September 21, 2024 4:12 am
An Israeli airstrike in Beirut has killed at least 14 people and wounded more than 60, according to Lebanese health officials. The strike Friday was the first such Israeli attack on Lebanon’s capital in months. The Israeli military says the airstrike killed Ibrahim Akil, a senior Hezbollah military official. It came shortly after Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets. In Gaza, Palestinian authorities said 15 people were killed overnight in multiple Israeli attacks. Gaza’s Civil Defense said an airstrike early Friday in Gaza City hit a family home, killing six people including an unknown number of children.
September 21, 2024 4:03 am
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has awarded nearly $4 million in Cultural and Historical Support Grants to 173 eligible museums and county historical societies statewide. Locally four agencies were included in that group. They include the Senator John Heinz History Center that received $14,200, The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum with $26,800, The National Duncan Glass Society with $4000 and the Washington County Historical Society, Inc. received $8000. The grants help museums and historical societies that are not supported by other state agency funding programs with their general operations expenditures.
September 20, 2024 5:50 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Communication breakdowns with local law enforcement hampered the Secret Service’s performance ahead of a July assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. That’s according to a new report that lays out a litany of missed opportunities to stop a gunman who opened fire from an unsecured roof. A five-page document summarizing the Secret Service report’s key conclusions finds fault with both local and federal law enforcement, underscoring the cascading and wide-ranging failings that preceded the July 13 shooting at a Butler, Pennsylvania., campaign rally where Trump was wounded in the ear by gunfire.
September 20, 2024 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll finds neither Kamala Harris nor Donald Trump has a decisive edge with the public on the economy, turning an issue that was once a clear strength for Trump into the equivalent of a political jump ball. The new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds about 4 in 10 registered voters say Trump would do a better job handling the economy, while a similar number say that about Harris. The finding is a warning sign for Trump, who has tried to link Harris to President Joe Biden’s economic track record. It suggests Harris may be escaping some of the president’s baggage on the issue, undercutting what was one of Trump’s major advantages.
September 20, 2024 5:54 pm
BEIRUT (AP) — Israel has launched a rare airstrike that killed a senior Hezbollah military official in a densely populated southern Beirut neighborhood. It was the deadliest such strike on Lebanon’s capital in decades, with Lebanese authorities reporting at least 14 people killed and dozens more wounded in the attack. The Israeli military’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said the strike on Beirut’s southern Dahiya district killed Ibrahim Akil, a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, as well as 10 other Hezbollah operatives. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant described the Israeli strike that targeted Akil as part of “a new phase of war.” Several hours later, Hezbollah confirmed Akil’s death.
September 19, 2024 8:59 am
JERUSALEM (AP) — Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets. The strikes came a day after the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed to retaliate against Israel for a mass bombing attack. Israel’s military said the rockets came in three waves Friday afternoon targeting sites along the ravaged border. Hezbollah said it had targeted several sites along the border with Katyusha rockets including multiple air defense bases as well as the headquarters of an Israeli armored brigade they said they’d struck for the first time. Hezbollah said the rockets were in retaliation for Israeli strikes on villages and homes in southern Lebanon.
