Seventh Grader Saves Classmates After Bus Driver Falls Ill

April 29, 2023 3:55 am

WARREN, Mich. (AP) — A seventh-grader in suburban Detroit is being hailed as a hero. Dillon Reeves grabbed the steering wheel on his school bus and hit the brakes after the driver passed out Wednesday. Warren Consolidated Schools Superintendent Robert Livernois is calling it an “extraordinary act of courage.” Bus video shows the driver fanning herself with a baseball cap and informing the transportation office that she needs to pull over. Seconds later, Dillon jumped into action, hitting the brake pedal and clutching the steering wheel. Dillon then yelled to other kids on the bus to call 911. Steve Reeves says his son is a “little hero.”  (Photo: AP)

Three Dead In Neighborhood Shooting in Philadelphia

April 29, 2023 3:50 am

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Authorities say three people have been killed and another wounded in a shooting in a Philadelphia residential neighborhood. It wasn’t immediately known what spurred the shooting, which was reported around 3:35 p.m. Friday, or how many shooters may have been involved. Responding officers found one victim on the front porch of a house and another just inside the home, while the third victim was on the sidewalk. All three were pronounced dead at the scene, and their names haven’t been released. The wounded victim was taken to a hospital and listed in critical condition. Authorities said they are looking for those responsible for the shooting.

2 Army Helicopters Crash In Alaska, Killing 3 Soldiers – Army Grounds All Aviation Units For Training

April 29, 2023 3:50 am

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Army says three soldiers have been killed and another has been injured after two helicopters collided and crashed in Alaska while returning from a training flight. The Army says two soldiers died at the scene of Thursday’s crash and a third died on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks. The Army statement says a fourth soldier was being treated at a hospital for injuries. The names of those killed are being withheld until relatives can be notified. The AH-64 Apache helicopters were from Fort Wainwright, based near Fairbanks. Officials say the crash is under investigation, and more details will be released when they become available.   As a result, the Army says it has grounded aviation units for training after deadly helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky killed 12 in the past month. A U.S. Army team from Alabama has been making its way to the Alaska Interior to the investigate the midair collision between two AH-64 Apache helicopters. Three soldiers were killed and a fourth was injured Thursday. Much is still not publicly known about the crash in the remote interior of the state that’s 250 miles from Anchorage. Thursday’s deadly crash follows a crash last month in Kentucky that killed nine.

Report; Monessen Native To Become Pittsburgh Police Chief

April 29, 2023 3:47 am

PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Pittsburgh’s next police chief has been chosen. Our news partners at Channel 11 say they have confirmed that Larry Scirotto will become the bureau’s next chief of police. Scirotto is a native of Monessen and is no stranger to the city of Pittsburgh. He served as an assistant chief in the department for years before stepping down in 2018. Most recently, he was forced to resign as chief of police in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The resignation followed complaints of hiring and promotions that improperly favored minority candidates. “I am somewhat surprised,” Executive Director of Pittsburgh’s Citizens Police Review Board Beth Pittenger said. She told Channel 11 she’s skeptical of the hire. “There’s nothing in particular about Mr. Scirotto I would find offensive. But we know there was somewhat of a negative experience in his last position. He was terminated,” Pittenger said. “There was a whole process that was utilized that has not been disclosed. You hear a lot of rumors. I think it would be to everyone’s benefit if the whole process was simply disclosed.” An official announcement could come in the next several days.

PennDot Bridge Inspections In Area Next Week

April 29, 2023 3:46 am

PennDot announced Friday that it will be conducting bridge inspections along I-79 in southern Allegheny County next week.  Single-lane restrictions will take place beginning Monday at 7:00 p.m. at the Alpine Road bridge in South Fayette, and will last through Tuesday morning at 6:00 a.m.  The Heidelberg interchange in Collier Township will be inspected beginning Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. through Thursday morning at 6:00 a.m.  The single-lane restrictions will be in place in both directions, and delays are possible.  PennDot advises to use caution in those construction areas.

