December 22, 2022 4:10 am
An Avella man was pronounced dead in the emergency room at Canonsburg Hospital following a two-vehicle, head-on collission Wednesday morning. The Washinton County Coroner’s office says 37 year old Joesph Ayre Jr. was pronounced dead a short time after the crash around 8:45 a.m along Thomas Road in North Strabane near the intersection with Springdale Road. He was not wearing a seatbelt. A cause and manner of death are pending investigation. No other information is currently being released. North Strabane Township Police are investigating.
December 21, 2022 4:47 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is paying a defiant wartime visit to Washington to thank U.S. leaders and “ordinary Americans” for their support in fighting off Russia’s invasion and to press for continued aid in the brutal months to come. President Joe Biden and Congress responded with billions in new assistance and a pledge to help Ukraine pursue a “just peace.” Biden welcomed Zelenskyy to the Oval Office on Wednesday, saying the U.S. and Ukraine would continue to project a “united defense” as Russia wages a “brutal assault on Ukraine’s right to exist as a nation.” Zelenskyy is expected to address Congress in the evening.
December 21, 2022 12:53 pm
A Wednesday morning head on collision in North Strabane Township has turned fatal. The Washington County Coroner has reported that the driver of a vehicle traveling south on Thomas Road near Springdale Road has died. The accident occured at 8:46 Wednesday morning. It was a head on collision with a second car. The victim was not wearing a seatbelt. The victim was taken to Canonsburg Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The cause and manner of death are pending. No information is available for the other victim in the crash. North Strabane Township Police are investigating.
December 21, 2022 6:59 am
On the week of the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, professional football’s greatest play in league history, the playmaker has died. Franco Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers Hall-of-Famer, has died, according to the Associated Press. He was 72. His cause of death was not immediately known. The Pittsburgh Steelers announced several events to take place Friday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception. Harris was also to be honored with the retirement of his jersey during a ceremony at Saturday night’s Steelers game against the Raiders.
December 21, 2022 4:24 am
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – A large swath of the U.S. braced for a dangerous mix of sub-zero temperatures, howling winds and blizzard conditions already hammering the Northwest and expected to disrupt plans for millions of holiday travelers. Bitter cold and heavy snow are forecast to hit the Plains and upper Midwest. Some places in the northern U.S. could see wind chills approaching 70 degrees below zero (minus 57 Celsius). Even warm-weather states are preparing for the worst. Texas officials hope to avoid what happened in early 2021 when millions lost power in a winter storm. Temperatures could dip to freezing in parts of Florida by the weekend.
December 21, 2022 4:19 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Elon Musk says he plans on remaining as Twitter’s CEO until he can find someone willing to replace him in the job. Musk’s announcement came after millions of Twitter users asked him to step down in an unscientific poll the billionaire himself created and promised to abide by. Since taking over San Francisco-based Twitter in late October, Musk’s run as Twitter CEO has been marked by quickly issued rules and policies that have often been withdrawn or changed soon after being made public. He has also alienated some investors in his electric vehicle company Tesla who are concerned Twitter is taking too much of his attention.
December 21, 2022 4:18 am
EL PASO, Texas (AP) – Migrants along the U.S. border with Mexico sought shelter from the cold early Wednesday as restrictions that prevented many from seeking asylum in the U.S. remained in place beyond their anticipated end. The Biden administration on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court not to lift the limits before Christmas. The restrictions had been slated to expire Wednesday. The federal government acknowledged that ending the restrictions will likely lead to “disruption and a temporary increase in unlawful border crossings.” But the government asked the court to reject efforts by a group of conservative-leaning states to maintain a measure that allows officials to expel many but not all asylum-seekers.
December 21, 2022 4:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A congressional panel says the IRS failed to pursue mandatory audits of Donald Trump on a timely basis during his presidency. The finding raises questions about statements by the former president and leading members of his administration who claimed he could not release his tax filings because of the ongoing reviews. A report released Tuesday by the Democratic majority on the House Ways and Means Committee indicates the Trump administration may have disregarded an IRS requirement dating back to 1977 that mandates audits of a president’s tax filings. There was no suggestion that Trump sought to directly influence the IRS or discourage the agency from reviewing his tax information.
December 21, 2022 4:13 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A suburban Philadelphia county elections board voted Tuesday to certify its November results, a development Pennsylvania officials had said was required before they can issue a statewide certification. Bucks County government spokesman Jim O’Malley said its Board of Elections wrapped up certification, although litigation over recount requests has not ended. “The challenges brought by the parties were withdrawn,” O’Malley said in an email. “The recount petition litigation is ongoing, but the court in the case ruled the county could proceed with certifying.” Pennsylvania Department of State communications director Amy Gulli confirmed Tuesday the elections agency received Bucks’ certified results and said in an email they are “working to finalize the secretary’s certification of the remaining offices.” Recount petitions in at least 27 of the state’s 67 counties, covering 172 voting precincts, have delayed certification for some legislative districts as well as statewide election results for governor, lieutenant governor and U.S. Senate.
December 21, 2022 4:11 am
UNIONTOWN, Pa. — (WPXI) – The Pennsylvania attorney general’s office filed charges against the elected treasurer of the city of Uniontown for allegedly stealing $106,000 in taxpayer money while she was in office. According to the attorney general’s office, the Uniontown City Council launched an investigation in early 2021 after more than a dozen taxpayers received delinquency notices despite having already paid their taxes. Officials said a grand jury investigation determined that Antoinette Hodge, who was elected treasurer in 2019, had taken the money for her own personal gain. Officials also said that staff at the city’s treasurer’s office testified that multiple changes were made under Hodge’s leadership, including Hodge taking over filling out deposit slips, taking over as the sole person reviewing tax account information and eliminating other checks and balances within the treasurer’s office. The investigation further determined that, during this time period, Hodge took numerous costly vacations and spent tens of thousands of dollars each year on gambling. Hodge has been charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received, misapplication of entrusted property, obstructing administration of law or other governmental function and perjury.
