July 20, 2024 4:01 am
Longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas has died. She was 74. The Democrat had represented her Houston-based district since 1995. Jackson Lee had previously had breast cancer and announced she had pancreatic cancer in June. Jackson Lee helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence, and to get Juneteenth recognized as a federal holiday. The holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free.
July 20, 2024 3:57 am
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The top United Nations court says that Israel’s presence in the Palestinian occupied territories is “unlawful” and called on it to end and for settlement construction to stop immediately. Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu quickly denounced the nonbinding opinion issued Friday by the 15-judge panel of the International Court of Justice. But the unprecedented and sweeping condemnation of Israel’s rule over the lands it captured 57 years ago could increase the country’s isolation. Friday’s decision is separate from South Africa’s case saying Israel’s war in Gaza amounts to genocide, a charge Israel vehemently denies.
July 20, 2024 3:52 am
CABOT, Pa. (AP) — The keen of bagpipes, a three-volley gun salute and a bugle sounding taps pierced the air of a small Pennsylvania town as hundreds gathered to honor an ex-fire chief who was shot and killed at a rally for former President Donald Trump. Corey Comperatore’s funeral was held in Cabot on Friday. Afterward, three firefighters stood sentry on the back of a fire truck bearing Comperatore’s casket, trailed by a parade of more than 100 other emergency vehicles. Officials have said that Comperatore spent his final moments shielding his wife and daughter from gunfire at Trump’s rally last Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump didn’t attend the funeral because of Secret Service concerns.
July 20, 2024 3:43 am
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board released their revenue report for June 2024. Combined total revenue from all forms of gambling increased 7.15% this year as compared to June of 2023. The total revenue reported was $471,983,421. Total tax revenue reported was more than $198,000,000. Locally, the total revenue generated at the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows was $25,485,783 up by 10.73%. Retail slots were the most popular form of wagering over the last year with its revenue remaining flat.
July 20, 2024 3:39 am
Community activists are concerned about possible damage to Peters Lake Park due to a proposed development in North Strabane Township. Friends of Peters Lake is holding a Community Walk on Sunday July 21 at 9:00 AM at Rolling Hills Park. The group is advocating against a 41 home development that would border the lake. Their fear is that construction activities and residential fertilizers and other chemicals will harm the water quality of the lake and upset the fragile ecosystem that has been found to contain several rare and unusual species of plants and animals. Their goal is to do everything possible to preserve the natural resource of the lake and preserve the tranquil nature of the preserve that has become a regional treasure. Several North Strabane Township residents filed a Land Use Appeal challenging the decision of North Strabane Township to approve a conditional use to develop a conservation subdivision of single family residences in the township and against the developer Laurel Communities, LLC. Briefs have been filed by both parties and a hearing on the matter has yet to be scheduled. (Photo: Friends of Peters Lake Facebook Page)
July 19, 2024 5:56 pm
Some one-hundred customers of Pennsylvania American Water found themselves without service early Friday thanks to two water main breaks. Officials with Pennsylvania American Water say two eight inch water mains broke at two and six in the morning in the area of West College and Giffen. They say repairs were made and service was restored around one o’clock.
July 19, 2024 4:10 pm
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana has agreed to delay implementing a requirement that the Ten Commandments be placed in all of the state’s public school classrooms until at least November. The agreement was approved by a federal judge on Friday. A lawsuit was filed in June by parents of Louisiana public school children with various religious backgrounds. They said the law violates First Amendment language forbidding government establishment of religion and guaranteeing religious liberty. Backers of the law argue that the Ten Commandments belong in classrooms because the commandments are historical and are part of the foundation of U.S. law.
July 19, 2024 2:51 pm
CABOT, Pa. (AP) — A fire truck carried Corey Comperatore’s flag-draped casket to a Pennsylvania church on Friday for the funeral of the former fire chief, who was shot and killed when a gunman tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump last weekend. Hundreds of firefighters arrived at the church in a procession of over 100 trucks in a show of support for Comperatore’s grieving relatives and friends. Outside the church, a massive American flag hung from the ladder of a fire truck. A sharpshooter team mounted on a nearby rooftop served as a reminder of last weekend’s bloodshed. Officials have said that Comperatore spent his final moments shielding his wife and daughter from gunfire at Trump’s rally last Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump, who suffered an ear injury in the shooting but was not seriously hurt, did not attend the funeral because of Secret Service concerns. Two other people were wounded at Trump’s rally: David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township. As of Wednesday night, both had been upgraded to serious but stable condition, according to a spokesperson with Allegheny Health Network.
July 19, 2024 8:16 am
YEKATERINBURG, Russia (AP) — A Russian court has convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges that his employer and the U.S. have rejected as a sham. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison after a secretive and rapid trial in the country’s highly politicized legal system. Gershkovich, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently denied the charges. The unusually swift trial perhaps clears the way for a swap between Moscow and Washington.
July 19, 2024 6:28 am
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. — (WPXI) – A woman is suing Kennywood for negligence after she said she was injured during a ride on the Thunderbolt. The lawsuit said that the woman visited Kennywood on July 23, 2022 with her son and they decided to ride the roller coaster. She said she had ridden it multiple times before with no issues. The woman claimed everything was operating as usual until the ride started, which was when she was “violently thrown to her side of the car in which she was riding.” The suit said the woman instantly felt pain in her chest, left side and ribs which continued throughout the ride. She also had difficulty breathing. The woman told the ride operator that she got injured because of the seat belt or restraining bar failure. She had chest contusions and bruises, injuries to her lower back and spine, left arm, hand and side injures, leg injuries, nerve root irritations, disc herniation, aggravation of pre-existing back conditions, loss of range of motion and more, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit also said the woman’s injuries still continue to present day and she has undergone ongoing medical treatments. She said the Thunderbolt was not properly maintained and claimed Kennywood staff failed to check whether the seat belt was properly secure and would restrict injurious movements. Representatives with Kennywood said they cannot comment at this time.
