April 7, 2023 2:49 am
Bruce Bandel has announced his candidacy for Washington County commissioner on the Republican ballot in the May 16th primary. Bandel says he is an experienced entrepreneur and small business owner, having worked for ten years in sales and marketing in door-to-door work as a canvasser and recruiter. He was an Independent Contractor for twenty-two years with Keller Williams Realty where he says he handled both residential and commercial properties serving both buyers and sellers alike; closing deals in excess of one million dollars. Bandel is also an ordained minister of the Gospel; having planted and pastored a small church in Eighty-Four called “In Christ Community Fellowship” for seven years. Currently, Bandel owns and operates Bandel Airport, a privately owned public-use airport in Eighty-Four. Bandel says he will lead by serving “We the People” in Washington County with integrity and virtue. He says he will bring his longstanding business experience and wisdom to county government. Bandel says he believes in term limits to secure continued faith in those who are elected. He says he will ensure financial accountability and transparency to enable the county to fund the government into the future. Bandel says, if elected, he will be focused on reducing the burden of taxes on the people and exploring new ways to empower the business sector to produce good paying jobs.
April 7, 2023 2:41 am
A Monongahela woman has announced her candidacy for Washington County commissioner on the Republican ballot in the May 16th primary. Ashley Duff says she wants to champion revitalization and investment commitments into small-town communities; strengthen partnerships with existing industries like the energy sector, to ensure quality, high-paying jobs for decades to come. Duff says she believes in the concept of term limits, as she has grown tired of career politicians and wants to bring fresh innovative thinking, along with out-of-the-box solutions to serve the needs of the people. Duff’s career has consisted of working in a variety of managerial and administrative positions within the communities of Washington County. During her time in the service industry, she says her leadership and administrative skills were utilized to help grow an upscale Italian Restaurant in Peters Township where she was quickly promoted to front-end trainer, then into management. Next, as an Administrative Assistant and volunteer at Central Assembly of God Church in Chartiers-Houston, Duff says she spearheaded the Hope Dinner Ministry that would serve an elegant sit-down dinner for homeless and low-income guests.
April 6, 2023 8:50 am
BALTIMORE (AP) — More than 150 Catholic priests and others associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused more than 600 children over the past 80 years. That’s according to a state report released Wednesday that accused church officials of decades of cover-ups. The disclosure marks a significant development in an ongoing legal battle over their release and adds to a growing pile of evidence from parishes across the country as numerous similar revelations have rocked the Catholic Church in recent years. Former Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh launched the probe in 2019 and announced its completion last November.
April 6, 2023 4:19 am
GLEN ALLEN, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say five people were killed when a tornado tore through an area of rural southeastern Missouri before dawn on Wednesday. The twister caused significant destruction in and around the small communities of Glen Allen and Grassy, about 50 miles south of St. Louis. The tornado was spawned by a large storm system moving through the Midwest and South. That system was the third in a series of massive storms to strike the nation’s heartland over the past two weeks, and the storms have killed at least 65 people. Just last weekend, confirmed or suspected tornadoes in at least eight states laid waste to neighborhoods across a broad swath of the country.
April 6, 2023 4:17 am
NEW YORK (AP) — As lawmakers debate whether to ban TikTok nationwide, its Chinese parent company has stealthily introduced a new app that’s already getting some traction. The app, called Lemon8, is a photo-based app that could be described as a mixture of Instagram and Pinterest with sprinkles of videos that resemble those posted on TikTok. It launched in Asian markets in 2020 and has already made headway in countries like Thailand and Japan. The app was introduced in the U.S. in February with little fanfare. But media attention and promotion by some TikTok influencers has already attracted user interest. The app analytics company data.ai says as of Sunday, Lemon8 had 290,000 downloads in the U.S., the vast majority of which happened in late March.
April 6, 2023 4:15 am
BEIJING (AP) — Iran’s semiofficial ISNA news agency says Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to reopen diplomatic missions in their respective capitals and in additional cities. The report says the agreement was reached Thursday during a meeting of the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing. The agreement also calls for studying the possibility of resuming flights between the two nations and facilitating the visa process for the citizens of both countries. Saudi Arabia and Iran are longtime regional rivals, but have moved toward reconciliation as part of a deal brokered by China last month.
April 6, 2023 4:14 am
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Gov. Brad Little has signed a bill into law that makes it illegal for an adult to help a minor get an abortion without parental consent. The law is the first of its kind in the U.S. and creates a new crime of “abortion trafficking,” barring adults from obtaining abortion pills for a minor or “recruiting, harboring or transporting the pregnant minor” without the consent of the minor’s parent or guardian. Anyone convicted of breaking the law will face two to five years in prison and could also be sued by the minor’s parent or guardian. Opponents have promised to challenge the law in court.
April 6, 2023 4:10 am
A Washington man is in custody and facing charges in connection with a stabbing in the city Wednesday evening. Washington Police Chief Dan Rush says 38 year old Brad Sumter was taken into custody Thursday morning by Police in South Strabane Township after receiving a tip on his whereabouts. According to Rush, Sumter and the unidentified victim shared a home along with another individual in the 500-block of Allison Avenue. The victim told police that Sumter just stabbed him around 7:30 p.m. Rush says no reason was given. Sumter then fled the scene. The victim was taken by ambulance to a Pittsburgh hospital with non-life threatening injuries. At last report, Sumter was being arraigned.
April 6, 2023 2:55 am
A Zanesville, Ohio man who was arrested on child endangerment charges after he was identified from an Amber Alert had his preliminary hearing postponed. Thomas Pritchard, 46 was scheduled to face charges of felony child endangerment and misdemeanor reckless endangerment charges among others on Wednesday for the alleged kidnapping of two young children from Zanesville. The public defender was concerned about Pritchard’s mental health and his ability to stand trial. The Judge postponed the hearing until a competency evaluation can be performed. Pritchard was arrested last month after he and his vehicle were identified by a citizen through an Amber Alert. City of Washington Police were notified and assisted Pennsylvania State Police with the arrest. The children were returned safely to their family. Pritchard remains in the Washington County Jail without bond.
April 6, 2023 2:54 am
COUDERSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Fire officials say five people were taken to hospitals after an early morning fire at a northern Pennsylvania hotel that dates back to the 19th century. The blaze on the third floor of the Hotel Crittenden in downtown Coudersport was reported shortly after 6:30 a.m. Wednesday. Chief Bryan Phelps of the fire department said 100 to 125 firefighters were called to the scene. He said the blaze was under control and five people were transported to local hospitals for treatment of injuries. The Hotel Crittenden says on its Facebook page that the current hotel was built in 1891 and “the majority of the structure is still original.”