September 20, 2024 4:51 am
Washington County Commissioners approved the sale of a large parcel of land associated with the Starpointe Industrial Park Development in Hanover and Smith Townships. The property is overseen by the non-profit Washington County Council on Economic Development. A 1997 contract calls for any sale of property there to be approved by County Commissioners, even though they have no ownership or authority over the development. The property, that has been threatened by Sheriff’s Sale, will be sold to ALTIAN Development LLC of Pennsylvania. Commissioner Chairman Nick Sherman is pleased that the sale of the 1200 acre parcel is being completed and is looking forward to its development. He hopes that it becomes part of the development boom that is occurring along the Turnpike 576 corridor. In other business, commissioners approved a 3 year, $650,000 per year contract to have Mission Critical Partners monitor the implementation of the proposed 9-1-1 emergency radio system. The motion passed 2-1 with Commissioner Larry Maggi dissenting. Maggi questions the spending of the money on the radio project and wished more negotiation would have been done on the price. Sherman also announced that a Special Meeting will be held Monday September 23 at 9:00 AM to finalize the contract with Motorola for the radio system. (PHOTO: WCCED)
September 20, 2024 5:02 am
Recently, the Washington County Republican Party took to social media to call out Washington Financial Bank for election interference. The disagreement centered on a statement issued by the Mon Valley Alliance that was critical to former President Donald Trump after he mentioned the Borough of Charleroi during a campaign rally in Tucson, Arizona. Randy Patterson is the Vice President of Commercial Banking at Washington Financial and he is the Secretary of the Mon Valley Alliance. Republican Party Chairman Sean Logue called on the Washington County Commissioners to halt business dealings with the bank because of the statement. Michael Chaido, President and CEO of Washington Financial Bank investigated Logue’s claims and presented proof that Patterson had no idea that the statement was being issued without prior authorization from the MVA Board of Directors. Logue states that as a non-profit the MVA is not permitted to engage in political discourse. Chaido said that an agreement was reached between the parties where Washington Financial will issue a statement and the Washington County Republican Party would take down its post on Facebook.
September 20, 2024 4:57 am
As the general election draws near the lawsuits for election voting rules continue to get played out in court. Thursday a ruling was clarified by the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court that effectively dismisses a filing by the Republican National Committee that would require a handwritten date on each mail-in ballot. The ACLU was representing the group of 9 community organizers that were challenging the RNC’s assertion in Allegheny and Philadelphia counties. Originally the ACLU lawyers were seeking to add all 67 counties to the lawsuit but in the move late Thursday afternoon the State Supreme court clarified their ruling so the move is now unnecessary. The other lawsuit in question filed on behalf of the RNC Wednesday was a request for a King’s Bench by the State Supreme Court to make a definitive ruling to not allow ballot curing in the Commonwealth. The current law states counties are “not required” to alert voters of minor mistakes on mail-in ballots, but the law does not state that it is disallowed. ACLU Attorney Vic Walczak (Pictured) says this is a clear voter suppression issue. The King’s Bench power is a discretionary power of the PA Supreme Court that allows the court to consider cases that are not pending so they can address issues of immediate public importance
September 20, 2024 5:00 am
Several residents of Donegal Township gathered to voice their frustrations with township supervisors who laid off the road crew on September 12th. Dr. Kathleen Miller was quite vocal because the very next day, a fire hydrant was struck by a vehicle that was detoured through West Alexander due to an accident on Interstate 70. According to Miller, it took 5 days to have the hydrant fixed and proper notice was not given alerting residents to a boil water advisory. That notice took five days to be issued. Labor Negotiator Phil Binotto says the crew was laid off due to decreased productivity. Heath Malson is one of the laid off workers that says the reason productivity is so low is that supervisors took control of ordering supplies and did not order them, so they do not have the materials needed to perform the maintenance required. According to Binotto, the township could call back the crew in emergencies if they are available. Otherwise, road maintenance will be handled by outside contractors. Former supervisor Tammi Iams says that if the township does not have a road crew and must hire outside contractors, according to the Pennsylvania Municipal Liquid Fuels Program regulations, any outside contractors must be paid prevailing wage. That cost is much higher than paying the current road crew. These and other concerns such as snow removal and current road deterioration repair projects left unfinished are major concerns to residents. The road crew will be officially discharged on Friday. The union representing the road crew and the township are currently working on the agreement to officially disband the crew.
Meanwhile, in an update Friday afternoon, Larry Cardillo from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 66 said that effects bargaining talks are continuing in efforts to come to a final resolution for the layoff but nothing is concrete. He says that they are continuing negotiations to avoid the layoff of the road crew. Contract negotiations are no longer being negotiated by the township. (Photo: Dr. Kathleen Miller)
