July 7, 2024 7:32 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jon Landau, an Oscar-winning producer who worked closely with director James Cameron on “Titanic” and the “Avatar” series, has died. He was 63. Landau’s family announced his death Saturday. No cause of death was given. Landau’s partnership with Cameron led to three Oscar nominations and a best picture win for 1997’s “Titanic.” Together the pair account for some of the biggest blockbusters in movie history, including “Avatar” and its sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water.” The trio of films are among the highest grossing movies of all time. In a statement, Cameron says Landau “will be remembered as much for his vast generosity of spirit as for the movies themselves.” (Photo: AP)
July 7, 2024 7:26 am
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — A Hamas official and an Egyptian official say Hamas has given initial approval for a U.S.-backed proposal for a phased cease-fire deal in Gaza, dropping a key demand that Israel commit up front to a complete end to the war. The apparent compromise by the militant group could deliver the first pause in fighting since November and set the stage for further talks. But all sides warn that a deal is still not guaranteed. Inside Gaza, the Health Ministry says an Israeli airstrike on a school-turned-shelter killed at least 16 people and wounded at least 50 others, including children.
July 7, 2024 7:25 am
HOUSTON (AP) — Beryl is hurtling across the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico on a collision course with Texas. It is currently a tropical storm but is forecast to regain hurricane status before nearing the coast Sunday and making landfall the following day. A hurricane warning has been declared for a large stretch of the state’s coastline, from near Corpus Christi to an area south of Houston. State and local officials have urged coastal residents to prepare for possible storm surge flooding, heavy rain and high winds. Some cities have called for voluntary evacuations in low-lying areas prone to flooding. (Photo: AP)
July 7, 2024 7:23 am
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Roughly 130 million people are under threat from a long-running heat wave that has shattered records with dangerously high temperatures. More records could fall through the coming week, from the Pacific Northwest to the mid-Atlantic states and the Northeast. Record temperatures were notched in multiple places in across the West on Saturday. That included Ukiah, north of San Francisco, where the mercury hit 117 degrees Fahrenheit and tied the hottest temperature ever recorded in the city. The National Weather Service says it is extending the excessive heat warning for much of the Southwest through Friday. In California, firefighters dispatched helicopters to drop water on wildfires fanned by high temperatures and low humidity. (Photo AP)
July 7, 2024 7:18 am
Emergency crews were called out Saturday afternoon to a house fire in the twelve-hundred block of Fayette Street in Washington. According to scanner reports, one person was taken from the scene with burns. There has been no word on what may have caused the fire. No further details have been made available.
July 7, 2024 7:15 am
(WPXI) – The Pitt community and all of college football are mourning the loss of Bobby Grier. Grier died at the age of 91 and helped break the color barriers in college football. In 1956, on his 23rd birthday, Grier made history by becoming the first African American to play in the Sugar Bowl. His spot in the Sugar Bowl was not easy. Georgia’s Governor was opposed to racial integration and tried to keep Grier from playing but Georgia Tech University took a stand and so did his teammates. They refused to make the trip without him. “They said we’re not going down without him. No Grier, no game,” Grier said. Grier was not allowed to stay with his teammates in the team hotel but he ignored it and persevered. “I’m very proud of what I did,” Grier said. Grier is a member of the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2020.
