September 27, 2024 4:46 am
(AP) – The death toll from Hurricane Helene has reached at least 35 across four states. Helene has left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the entire southeastern U.S. The Category 4 hurricane made landfall Thursday in Florida, snapping trees like twigs, tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate and dangerous missions to save people from floodwaters. The damage extended hundreds of miles to the north, with flooding as far away as North Carolina. According to an Associated Press tally Friday, the deaths occurred in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. (Photo: AP)
September 27, 2024 4:41 am
Donegal Township residents are still upset with supervisors that laid off the township road crew. Supervisors Jim Bauer and Ed Shingle would not respond to resident inquiries about what plans are in place to replace the road crew especially now that winter is only weeks away. Shingle did state at the end of the meeting to a reporter that the road crew was merely laid off and could be called back into service. Otherwise, no other plans were announced. Related to the layoffs, Ed Marson got into an altercation with Shingle at the layoff meeting when he asked Shingle about a project at his house Shingle agreed to have completed. According to Marson, Shingle tried to exit the conversation aggressively, running into Marson’s wife. Supervisor Chairman Jim Bauer stood up for Shingle stating that it was Marson’s wife that initiated the contact. Former Supervisor Douglas Teagarden requested that the board of supervisors resign immediately. He intimated that supervisors may not be forthcoming on all pertinent information. Bauer stated that the request is a regular occurrence. Supervisors did pass a resolution indicating that residents that are on the local water and sewage service are to register with the township to receive push notifications regarding township emergencies. Supervisors had no answer to a question of what residents were to do should they opt not to receive the push notifications. Supervisors will meet on October 15 for their agenda meeting.
September 27, 2024 2:21 am
A local man will soon learn if he faces first degree murder charges, which could bring a possible death penalty sentence, for his alleged role in the death of his infant son in January 2022. Joshua George of Burgettstown is charged with criminal homicide, three counts of aggravated assault and one count of endangering the welfare of a child. In court Thursday the prosecution filed written transcripts of witness testimony as they attempt to charge the 33 year old with first degree murder. They contend George was the lone person caring for his 6 month old infant son when the child was found unresponsive in a home on Colony Road in Smith Township in December 2021. The child died a few days later in a Weirton, W. VA hospital and his cause of death was ruled a homicide due to blunt force trauma to the head. Attorneys now have 30 days to file briefs and the judge will then make her decision and determine if there is sufficient evidence to charge George with the most serious of crimes.
September 27, 2024 2:20 am
A South Strabane man is headed to trial for allegedly attempting to kidnap his ex-girlfriend from a Giant Eagle parking lot last May. Jose Zaragoza was in court Thursday to request a jury trial as he faces criminal attempted kidnapping, strangulation, simple assault and harassment charges. Police say Zaragoza and his ex met at the South Strabane Giant Eagle parking lot to discuss an upcoming court case. When the ex-girlfriend arrived, Zaragoza allegedly approached her with duct tape and tried to remove her from her vehicle. After a struggle in which others tried to help he fled in his truck and was arrested several hours later during a traffic stop. His jury trial is set for sometime in February 2025.
September 26, 2024 5:39 pm
(AP) – A 10th person has died in an ongoing outbreak of listeria food poisoning tied to a now-closed Boar’s Head deli meat plant in Virginia. At least 59 people in 19 states have been sickened by the bacteria first detected in liverwurst. Boar’s Head officials shut down the plant in Jarratt, Virginia, earlier this month and stopped making liverwurst. Inspection reports revealed problems including mold, insects, dripping water and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. The company earlier recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat products sold across the U.S.
September 26, 2024 3:52 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – Hoda Kotb is leaving NBC’s “Today” show. Kotb told viewers this morning that her 60th birthday over the summer made her realize it’s time for a change, even though she feels she’s at the top of the wave of her career. She says she needs to spend more time with her two daughters, ages 7 and 5, and her mother. Kotb joined NBC in 1998 and became part of the “Today” show in 2007. She has been a co-anchor since 2018. Kotb plans to work through the beginning of 2025. (Photo: AP)
September 26, 2024 2:52 pm
CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Helene has strengthened into a major hurricane as it barrels across the Gulf of Mexico on a path to Florida. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Thursday afternoon that the hurricane is about 195 miles southwest of Tampa and has become a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of at least 111 mph. The huge storm’s center is expected to make landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida’s northwestern coast Thursday evening. Hurricane warnings and flash flood warnings extended far beyond the coast up into south-central Georgia. The governors of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia have all declared emergencies in their states
September 26, 2024 10:52 am
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal charges alleging that he took bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources. The indictment unsealed Thursday contends that Adams “compounded his gains” from the illegal contributions by gaming the city’s matching funds program, which provides a generous match for small dollar donations. Prosecutors allege that Adams also “solicited and demanded” bribes, including free and heavily discounted luxury travel benefits from a Turkish official, saying the official was seeking Adams’ help pertaining to regulations of the Turkish consulate in Manhattan. FBI agents seized Adams’ phone early Thursday, hours before the indictment was made public. Adams vowed Wednesday to fight any charges.
September 26, 2024 9:27 am
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week fell to the lowest level in four months. The Labor Department reported Thursday that applications for jobless claims fell by 4,000 to 218,000 for the week of Sept. 21. That’s fewer than the 224,000 analysts were expecting. The four-week average of claims, which evens out some of weekly volatility, fell by 3,500 to 224,750. The total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits rose by 13,000 to about 1.83 million for the week of Sept. 14. Applications for jobless benefits are widely considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs.
September 26, 2024 9:26 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The American economy expanded at a healthy 3% annual pace from April through June, boosted by strong consumer spending and business investment, the government said, leaving its previous estimate unchanged. The nation’s gross domestic product — the nation’s total output of goods and services — picked up sharply in the second quarter from the tepid 1.6% annual rate in the first three months of the year. Consumer spending, the primary driver of the economy, grew last quarter at a 2.8% pace, down slightly from the 2.9% rate the government had previously estimated. The final GDP estimate for the April-June quarter included figures showing that inflation continues to ease, to just above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
