April 30, 2023 3:41 am
A Washington man was arrested by State Police on Friday after an investigation into child pornography led to a search of his home. Twenty-three year Darion Lamar Thompson, of Oak Street, Washington, was charged with 20 counts of possessing child pornography, as well as criminal use of a communication facility. State Police were first alerted in March to the potential child pornography by a cyber tip that someone had uploaded and shared multiple images of child pornography, including toddlers, on the file-sharing service Dropbox. The investigation determined that one IP address was associated with the uploaded files. Subpoenas for the identity of the IP address came back to an Oak Street address in Washington. On Friday, State Police served search warrant at that address and discovered Thompson in a bedroom holding a cell phone, which he then allegedly tried to conceal with another phone under him on the bed. Both of those devices were seized by State Police during the search, and according to police also contained images of suspected child pornography. Thompson was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Kelly Stewart Friday afternoon. His bond was denied and he was lodged in the Washington County Correctional Facility. Thompson has also been on bail as a result of a January 2023 arrest, also for child pornography charges. Both cases are now set for a preliminary hearing on May 24 at 1:45 p.m. before MDJ Stewart.
April 30, 2023 3:27 am
Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis and Acting Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development Rick Siger took a walking tour of Washington. They were here Friday to kick off Pennsylvania’s Small Business Week. A walking tour headed by Main Street Manager of the Washington Business District Authority Shana Brown had Davis and Siger visit the Ignite Business Incubator, The Table Café, The Wild Hope Boutique and The Cheerful Balloon Company. Davis and Siger heard from business owners of how proud they are of their endeavors and the problems that they encounter trying to develop a business in a downtown area like Washington. Carrie Beckett from The Wild Hope Boutique was direct in her conversation with Davis that she and her partners invested a lot of money and hard work to make their place special. She is disappointed that when she looks out her front window, they are greeted with abandoned and dilapidated storefronts. One of the messages that Davis wants business owners to know is that the Shapiro Administration is committed to the success of small businesses. Davis pointed out that in their 2023-2024 budget proposal the administration is calling for a $20 million infusion of capital into the Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance Program that provides working capital loans to women and minority owned businesses. They also call for an $8.6 million increase in the Keystone Communities Program to support improvements along Pennsylvania’s Main Streets. (Photo L to R: Shana Brown, Main Street Business Mgr., acting secretary DCED Rick Siger, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis)
April 29, 2023 3:58 am
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Anti-corruption groups in South Africa have called for more protection of whistleblowers following recent killings that bore the hallmarks of professional hits. A specialist accountant working on a high-profile corruption case was killed along with his son by unknown gunmen as they drove along a highway in March. A government health department employee who warned of illegal dealings worth nearly $50 million was shot 12 times in the driveway of her home in what has been described as an assassination in 2021. The slayings and other cases have fueled outrage over widespread graft linked to government contracts, which has plagued Africa’s most developed economy for years but appears to continue unabated.
April 29, 2023 3:56 am
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch court has banned a man from donating any more of his sperm after he fathered at least 550 children in the Netherlands and other countries and misled prospective parents about the number of offspring he helped to conceive. A judge at The Hague District Court ordered the halt Friday in an injunction brought by the mother of a child conceived with the donor’s sperm and a foundation representing other parents. The court noted that under Dutch guidelines, sperm donors are allowed to produce a maximum of 25 children with 12 mothers and that the donor lied to prospective parents about his donation history.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
