December 30, 2023 1:40 am
(WPXI) A Lancaster man is behind bars, accused of firing a shotgun several times into a box truck at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe and leading police on a chase across Westmoreland County and into Indiana County on Friday. According to police, Tyler Mieczkowski, 22, is now being held at the Westmoreland County Jail after being denied bail. The driver of the box truck, who was at the airport to make a delivery, was not hurt. Officers immediately notified State Police and surrounding agencies that the suspect, now identified as Mieczkowski, took off in a dark-colored Dodge Charger. Within minutes, officers tracked down Mieczkowski and attempted to stop him. The chase went through Latrobe and Derry in Westmoreland County and into Blairsville in Indiana County, where police stopped Mieczkowski’s Charger, causing it to crash using spike strips. Investigators say it’s still unclear if Mieczkowski and the victim knew each other but they do believe it was a targeted attack. Mieczkowski is facing multiple charges, including attempted homicide and aggravated assault.
December 30, 2023 1:12 am
(WPXI) – The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s office says two teachers from Nicely Elementary School face 21 charges each – for how they reportedly used unauthorized and inappropriate restraint procedures on 3 students who were under their care. The DA’s office says 34-year-old Brooke Stanko and 58-year-old Teri Kepchia are now charged with Endangering the Welfare of Children, Simple Assault, Failure to Report and False imprisonment of a minor. The DA’s office says the crimes happened between September and October OF this year. Officials have yet to release specific details of what the two did, but Greensburg/Salem School District Superintendent Kenneth Bissell sent out A letter to parents a week ago – expressing his frustration and disappointment.
December 29, 2023 5:13 pm
(WPXI) – An Allegheny County movie theater is still open after being slapped with a consumer alert from the County Health Department over shocking findings by a health inspector. The report – from a visit to Waterworks Cinemas on Dec. 26 – shows the inspector found recently dead mice behind a movie screen and multiple older dead mice in various rooms throughout the theater. The report also states there were “Fruit flies too numerous to count under all the drink towers” – in addition to rodent droppings near drink machines and throughout the facility, and hot dogs stored at an unsafe temperature. the theater is set to be reinspected by the health department on Jan. 5th.
December 29, 2023 4:26 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks slipped on the final trading day of the year, which nonetheless boasted surprisingly robust gains for Wall Street. The benchmark S&P 500 index inched lower Friday but ended 2023 with a 24.2% gain for the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 13% this year. The Nasdaq soared 43% for the year, driven by gains in big technology companies, including Nvidia, Amazon and Microsoft. Treasury yields were mixed and crude oil prices were relatively stable.
December 29, 2023 5:10 am
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Hawaii’s governor and mayor are welcoming tourists back to the west side of Maui months after August wildfires killed at least 100 people and destroyed more than 2,000 buildings. They want the economic boost tourists will bring, particularly heading into the year-end holidays. But some residents are struggling with the return of an industry requiring workers to be attentive and hospitable even though they are trying to care for themselves after losing their loved ones, friends, homes and community. One server at a Lahaina restaurant was so worn out by customer questions about the fire she quit five weeks after going back to work.
December 29, 2023 5:08 am
Bentleyville Police say they are looking for help in their search for a wanted man. According to their Facebook page, police have multiple arrest warrants for 40-year old William Roderick. Police say he is wanted on 8 outstanding warrants out of Washington County. Anyone with information concerning his whereabouts is asked to contact Bentleyville Police or call 9-1-1. Callers can remain anonymous. (PHOTO; Bentleyville Police Facebook)
December 29, 2023 5:03 am
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The United Nations says tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have streamed into the town of Rafah at the southernmost end of Gaza in recent days. That influx adds further pressure on an already overwhelmed area of the embattled territory. Israeli forces, meanwhile, continued to blast through dense areas in the center of the strip on Friday, killing dozens. Residents said many houses were hit overnight across the central Nuseirat and Maghazi camps and heavy fighting was also reported in Bureij. Israel’s widening campaign is now focused on built-up areas in central Gaza, but fighting rages elsewhere as well.
December 29, 2023 5:01 am
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s Democratic secretary of state is removing former President Donald Trump from that state’s primary ballot. Shenna Bellows becomes the first election official to take action unilaterally to bar Trump under the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment. The Civil War-era clause bans those who “engaged in insurrection” from office. It’s the same provision cited recently by the Colorado Supreme Court to remove Trump from the ballot in that state. The Trump campaign says it will appeal Bellows’ decision to Maine’s state courts, and Bellows suspended her ruling until that court system rules. The U.S. Supreme Court will likely rule on whether the provision applies to Trump and whether he is still eligible to return to the White House.
December 29, 2023 4:59 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Officials say Russia has launched 122 missiles and 36 drones against Ukrainian targets, killing at least 13 civilians in what an air force official says was the biggest aerial barrage of the 22-month war. Ukraine’s military chief said the Ukrainian air force intercepted 87 of the missiles and 27 of the Shahed-type drones overnight. Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on his official Telegram channel: “The most massive aerial attack” since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. According to the Ukrainian air force, the previous biggest assault was in November 2022 when Russia launched 96 missiles against Ukraine. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Kremlin’s forces used a wide variety of weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles.
December 29, 2023 4:56 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – A man wanted by the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department was arrested after leading officers on a chase and crashing into a pool, police say. According to the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department, James Neal, 31, was arrested Thursday night. Neal was wanted by authorities after allegedly brandishing a gun at sheriff’s deputies on Wednesday. Authorities say police began chasing Neal in the city of Pittsburgh. The pursuit continued onto the Parkway East and ended after the vehicle sank into a swimming pool in Forest Hills off of the Ardmore Boulevard exit. Neal was arrested by Pittsburgh Police officers.
