October 25, 2024 4:57 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 their homecoming was stalled by all the problems with Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule, which came back empty in September because of safety concerns. Then Hurricane Milton interfered followed by more bad weather. The astronauts launched to the space station in March.
October 25, 2024 4:54 am
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – The Woodland Hills School District superintendent is leaving for Chartiers Valley. Thursday, the Chartiers Valley School Board announced that it approved the hiring of Daniel Castagna in a six to three vote in a special meeting. The news comes days after the Woodland Hills School Board voted to give Castagna a $26,000 raise. Chartiers Valley School District plans to pay Castagna $250,000 per year starting in January. Castagna said the following in a statement: “I look forward to working closely with our talented educators, engaged families, and wonderful students to create a culture of excellence and innovation. Together, we will ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive and succeed.”
October 25, 2024 4:51 am
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Some voters living in areas that have seen rainy or humid weather have reported receiving ballot return envelopes that are already sealed shut. Elections officials in several states say that moisture can dampen mail and cause the envelopes to seal. The issue has been reported in parts of North Carolina, which was devastated by Hurricane Helene, as well as in Pennsylvania, Alabama and Oregon. Elections officials say this isn’t new and that humidity has sealed return envelopes in the past. Impacted voters should contact their county elections office to confirm what their next steps should be, as rules can vary across counties and states.
October 25, 2024 2:33 am
Hurricane Helene Relief Drives are underway across our area. Businesses, groups, organizations and churches are organizing donation drives to help the victims of Hurricane Helene. Helene struck Florida on September 26th and then continued its path of destruction inland and into North Carolina and surrounding areas. For a list of donation sites and needs, click here.
October 25, 2024 2:23 am
Washington City Police are investigating an altercation at the Brew House along S. Main Street this past weekend. Chief Steve Devenney tells us that an anonymous caller reported a disturbance or fight around midnight Sunday. At this time, Devenney says no potential victims have come forward and they are asking any potential witnesses to contact detectives. Police continue to investigate but are aware of some social media posts that they cannot confirm.
October 24, 2024 5:53 pm
(AP) Prosecutors are recommending that Erik and Lyle Menendez be resentenced for the 1989 killings of their parents in Beverly Hills. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced during a Thursday news conference that his office would recommend the brothers be sentenced to 50 years to life. But he says their ages at the time of the crimes mean they will be eligible for parole immediately. The brothers were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors must now seek court approval for resentencing. The brothers admitted to the crime but said they feared their parents were about to kill them to prevent the disclosure of the father’s longtime sexual molestation of Erik Menendez.
October 24, 2024 3:09 pm
(AP) — President Joe Biden is preparing to issue an historic apology during his first diplomatic visit to a tribal nation as president on Friday. He’s planning to formally apologize for the nation’s 150-year campaign to assimilate Indigenous children by taking them away to Indian boarding school system. The system devastated the lives of generations of Indigenous children and their ancestors. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland says this is a big deal to all of Indian County. She launched an investigation that found nearly 1,000 children died at more than 500 schools during U.S. government efforts to dispossess tribal nations of their land.
October 24, 2024 5:01 am
A lucky lottery player in Georgia won the estimated $478 million Powerball jackpot on Wednesday, according to the Powerball website. Only one ticket matched all six balls. It is the seventh time a Powerball jackpot has been won in Georgia. In addition to the jackpot winner, two tickets matched the five white balls to win $1 million each. Those tickets were sold in Pennsylvania and Texas.
October 24, 2024 4:59 am
ATLANTA (AP) — With less than two weeks before Election Day, a resurgence of misinformation and conspiracy theories about voting is forcing state and local election officials to spend their time debunking rumors and explaining how elections are run. This year’s election is the first presidential contest since former President Donald Trump began spreading lies about widespread voter fraud costing him reelection in 2020. Election experts see the conspiracy theories as laying the groundwork to again challenge the election should he lose.
October 24, 2024 4:57 am
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina officials say the catastrophic flooding and destruction from Hurricane Helene likely caused at least $53 billion in damages and recovery needs in the state. Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration generated the preliminary figure in a report released Wednesday that also includes Cooper’s request to the General Assembly for $3.9 billion. The request was disclosed the day before the legislature planned to meet for a one-day session to advance additional Helene recovery legislation. Cooper says the previous record for storm damage in North Carolina was $17 billion after Hurricane Florence in 2018.
