January 4, 2023 3:48 pm
BOSTON (AP) – The mastermind of the nationwide college admissions bribery scheme that ensnared celebrities, prominent businesspeople and other parents has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. Rick Singer’s punishment is the longest sentence handed down in the sprawling scandal that exploded into newspapers headlines in 2019. Singer pleaded guilty nearly four years ago to paying off entrance exam administrators and coaches to get often undeserving students into elite schools with inflated test scores and bogus athletic credentials. He also helped authorities build the case against dozens of others by secretly recording phone calls and meetings with wealthy parents who paid huge sums to get their kids into the school of their choice.
January 4, 2023 12:12 pm
WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) – Authorities say a school bus crash in West Virginia sent 15 children to the hospital. Officials told news outlets that the students were taken to Wheeling Hospital as a precaution after the bus crashed Wednesday morning. Ohio County Sheriff Tom Howard told WTRF-TV that there were no serious injuries. The sheriff’s office said the bus went into a ditch and the students aboard were tossed around. Ohio County Schools spokesman Gabe Wells told The Intelligencer that the crash happened around 6:30 a.m. and video from the bus will be reviewed. The sheriff’s office is investigating what caused the crash.
January 4, 2023 4:18 am
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $940 million after another drawing Tuesday resulted in plenty of losers but not a single grand prize winner. The numbers drawn late Tuesday night were: 25, 29, 33, 41, 44 and gold Mega Ball 18. The next drawing is scheduled to be held Friday night. The new $940 million jackpot is for a winner who chooses to be paid through an annuity over 29 years. Nearly all winners opt for a cash payout, which for Friday night’s drawing would be an estimated $483.5 million. The lack of a winner Tuesday means there have been 23 straight drawings without anyone taking the top prize. The new jackpot will remain the sixth-largest jackpot in U.S. history.
January 4, 2023 4:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. health officials have finalized a rule change that broadens availability of abortion pills to many more pharmacies, including large chains and mail-order companies. The update Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration formally removes a long-standing requirement that the medicine be picked up in person. The Biden administration partially implemented the change last year. Tuesday’s FDA action formally updates the drug’s labeling to allow prescribing via any pharmacy that undergoes a certification process. Women can then receive the pills either in person or through the mail. Still, the FDA rule change’s impact has been blunted by numerous state laws limiting access to the pills.
January 4, 2023 4:13 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – The Russian military says unauthorized use of cell phones by Russian soldiers led to a deadly Ukrainian rocket attack on the facility where they were stationed. It raised the death toll from the weekend attack to 89. Gen. Lt. Sergei Sevryukov said in a statement late Tuesday that phone signals allowed Kyiv’s forces to “determine the coordinates of the location of military personnel” and launch a strike. The weekend attack was one of the deadliest on the Kremlin’s forces since the start of the war over 10 months ago. It marked yet another setback for the Kremlin’s bogged-down war effort in Ukraine that has been undermined by a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive.
January 4, 2023 4:13 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans are plowing through the second day of the new Congress, with no clear off-ramp from their political chaos over electing a new speaker. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy failed anew to win the House speakership in two votes, faring no better than he had in three votes Tuesday when 20 fellow Republicans rejected his bid. Former President Donald Trump vigorously renewed his support for McCarthy, but it made no difference. And an outspoken conservative Republican said Trump should tell McCarthy to drop out. The chamber’s most conservative members believe he’s neither conservative enough nor tough enough to battle Democrats.
January 4, 2023 4:09 am
Damar Hamlin’s goal was simple: He wanted to raise $2,500 online to buy toys for needy kids. It took about two years. Then came Monday, when the Buffalo Bills safety was critically injured and needed his heart restarted on the field in a chilling scene during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin remains in critical condition at a Cincinnati hospital after going into cardiac arrest on the field. Hamlin’s uncle, Dorrian Glenn, told CNN that his nephew had to have his heart re-started twice – once on the field, and once at the hospital. Glenn says there were some encouraging signs Tuesday, including doctors reducing the amount of oxygen Hamlin was receiving. He instantly became one of the biggest stories in sports, and thousands of people found his GoFundMe page. The result was roughly $6.5 million donated after his injury – and – the number is still climbing.
January 4, 2023 4:06 am
Cecil Township Supervisors held their reorganization meeting and went right into business for the new year. Supervisor Chairwoman Cindy Fisher retained the position of Chairwoman and Frank Egizio will once again serve as Vice Chairman. As the business meeting began, Fisher addressed the audience regarding resident’s concerns with their new trash collector County Hauling. Fisher addressed early concerns with improper mailings sent out by County Hauling that they say was the fault of a third party printing company and are working to correct any errors. Fisher went on to describe phone conversations with the company on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. She told residents that County Hauling came through when they were notified that it would be necessary for them to collect trash that was left behind by the previous hauler Waste Management due to technical difficulties. She said County Hauling was prepared and handled the additional load. Fisher made clear that if anyone has any issue with County Hauling, they should call the township or reach out to supervisors by phone, email or “Official Facebook Pages” for the township or supervisors and not to complain on group pages that the township is not responsible for. Fisher stated that they owe the company the opportunity to show that they can perform the job.
January 4, 2023 4:05 am
HARRISBURG, Jan. 3 – State Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, today was elected by his peers as Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. After taking the oath of office in the state Capitol this afternoon to commence his sixth term, Rozzi was then elected speaker by a vote of 115 to 85. “I’m proud to say that I’ve served the residents of the 126th Legislative District for the last decade, and I’m humbled to now serve every Pennsylvanian,” Rozzi said. “As speaker, my goal is to remain nonpartisan in order to deliver a sense of unity within the legislature. It’s past time that we work together and restore trust in the people’s House.” Rozzi pledged to caucus with neither Democrats nor Republicans. He affirmed that while at the rostrum, typical politics and the division they subsequently create will have no place in the House chamber. “Sometimes Republicans will win, and sometimes Democrats will win, and that is fine, so long as the beneficiaries are the people of this commonwealth,” he said.
January 3, 2023 12:30 pm
State Police say the left lanes, both east and westbound, of Interstate 70 in the area of the 7 1/2 mile marker – between Taylorstown and Claysville were closed for several hours Tuesday afternoon due to an overturned tractor-trailer. No further information has been released and there’s been no word on the vehicles involved, how the accident happened or whether anyone was injured. The accident happened shortly before noon and the left westbound lane was re-opened to traffic shortly before five o’clock.
