August 2, 2023 5:57 am
The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $1.25 billion after no one beat the odds and won the massive lottery prize. The winning numbers drawn Tuesday night were: 8, 24, 30, 45, 61 and the yellow ball: 12. No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since April 18, allowing it to grow larger and larger. The $1.25 billion prize for Friday’s drawing is one of the largest in U.S. history. The chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot is 1 in 302.6 million. The new $1.25 billion jackpot is for a sole winner who chooses to collect through an annuity, with annual payments over 30 years. A sole winner who opts for a lump sum payment would receive an estimated $625.3 million.
August 2, 2023 5:05 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal judge assigned to the election fraud case against former President Donald Trump stands out as one of the toughest punishers of rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol. Judge Tanya Chutkan often has handed down prison sentences in Jan. 6, 2021, riot cases that are harsher than what Justice Department prosecutors recommended. An Associated Press analysis of court records shows Chutkan has sentenced at least 38 people convicted of Capitol riot-related crimes. And all 38 of them received prison terms, ranging from 10 days to over five years. Chutkan is a former assistant public defender who was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama.
August 2, 2023 5:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has been indicted on felony charges for working to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol. The Justice Department’s four-count indictment Tuesday accuses the former president of assaulting the underpinnings of democracy in a frantic but ultimately failed effort to cling to power. Special counsel Jack Smith says the Capitol attack “was fueled by lies, lies by the defendant targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the U.S. government: the nation’s process of collecting counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.” Trump is due in court Thursday.
August 2, 2023 5:00 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Teachers are leaving jobs in growing numbers, state reports show. The turnover in some cases is highest among teachers of color. A major culprit is stress — from pandemic-era burnout, low pay and the intrusion of politics into classrooms. But the burdens can be heavier in schools serving high-poverty communities that also have higher numbers of teachers of color. Nationally, about 80% of American public school teachers are white, even though white students no longer represent a majority in public schools.
August 2, 2023 4:59 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities say that Russian troops have hit port infrastructure in southern Ukraine with Shahed drones near the border with NATO member Romania. Officials said Wednesday that the strikes damaged a grain elevator and caused a fire at facilities that transport the country’s crucial grain exports. Russia has hammered Ukraine’s ports with strikes since leaving a deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain to world markets through the city of Odesa. Russian forces have fired dozens of drones and missiles since July 1 at the port of Odesa and the region’s river ports which are being used as alternative routes.
August 2, 2023 4:57 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Union leaders told have told striking Hollywood writers that they plan to meet with representatives for studios to discuss restarting negotiations. The Writers Guild of America told its members in an email Tuesday night that a representative from the employers’ side requested a meeting on Friday to discuss starting talks again. It’s the first official communication between the two sides since the strike began three months ago. It wasn’t immediately known whether a similar overture was made to union leaders for Hollywood actors, who have been on strike since July 14. A representative for the studios alliance said only that they remain committed to finding a solution for both strikes.
August 2, 2023 4:54 am
The Pony League World Series will crown a 71st champion this summer. Lew Hays Pony Field will host 10 teams comprised of children ages 12 to 14 years old from around the world. International teams come from Paderborn Germany, Monterrey, Mexico, Edogawa Japan and Managua, Nicaragua. Teams from Texas, Michigan, Ohio and host area Washington County are from the United States. Teams from the east and west zone will be decided this weekend. Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi says the opportunity to showcase Washington County to the world. This is the 60th time the event will take place in the county. Bob Gregg, WJPA Sports Director and member of the Pony League Board of Directors talked about the strides the showcase has made in the last decade with sponsorship and commitment from Washington County Tourism enhancing the event. Jeff Kotula, President of Washington County Tourism says Pony League World Series is something they want to continue invest in for years to come. The Pony League Fanfest is August 10th. Other festivities include a skills competition, the annual breakfast of champions and more as the highlights of the week. WJPA will air all the games during the World Series from Lew Hays Pony Field.
August 2, 2023 2:50 am
A Peters Township man has requested a jury trial in his vehicular accident case. Zachary Sonson, 36 of Venetia was unable to come to a plea agreement on an aggravated assault felony charge and 5 other misdemeanor charges. Sonson is accused of recklessly driving his 81 year old neighbor’s car with her in it. The criminal complaint states that he drove through the side yard of their apartment building at a high rate of speed, striking a sewer pipe and a tree stump. The impact injured the passenger causing her to seek medical attention. Sonson who is not licensed in Pennsylvania and only has an expired Virginia license fled the scene. The trial is scheduled to begin on October 16.
August 2, 2023 2:39 am
(WPXI) – A 6-year-old boy drowned in a neighbor’s pool in Burgettstown late Monday night. According to the Burgettstown Area School District, Gunner McMillan was a kindergarten student at Burgettstown Area Elementary Center last school year. The Burgettstown fire chief told Channel 11 that a bystander found the boy in his neighbor’s pool at around seven p.m. Every house on the street has a pool, but the house where the drowning happened had a fence, the fire chief said. Medics worked on the victim for 45 minutes to an hour before he was flown to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he was pronounced dead. The Burgettstown Area School District is bringing in school counselors, the district social worker and a counselor from Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services to meet with students struggling with McMillan’s death.
August 1, 2023 5:42 pm
(AP) – Donald Trump has been charged by the Justice Department for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. It’s the third criminal case brought against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House. The indictment focuses on schemes by Trump and his allies to subvert the transfer of power and keep him in office despite his loss to Joe Biden. The criminal case comes as Trump leads the field of Republicans seeking their party’s 2024 presidential nomination. It centers on the turbulent two months between Trump’s November 2020 election loss and the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. Trump denies doing anything wrong.
