October 2, 2024 4:49 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene has brought climate change to the forefront of the presidential campaign. President Joe Biden has toured some of the areas hardest-hit by the storm on Wednesday as he and Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to different parts of the Southeast. Trump was in Georgia on Monday and criticized the federal response. The storm and its aftermath have killed at least 180 people. Vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz agreed on the need for a strong response. But Walz also linked the storm to climate change, saying it “roared onto the scene faster and stronger than anything we’ve seen.″
October 2, 2024 2:34 am
The Washington County Board of Elections met to determine how to handle mail in ballots that have flaws that render them unable to be considered. The Board voted 3-0 to comply with the court order issued By Judge Brandon Neuman. The Elections office will enter the flawed ballot into the Sure System. That will generate an email from the Secretary of State to notify the voter of the flaw. If no email is provided, the voter will be notified by the county elections office by phone. With that notice, the voter may choose to vote provisionally on Election Day. On July 1, seven disenfranchised voters, The Center For Coalfield Justice and the Washington Branch of the NAACP sued the Board of Elections for its policy to disallow flawed mail in ballots and not notify voters of those flaws. On August 23, Judge Brandon Neuman determined that voters must be notified of those flaws so that they may vote with a provisional ballot if they so choose. An appeal of that decision By the Republican National Committee, the State GOP and Washington County was lost in Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court on September 24. The Republican National Committee and the State GOP are appealing that ruling to the Supreme Court. It is unclear if the Supreme Court will hear the appeal as they are being asked by the RNC and State GOP to consider a “King’s Bench” ruling on a number of other cases regarding mail in ballots before the November 5 election.
October 2, 2024 2:16 am
Washington City Police are alerting motorists that an ongoing road construction project will hamper daily travel on East Maiden Street in Washington. Police say the work is continuing till further notice, Monday through Friday, from eight a.m. until five p.m. on East Maiden Street from South Main Street to Dunn Avenue. Police say there will be long delays and are urging motorists to find alternate routes if possible.
October 2, 2024 2:11 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Voting has begun in the presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania. Counties are mailing out ballots, offering over-the-counter voting and opening satellite election offices. Seth Bluestein sits on Philadelphia’s election commission. He said Wednesday that voters in the state’s largest city have returned about 15,000 mail-in ballots. That’s about 10% of the 150,000 ballots the city mailed so far. It’s also opening 10 satellite election offices. Allegheny County, home to Pittsburgh, says voters who applied for mail-in ballots have started receiving them. Montgomery County, the state’s third-most populous county, is mailing out ballots and this week it’s unveiling eight satellite election offices and a mobile voter services van. (Photo: AP)
October 1, 2024 3:12 pm
(AP) — John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 84. He played James Evans Sr. on “Good Times,” which featured one of television’s first Black two-parent families. Produced by Norman Lear and co-created by actor Mike Evans, who co-starred on “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,” it ran from 1974-79 on CBS. Among Amos’ film credits were “Let’s Do It Again” with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier, “Coming to America” with Eddie Murphy and its 2021 sequel, “Die Hard 2,” “Madea’s Witness Protection” and “Uncut Gems” with Adam Sandler. He was in Ice Cube and Dr. Dre’s 1994 video “Natural Born Killaz.” Amos’ “Good Times” character, along with wife Florida, played by Esther Rolle, originated on another Lear show, “Maude.” James Evans often worked two manual labor jobs to support his family that included three children, with Jimmie Walker becoming a breakout star as oldest son J.J. (Photo: AP)
October 1, 2024 12:53 pm
A jackknifed tractor-trailer briefly shut down part of eastbound I-70 Early Tuesday afternoon, one mile past the West Alexander Exit. There’s been no word on what caused the crash or if there were any injuries.
October 1, 2024 12:46 pm
(AP) – DirecTV is buying Dish and Sling, a deal it has sought to complete for years as it seeks to better compete against streaming services that have become dominant. DirecTV said Monday that it will acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that includes a payment of $1, plus the assumption of debt. The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, with headlines about reported talks popping up over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked their owners’ then-$18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns. (Photo: AP)
October 1, 2024 6:55 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is making asylum restrictions at the southern border even tougher. The changes come in the middle of an election campaign where border security is a key concern, and the administration is increasingly eager to show voters it’s taking a hard stance. The rules announced Monday toughen restrictions imposed in June and will bar migrants from being granted asylum when U.S. officials deem that the southern border is overwhelmed. Immigration advocates already had harshly criticized the previous restrictions, saying the administration was slashing away at vital protections for people fleeing persecution. The new restrictions go into effect Tuesday.
October 1, 2024 6:53 am
JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran says it fired dozens of missiles into Israel, a sharp escalation of the monthslong conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militias Hezbollah and Hamas. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Israel on Tuesday as the country ordered residents to head to bomb shelters and as air raid sirens sounded. Earlier in the day, Israel warned people to evacuate communities in southern Lebanon to avoid harm from limited ground operations it said were launched against Hezbollah. Israel and the United States said there would be consequences for any direct attack by Iran on Israel. (Photo: AP)
October 1, 2024 6:50 am
State Police are investigating a homicide last night in Washington County. Authorities say they were called to Spring Street in Robinson Township just before six o’clock for reports of a shooting involving two men. Police have not released the identity of those involved, but said both men were taken to a hospital where one later died. Troopers say they do have a suspect in custody.
