Task Force Will Be Formed To Investigate Rally Shooting

July 24, 2024 12:56 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has voted to form a task force to investigate the security failures surrounding the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. The 416-0 vote Wednesday underscores the bipartisan outrage over the shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Trump came within inches of losing his life. One rallygoer was killed and two others severely injured. Lawmakers have responded quickly with hearings and widespread calls for accountability. The bill is sponsored by Republican Rep. Mike Kelly, whose hometown was the site of the shooting. Kelly was at the rally with members of his family.

IOC Awards 2034 Winter Games To Utah

July 24, 2024 9:41 am

PARIS (AP) — As expected, Salt Lake City will be an Olympics host again after the IOC formally awarded the 2034 Winter Games to the United States bid. The capital city of Utah was the only candidate after the International Olympic Committee gave Salt Lake City exclusive negotiating rights last year in a fast-track contest for 2034. Salt Lake City’s final approval was in a vote Wednesday by IOC members. The IOC also made an unusual demand, pushing local officials to pledge to help end an FBI investigation into actions taken by the World Anti-Doping Agency regarding Chinese swimmers who were allowed to compete at the last Olympics despite positive drug tests.

Officers Left Post To Look For Gunman Before Shooting

July 24, 2024 5:18 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Pennsylvania State Police says two local law enforcement officers stationed in the complex of buildings where the gunman opened fire at former President Donald Trump left to go search for the man before the shooting. Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris’ testimony before a congressional hearing Tuesday raises questions about whether a key post was left unattended as the gunman climbed on a roof. The revelation comes amid growing questions about a multitude of security failures that allowed the 20-year-old gunman to get onto the roof and fire eight shots with an AR-style rifle into the crowd minutes after Trump began speaking.

Biden Will Make A Case For His Legacy

July 24, 2024 5:15 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Even though President Joe Biden won’t be on the ballot this November, voters still will be weighing his legacy. As Vice President Kamala Harris moves to take his place as the Democratic standard-bearer, Biden’s accomplishments remain very much at risk should Republican Donald Trump prevail. Biden will have an opportunity to make a case for his legacy on Wednesday night when he delivers an Oval Office address about his decision to bow out of the race and “what lies ahead.” How Biden’s single term is remembered will be intertwined with Harris’ electoral success in November, particularly as the vice president runs tightly on the achievements of the Biden administration.

Monday Was Hottest Day Ever On Earth

July 24, 2024 5:11 am

The European climate service Copernicus said Monday broke the previous day’s record of the world’s hottest day ever. It’s yet another heat record that’s been shattered in the past couple of years. Copernicus’ preliminary data shows the global average temperature Monday was 17.15 degrees Celsius, or 62.87 degrees Fahrenheit, which beats Sunday’s record by 0.06 degrees Celsius. The previous record before Sunday was set just a year ago. Before last year, the previous recorded hottest day was in 2016 when average temperatures were at 16.8 degrees Celsius, or 62.24 degrees Fahrenheit.

Canon-McMillan Moving Forward With New School

July 24, 2024 5:09 am

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – Since the Canon-McMillan School District is growing and more students are enrolling, they plan to build a new elementary school behind Wylandville Elementary School. Once it is built — the old school will be knocked down. The new elementary school will be able to hold around 1,000 students from kindergarten through fourth grade. Once construction for the new school is finished — the old school will be demolished and that area turned into an entrance — parking — and a potential turf sports field. The new school will offer full-day Kindergarten, which is a top priority. It will also be bigger – to hold more students – as more families continue to move into the district. There will be a public hearing about these plans and a rendering of what the new school will look like will be shown at that meeting in August. Construction for the new school is expected to begin early next year and be finished in the summertime of 2026.

Trump Turns His Focus To Harris At Rally

July 24, 2024 5:08 am

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Donald Trump has unleashed a barrage of attack lines against his likely new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. At a rally in North Carolina on Wednesday he called her his “new victim to defeat” and accused Harris of deceiving the public about President Joe Biden’s ability to run for a second term before he withdrew his reelection bid. The rally was Trump’s first public campaign event since Biden dropped out of the 2024 matchup that both major parties had spent months preparing for. It signaled the next phase of the campaign may be especially brutal and personal. Harris’ campaign called the speech “unhinged” and “rambling.”

North Strabane Approves New Fee Schedule

July 24, 2024 5:03 am

North Strabane Township Supervisors met Tuesday and made changes to their fee schedule. One of the biggest changes is in electrical inspection fees. Building permit fees will increase .05% but now will come with in house electrical inspectors. Builders will no longer have to hire third party inspectors for electrical inspections. This was attained by the township hiring building inspectors that are certified electrical inspectors. Other changes in the fee schedule involve athletic court reservations. Residents will now be able to reserve court times for pickleball or basketball in one hour blocks. Walk up play is still available but if the court is reserved those reservations will take priority. Additionally, supervisors tabled a measure that would have rezoned a land parcel at the corner of Morganza Road and Curry Road for the construction of a personal warehouse. Township officials are still struggling with a way to define what a personal warehouse is and what activities would be listed as permitted uses in the warehouse and which would need to have a special exception condition granted. More detail will emerge at the Planning Commission’s August 12 meeting.

South Strabane Extends Manager’s Deal

July 24, 2024 5:02 am

South Strabane Township Manager Jeffery Ziegler has landed a two-year contract extension.  The board unanimously voted 5-0 to extend his agreement with the township in their monthly meeting Tuesday evening. Ziegler was hired last August replacing Brandon Stanick.  Ziegler previously worked for Moon township for 13 years. Also on the meeting agenda, a representative for Berkshire Hathaway was on hand to discuss plans for 1045 Locust Ave. Developers want to build on the 63 plus acre property but the current substation that would service the property is at maximum capacity. The township says it is up to the developer to incur any cost for building out or upgrading the current pumping station. Chief of South Strabane Fire and Emergency, Jordan Cramer was recognized for his new position as a board member for the Volunteer and Combination offices section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. The VCOS board consists of nine members at-large and the VCOS international director, for a total of ten board members.

Eighty-Four Couple Facing Drug Charges

July 24, 2024 2:49 am

Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh announced Tuesday that after a months-long investigation, two Nottingham Township residents have been arrested on multiple drug-related charges.  Walsh says 36-year-old Drew Divelbliss and 40-year-old Lauren Divelbliss were arrested after multiple law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant at a home on Hickory Nut Drive and found a large quantity of various narcotics, illegal substances, drug paraphernalia, firearms and thousands of dollars in cash.  Walsh says both were arraigned on Monday on multiple felony counts of manufacturing, delivery or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, as well as endangering the welfare of children.  Walsh says they were lodged in the Washington County Jail on two-hundred and fifty-thousand-dollars bond each.  Preliminary hearings are set for July 29th before District Justice Phillippe Melograne.