Canton Man Who Led Police On Chase Faces Trial

April 28, 2022 2:24 am

A Canton Township man who led police on a chase from North Franklin Township into the city before coming to a stop after hitting a vehicle waived his charges to court. Stanley Adler, 26 requested a fast track waiver for charges that include flight to avoid apprehension and attempt to elude and officer. According to the criminal complaint State Police tried to pull Adler over on Nokomis Street in North Franklin. They stated he had a warrant out for his arrest. Police apprehended Adler after the accident and also apprehended Austin McCloud, 22 of West Alexander. He, too, had a warrant out for his arrest. Both men are facing multiple drug possession charges unrelated to this case. Both will have preliminary hearings on May 23. Adler’s fast track hearing on these traffic charges is scheduled for June 28.

No Serious Injuries In Fire At California Industrial Park

April 28, 2022 2:09 am

Seven area fire departments were called out shortly before ten-thirty Wednesday morning to the California Industrial Park on Technology Drive in California for reports of a large fire in the Perryman Corporation Building. California Volunteer Fire Chief Paul Hartley tells WJPA News that the fire ignited Titanium inside of the storage area of the building. Hartley says the time of day prevented many from being able to respond to the call so they were forced to call in multiple departments for help. Hartley says no one was seriously hurt.  Two workers though, were reportedly treated for smoke inhalation.  Hartley says they don’t believe the fire was suspicious but his department is conducting a full investigation. He says there wasn’t a lot of damage, but there is a lot of clean-up work to be done. He says it took firefighters about three hours to put the fire out.

No More Hurricane’s Named “Ida’

April 27, 2022 4:26 pm

(AP) – Meteorologists are retiring the name Ida from the list of Atlantic hurricane names. Last year’s Ida was the fifth costliest U.S. storm on record, causing $75 billion in damage and killing 55 people. It made landfall in Louisiana and caused a swath of destruction throughout the eastern U.S., killing 49 people in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. This is the 12th hurricane name starting with the letter I that’s been retired, more than any other letter by far. There have been more category 4 and 5 landfalling hurricanes in the U.S. in the last five years than in the 54 years from 1963 to 2016.

Russia Releases U.S. Marine Vet In Prisoner Exchange

April 27, 2022 7:56 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – Russia and the United States have exchanged prisoners. A senior U.S. official says Russia released a Marine veteran jailed in Moscow while the U.S. released a convicted Russian drug trafficker serving a prison sentence in Connecticut. Wednesday’s surprise exchange was done as Russia’s war with Ukraine has driven relations with the U.S. to their lowest point in decades. Russia gave up Trevor Reed, a Marine from Texas arrested in 2019 after Russian authorities said he assaulted an officer. The U.S. agreed to return Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot who’d been serving a 20-year sentence for conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. Reed’s family thanks President Joe Biden for deciding “to bring Trevor home.”

Local College Softball Player Dead At 20

April 27, 2022 6:55 am

SOUTH FAYETTE, Pa. — (WPXI) – Softball player for James Madison University (JMU) and South Fayette standout Lauren Bernett has died. University President Jonathan Alger said in a statement on Tuesday that Bernett had died the previous day. She was a sophomore biology major and a high achieving member of the university’s softball team. The McDonald, Pennsylvania native was a four-year letter winner at South Fayette High School and graduated in 2020. During her time at JMU, Bernett played as a catcher and competed in the 2021 College World Series. As a freshman, she was a member of the VaSID All-State Second Team and was named Rookie of the Week after recording four hits, two being doubles scored during the team’s opening weekend. She recorded a season high of 18 putouts in a game against Liberty. Outside of the softball field, Bernett earned Dean’s List during the fall semester of 2020. Bernett was also named Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week on Monday, less than 24 hours before her death. “Our condolences and deepest sympathies are with her family, friends, coaches and fellow members of the student-athlete community,” said Alger.

High Court Could Free Biden To End Asylum Policy

April 27, 2022 4:25 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court is questioning lower-court orders that have blocked the Biden administration from ending a controversial Trump-era immigration program for asylum-seekers. Questions from conservative and liberal justices during nearly two hours of oral arguments on Tuesday suggested that the court could free the administration to end the “Remain in Mexico” policy that forces some people seeking asylum in the U.S. to wait in Mexico for their hearings. President Joe Biden suspended the program on his first day in office. After Texas and Missouri sued, lower courts required immigration officials to reinstate it, though the current administration has sent far fewer people back to Mexico than its predecessor.

Deputies Protect School Killer After Potential Threat

April 27, 2022 4:24 am

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – Deputies protecting Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz had to pull him aside and surround him after members of a jury pool became potentially threatening. Judge Elizabeth Scherer said a potential juror had to be removed by bailiffs after he began mouthing possible threats toward Cruz. Others also started acting threatening, so deputies moved in to protect Cruz. The entire 70-person panel was then dismissed. Scherer said they became belligerent in the hallway. Cruz is facing a possible death sentence for murdering 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland four years ago.

Agreement Reached On Key Ukraine Evacuation

April 27, 2022 4:22 am

UNITED NATIONS (AP) – U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Russian President Vladimir Putin have met one-on-one for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine. And the United Nations says they agreed on arranging evacuations from a besieged steel plant in the battered Ukrainian city of Mariupol. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric says the Russian leader and U.N. chief discussed evacuations from conflict zones and agreed in principle Tuesday that the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross should be involved in the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal steel plant where Ukrainian defenders are making a dogged stand in Mariupol, a southeastern city surrounded by Russian forces.

Russia Cuts Gas To Poland, Bulgaria

April 27, 2022 4:20 am

POKROVSK, Ukraine (AP) – The U.S. defense chief has urged Ukraine’s allies to “move at the speed of war” to get more and heavier weapons to Kyiv while Russia cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made the remarks Tuesday as Russian forces rained fire on eastern and southern Ukraine amid new fears that the fighting could spill over the country’s borders. On Tuesday, explosions rocked the separatist region of Trans-Dniester in neighboring Moldova. Just across the border in Russia, the Belgorod regional governor says an ammunition depot was on fire early Wednesday after several explosions were heard. Poland and Bulgaria say the Kremlin is cutting off natural gas supplies starting Wednesday, the first such actions of the war.

State Lawmakers Advance Business Tax Cuts

April 27, 2022 4:16 am

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – State lawmakers are moving toward hundreds of billions of dollars in business tax cuts. The state House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday for a cut in the corporate net income tax rate from 10% to 9%. If the state’s revenues are sufficient, the rate would fall again to 8% by 2025. The House vote to send the bill to the Senate was 195 to 8. Pennsylvania state revenues are exceptionally strong this fiscal year. The most recent Revenue Department figures show the year-to-date general fund collections are about $2.7 billion above projections through March. That amounts to about 8%.