August 8, 2024 5:06 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A new poll shows that most Americans believe this year’s presidential race will be crucial for the future of the country’s democracy. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs survey finds that they see the threat differently based on their political leanings. Nearly 6 in 10 Democrats say the November election is “extremely important” to the future of U.S. democracy, compared to about 4 in 10 independents and Republicans. Many Democrats continue to view former President Donald Trump as a threat to democracy after he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election. But the results also suggest that many of Trump’s supporters agree with him that President Joe Biden is the real threat to democracy.
August 8, 2024 5:00 am
HUGER, S.C. (AP) — Tropical Storm Debby has made a second landfall in South Carolina on its way up the East Coast, where residents as far north as Vermont could get several inches of rain this weekend. The National Hurricane Center says Debby came ashore early Thursday near Bulls Bay, South Carolina. The storm is expected to keep moving inland, spreading heavy rain and possible flooding all the way up through the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast by the weekend. Debby first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday on the Gulf Coast of Florida.
August 8, 2024 4:57 am
MONROEVILLE, Pa. — (WPXI) – An 18-year-old was reported missing two hours before police say they found her shot to death in Monroeville. Emergency crews were called to Cambridge Square Apartments around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday. Once on scene, they found the victim, Joselyn Thomas, 18, shot to death. Thomas was reported missing to North Versailles police at 1:20 p.m. Wednesday. Detectives say Albert Williams, 18, of Wilkinsburg, is responsible for the deadly shooting. Williams has been arrested and detectives are working with the DA’s office on appropriate charges. A motive has not been revealed.
August 8, 2024 4:54 am
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – A local softball coach is accused of sexually assaulting a teen girl over the last three years. James Muir, of Blawnox, served as an assistant softball coach with multiple local organizations including Fox Chapel Area High School and Penn State New Kensington. According to Allegheny County Police, the girl, who is currently 17, told investigators about the alleged sexual abuse last month, saying it began as inappropriate sexually explicit comments when she was just 14 and soon escalated to physical contact. Channel 11 has learned Muir served as an assistant softball coach with multiple organizations including Fox Chapel Area High School and Penn State New Kensington. According to the police report, Muir would give the teen girl vapes or alcohol in exchange for sexual favors. She told police Muir would record video of the sexual encounters. Investigators found multiple nude images of the victim on his phone as well as videos of them having sex. Muir was denied bail and is being held at the Allegheny County Jail.
August 8, 2024 4:50 am
The Canon-McMillan School District held a public hearing regarding the construction of the new Wylandville Elementary School. School administrators, engineers and financial experts laid out the details of the project. What is proposed is a three story building that will hold grades kindergarten through four and is more than four times bigger than the current building. It will replace the current one story building that was built in 1962 and employs a portable trailer for needed classroom space. Aside from space constraints, the current building does not meet ADA codes nor current fire, plumbing, electrical and other codes. Many of the current aspects of the facility are at or near the end of their expected lifespan. The new building will be built behind the current building on the 14.2 acre site. Total cost of the project is estimated at $76,120,675. The financing for the project will be a 20 year bond with a $19 million dollar cash contribution coming from the district’s available funds. As for taxes, the new building could come with a .78 mill tax increase. Superintendent Dr. Greg Taranto cautioned that that number could be less as the district continues to grow and revenues grow also. Taranto also said that the completion of this project will allow Canon-McMillan to move forward with its goal to offer full day kindergarten. Construction is expected to begin in January of 2025 with an anticipated completion date of July 2026.
August 8, 2024 4:28 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar are jointly demanding that Israel and Hamas return to stalled talks on the war in Gaza. The three leaders issued a statement Thursday saying “only the details” remain to get a cease-fire deal and hostage release. President Joe Biden, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt and Emir Tamim al-Thani of Qatar are signaling growing frustration, saying they would accept “no excuses from any party for further delay.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Thursday that it had agreed to attend the Aug. 15 talks. There was no immediate word from Hamas. Hamas’ top representative to the talks was killed July 31 in an assassination widely blamed on Israel.
August 8, 2024 4:25 am
LUCAMA, N.C. (AP) — Debby’s final chapter involves moving north and northeast from the Carolinas at a faster clip with soaking rains, flash flooding and the threat of tornadoes into the weekend. Accuweather’s chief meteorologist Jon Porter said the Mid-Atlantic states and parts of New York and New England will see significant rainfall that could cause dangerous flooding into the weekend, such as on parts of Interstate 95 near bigger cities. From eastern Virginia up to Vermont, an active stretch of tornadoes was also possible on Friday. Tornadoes spawned by Debby have leveled homes, damaged a school and killed one person. The tropical storm was downgraded to a tropical depression Thursday afternoon.
August 7, 2024 5:16 pm
VIENNA (AP) — Organizers of three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna this week called them off on Wednesday after officials announced arrests over an apparent plot to launch an attack on an event in the Vienna area such as the concerts as part of her Eras Tour. Swift was scheduled to play at the Austrian capital’s Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Event organizer Barracuda Music said in a post on its Instagram channel late Wednesday that “we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.” (Photo: AP)
August 7, 2024 9:54 am
BROWNSVILLE, Pa. – (WPXI) – Emergency crews responded to a house fire in Fayette County early Wednesday morning. Fayette County dispatchers said the fire started in the 400 block of Green Street in Brownsville at 3:26 a.m. Dispatchers said no one was hurt in the blaze and that it’s not known at this time if the house was occupied.
August 7, 2024 5:05 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that around 7 in 10 Americans say extreme heat has had a major or minor impact on their electricity bills in the past year, and a majority have seen a similar impact on their outdoor activities. Around 4 in 10 also report that extreme heat has had a major or minor impact on their sleep, pets, or exercise routine. The results came at a time when several regions of the U.S. set all-time temperature records, including Las Vegas reaching a scorching 120 F on July 7.