July 7, 2024 7:09 am
(WPXI) – South Strabane firefighters say an Independence Day celebration could have become a disaster because of fireworks. Crews from the South Strabane Fire Department say they got calls about a house on fire in the Bradford Run neighborhood at about 10 p.m. Friday. Police officers were already in the area after getting complaints about fireworks. Firefighters say the rear of a house in the neighborhood was on fire. The flames caused damage to the outside of the house but firefighters were able to prevent them from spreading inside. Discarded fireworks had caused the initial flames, investigators say. The family who lives there was not hurt. Firefighters say an early notification from dispatchers and a quick response prevented the situation from being much worse than it was. (Photo: South Strabane Fire Department)
July 7, 2024 7:06 am
(WPXI) – Nearly four months after a fiery crash on Interstate 70 that left a woman dead, a man is facing charges. Police say Jacob Posey was driving at speeds nearly twice the posted speed limit. “It’s really not going to bring us any more peace, or [put us] at ease,” said Kayla Demo, the sister of Tori Demo, who was killed in the crash. “There’s nothing that’s going to be able to bring her back.” According to court documents, police spoke with two other people who were driving on I-70 at the time of the crash and saw Posey getting onto the interstate. Both of them said he was driving “way too fast.” One of the witnesses said Posey’s truck had been blowing black smoke out of the exhaust. Police said that the witness saw Posey quickly speed up to 100 mph and go around a curve. The second witness said they saw the car, driven by Demo, attempt to move into the right lane as the truck approached behind her in the left, but at the same time, Posey tried to pass her on the right, hitting her car. Demo’s car hit the guard rail, rolled multiple times, and then came to a stop, police said. Both witnesses tried to help her, but the car caught fire, killing her. After the crash, police said Posey told them Demo cut him off and pushed him into the guard rail. Police said he was unsure how fast he was driving, but he guessed it to be 70 mph. A search warrant showed the truck’s black box recorded speeds reaching 118 mph just moments before the crash. That’s more than double the posted speed limit. Posey is out of jail on bond. Posey is due in court for his preliminary hearing on July 29.
July 6, 2024 7:26 am
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — A young Westmoreland County man’s tragic death is hitting the community hard, especially his local fire department where he volunteered since he was 14 years old. Members of the Paintertown Volunteer Fire Department are paying tribute to Jacob Lazar, 18, who was hit by a tree and killed while cleaning up storm damage on Thursday. They thanked him for his service with a sign in front of the station that read, “Rest in peace FF Jacob Lazar. Thank you for your dedication.” “Seven is our station number so we have the seven draped, and this is his fire gear,” said Fire Chief Brian Lee. Chief Lee said Lazar volunteered with the department for the last four years and recently earned the title of a trained senior firefighter. “Right away, he was wanting to learn, wanted to do everything,” he said. “He was really gung-ho and excited about being a senior fireman…unfortunately, cut short. The Penn-Trafford High School senior was killed in a tragic accident on the Fourth of July when a tree fell on him. The county coroner said Lazar was with a group of volunteers at the Trafford Sportsmen’s Club helping to clean up storm damage from last week’s tornado. That’s when a tree somehow fell out of an excavator bucket, striking Lazar in the head. “It was devastating,” Lee said. “He just was helping somebody out like he always does. You asked him to do anything, he helped. That’s the nature of Jacob.” Serving his community is what Chief Lee said Jacob lived for. After he aged out of the Scouts Troop 236, he stayed on as a volunteer. “When you say he volunteers, he volunteers for everything,” said Lee. The young man with so much to look forward to is now being remembered as a dedicated firefighter, friend and son. “Hardest worker we have up here as a young guy. It’s a great loss to the fire department. It’s a great loss to his family,” Lee said. “It’s what it is up here, is one big family.” Two of Lazar’s older brothers also volunteer with the Paintertown Vol. Fire Department. Lazar leaves behind a total of five siblings including a twin brother.
July 6, 2024 5:49 am
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Thousands of displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza have sought refuge in one of the territory’s largest soccer arenas. Families now scrape by with little food or water while trying to stay one step ahead of Israel’s latest offensive in eastern parts of Gaza City, which heavily bombed and largely emptied early in the war. Many of the people who ended up in Yarmouk Sports Stadium say they have nothing to return to. Their makeshift tents hug the shade below the stadium’s seating, and clothes hang to dry across the dusty field. Many have been displaced multiple times. One displaced woman, Um Ahmad, said: “Fear is now felt not only among the children, but also among the adults.”
