October 5, 2024 1:25 am
A Charleroi man who stands accused of multiple possession with intent to deliver felonies asked Common Pleas Court Judge Traci McDonald for a Stipulated Trial. John Beebe, 50 asked for that type of trial so that a quick verdict may be reached and appeals could be made if necessary. In this type of trial, attorneys will present agreed upon written facts and present no witnesses. The judge will review those facts and render their decision. Appeals to the decision may be made by either side. Beebe faces 8 felony possession with intent to deliver charges along with seven other misdemeanor charges. He was arrested in March of 2022 when police raided his home and found drugs, multiple guns and more than $40,000 in cash. He has been incarcerated in the Washington County Jail without bond. It is unclear when the judge will render a decision.
October 5, 2024 1:21 am
The members of Teamsters Local 585 and the Washington County Housing Authority have come to a resolution regarding their strike. According to a joint statement issued by the parties the agreement allows for “well-deserved wage increases” and will get employees back to work. According to the statement, over the past several days “the Authority administration, Board of Directors, Union representatives and Leadership, and the County Commissioners were able to come together to reach a resolution that ensures the Authority, and the County can continue to provide the safe, reliable, and affordable housing to its residents across the County.” Workers will report back to work at midnight on October 7th.
October 4, 2024 10:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Barack Obama is planning to hit key swing states to boost Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for the White House, starting next Thursday in Pittsburgh. The Harris campaign says Obama will travel around the country over the final 27 days ahead of the election. The former president and Harris have a friendship that goes back 20 years, from when they first met while he was running for Senate.
October 4, 2024 8:56 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers added a surprisingly strong 254,000 jobs in September, the latest evidence that the U.S. labor market is still solid enough to support steady hiring and a growing economy. Last month’s hiring gain was up sharply from the 159,000 jobs that were added in August, and the unemployment dropped from 4.2% to 4.1%. The latest figures suggest that many companies are still confident enough to fill jobs despite the continued pressure of high interest rates. Few employers are laying off workers, though many have grown more cautious about hiring.
October 4, 2024 4:56 am
DETROIT (AP) — The union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports has reached a deal to suspend a three-day strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract. The International Longshoremen’s Association is to resume working immediately. The temporary end to the strike came after the union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies, reached a tentative agreement on wages. That’s according to a joint statement from the union and ports. A person briefed on the agreement said the ports sweetened their wage offer from about 50% over six years to 62%. The person didn’t want to be identified because the agreement is tentative.
October 4, 2024 4:54 am
DETROIT (AP) — Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are trying to get the upper hand with working-class voters in the closing weeks of the presidential campaign. Harris is visiting the union stronghold of Flint, Michigan, on Friday. Organized labor has been a bedrock of Democratic support, but Harris has been unable to secure endorsements from some unions that backed Joe Biden four years ago. Trump is eager to make inroads with unions in the election. He’s heading to Georgia, where he’ll appear with Gov. Brian Kemp, and North Carolina on Friday.
October 4, 2024 4:53 am
PENSACOLA, N.C. (AP) — The search for victims of Hurricane Helene is dragging into its second week. With at least 215 dead, lack of phone service and electricity continues to hinder efforts to contact the unaccounted for. That means search crews must trudge through the mountains to learn whether residents listed as missing are safe. Exhausted rescue crews and volunteers continue to work long days — navigating past washed out roads, downed power lines and mudslides. Sheriff Quentin Miller of Buncombe County, North Carolina, has a message for those still waiting: “We’re coming to get you. We’re coming to pick up our people.”
October 4, 2024 4:51 am
BEIRUT (AP) — Israel has carried out a series of massive airstrikes overnight in the southern suburbs of Beirut. It had warned people to evacuate communities in southern Lebanon that are outside a United Nations-declared buffer zone. The blasts rocked Beirut’s southern suburbs, sending huge plumes of smoke and flames into the night sky and shaking buildings kilometers away. On Friday morning, Lebanese state media reported that an Israeli airstrike cut a main highway linking Lebanon with Syria. Also, Israeli forces carried out a strike Thursday in Tulkarem, a militant stronghold in the West Bank. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 18 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a refugee camp there.
October 4, 2024 4:47 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Republican challenger David McCormick have held the first debate in their race for a swing-state seat. Casey tried to drive home the message that McCormick is a carpetbagging ex-hedge fund CEO. McCormick painted Casey as a weak career politician. Each candidate also repeatedly accused the other of lying. One thing the candidates agreed on was opposing the sale of U.S. Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel. Meanwhile they disagreed on preserving the Senate filibuster. Casey supports ending it so senators vote on big issues. McCormick said the filibuster protects moderation.
October 4, 2024 2:39 am
Washington City Council took the last step to repeal a tax that has been around since 1984. Council approved the repeal of the tax that raised revenue to defray costs related to the pension plans of the city. The tax amount levied was .02%. That repeal in combination with an earlier pension refinance issue will save approximately $500,000 in pension payments this year. Earlier in the week an audit of fiscal year 2023 showed a revenue decrease of approximately $500,000. Mayor JoJo Burgess was asked if that shortfall would shine a different light on the sale of the City Garage, he flatly stated “No.” He went on to say that council was not going to let news like that sway them into a quick decision that would not be beneficial to the city’s residents. He did say that they are willing to sell the garage, but not under the terms presented earlier by the county. Burgess thanked Finance Director Ken Westcott and his team for their hard work in repealing that tax. In city business, council did approve a motion to bid the revitalization plans for an empty lot at 70 N. Main Street. The revitalization is a partnership with the Washington Business District Authority to create space for food trucks to operate.
