May 24, 2024 4:55 am
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has sent dozens of warplanes and navy vessels off Taiwan’s coast on the second day of a large exercise launched to show its anger over the island’s inauguration of new leaders who refuse to accept its insistence that Taiwan is part of China. Taiwan’s defense ministry said it tracked 49 Chinese warplanes and 19 navy vessels as well as coast guard vessels on Friday. Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te, visited a marine base on Thursday and said the island would “continue to maintain the values of freedom and democracy.” A Beijing official said Lai has “challenged the one-China principle,” which asserts that Taiwan is part of China.
May 24, 2024 4:48 am
The Canon-McMillan School Board unanimously approved the Proposed Final General Fund Budget for the 2024-2025 school year in the amount of $117,163,110.00. This budget amount includes a 0.6497 tax mill increase. According to Superintendent Michael Daniels, this budget amount includes a deficit of $1,327,510.00. Daniels cautioned board members that the number they see right now may change. He said certain revenues have not been received and therefore not added into the budget. Daniels said that they will begin construction on the new Wylandville Elementary School in the upcoming year. He pointed to increased costs for special education needs for students as the main driver in the budget deficit. Daniels says that since the pandemic, facilities dealing with those concerns are full. Travel distances and employee time to transport the students to more distant areas are the biggest costs driving the deficit. The final budget will be adopted on June 27.
May 24, 2024 2:40 am
Two additional people have been charged in relation to a shooting that left a teen girl dead and another injured in Washington County. Anthony Barfield, 17, is facing charges of criminal homicide and aggravated assault, and Jeheili Cochran, 25, is facing charges of hindering apprehension, obstructing the administration of law and tampering with evidence. Barfield and Cochran are family members of Windale Barfield Jr., one of the other suspects charged in the shooting. Annalaya Wilkerson, 18, was killed and another 17-year-old girl was hurt in a shooting on a rural road in South Franklin Township on April 13.
May 24, 2024 4:51 am
The federal government agreed to a $15 million fine for Norfolk Southern over last year’s disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Residents were generally underwhelmed by the deal the Environmental Protection Agency and Justice Department announced Thursday, two days after a federal judge signed off on the railroad’s $600 million class action settlement with residents. In addition to the civil penalty, Norfolk Southern agreed to reimburse the government $235 million in cleanup costs and set up a $25 million health care fund to pay for 20 years of medical exams in the community and follow through on $244 million of planned safety improvements. The railroad won’t face criminal charges.
May 23, 2024 11:37 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has filed a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation Entertainment, accusing them of running an illegal monopoly over live events in America and driving up prices for fans. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in New York and was brought with 30 state and district attorneys general. The suit seeks to break up the monopoly they say is squeezing out smaller promoters and hurting artists. The Justice Department accuses Live Nation of a slew of practices that allow it to maintain a stronghold over the live music scene. Live Nation has denied that it engages in practices that violate antitrust laws. (Photo: AP)
May 23, 2024 4:57 am
A house fire in Midway has left two people injured. Washington County 9-1-1 says the blaze was reported just before 12:30 a.m along Stevenson St. According to reports, the two people were outside the home when firefighters arrived. They were both flown to West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh. Our news partners at Channel-11 report that one of those individuals, a male, has been released. The home was reportedly destroyed. At this time, there is no word on the cause of the fire. Fire officials have reported that they encountered a “severe hoarding situation’ in battling the the fire.
May 22, 2024 2:17 am
The Board of Governors for Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education unanimously selected Dr. Jon Anderson on Wednesday to serve as the next president of Pennsylvania Western University. His appointment to PennWest’s top leadership role takes effect July 1, 2024. Anderson will succeed Dr. Lorraine “Laurie” Bernotsky, who has served as PennWest’s interim president since 2023. Anderson is currently provost and vice president for academic affairs at Southern Utah University (SUU), a regional institution with more than 15,000 students. Prior to joining SUU, he was provost and vice president for academic affairs at Middle Georgia State University, which has five physical campuses and online program offerings. He also spent 10 years in various administrative positions, including deputy provost and associate vice president, at the University of West Georgia. “Dr. Anderson impressed the Board of Governors with his focus on student success, his commitment to shared governance, and his experience with integrating academic and student support systems across multi-campus institutions,” said Board of Governors Chair Cynthia Shapira. “At this pivotal moment for PennWest, we believe that Dr. Anderson is the committed, collaborative and strategic leader this university needs.” He and his wife, Kristy, have seven children and seven granddaughters. Their youngest son, Bryce, will accompany them on their move to western Pennsylvania. “I am grateful for the opportunity to put down roots in western Pennsylvania and help to shape the future of PennWest,” Anderson said. “The role of a regional university is to serve students and elevate communities — and PennWest lives that mission every day. I am honored to be part of its story.
May 22, 2024 2:20 am
(WPXI) – Pittsburgh will host the 2026 NFL Draft. Steelers spokesperson Burt Lauten confirmed that the city was awarded the 2026 NFL Draft. “The NFL Draft is one of the biggest, most-anticipated sporting events of the year, and we’re thrilled to partner with the Pittsburgh Steelers and VisitPITTSBURGH for our 2026 event,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We have a unique opportunity to spotlight this wonderful community on a global stage, benefiting Pittsburgh’s economy and entertaining football fans from all markets. We know this pride of Pennsylvania will shine bright in 2026.” The NFL decided where the draft would be held in 2026 during the Spring League Meeting in Nashville. Ahead of this announcement, Channel 11 spoke with city officials to find out what the draft would look like, including where the stage and other activities would be. Their vision has Downtown as the central backdrop of the main stage that would be placed on the North Shore near Acrisure Stadium. The full layout has not yet been revealed, but it’s expected to include Downtown, Point State Park, the Central Business District and the Strip District ancillary events, along with Acrisure Stadium and the North Shore. The officials also think the weekend-long event that could bring upwards of 300,000 people to the city will be a major economic boost. The process for Pittsburgh to secure rights to host the draft began years ago, with the Steelers having ongoing conversations with the NFL about bringing a “mega football event” to the city.
May 22, 2024 5:01 am
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 23, 2024 6:08 pm
(AP) – The federal government agreed to a $15 million fine for Norfolk Southern over last year’s disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Residents were generally underwhelmed by the deal the Environmental Protection Agency and Justice Department announced Thursday, two days after a federal judge signed off on the railroad’s $600 million class action settlement with residents. In addition to the civil penalty, Norfolk Southern agreed to reimburse the government $235 million in cleanup costs and set up a $25 million health care fund to pay for 20 years of medical exams in the community and follow through on $244 million of planned safety improvements. The railroad won’t face criminal charges. (Photo: AP)
