October 30, 2024 2:52 am
The Main Street Farmer’s Market in downtown Washington will close for the season on Thursday. The market is held at the community pavilion on South Main Street across from the Observer Reporter building on Thursdays from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. through October. Market organizers say 2024 was one of the best years they’ve had, thanks to new vendors filling every open spot under the pavilion. They say they had more people visit the market than ever before and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may have even doubled the number of people who were able to get fresh fruits and vegetable. The President of the market, Tracee Malik, says the Main Street Farmer’s Market is special in that it not only provides a wide variety of products, but it also offers social time. She says people often come to the market to socialize with friends and family and just enjoy the atmosphere. As for next year, Malik says they have not yet begun to lay out a plan.
October 31, 2024 4:50 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Americans are feeling a lot of emotions heading into Election Day, but excitement is not one of them. A new poll from The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that about 7 in 10 Americans report feeling anxious or frustrated about the 2024 presidential campaign, and a similar share say they’re interested. Only about one-third say they feel excited. About 7 in 10 Americans say “anxious” describes how they are feeling ahead of Tuesday. For partisans, anxiety is dialed a little higher than before. About 8 in 10 Democrats say “anxious” describes how they are feeling now, up slightly from the last election. About two-thirds of Republicans are anxious, a moderate uptick from 2020.
October 30, 2024 4:50 am
(AP) – Pennsylvania is often the subject of election-related misinformation. Social media users have, for instance, falsely suggested that large numbers of migrants are illegally registering to vote in the crucial swing state, and made baseless claims about foul play involving deceased voters. While voter fraud does occur, experts say it’s rare. Noncitizen voting is already illegal in federal elections, and there’s no indication it’s happening anywhere in significant numbers. Pennsylvania also prohibits noncitizens from registering to vote. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Pennsylvania also is among nine states with statutes that prohibit counting absentee ballots that were submitted by voters who die before Election Day.
October 30, 2024 10:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy grew at a healthy 2.8% annual rate from July through September, with consumers helping drive growth despite the weight of still-high interest rates. The gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — did slow slightly from its 3% growth rate in the April-June quarter. But the latest figures still reflect surprising durability just as Americans assess the state of the economy in the final stretch of the presidential race. Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity, accelerated to a 3.7% annual pace last quarter, up from 2.8% in the April-June period. Exports also contributed to the third quarter’s growth, increasing at an 8.9% rate.
October 30, 2024 10:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is reacting to a comic calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” at a Donald Trump rally by saying, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.” For some, it recalled then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton dismissing Trump supporters in 2016 by evoking a “basket of deplorables.” It was also a departure from Trump’s opponent, Kamala Harris, who has been careful not to insult his supporters and has worked to woo crossover Republicans. Biden later posted on social media that he was referring to the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico.”
October 30, 2024 4:45 am
FALLOWFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. – One person is dead and five others were hurt after a crash in Fallowfield Township Tuesday night. Emergency crews were called to the 600 block of Old 71 at 8:50 p.m., a 911 supervisor confirms. The Washington County Coroner’s Office says the person killed was a front-seat passenger in the vehicle traveling east when an oncoming vehicle traveling west crossed the center line and the vehicles collided head-on. The individual killed was not wearing a seat belt. The identity of that person has not been released pending notification of next of kin. Four people were airlifted to hospitals while one person was taken to a local hospital in an ambulance. State Police are investigating. No further details have been released.
October 30, 2024 4:58 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris is urging voters to reject Donald Trump’s efforts to sow division and fear, declaring, “It doesn’t have to be this way.” She stood before an overflowing crowd near the White House on Tuesday and promised Americans she would fight for them every day. One week out from Election Day, the vice president tried to drive home the contrast with Trump by delivering her closing argument from the same spot on the grassy Ellipse where the Republican former president had fomented the Capitol insurrection in 2021. Harris pledged she would work to improve people’s lives while arguing that her Republican opponent is only in it for himself.
October 29, 2024 1:23 am
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Donald Trump says his weekend rally that was marked by crude and racist insults was a “lovefest.” That’s a term the former president has also used to reference the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Given several opportunities to apologize on Tuesday, Trump instead leaned in, saying it was an “honor to be involved” in the Madison Square Garden rally. With just a week before Election Day, some Trump allies have voiced alarm that the rally was a liability, given the electoral importance of Puerto Ricans who live in Pennsylvania and other key swing states. He was joined Tuesday night at a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, by Puerto Rico’s shadow U.S. senator, who defended him.
October 29, 2024 2:56 am
State Police say puppies that were found in a Washington County trash can have died. Troopers say four Pitt-bull style puppies were found tied in grocery bags in a trash can in Canton Township on Oct. 20th. One of the puppies had already died when they were found by neighbors who heard them crying. The three other puppies were taken for veterinary care and were awaiting surgery to deal with serious injuries to their legs. Police though, say all three died before they could have the surgery. police say Franklin Donley and Jessica Vanderlee are now facing multiple charges of aggravated animal cruelty. Police allege that Donley thought his dog attacked and partially maimed the puppies after giving birth and he didn’t want his 10-year-old daughter to see what happened. Authorities claim Donley and Vanderlee mutually disposed of the puppies. (Photo: WPXI)
October 30, 2024 4:58 am
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza’s Health Ministry says two Israeli strikes in the northern Gaza Strip killed at least 88 people. The ministry said a five-story building was hit in one of the strikes Tuesday, killing at least 60 people, more than half of them women and children. Israel has escalated airstrikes in northern Gaza in recent weeks, saying it is focused on rooting out Hamas militants who have regrouped after more than a year of war. The intense fighting is raising alarm about the worsening humanitarian conditions for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Also on Tuesday, Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah said it has chosen Sheikh Naim Kassem as its new leader following the killing of Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike last month.
