May 22, 2024 4:54 am
North Strabane Township Supervisors held a public hearing Tuesday to consider a conditional use application for garden apartments in the Concord Green Development off W. McMurray Road. The proposal calls for the Alpha Development Group to build a single building containing 48 one and two bedroom apartments on a 4.6 acre parcel of land. An earlier proposal had 74 apartments proposed, but that was withdrawn. The developer went item by item proving compliance with the zoning ordinance. Noted during the hearing was a 2010 development plan that called for two buildings containing 24 apartments each. A subsequent plan called for 26 townhomes to be built on the lot. The original 2001 master plan allowed for 48 apartments to be built. The developer expressed his interest in being a good neighbor offering to alter his plan to satisfy current residents comments. Public comment concerns pointed to increased traffic in the neighborhood and onto an already overcrowded W. McMurray Rd. Comment also called into question the compatibility of the rental apartment building in a neighborhood of owned homes. Concerns were also raised about how well the apartments and surrounding area would be cared for. It was asked if renters would take the same pride in their apartments as homeowners take in their homes. The meeting was continued for additional study. No date was given for the next meeting.
May 22, 2024 4:56 am
The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission held two public input hearings on Tuesday. In them, the public had the opportunity to voice their opinion on a proposed rate hike requested by Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania. Columbia Gas is seeking an increase in revenue of 15.79% or $124.1 million to distribute gas. If approved the average customer using 70 therms of gas would see a 15.88% monthly raise in rates. That would equate to approximately $19 per month. On April 4, the PUC unanimously voted 5-0 to investigate the proposed rate increase that was filed by Columbia Gas on March 15. Testimony was given by Richard Cuthbert, an asset management expert. He called into question Columbia Gas’ rate increases since 2006. He said their rates have increased 335% in those 18 years as opposed to the Consumer Price Index raises of 56% in the same period of time. He also questioned if infrastructure improvements promoted by Columbia Gas were indeed necessary. The public may still voice their opinion on telephonic meetings on May 22 at 1:00 and 6:00 PM. Registration is required at the PUC Office of Administrative Law Judge. Once the public input hearings are complete, telephonic evidentiary hearings will be held on July 31, August 1 and 2. The judge will render his decision in October. The PUC must deliver a final decision by December 14, 2024.
May 22, 2024 3:23 pm
(AP) – A federal judge has signed off on the $600 million class action settlement over last year’s disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment in eastern Ohio, but many people who live near East Palestine are still wondering how much they will end up with out of the deal. The lawyers who negotiated the deal plan to return to the community several times in the next few weeks and open a dedicated claims center to help answer residents questions. One of the lead attorneys, Mike Morgan, said the agreement will resolve claims against the railroad and the other companies who are defendants in the case but won’t prevent any possible future lawsuits against the EPA or other government entities.
May 21, 2024 2:12 am
State Police along with police in North Strabane Township are investigating a fatal crash Tuesday morning at the intersection of McClelland Road and Village Drive. The crash happened just before nine o’clock when a motorcycle operated by 58-year-old Robert Klein of McDonald collided with a garbage truck. Authorities say Klein, who was not wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene. The road in that area was closed for several hours while the State Police reconstruction unit was on scene.
May 22, 2024 5:03 am
GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP) — Multiple people have died and at least a dozen were injured since a powerful tornado tore through a small Iowa town, carving a bleak landscape of destroyed homes and businesses, shredded trees, smashed cars, and widely strewn debris. The tornado destroyed much of the small Iowa town of Greenfield. Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla says at least a dozen people were injured amid widespread devastation in Greenfield. Tuesday saw multiple tornadoes, giant hail and heavy rain in several states. The storms and tornado warnings have moved into Wisconsin, including a warning for the state’s capital city of Madison.
May 22, 2024 5:04 am
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors and defense lawyers in the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump are due in court for the first time since the judge indefinitely postponed the trial earlier this month. The case had been set for trial on May 20 but U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon cited numerous unresolved issues as a basis for canceling the trial date. On Wednesday, Cannon was scheduled to hear arguments on a Trump request to dismiss the indictment on grounds that it fails to clearly articulate a crime and instead amounts to “a personal and political attack against President Trump” with a “litany of uncharged grievances both for public and media consumption.”
May 22, 2024 4:59 am
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Norway, Ireland and Spain say they are recognizing a Palestinian state in a historic move. It was a lightning cascade of announcements on Wednesday. Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the Scandinavian country will officially recognize a Palestinian state as of May 28. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said his nation made the move in coordination with Spain and Norway and that it was “an historic and important day for … Palestine.” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s Socialist leader since 2018, made the expected announcement to the nation’s Parliament. Norway’s Gahr Støre also said “there cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition” and that it was the way forward to a two-state solution.
May 22, 2024 5:01 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid in recent weeks have forced leaders of the war-ravaged country to institute nationwide rolling blackouts. Without adequate air defenses to counter assaults and allow for repairs, though, the shortages could still worsen as need spikes in late summer and next winter. The airstrikes targeting the grid have brought blackouts to the capital, Kyiv, which hadn’t experienced them since the first year of the war. During a trip to a destroyed power facility Tuesday, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said there are no quick fixes to the electricity shortages and that Ukraine is appealing to its Western allies for more air defense systems and spare parts to fix its Soviet-era plants.
May 22, 2024 5:47 pm
(WPXI) – Charlie Colin, a founding member and bassist of the band Train, died at the age of 58. Colin’s mother reportedly shared the news of his death with TMZ, according to Deadline. She claimed that he was house-sitting in Brussels, Belgium when he slipped in the shower. Colin’s mother said that he had moved to Brussels to teach a music master class at a conservatory, People magazine reported. He was also working on some music for a film. Colin’s body was found by the people who owned the house about five days ago, Rolling Stone reported. Colin’s sister also confirmed his death to Variety, according to Billboard. The exact cause of death and the day he died have not been released, according to Deadline.
May 22, 2024 3:26 pm
(AP) – Millions of people in the U.S. report using marijuana daily or nearly every day, and those people now outnumber those who say they are daily or nearly-daily drinkers of alcohol. The research was published Wednesday in the journal Addiction. It’s based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a highly regarded source of self-reported estimates of tobacco, alcohol and drug use. High-frequency marijuana use overtook high-frequency drinking for the first time in 2022. Other research shows that high-frequency users are more likely to become addicted to marijuana and more likely to develop cannabis-associated psychosis, a severe condition where a person loses touch with reality. (Photo: AP)
