May 23, 2024 5:06 am
GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a deadly tornado that wreaked havoc in the small city of Greenfield, Iowa, left four people dead and nearly three dozen injured, while a fifth person was killed elsewhere. The twister that tore through the city on Tuesday was rated at least an EF-3 by the National Weather Service and was so destructive that it took authorities more than a day to account for the area’s residents. Officials believe the number of people injured is likely higher. The deadly twister was spawned during a historic tornado season in the U.S. April had the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the country.
May 23, 2024 5:05 am
SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCIA, Mexico (AP) — At least nine people are dead and 63 more injured after the collapse of a stage during a campaign rally in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. The state’s governor confirmed the tragedy and said among the dead was a child. A strong gust of wind caused the stage to collapse during an event attended by presidential long-shot candidate Jorge Álvarez Máynez. Videos of the dramatic collapse were posted to social media Wednesday night. The clips showed people screaming and running away, and later climbing out from under metal polls. Afterward, soldiers, police and other officials roamed the grounds of the park where the event took place.
May 23, 2024 5:09 am
Highways and airports are likely to be jammed in the coming days as Americans head out on and home from Memorial Day weekend getaways. AAA predicts this will be the busiest start-of-summer weekend in nearly 20 years. The Transportation Security Administration says up to 3 million people may pass through airport checkpoints on Friday alone. And that’s just a sample of what’s to come. U.S. airlines expect to carry a record number of passengers this summer. The national expression of wanderlust is happening at a time when Americans tell pollsters they are worried about the economy and the direction of the country.
May 23, 2024 5:03 am
The Israeli military says it has completed a two-day operation in the occupied West Bank that the Palestinian Health Ministry says killed 12 Palestinians and wounded 25. Rippling tensions from the Israel-Hamas war are also being felt in the Red Sea and in Lebanon. A missile splashed down in the water near the crucial Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Thursday, but caused no damage. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency says an Israeli drone strike killed one person and wounded three school students who were passing nearby in a bus. More than 400 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel and Hezbollah began exchanging fire the day after Israel launched its war in Gaza following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.
May 23, 2024 5:07 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Get ready for what nearly all the experts think will be one of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record thanks to unprecedented ocean heat and a brewing La Nina. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there’s an 85% chance that the Atlantic hurricane season that starts in June will be above average in storm activity. An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of which become hurricanes and three major hurricanes. About 20 other groups — universities, other governments, private weather companies — also have made seasonal forecasts. All but two foresee a busier, nastier summer and fall for hurricanes.
May 22, 2024 5:10 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran is preparing to inter its late president at the holiest site for Shiite Muslims in the Islamic Republic, a final sign of respect for a protege of Iran’s supreme leader killed in a helicopter crash earlier this week. President Ebrahim Raisi’s burial later Thursday at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad caps days of processionals through much of Iran, seeking to bolster the country’s theocracy after the crash killing him, the country’s foreign minister and six others. However, the services have not drawn the same crowd as those who gathered for services for Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020 in a potential sign of the public’s feelings about Raisi after harsh crackdowns on dissent.
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.
