August 2, 2024 4:59 am
BANGKOK (AP) — World shares have tumbled, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 index slumping 5.8% as investors panicked over signs of weakness in the U.S. economy. European shares opened lower and U.S. futures declined. The selloffs followed the release of weak data that raised worries the Federal Reserve may have missed its window to lower interest rates before undercutting economic growth. Adding to the gloom, Intel’s shares sank nearly 19% in aftermarket trading early Friday. Shares in Japan have been pummeled after the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate on Wednesday. That pushed the value of the Japanese yen higher against the U.S. dollar, potentially hurting overseas earnings of major manufacturers and deflating a boom in tourism.
August 2, 2024 4:57 am
City council is coming up with some creative accounting to help ease the pension burden. Council approved a motion to dismiss the advertising for the “distressed pension act”. City Councilman Ken Westcott says the move is necessary to help offset the increasing expense of pensions and will allow the city to pay approximately 1.3 million in pension taxes as opposed to the original tax that would cost about 2.3 million. Also, earlier this year, the city refinanced bonds to help offset rising costs and give themselves enough money to cover pension debt for the next 3 years. There is new pavement on the way for the 7th ward playground. City council approved $76,482.00 dollars in improvements to the park located at 2nd and Donnan Aves. Upgrades will include paved basketball courts and playgrounds, and a walking trail. The project has been stalled for almost 2 years and they hope to complete most of the work by the end of 2024. Crews are gearing up to start working on some local roadways. Thanks to approval from city council for a new $245,639.00 dollar paving project, workers will begin laying new asphalt on city streets in the coming weeks. Currently, teams have been focusing on smaller roads as they await the return of their street sweeper which is being repaired. Once the sweeper is back, work will turn to paving larger roads, such as East Chestnut St. near Main St., McCarrell Ave., Allison Ave. and Grove Ave.
August 2, 2024 2:42 am
Washington County Register of Wills, James Roman, says that on Monday, August 5th, the Register of Wills office will be moved to the 4th floor of the Crossroads buildings in downtown Washington. The new address for the Register of Wills office will be 95 West Beau Street, Suite 425, Washington, PA 15301. Roman says the office will continue to be open from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. He says they will continue working in the Courthouse Square building through Friday, August 2 at 4:30 p.m.
August 2, 2024 2:35 am
The Board of Directors of the Washington County Agricultural Fair held their annual Media Day to let the public know what is new coming to the event this year. The fair runs from August 10 – 17 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily. Board President Todd Richards says that the opening concert will be replaced by a rodeo this year. He said public opinion has consistently indicated that fairgoers would like to see the rodeo. This year there will be two Buckey Rodeo events scheduled for Sunday August 11 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM. There will still be concerts throughout the fair. Groups include A. C. and the Resistors, Good Karma, Scott Blasey from the Clarks, Ruff Creek and Joey Adams. Several renovations have gone on over the past year. Wayne Hunnell, Secretary of the Board says that Hall Three was completely gutted and renovated. The Historic Horse Barn and the 4-H Horse barn also saw extensive work. Volunteers always play an important part in fairground renovations. Aiden McMurray, a local Boy Scout, Eagle Scout replaced the fencing along the race track for his Eagle Scout project. Parking is also important. Scott Becker, Executive Director and CEO of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum says that they will be transporting fair-goers from three different parking lots. The first is at the Eaton Facility on Main Street. The second is from the Welcome and Education Center at 1 Electric Way and finally from their West Campus parking lot at 1 Museum Road.
August 2, 2024 2:23 am
Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh announced on Thursday that a North Strabane Township man, found guilty last month of murdering his wife, will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Jason Walsh says Scott Edmonds, a physical therapist who was charged and convicted of killing his 49-year-old wife, Louise Weis-Edmonds in March of 2014, was sentenced by Washington County Judge John DiSalle, to life without the possibility of parole on the first-degree murder conviction, plus one to two years in a state prison on the second charge. A jury deliberated just over an hour, before finding Edmonds guilty of first-degree murder and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. Edmonds trial lasted for five days.
August 1, 2024 3:46 pm
(WPXI) – A 10-year-old boy is dead and a 13-year-old is in custody after a stabbing in Westmoreland County. The stabbing happened Thursday morning in the 400 block of Donegal Lake Road in Stahlstown. Police said the victim was sleeping over at the suspect’s house. Someone later called 911 around 6 a.m. because they saw the child and thought they were dead. State police said they are planning to charge the 13-year-old as an adult.
August 1, 2024 1:33 pm
United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan says a Belle Vernon man has pleaded guilty in federal court, to charges of bank robbery and attempted bank robbery. According to information presented to the Court, on July 9, 2021, surveillance footage from a Monessen bank recorded a male wearing a baseball cap, a mask, and white sneakers walk into the bank and slide a note to the teller demanding $15,000 and threatening to “shoot” if the police were called. In response, the teller provided the male $3,731, and the male fled before law enforcement’s arrival. Forensic evidence identified 29-year-old Dylan Adams as the individual who committed the bank robbery, with investigators also finding a photograph of Adams on his social media account that showed the same white sneakers worn during the bank robbery. Following the July 9th bank robbery, authorities released still images of the surveillance footage and on n July 23, 2021, an employee of a credit union in Charleroi contacted police saying that he recognized the man from those still images as someone who had entered the credit union and then left after observing that all of the tellers were occupied with other customers. An employee of the credit union quickly locked the door behind the man, who attempted to re-enter the bank through that and another door, but was told that the bank was closed. Law enforcement again identified Adams as the individual who attempted to commit this bank robbery. Sentencing has been set for December 19th. The maximum penalty at each count is up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
August 1, 2024 9:24 am
DUNBAR TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – Authorities are investigating the cause of a fatal fire in Fayette County. Two people are dead after a fire in Fayette County. Fayette County Coroner Bob Baker said two people were pronounced dead at the house. They have been identified as 53-year-old Lori Cossell and 72-year-old David Brooks Sr., both of Dunbar. Emergency crews were called to the area of 100 Hardy Hill Road Sunday morning. Investigators say no one was taken to a hospital. A dog was rescued from the house.
August 1, 2024 8:44 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Russia have made their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history. Moscow on Thursday released U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich and Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan along with dissidents including Vladimir Kara-Murza in a multinational deal officials say has set two dozen people free. The trade follows years of back-channel negotiations despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at their lowest point since the Cold War after Russia invaded Ukraine. Among those the Russians got back is Vadim Krasikov, who was convicted in Germany of killing a former Chechen rebel in a Berlin park. President Joe Biden heralds the diplomatic achievement in the final months of his administration.
August 1, 2024 5:16 am
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says the parties in Lahaina wildfire lawsuits against Hawaii, Maui County and utilities are close to a global settlement of claims that will be worth a little over $4 billion. Green told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he’s hoping to finalize the details in coming days, perhaps as soon as Aug. 6. That would be two days before the one-year anniversary of the fire that killed 102 people and wiped out historic Lahaina. He said all the plaintiffs and defendants have agreed to the global settlement number but final details are pending. Hawaiian Electric declined to comment. Maui County didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
