July 11, 2024 2:22 am
Washington County Controller April Sloane posted bond and was released from the Allegheny County Jail Wednesday afternoon. After a thirty minute hearing, Washington County Judge John DiSalle revoked Sloane’s $150,000 unsecured bond. Prosecutors argued that she was living with a cat and that was a clear violation of her probation terms that stated that she could not harbor any animal. Her defense attorney argued that she did not care for the cat so therefore harboring was not in question. Sloane was remanded into custody after a new bail was set at $150,000 straight cash. Sloane was initially taken to the Washington County Jail and then transferred to Pittsburgh. Her trial is expected to be held sometime in September. Sloane is facing animal cruelty and animal neglect charges after police – on a tip from the Humane Society, found a dead dog sealed in plastic in her garage in December of 2023. Washington County Commission Chairman Nick Sherman says Sloane will still be in charge of her office. Sherman, however, did say that he was pleased that the appropriate action was taken to revoke Sloane’s bond since her failure to follow the conditions of her probation for harboring a cat is both abhorrent and shocking.
July 10, 2024 5:54 pm
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A defense attorney says that Alec Baldwin’s shooting of a cinematographer was “an unspeakable tragedy,” but that he “committed no crime, he was an actor, acting.” Baldwin’s attorney Alex Spiro gave the opening statement Wednesday at his involuntary manslaughter trial in New Mexico. Prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson told jurors Baldwin “violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety” in her opening. The trial will delve into the confluence of gun safety, high-wattage celebrity and a low-budget Western movie on a remote movie ranch. Baldwin was the lead actor and co-producer on “Rust.” He has pleaded not guilty and says he followed instructions in pointing the gun and didn’t pull the trigger.
July 10, 2024 5:02 am
Grammy award winner and celebrated Oak Ridge Boys tenor Joe Bonsall has died. A representative for his family says Bonsall died Tuesday from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. He was 76. A Philadelphia native and resident of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Bonsall joined the Oak Ridge Boys in 1973, which originally formed in the 1940s. He saw the band through its golden period in the ’80s and beyond, which included their signature 1981 song “Elvira.” The hit marked a massive crossover moment for the group, reaching No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100. The group is also known for such hits as 1982’s “Bobbie Sue.”
July 10, 2024 4:59 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s imperiled reelection campaign is hitting new trouble. Rather than urging him to stay in, on Wednesday Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said “it’s up to the president to decide” if he should. Celebrity donor George Clooney said he should not run, and Democratic senators expressed fresh fear about his ability to beat Republican Donald Trump. It all shows how unsettled the questions over Biden’s candidacy remain among Democrats, despite Biden’s insistence he is staying in the race. Pelosi has been widely watched for signals of how top Democrats are thinking about Biden’s candidacy. And Clooney’s portrayal of Biden as “the same man we all witnessed at the debate” shows the depth of concerns.
July 10, 2024 4:57 am
HOUSTON (AP) — The return of soaring heat in Houston is deepening the misery for people still without power after Hurricane Beryl crashed into Texas and left residents in search of places to cool off and fuel up as the extended outages strain one of the nation’s largest cities. Officials say restoring power is the No. 1 priority. Nevertheless, frustration is mounting that Houston appeared to buckle under a storm less powerful than previous ones. State officials are facing questions over whether Houston’s power utility had sufficiently prepared for the storm that made landfall early Monday.
July 10, 2024 4:55 am
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Used to shrugging off the heat, Las Vegas residents are now eyeing the thermometer. The desert city is on track Wednesday to set a record for the fifth consecutive day over 115 degrees amid a lingering hot spell that will continue scorching much of the U.S. into the weekend. A meteorologist says Nevada’s largest city is experiencing the most extreme heat wave in the history of record-keeping since 1937. More than 161 million people around the U.S. were under heat alerts Tuesday, especially in Western states. The heat is suspected to have caused six deaths in Oregon.
July 10, 2024 4:45 am
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – Michael Brackman walked out of his preliminary hearing Tuesday afternoon denying he terrorized young girls with his drone for a year. Canonsburg police arrested Brackman after they say he used a drone at least 120 times to stalk girls, following them when they left their houses, jumping on trampolines, at a lemonade stand or the playground. Officers said it started when he began stalking a 13-year-old girl with his drone 80 to 90 times, many times within 10 feet of her. That victim testified saying the drone was following her almost every time she went outside. Her family moved because of it. Two other underage victims testified they saw the drone hovering right outside their bedroom window. The victims said they felt uncomfortable, calling it scary and terrifying. Officers said more victims and their parents came to the police station with sexual notes that they say Brackman left for their child on their porch as well as flyers he allegedly put up around the neighborhood with actual photos police said he took of kids with his drone. Brackman’s attorney said flying the drone was his hobby. ”It was a hobby of his. He was on house arrest. Couldn’t go out so he was flying the drone,” said attorney Bruce Carsia. “They weren’t really being harassed and he was legally flying his drone.” All charges were held for court. Brackman remains in the Washington County jail.
July 10, 2024 2:42 am
(WPXI) – First Lady Jill Biden will be traveling to Pittsburgh this weekend. The First Lady will be in town on Saturday, July 13. She is scheduled to deliver remarks at an Italian Sons and Daughters of America dinner. Former President Donald Trump is also scheduled to be in the Pittsburgh area on Saturday. He will be holding a rally in Butler County.
July 10, 2024 2:18 am
A North Strabane Township physical therapist that has been in jail for 10 years had his trial begin Washington County court Wednesday. Scott Edmonds is on trial for homicide and tampering with evidence charges. He is accused of shooting his wife Louise Weis-Edmonds in their North Strabane Township home in March of 2014. Testimony Wednesday primarily laid the groundwork for the case seeing 8 witnesses called to the stand to interpret photographic and ballistics evidence. That testimony came from North Strabane Township Police and Pennsylvania State Police. The call to 9-1-1 was played during testimony. Evidence gathered at the scene included an anger management pamphlet that led police to discover that Edmonds had been involved in a previous domestic incident with his wife. The case has been bogged down in the courts due to Edmonds’ constant dismissal of defense attorneys and efforts to represent himself. Testimony will continue Thursday morning.
July 9, 2024 5:44 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The mood on Capitol Hill turned grim as Democrats wrestled over President Joe Biden’s re-election. A seventh House Democrat said publicly that Biden should drop out. It was an extraordinary question before Democrats on Capitol Hill as they met privately Tuesday behind closed doors. Tensions are running high over whether he should remain as the party’s nominee amid mounting concerns over his ability to lead the part to election victory. In the Senate, where Biden spent a career, senators were largely silent. Biden emphatically refuses to step aside and implored his party in a sharply worded letter to refocus instead on the threat posed by Republican Donald Trump.
