March 26, 2024 4:55 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday did not appear ready to limit Americans’ access to the abortion pill mifepristone, in a case that could have sweeping implications for how the federal government approves scores of medications. The justices asked detailed questions about the safety of mifepristone, one of the most common ways for women in America to end a pregnancy. But they also raised issues with the arguments made by plaintiffs, a group of anti-abortion doctors, who want to see the drug’s availability severely restricted. Justices seemed concerned that the doctors were not reasonably impacted by how the drug is regulated.
March 26, 2024 4:52 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet with Israel’s minister of defense and discuss ways to address the Hamas threat other than conducting a ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Tuesday’s meeting comes at a time of rising tensions between the two countries. The Pentagon spokesman, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, tells reporters that Austin’s planned meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is still on, despite the fact that Israel abruptly canceled the visit of a high-level delegation to Washington this week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled the visit in protest over Monday’s U.N. Security Council decision calling for an immediate cease-fire.
March 26, 2024 4:51 am
BALTIMORE (AP) — A cargo ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, destroying the span in a matter of seconds and plunging it into the river in a terrifying collapse that could disrupt a vital shipping port for months. Six people were missing and presumed dead. The ship’s crew issued a mayday call moments before the crash took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge, enabling authorities to limit vehicle traffic on the span, Maryland’s governor said. The ship struck one of the bridge’s supports, causing the structure to collapse like a toy. A section of the span came to rest on the bow of the vessel, which caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it. With the ship barreling toward the bridge at “a very, very rapid speed,” authorities had just enough time to stop cars from coming over the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said. “These people are heroes,” Moore said. “They saved lives last night.”
March 26, 2024 4:44 am
Somerset Township residents packed two governmental meetings to address concerns that they have with an ongoing update to zoning ordinances and the subdivision and land development ordinance. Residents are concerned that any updates made, especially to the zoning ordinance, may allow businesses to locate in the Agricultural 1 district that according to William Pollock, Chairman of the Planning Commission, makes up 80% of Somerset Township. The update process has been going on for nearly two years. Pollock pointed out proposed changes made to the zoning ordinance that the planning commission feels are not appropriate for the district, or have conditions that are still too lenient for their intended use. Examples from the current update have a special events barn governed by a use by right, a microbrewery allowed as a special exception and an automotive repair garage eligible as a conditional use. The planning commission complained that they have been largely ignored by the board of supervisors when trying to negotiate the update and they are concerned about resident safety and increased traffic. The planning commission unanimously rejected the changes to the zoning ordinances. According to Township Solicitor Jim Liekar, township supervisors have been informed that code enforcement has been having difficulty enforcing anticipated property uses. He says that township supervisors are looking out for residents by making sure that they protect them from development that has no controls. Immediately following the Planning Commission meeting, the Board of Supervisors met and unanimously voted to schedule a public hearing on May 20 to gather comments from residents about the zoning changes and updates to the SALDO.
March 26, 2024 2:37 am
Stewart Wilson, 48 of Hanover Township will receive a sentence of 30 days to six months in jail followed by a 5 year probationary sentence with the first 12 months on electronic home monitoring for pleading guilty to a DUI automobile accident that claimed the life of his wife Denise Pierce-Wilson on Easter Sunday 2022. The accident occurred on Stuebenville Pike near the intersection of Grant Lane. Wilson was formally sentenced on Monday after 5 victim impact statements were read. The most emotional was from Stewart’s daughter Allison who also was a victim of the crash that killed her mother. She stated that a 30 day jail sentence was not enough to provide justice for the accident that tore her family apart. She admonished Wilson for his continued drinking and never apologizing for the incident. She called him out for finding a new girlfriend and maintaining a lifestyle that does not indicate remorse over the accident. Wilson asked for an additional 7-10 days to arrange his affairs before he reported to jail. The judge said he had 24 hours and must report by noon on March 26.
March 26, 2024 2:30 am
WHARTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – Five people are dead after a crash in Fayette County on Tuesday afternoon. Emergency crews were called to the intersection of National Pike 40 and New Meadow Run Drive in Wharton Township at 1:21 p.m. State police said one of the victims is an infant. National Pike 40 was closed in both directions between Route 381 and Dinner Bell 5 Forks Road. It reopened just before 6 p.m. A commercial vehicle and two passenger vehicles were involved in the crash, according to state police. Police said all five victims were inside the same car. The coroner said all of the victims appeared to be from Ohio. Their identities have not been released. Troopers said the driver of the tractor-trailer was not hurt. Two people in the third car had minor injuries. The fire chief believes speed played a role in the crash saying that the road was dry at the time, and it wasn’t raining. That will be part of the investigation.
March 25, 2024 5:37 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS is warning taxpayers that they may be leaving more than $1 billion on the table. The federal tax collector said Monday that roughly 940,000 people in the U.S. have until May 17 to submit tax returns for unclaimed refunds for tax year 2020, which total more than $1 billion nationwide. The average median refund is $932 for 2020. Texas, California, Florida and New York are states with the largest amount of people potentially eligible for these refunds. The IRS advises taxpayers to request their forms from their employer or bank or order a free wage and income transcript at IRS.gov.
March 25, 2024 4:22 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Police investigating the killing a pregnant Amish woman in rural Pennsylvania say they seized six guns, a variety of ammunition and a pair of sneakers that may match tread marks left at the crime scene during searches of the suspect’s home and vehicle. Search warrant documents released over the weekend say 23-year-old Rebekah Byler suffered “multiple sharp force wounds” to her neck and was shot in the head during last month’s attack . Truck driver Shawn Cranston of Corry is charged with two counts of homicide. In a newly released search warrant affidavit, a state trooper says Rebekah Byler’s 3-year-old son told investigators that a man wearing sneakers killed his mother.
March 25, 2024 12:41 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge has scheduled an April 15 trial date in former President Donald Trump’s hush money case. Judge Juan M. Merchan made the ruling Monday. The judge earlier had scolded the ex-president’s lawyers as he weighed when to reschedule the trial after a last-minute document dump caused a postponement of the original date. Merchan had bristled at what he suggested were baseless defense claims of “prosecutorial misconduct,” appearing unpersuaded by Trump team arguments that prosecutors had until recently concealed tens of thousands of pages of records from a previous federal investigation. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee arrived in court Monday for the hearing scheduled in place of the long-planned start of jury selection
March 25, 2024 9:48 am
(AP) – Boeing CEO David Calhoun will step down from the embattled plane maker at the end of the year as part of a broad management shakeup after a series of mishaps at one of America’s iconic manufacturers. Boeing has been under intense pressure since early January, when a panel blew off a brand-new Alaska Airlines 737 Max. Fallout from the Jan. 5 blowout has raised scrutiny of Boeing to its highest level since two Boeing 737 Max jets crashed in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia. In all, the crashes killed 346 people. (Photo: AP)
