March 27, 2023 4:14 am
WEST READING, Pa. (AP) — The governor Pennsylvania has ordered commonwealth flags flown at half-staff in honor of seven people whose bodies were recovered from the site of a powerful explosion at a chocolate factory. The announcement Monday came the morning after the remaining bodies were found at the R.M. Palmer Co. plant in West Reading. Mayor Samantha Kaag called it “a devastating loss.” The Berks County coroner’s office on Monday identified two of the victims as 49-year-old Amy Sandoe of Ephrata and 60-year-old Domingo Cruz of Reading and said more tests are needed to positively identify the other five victims. The blast happened about 5 p.m. Friday. The cause remains under investigation.
March 27, 2023 4:10 am
PITTSBURGH – West Penn Power crews have been working around the clock to restore power to thousands of people who were left in the dark after strong winds tore through western Pennsylvania Saturday. Winds reached over 50 mph, knocked trees down and broke utility poles. Here in Washington County there are now less than one-hundred customers without service and the numbers continue to go down in surrounding counties as crews remove trees and reconnect downed lines. The McGuffey Middle and Senior High School students had a Flexible Instruction Day on Monday because of power issues. Elementary School students were not affected and those buses ran on schedule.
March 27, 2023 2:40 am
An education campaign designed to educate Pennsylvanians about the important role Pennsylvania played in the founding of the United States stopped off at Borland Manor Elementary School in the Canon-McMillan School District. Notable figures from around the county and local sports team mascots helped bring students in grades kindergarten through four the knowledge that Pennsylvania was vital in the founding of the United States. The book “K is for Keystone” was read to students impressing upon them the history Pennsylvania shares in the 250th birthday of the United States coming up in 2026. Guest readers quizzed students on their knowledge of their home state. Common Pleas Court Judge and America 250 PA board member Brandon Neuman (pictured) was impressed with his kindergarten class’s knowledge of Pennsylvania, the flag and America. Canonsburg Mayor David Rhome remarked about how engaged his second grade class was and the questions asked by the students to make sure they understood Pennsylvania’s place in American history. At the end of each presentation, mascots from Penn West California, Waynesburg, The Wild Thing and Steely McBeam handed out backpacks to remind students of the event’s purpose. America 250 is a nationwide campaign. According to Executive Director Cassandra Coleman, Pennsylvania’s organization was created through bi-partisan legislation in 2018. Opportunities of all sorts are available to residents to celebrate Pennsylvania’s place in the birth of the United States. Information may be found at their website America250PA.org.
March 26, 2023 8:11 am
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus. Putin said the move was a response to Britain’s decision this past week to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium. Speaking in an interview broadcast Saturday on Russian state television, Putin said Russia would maintain control over the tactical nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus. He said storage facilities would be completed by July 1 but didn’t say how many weapons they would hold. He argued that Russia was following the lead of the United States, which has tactical nuclear weapons based in Europe. Such weapons are intended for battlefield use, unlike more powerful, longer-range strategic nuclear weapons.
March 26, 2023 8:09 am
LAKE CITY, S.C. (AP) — One of the two Americans gunned down three weeks ago by a Mexican cartel is being remembered as a sweet man who hoped to celebrate his birthday with a journey over the border. Over 100 people attended a Saturday funeral for Shaeed Woodard, whose was slain just days before he turned 34 during a tightknit friend group’s road trip. Since then, an attorney for the Woodards says the family has received an outpouring of support. Pastor Hugh Samuels shared words of consolation for the family shocked by the sudden loss. While grateful for the support, attorney Colin Ram wants to remind people that “what happened in Mexico was an act of terrorism that affected the lives of four Americans.”
March 26, 2023 8:08 am
ROLLING FORK, Miss. (AP) — Rescuers raced Saturday to search for survivors and help hundreds of people left homeless after a powerful tornado cut a devastating path through Mississippi, killing at least 25 people and injuring dozens. The tornado flattened entire blocks as it carved a path of destruction for more than an hour. Another person was killed in Alabama. The tornado flattened entire blocks of the small town of Rolling Fork, reducing homes to piles of rubble, flipping cars on their sides and toppling the town’s water tower. Residents hunkered down in bath tubs as the tornado struck and later broke into a John Deere store that they converted into a triage center for the wounded.
March 26, 2023 8:07 am
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden’s choice to run the Federal Aviation Administration has withdrawn his nomination. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg confirmed the withdrawal of Denver International Airport CEO Phillip Washington in a tweet Saturday night. The setback for the administration comes after Washington appeared to lack enough support in the closely divided Senate. Republicans were united in opposition to Washington, calling him unqualified because of limited aviation experience. Democrats and allied independents still might have pushed the nomination through, but key senators on their side balked at supporting Biden’s pick. Buttigieg called Washington “an excellent nominee” and blamed undeserved and partisan attacks.
March 26, 2023 8:01 am
WEST READING, Pa. (AP) — An explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania Friday killed three people and left four missing, but authorities say one person was found alive in the rubble. West Reading Borough officials say a number of people were injured by the explosion at the R.M. Palmer Co. plant just before 5 p.m. Police Chief Wayne Holben says the death toll rose on Saturday with the discovery of a third body in the community about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Fire Chief Chad Moyer says four people remain missing as the search for victims continues and fire investigators work to determine a cause. The explosion destroyed one building and damaged a neighboring building with apartments. A spokesperson says eight people were taken to Reading Hospital Friday evening
March 26, 2023 7:58 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — Thousands of people remain without power after strong winds tore through western Pennsylvania Saturday. Winds reached over 50 mph, knocked trees down and broke utility poles. As of 12:45 p.m. Sunday, Duquesne Light Company reports 5,547 of their customers are without power. Any Duquesne Light customer who is without power is asked to report their outage online or by calling 412-393-7000. West Penn Power continues to report thousands of outages.
A current look at West Penn Power outages:
- Allegheny – 2,666
- Beaver – 1,248
- Fayette – 147
- Greene – 2,359
- Washington – 1,297
- Westmoreland – 915
People are reminded to not approach downed power lines. Anyone experiencing an emergency during a power outage should contact 911 for help.
March 26, 2023 1:44 am
A fire broke out early Saturday morning in the borough of Burgettstown. The fire was at a home located at 1822 Main Street. First responders from Burgettstown and Slovan fire departments were dispatched at 4:05 am. The fire was extinguished quickly. The fire marshal was on the scene to determine the cause of the fire.
