October 27, 2024 7:00 am
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Four astronauts are back on Earth after a space station mission that lasted almost eight months. A SpaceX capsule carrying the crew parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast before dawn Friday. The three Americans and one Russian should have returned from the International Space Station two months ago, but were delayed by Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule and weather. Shortly after splashdown, NASA said one of its astronauts had a medical issue. The space agency says the unidentified astronaut is in stable condition and remains at a Florida hospital as a “precautionary measure.”
October 27, 2024 7:00 am
An Oakdale man was killed in a multi-vehicle crash over the weekend. Authorities say 51-year-old Michael Fayad was traveling on Route 19 in North Strabane Township around midnight Saturday and was trying to turn left onto Demar Blvd. when his vehicle was struck by another vehicle at a high rate of speed, pushing Fayad’s vehicle into a third vehicle. Route 19 was closed for several hours. North Strabane Police are investigating the cause of the crash.
October 27, 2024 7:00 am
Top political surrogates are storming the battleground states as the final days of the election campaign near and Western Pennsylvania seems to be the epicenter of activity. The Washington County Democratic Committee welcomed Transportation Secretary and former Mayor of South Bend Indiana, Pete Buttegieg to their headquarters Friday afternoon for an intimate meet and greet and speech supporting the Kamala Harris and Tim Walz ticket for President. Mayor Pete, as he is affectionately called, addressed the standing room only crowd and explained he’s campaigning for Harris for the future of his children and for the future of democracy. Buttegieg spoke for nearly 20 minutes and took the opportunity to take President Trump to task for his rhetoric. With a little more than a week to go, both teams are barnstorming the country to lock up any undecided voters.
October 26, 2024 7:56 am
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Many of Donald Trump’s supporters left a Michigan rally before he arrived Friday night after the former president kept them waiting for three hours to tape a popular podcast interview. Those who remained at the outdoor rally huddled in the cold as they waited for the former president to touch down in the battleground state. Trump apologized for the delay, which he blamed on an interview with Joe Rogan, an influential voice with younger male voters Trump is aggressively courting. The interview, taped in Austin, Texas, ran a whopping three hours, with Trump telling many familiar stories from his rallies and other interviews but also engaging with Rogan on topics like the existence of UFOs.
October 26, 2024 5:03 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel pounded Iran with a series of airstrikes, saying it was targeting military sites in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired upon Israel earlier in October. Explosions could be heard early Saturday in the Iranian capital, Tehran. The attack risks pushing the archenemies closer to all-out war at a time of spiraling violence across the Middle East, where militant groups backed by Iran are already at war with Israel. The Israeli military said Saturday it had launched “precise strikes on military targets,” including missile production facilities. Iran insisted the strikes caused “limited damage.” The White House warned Tehran against retaliation, saying the strikes should end the direct exchange of fire between the Israel and Iran.
October 26, 2024 4:58 am
(AP) — Grateful Dead founding member Phil Lesh has died at age 84. Lesh was a classically trained violinist and jazz trumpeter who found his true calling reinventing the role of rock music’s bass guitarist. He was the oldest and one of the longest surviving members of the band that came to define the 1960s acid rock sound. His thundering arpeggios, played on a six-string electric bass, intertwined with Jerry Garcia’s soaring lead-guitar solos to give the Grateful Dead a unique, often-copied but never duplicated sound. He also co-wrote several Grateful Dead songs, including “Box of Rain.”
October 26, 2024 3:38 am
If you have unwanted or unused medication laying around the house this is the weekend to get rid of it. Saturday October 26th is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. You can return your unused or unwanted medications from 10A – 2PM at participating locations. The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. Accepted at the take-back boxes are unused or expired prescription medication (including Schedule II-V controlled substances), unused or expired over-the-counter medications and pet medication. Not accepted are Schedule I controlled substances, illegal drugs, thermometers, aerosol cans, inhalers, needles, lotions/liquids or hydrogen peroxide. Nationally, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) holds “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day” twice per year. The DEA reports thousands of tons of drugs have been collected and properly disposed of through this effort. Below is a link to find more information.
https://www.wdacinc.org/prescription-drug-take-back-program
October 26, 2024 3:38 am
CANTON TOWNSHIP, PA — A man was arrested this week after several puppies were found tied shut in plastic bags dumped in the trash. Now, a woman is also facing charges. Three Pit bull-mix puppies were found buried in a trash can along Beacon Avenue on Oct. 20. One of them was dead and all had severe leg injuries. The puppies’ owner, Franklin Donley, is at the Washington County Jail and is facing several felony charges of aggravated animal cruelty. The criminal complaint said his dog had given birth. Donley said he thought he saw that the mother attacked and partially maimed the puppies and did not want his 10-year-old daughter to see what happened. Charges were also filed against Jessica Vanderlee Thursday. Court documents said Donley and Vanderlee mutually took care of the situation, disposing of at least four puppies and torturing them by packaging them into plastic grocery bags. The criminal complaint said Donley agreed to take the blame because Vanderlee was on State Parole for homicide by motor vehicle.
October 25, 2024 11:34 am
PITTSBURGH —(WPXI)- Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto will be retiring next week. In a letter that was sent to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police department, Scirotto announced his last day as chief will be Nov. 1, after nearly 25 years with the organization. “This decision is rooted in pride, duty, and a deep commitment to our organization and the community we serve. This choice is made by me alone, in the best interest of my officers and department,” Scirotto said. “Throughout my career, I have never shied away from a challenge. I have fought tirelessly for what is right, advocating for our officers and the community,” he continued. Scirotto came under fire last week after it was reported he was returning to refereeing college basketball, a gig he initially gave up when he took the job as Pittsburgh’s police chief. “While I have enjoyed this work and look forward to my upcoming officiating commitments, I recognize that this visibility has become a distraction for the department,” Scirotto continued, citing “substantial media coverage” surrounding his referee duties. On Tuesday, City Council voted unanimously to hold a public hearing questioning Scirotto. That same day, a news conference with the chief was abruptly canceled.
October 25, 2024 5:05 am
A California-based produce company is the source of fresh onions linked to a deadly E. coli food poisoning outbreak at McDonald’s restaurants. That’s according to officials with the restaurant chain. Meanwhile, other fast-food restaurants across the nation pulled onions from their menus. Taylor Farms of Salinas, California, recalled fresh whole and diced onions this week because they could be contaminated with E. coli bacteria. The E. coli outbreak has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states, including one person who died.
