’s attempts to remain in power were firmly rejected by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and his deputy, Pat Philbin. Trump, as a result, turned to outside allies including Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro, among other legal advisers, to launch what federal prosecutors have called a “criminal scheme” to fraudulently overturn the election.
August 10, 2023 5:15 am
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — An Ecuadorian presidential candidate known for speaking up against cartels and corruption was shot and killed Wednesday at a political rally in the capital, amid a startling wave of gang-driven violence in the South American country. President Guillermo Lasso confirmed the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio and suggested organized crime was behind his slaying, less than two weeks before the Aug. 20 presidential election. Villavicencio was one of eight candidates, though not the front-runner. Ecuador’s attorney general’s office said that one suspect died in custody from wounds sustained in a firefight after the killing, and police detained six suspects following raids in Quito.
August 10, 2023 5:11 am
WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — At least 36 people have died in the Lahaina fire in Hawaii, Maui County wrote in a statement posted to the county website Wednesday evening. Wildfires, whipped by strong winds from Hurricane Dora passing far to the south, took the island of Maui by surprise, leaving behind burned-out cars on once busy streets and smoking piles of rubble where historic buildings had stood. Flames roared throughout the night, forcing adults and children to dive into the ocean for safety. Officials said earlier that 271 structures were damaged or destroyed and dozens of people injured.
August 10, 2023 5:08 am
MCKEESPORT, Pa. — (WPXI) – As teachers in the McKeesport Area School District get set to return to the classroom, they could be doing so without a contract. “It’s been the whole summer. Now we’re at the 11th hour where we can voluntarily report tomorrow, at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., to start setting our rooms up and teachers don’t have a contract,” said Gerald McGrew, the president of the teachers union. Wednesday night, the school board voted against ratifying a contract that calls for raises between 3% and 6.5% over the next five years. The board said it cannot afford the raises without a major tax hike and potential teacher furloughs. Several board members blamed the district’s business manager for their need to reconsider. “A contract was negotiated with ineptitude, and we cannot afford it,” said board member Matthew Holtzman. “Our business manager did not negotiate well. We don’t have the money to cover this.” Now, with teachers required to report to school on August 17 — and students on August 21 — the teachers union is weighing its next move. That could mean a strike, a delayed start to the school year, or working without a contract. The teachers union plans to meet Thursday night to decide how to proceed. District leaders say they want to get back to negotiating as soon as possible.
August 10, 2023 4:57 am
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – Animal Friends, an animal shelter in Pittsburgh, has given an update on a dog who was allegedly abandoned at Pittsburgh International Airport. “Our Humane Society Police Officers are actively investigating this case in conjunction with the Allegheny County Police. We are unfortunately unable to share specifics of the dog or the situation. We expect the dog to be moved to an experienced foster home for the duration of his stay with us,” the shelter said in a news release. For the last week, the rescue shelter has been caring for the 7-year-old dog. Allegheny County Police said the dog’s owner abandoned him at the airport after she was told she didn’t have the right carrier for the dog. Police said the owner left the dog in a baby stroller with food and water as she continued to a resort destination. The owner could face charges for animal abandonment.
August 10, 2023 4:52 am
A Bentleyville man pleaded guilty to a felony incest charge on Wednesday. Joshua Levers, 40 was initially charged with misdemeanor terroristic threats and harassment. Further investigation into that case prompted the incest charge. Levers was sentenced to 4 ½ years to 9 years in state prison on the incest and terroristic threats charges. According to the criminal complaints, Levers was initially charged in early March with threatening a relative with harm if they did not send him articles of their clothing. He also sent nude photos of himself to that victim. The incest charge was levied later in March when police found videos of Levers in an incestuous encounter with a second victim. In addition to the jail sentence, Levers will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