Hough Calls Report “Hit Piece” By Democrats

April 28, 2023 5:09 am

Washington County Prothonotary, Republican Laura Hough has responded to the report that County Commissioners were reviewing her actions after claiming she improperly accessed a law enforcement data base used to gather information on individuals. In a written statement, Hough calls the move a “last minute hit piece put out by Larry Maggi and his Democrat allies.” Hough goes on to say “It is clear that the Democrats are interfering in the upcoming Republican primary because they know that I am the only qualified candidate running for Prothonotary.” Hough also claims that “Lexis Nexis is not a law enforcement software, but rather a search engine resource”. She says “it was a tool used for legitimate Prothonotary office activity”. Commissioner’s say they have restricted Hough’s use of Lexis Nexis while a review of her actions continues.

 

Fox Ratings Tumble In Tucker Carlson Slot

April 28, 2023 4:33 am

NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Fox News viewers are reacting to Tucker Carlson’s firing by abandoning the network in his old time slot — at least temporarily. Fox had 1.33 million viewers in the 8 p.m. Eastern hour on Wednesday, down 56% from the 3.05 million that Carlson had on the same day a week ago. Meanwhile, Eric Bolling at the conservative alternative Newsmax has seen his audience shoot up. Bolling had 510,000 viewers on Wednesday, compared to 168,000 on the previous Wednesday. It’s reminiscent of Fox’s slump among viewers who are angry at the network’s coverage of election night 2020. But that anger proved only temporary, and viewers later returned.

Pence Testifies Before Election Probe Grand Jury

April 28, 2023 4:31 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence has testified before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by then-President Donald Trump and his Republican allies to overturn the 2020 election. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the private appearance before the grand jury. Thursday’s appearance by Pence came hours after a federal appeals court denied a bid by Trump’s lawyers to block Pence’s testimony. Pence was subpoenaed to testify earlier this year, but Trump’s lawyers objected, citing executive privilege concerns. Pence’s grand jury appearance in Washington is a milestone in the Justice Department’s investigation into the conversations and events preceding the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol.

Russian Missile & Drone Attack In Ukraine Kills 16

April 28, 2023 4:21 am

UMAN, Ukraine (AP) — Russia has fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine in attacks that killed at least 16 people. Most of the victims died when two cruise missiles slammed into an apartment building in central Ukraine early Friday. The attacks included the first one on Ukraine’s capital in nearly two months. The Kyiv government said Ukraine’s air force intercepted 11 missiles and two drones, and no hits on any targets in the city were reported. The strikes on the apartment building occurred in Uman, a city located around 215 kilometers (134 miles) south of Kyiv. Fourteen people died in that attack, according to the interior ministry, including two 10-year-old children and a toddler.

Washington County Fair Celebrates 225th Anniversary

April 28, 2023 2:33 am

The Washington County Agricultural Fair is set to celebrate its 225th year and announcements were made about the upcoming event and other happenings to help celebrate the anniversary. Chief among the celebrations is the announcement that the 225th Memorial Plaza will be built to commemorate the anniversary and the agricultural history that has occurred in Washington county over the last two centuries. Sponsorship pavers are available for $225 for a 4”by 8” paver and $500 for an 8” by 8” paver. The Board commissioned a local artist to create a mural on a building adjacent to the Memorial Plaza celebrating the agricultural history of Washington County. The fair will be featuring “Green Gus” a 1959 Ford Truck that carries a 1949 Ford Tractor to promote the fair at various events in the area. The first event that will feature “Green Gus” is the May 6 “Running of the Wools” event. That is a sheep race that will take place on Main Street in Washington that ties directly into the promotion of the fair and local City of Washington Businesses. The event starts at 9:30 with a Breakfast Crawl with the race beginning at noon. A kitchen Clash winds up the event at 3 PM. This year’s fair will take place from August 12 through August 19.