September 16, 2023 3:00 am
Canon-McMillan school board members gathers for an agenda meeting Thursday night to discuss various changes that are going on in the district. The board discussed the hiring of more teachers as the school continues to expand the education programs, in particular for speech, language and pathology. There was also conversation of some current changes being made at the elementary school, such as combining reading and writing as opposed to separating the two subjects into two classes. Members also shared their want of adding virtual reality to the curriculum for special education students, to aid in their transitional learning. They will meet again next week to vote on various matters, including the resolution of small games of chance.
September 16, 2023 3:00 am
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) – West Virginia University gave final approval Friday to wide-ranging cuts in academic programs and faculty positions, the culmination of a impassioned back and forth between the campus community, students and officials as the university addresses a $45 million budget shortfall. The university Board of Governors voted to drop 28 of its majors, or about 8%, and cut 147 of the faculty positions, or 5.7%, on its Morgantown campus. Among the cuts are one-third of education department faculty and the entire world language department, although seven language teaching positions are being retained and students are being allowed to take some language courses as electives. The vote in Morgantown came as the university has been weighed down financially by a 10% drop in enrollment since 2015, revenue lost during the COVID-19 pandemic and an increasing debt load for new building projects. The cuts are on top of those made in June, when the board approved $7 million in staff reductions, or around 132 positions, slashed 12 graduate and doctorate programs and approved a 3% tuition increase. Dozens of speakers, including students and faculty, vehemently opposed the cuts during a public hearing Thursday before the board.
September 15, 2023 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden has been indicted on federal firearms charges. It’s the latest step in a long-running investigation into the president’s son that puts the case on track toward a possible high-stakes trial as the 2024 election looms. Biden is accused of lying about his drug use when he bought a firearm in October 2018, a period when he has acknowledged struggling with addiction to crack cocaine, according to the indictment filed in federal court in Delaware by a special counsel overseeing the case. The indictment comes weeks after the collapse of a plea deal that would have averted a criminal trial and weeks or months of distracting headlines for President Joe Biden.
September 15, 2023 5:04 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has peered into the cockpit of Russia’s most advanced fighter jet at an aircraft factory on his extended visit to the country. Kim’s rare foreign trip has raised concerns about banned weapons transfer deals between increasingly isolated countries. He has met President Vladimir Putin and visited weapons and technology sites on his trip, underscoring deepening ties between the nations. Foreign governments and experts speculate Kim will likely supply ammunition to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia. Russia’s Cabinet on Friday released video showing Kim looking at the cockpit of the Su-57 while listening to its pilot.
September 15, 2023 5:02 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces say they have recaptured a village in the country’s east after intense battles with Russian troops. The village of Andriivka is located about 6 miles south of the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut, which was the focus of the war’s longest battle so far. The village’s liberation would represent another gain for Kyiv in its counteroffensive to oust Moscow’s troops from seized territory. The General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces announced the reclaiming of Andriivka early Friday. There was no comment from Russia authorities. Ukrainian forces launched their counteroffensive more than three months ago. Their reported victory in the village illustrates the challenges they face even with supplies of NATO-standard gear and Western weapons.
September 15, 2023 5:01 am
DETROIT (AP) — About 13,000 U.S. auto workers have stopped making vehicles and headed for the picket lines. Their leaders have been unable to bridge a giant gap between union demands in contract talks and what Detroit’s three automakers are willing to pay. The United Auto Workers union went on strike against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis simultaneously for the first time in its 88-year history. The limited strike at assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri will likely chart the future of the union and of America’s homegrown auto industry.
September 15, 2023 3:00 am
Washington City Council has tabled selection of a solid waste removal contract. Council opened bids at their agenda meeting Monday night. Bids from all three contractors were submitted in totally different fashions. Council tabled a vote on the award of the contract so that they can go over exactly what each proposal entails and then decide what will serve residents best according to Mayor Scott Putnam. He also cautioned residents that a rate increase is in order, possibly in the range of 30% more than current rates. Council also received a presentation on the financial audit of the city for the year 2022. Auditors presented a sturdy audit of the city’s finances. Auditors cautioned the city to remember that payments from the American Rescue Plan Act no longer exist and not to rely on those figures for city budgeting. A truly bright spot in the audit reminded council that all things remaining the same, the city’s long term debt should be retired in 2026. Based on 2022 figures, that would return $1.6 million in spending power to the city.
September 14, 2023 4:42 pm
Essential units remain on the scene on I-76 West at milepost 75.8 for an accident involving a flatbed tractor-trailer and a tanker tractor-trailer that happened just before two o’clock Thursday afternoon. A tanker overturned and went down an embankment. Authorities say one person was injured and taken to an area hospital. One lane has been blocked in the area to allow emergency crews to access the scene and that is causing traffic delays. There are currently no hazmat issues. Officials with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission say that in order to allow for the safe removal of the tanker that went over the embankment and to make repairs to the roadway, they will need to close down westbound lanes between the Breezewood (Exit 161) and New Stanton (Exit 75) interchanges from 11 p.m. until approximately 6 o’clock Friday morning. The following suggested detour will be in place for motorists exiting at the Breezewood Interchange:
- Exit at the Breezewood Interchange (Exit 161) and follow U.S. Route 30 west (18.7 miles).
- Follow I-99 north (30.1 miles).
- Follow U.S. Route 22 west (64.5 miles).
- Follow PA Turnpike Route 66 south (13.9 miles).
- Reenter the PA Turnpike (I-76) at the New Stanton Interchange (Exit 75).
Officials say the more than 100-mile detour is necessary to safely accommodate the volume of diverted traffic, including commercial vehicles. Travelers should expect higher than normal traffic volumes on this detour route during the closure and should plan accordingly.
September 14, 2023 1:44 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden has been indicted on federal firearms charges. A federal indictment filed in Delaware says Biden lied about his drug use when he bought a firearm in 2018 while struggling with addiction to crack cocaine. President Joe Biden’s son has also been investigated for his business dealings. The special counsel overseeing the case has indicated tax charges could be filed in Washington or California. Thursday’s indictment comes as congressional Republicans pursue an impeachment inquiry into the Democratic president, in large part over Hunter Biden’s business dealings. Defense attorneys argue part of a plea deal sparing Hunter Biden prosecution on the gun count if he stays out of trouble remains in place.
September 14, 2023 5:07 am
HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge has declared illegal a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. But the judge declined to order an immediate end to the program and the protections it offers to recipients. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen on Wednesday agreed with Texas and eight other states suing to stop the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. The ruling is ultimately expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, sending the program’s fate before the high court for a third time. Hanen had previously declared the 2012 Obama-era program illegal.
