Canon-McMillan Unanimously Approves Budget, Tax Hike

June 22, 2023 4:48 am

The Canon-McMillan School District wrapped up the current school year by adopting the budget for the 2023-2024 school year. In a unanimous vote directors adopted a $107.7 million budget. That budget comes with a .26 mill tax increase. According to numbers provided by Director of Business and Finance Joni Mansmann, the budget has a 6.8% increase over last year. The budget will have a fund balance of $111,000. Mansmann indicated that several professional and elementary guidance positions were added along with the planning for the new Wylandville elementary school, she also stated that Canon-McMillan has the second lowest tax rate in Washington County. Directors also accepted the $15,000 first place award from the NJM Insurance “Just Drive” video PSA contest. The award will be used to build a safe driving awareness campaign for post-prom and post-graduation. Finally directors unanimously approved the sale of the old middle school in Canonsburg. The final sales numbers and purchasing party are not currently available as approval from the board was needed to fully execute the agreement of sale.

Chicken Grown From Animal Cells Okay For Sale

June 21, 2023 12:09 pm

(AP) – Chicken grown from animal cells, not from slaughtered birds, can now be sold in the U.S. The Agriculture Department issued approvals Wednesday to California firms Upside Foods and Good Meat to sell the products, known as “lab-grown” or “cultivated” meat. The meat is grown in steel tanks, using cells that come from a living animal, a fertilized egg or a special bank of stored cells. The goal is to eliminate harm to animals and drastically reduce the environmental impacts of raising them. The meat will initially be sold only at upscale restaurants.

“Central Park Five” Member Running For Office

June 21, 2023 12:06 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — Some consider Yusef Salaam a folk hero as a member of the “Central Park Five,” the group of teenagers wrongly convicted of raping a white jogger in a brutal attack 34 years ago. Now he’s banking on his painful past to help win a seat on the New York City Council. Salaam says he offers a new voice that can speak about his community’s pain. His opponents are two state lawmakers who have had a long history in politics and say he doesn’t know enough about how local government works. Nevertheless, they acknowledge that they will have to overcome Salaam’s celebrity and public knowledge of his experience in the justice system.

FTC Files Suit Against Amazon

June 21, 2023 12:04 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is suing Amazon for what it calls a years-long effort to enroll consumers without consent into its Prime program and making it difficult for them to cancel their subscriptions. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, the agency accused Amazon of using deceptive designs, known as “dark patterns,” to deceive consumers into enrolling in the program. It also alleged the company’s leadership slowed or rejected changes that made canceling the subscription easier. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hunter Biden Reaches Plea Deal After 5 Year Investigation

June 21, 2023 5:07 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden had just six words to offer after his 53-year-old son Hunter pleaded guilty to federal tax offenses in a deal that is also likely to spare him time behind bars on a weapons charge. He said simply: “I’m very proud of my son.” That pride has been accompanied by pain, and for the president’s family, both have been on public display. Republicans have worked to use Hunter Biden’s actions — and his acknowledged struggle with addiction — as an anchor to try to drag down his father.

Underwater Noises Heard In Search For Submersible

June 21, 2023 5:05 am

A Canadian military surveillance aircraft has detected underwater noises as a massive search goes on in a remote part of the North Atlantic for a submersible that vanished while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. A statement early Wednesday from the U.S. Coast Guard did not elaborate on what rescuers believed the noises could be. However, it offered a glimmer of hope for those now lost abroad the Titan as estimates suggest as little as a day’s worth of oxygen could be left if the vessel is still functioning. Meanwhile, questions remain on how teams could reach the lost submersible, which could be as deep as about 12,500 feet below the surface near the watery tomb of the historic ocean liner.

Tax Credit For New Teachers, Nurses & Officers Approved

June 21, 2023 5:04 am

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A proposed tax credit to recruit new teachers, nurses and police officers passed through the Pennsylvania House of Representatives with bipartisan support on Tuesday, but the Republican-controlled Senate has said it lacks support in the caucus. The bill would provide a $2,500 annual tax credit for three years for Pennsylvania residents after they become certified, or after they move to Pennsylvania with a state-recognized credential. It’s a key element of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal to attract more people into Pennsylvania’s ranks of police officers, nurses and teachers amid nationwide shortages.

I-95 Traffic To Resume This Weekend With Interim Fix

June 21, 2023 5:02 am

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — More than a week after a section of Interstate 95 collapsed in Philadelphia, Gov. Josh Shapiro says traffic will be moving on the interstate again this weekend. Shapiro on Tuesday lauded the around-the-clock work of crews on the stretch of the East Coast’s main north-south highway. A section of the northbound lanes of the elevated highway in northeast Philadelphia collapsed early June 11 after a tractor-trailer hauling gasoline flipped over on an off-ramp and caught fire. State transportation officials said the driver, who was killed, lost control around a curve. The resulting damage necessitated demolition of the southbound lanes as well, officials said.

Pa. House Passes $15 Minimum Wage Bill

June 21, 2023 5:00 am

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s Democratic-controlled House of Representatives approved a measure that would raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2026 in a close vote Tuesday, a long-held party campaign plank that has run up against Republican legislative majorities for years. The measure would gradually increase the minimum wage to $15 by changing from $7.25 to $11 in its first year, then to $13 in 2025 and finally to $15 in 2026. The bill ties future increases to inflation, which sponsors say mirrors action taken by 15 other states. It has an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Kids Face Charges After Incident At South Hills Village

June 21, 2023 4:57 am

BETHEL PARK, Pa. — (WPXI) – Six kids will be facing charges after Bethel Park police said they set off smoke bombs at the South Hills Village Mall. Police said the group threw the smoke bombs inside the Macy’s store about an hour and a half before closing time, setting off the security alarm. Police Chief Timothy O’Connor said it occurred last Thursday, when the five teens and a 10-year-old set off an unknown number of smoke bombs. One witness told our news partners at Channel 11, the group was lighting the bombs and then hurling them in Macy’s garbage cans, filling the entire second floor with smoke. The six kids are now banned from mall property, according to police, and face charges for criminal mischief and disorderly conduct and possibly for theft. Police Chief O’Connor said they plan to file the charges once the investigation is done.