State Police Search For Missing Teen

November 6, 2024 7:52 am

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. – Pennsylvania State Police are looking for a missing teenager from Washington County. State police said Saniyah Gates, 17, ran away from her house on Oct. 11. She was reported missing on Oct. 29. Gates could be near Allegheny Commons, East Ohio Street and Northview Heights in Pittsburgh, state police said.

Hurricane Rafael Makes Landfall In Cuba

November 6, 2024 5:08 am

HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Rafael made landfall in Cuba as a powerful Category 3 hurricane shortly after powerful winds knocked out the country’s power grid. Forecasters warn that Rafael could bring “life-threatening” storm surges, winds and flash floods to western swaths of the island, after knocking out power and dumping rain on the Cayman Islands and Jamaica. The storm is bad news for Cuba, which is struggling with devastating blackouts while recovering from another hurricane two weeks ago that killed at least six people in the eastern part of the island.

2 Dead In Fayette County Hostage Situation

November 6, 2024 5:06 am

NORTH UNION TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – A man and woman were found dead at a reported hostage situation in Fayette County. The public was asked to avoid an apartment building in North Union Township all day Wednesday due to an active police incident that, according to court documents, was a hostage situation. State Police told Channel 11 that there was an “extremely active scene” at Woodview Terrace. Troopers were called to the area at 8:07 a.m. Two people were found dead in an apartment. Fayette County Coroner Bob Baker identified them as Megan Kulenovic, 27, and Charles Nara, 36, both of Uniontown. “When police got there, they found smoke coming out of the apartment. Based on that and the info contained in the note, it led to us treating this as an active hostage,” according to Fayette County district attorney Michael Aubele. A criminal complaint Channel 11 obtained alleges Nara was holding a woman hostage in an apartment on Wednesday.“Mr. Nara has been a subject of previous investigations, including the sexual assault of a child. There was a response here earlier in the week. The police are very familiar with him,” Aubele added. People who live in Woodview Terrace were evacuated from their homes on Wednesday morning. Around 2 p.m., some tenants were able to go back home, but those who cannot are receiving assistance from the Red Cross. The lockdown was put in place out of an abundance of caution, district officials said.

Abortion Rights Advocates Win In 6 States

November 6, 2024 5:04 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Abortion rights advocates lost on Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota ballot measure but prevailed in five other states, including Missouri, where an amendment clears the way to undo one of the nation’s strictest bans. By rejecting adding abortion rights to their state constitution, Florida voters kept a ban on abortion after the first six weeks of pregnancy in place. It’s the first time abortion rights groups have lost in a statewide ballot question since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended a national right to abortion in 2022. Arizona, Colorado, Maryland and Nevada voters adopted such measures and New Yorkers passed an amendment to bar discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy outcomes.” .

Bomb Threats In Swing States Disrupt Election Day

November 6, 2024 5:03 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — A series of bomb threats across multiple battleground states and baseless claims of wrongdoing by former President Donald Trump disrupted an otherwise smooth Election Day in a tumultuous presidential election. The bomb threats in parts of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin turned out to be hoaxes, but they forced some polling places to evacuate and extend hours, and delayed the counting of some ballots. The FBI said many of Tuesday’s hoax bomb threats appeared to originate from Russian email domains, though federal cybersecurity officials cautioned that the culprits were not necessarily Russian. Despite no evidence of widespread problems, Trump made unsubstantiated claims related to elections in the battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Florida Voters Reject Measure To Protect Abortion Rights

November 6, 2024 5:00 am

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Florida voters rejected ballot measures to protect abortion rights and legalize marijuana. Tuesday’s results hand a victory to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who used state resources and campaigned heavily to defeat each issue. The abortion measure would have prevented lawmakers from passing any law that penalized, prohibited, delayed or restricted abortion until fetal viability, which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks. It means the state’s restrictive six-week abortion law would stand. It also makes Florida one of the first states to reject abortion rights in a ballot measure since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Casey-McCormick Senate Race Still Too Close To Call

November 6, 2024 4:57 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pennsylvania’s Senate contest between Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and Republican challenger David McCormick is still too early to call.  McCormick has a roughly 31,000-vote lead, which has been dwindling as outstanding votes continue to be counted. The roughly half-percentage-point margin between the candidates also qualifies the race for an automatic recount. McCormick overtook Casey with about 80% of the estimated votes counted just before midnight on Tuesday. Casey initially had a lead over McCormick when just about 40% of the estimated votes had been counted, propelled in part by mailed ballots that have historically favored Democrats. McCormick was doing better in votes cast on Election Day.

Three Firefighters Hurt Battling Large Brush Fire

November 6, 2024 4:56 am

A large brush fire in South Franklin Township Tuesday night. Washington County 9-1-1 says three firefighters were transported from the scene. One was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital. Two others were taken by ambulance to UPMC Washington Hospital. The identities and conditions of those individuals is unknown. Dispatchers say the fire broke out just after 7:30 p.m. in the 1800-block of Bedillion Road and covered some 20 acres. No other information is currently available.

State Legislative Races

November 6, 2024 4:45 am

Most of the State Legislative races show GOP incumbents holding on to their seats.  In the 15th Legislative District Joshua Kail leads Democrat Ashlee Caul.  In the 39th, Republican Andrew Kuzma leads Democrat Angela Girol.  Incumbent Republican Natalie Mihalik has defeated challenger Peter Kohnke in the 40th.  In the 46th,  incumbent Jason Ortitay wins over Alex Taylor and in the 50th, incumbent Republican Bud Cook easily defeats Democrat Drew Manko.

U.S. Senate Race Too Close To Call

November 6, 2024 4:34 am

The U.S Senate race between longtime, Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and David McCormick is too close to call. With 96-percent of the vote counted, McCormick has a one-point lead at 49.2% to Casey’s 48.2%. Casey has won his last three reelection bids since taking office back in 2006. McCormick has never held an elected office, but he built name recognition when he went head-to-head with Dr. Mehmet Oz for a Republican Senate seat nomination two years ago.