March 6, 2023 4:16 am
DERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – A man and woman were killed in a car crash in Derry Township late Saturday night. According to the Westmoreland County Office of the Coroner, the crash happened on state Route 981 between Flowers Road and Slag Road at around 9:01 p.m. Joseph Gshinsky, 35, from North Fayette Township in Allegheny County, was driving north on state Route 981 when his car crossed the centerline into the opposite lane of travel and hit a Honda CRV head-on, officials said. Gshinky and the CRV’s driver, 61-year-old Sherry Shaffer, were pronounced dead at the scene around two hours after the crash. Officials said Gshinsky wasn’t wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. Officials also said at this time, it’s believed speed played a factor in the crash.
March 6, 2023 4:13 am
BOSTON (AP) — For much of the Eastern United States, winter has been a bust. Snow totals are far below average from Boston to Philadelphia and warmer temperatures have often resulted in more spring-like days that blizzard-like conditions. The warm weather has left fans of cross-country skiing and sledding lamenting a lost winter while businesses like snow plow drivers and small ski resorts have struggled financially. There has been an upside. There have been more days to get outside and play tennis or bike and some big cities have saved millions of dollars on snow removal.
March 6, 2023 4:10 am
Gary Rossington, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s last surviving original member who also helped to found the group, died Sunday at the age of 71. The band wrote on Facebook, “It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to advise, that we lost our brother, friend, family member, songwriter and guitarist, Gary Rossington, today.” Rossington cheated death more than once, Rolling Stone reported. He survived a car accident in 1976. A year later, he survived a plane crash that killed singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines. In later years he underwent numerous heart surgeries. No cause of death was given.
March 6, 2023 2:11 am
According to media reports out of Ohio, investigators believe they now know the motive behind a murder/suicide near Cincinnati on Monday. Authorities say Washington County native Theresa Cain shot her family members and then turned the gun on herself as deputies arrived to serve them with eviction papers before they were set to be removed from their foreclosed home. They say Cain, whose maiden name was Felton, shot and killed her 13-year-old son and her 74-year-old father, William Felton and her 50-year-old husband Steven. She also shot her 20-year-old daughter Samantha. She survived the shooting and is hospitalized in critical condition. Theresa Cain, who was 46-years-old, was from McDonald and was a 1995 graduate of Fort Cherry High School. Patrick Felton, Theresa’s brother, lives in Washington County with his family and issued this statement on Sunday: “As the family, we are shocked and devastated. We are unaware of any issues or problems that they may have been facing. We ask that you please respect our family’s privacy going forward and continue to pray for our niece Samantha. The family asks that if you know of anyone struggling or needs help – please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline or dial 988.” A GoFundMe has been organized to help offset Samantha’s medical expenses, who according to reports, is a student at Northern Kentucky University.
March 5, 2023 8:16 am
VIENNA (AP) — The head of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog says Iran has pledged to restore cameras and other monitoring equipment at its nuclear sites. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said Saturday that Iran also agreed to boost inspections at a facility where particles of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade were recently detected. But a joint statement issued by the agency and Iran’s nuclear body only gave vague assurances that Tehran would address longstanding complaints about the inspectors’ access to its disputed nuclear program. Grossi visited Tehran days after his Vienna-based agency reported that uranium particles enriched up to 83.7%, just short of weapons-grade, were found at an underground nuclear site in Iran.
March 5, 2023 8:15 am
A large storm system is taking aim at the Northeast, threatening heavy snow and coastal flooding after heavy winds and possible tornadoes damaged homes and buildings, left thousands without power and caused 10 deaths in the South. A mix of snow, sleet and rain was expected across New England starting late Friday and lasting into Saturday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a winter storm warning. The system spouted heavy winds and possible tornadoes in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama and Kentucky and brought heavy snow to parts of the Midwest. Rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow and strong winds were reported in Michigan and Indiana. Winds damaged buildings, toppled trees and overturned 18-wheelers in multiple states.
March 5, 2023 8:13 am
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The Biden administration is close to tightening rules on some overseas investments by American companies. It’s an effort to limit China’s ability to acquire advanced technologies that U.S. officials worry could improve Beijing’s military prowess. That’s according to a U.S. official familiar with deliberations who was not authorized to comment and spoke on condition of anonymity. An executive order expected to be issued soon by President Joe Biden will limit American investment in technologies that have national security applications – such as next-generation military capabilities that could help China improve the speed and accuracy of military decision making. The expected action is the latest effort by the White House to target China’s military and technology sectors.
March 5, 2023 7:48 am
FAYETTE COUNTY (WPXI) — Powerful winds wreaked havoc in Fayette County overnight Friday. Trees were knocked down throughout the area, including the front yard of Lisa Metts in Dunbar Township. When the tree fell near her house it was smoking after hitting a live wire. The strong winds also caused traffic problems. Beeson Avenue was blocked off Saturday morning after a large pine tree fell onto it, just missing a nearby house. Route 119 was shut down to traffic from Connelsville Road to 80 Acres Road after strong gusts of wind snapped utility poles. Traffic lights are out throughout the area, including at the busy intersection of West Main Street and New Salem Road where businesses are also without power. West Penn Power said they would be working 16-hour long shifts around the clock until power is restored to all customers.
March 5, 2023 7:44 am
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WPXI) — A Norfolk Southern train has derailed in Springfield, Ohio. Around 20 cars of the train derailed near the Clark County Fairgrounds Saturday evening, WHIO reports. Emergency crews were called to the area of State Route 41 and Gateway Boulevard at around 5 p.m. The Clark County Emergency Management Agency is asking residents who live within 1,000 feet of the derailment site to shelter in place. They are not issuing evacuation orders at this time. Norfolk Southern said they do not believe any hazardous materials were involved. Multiple state and local agencies are responding to the situation, including the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Clark County Emergency Management agency. More than 1,500 people are without power in Clark County due to downed power lines.
March 5, 2023 7:42 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Josh Shapiro will unveil his first budget as he aims to remake the state’s public school funding system and to put Pennsylvania on competitive footing with other states to attract major companies. The Democrat will deliver it to lawmakers Tuesday. One big Shapiro campaign promise is to cut Pennsylvania’s sky-high corporate income tax rate by more than half within two years. Shapiro also is vowing to make a “down payment” on the billions of dollars that public school advocates say are necessary to fix disparities between poor and wealthy districts. But Shapiro is saddled with a slow-growing Pennsylvania economy, grim demographic trends and what he calls a “workforce crisis.”
