March 18, 2023 4:11 am
SOMERSET, Pa. (AP) — A western Pennsylvania county prosecutor is in jail after being convicted of six charges for an attack on a woman acquaintance. Jurors also acquitted suspended Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas of sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault. The verdict was issued Thursday after less than three hours of deliberations. The 37-year-old Thomas was found guilty of strangulation and criminal trespassing, both felonies, and simple assault, unlawful restraint, indecent assault and false imprisonment. He was also acquitted of a second simple assault count. Cambria County officials said Friday Thomas is in the county jail. Thomas’ lawyer says he considers it a victory that Thomas was acquitted of the most serious charges.
March 18, 2023 1:29 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is alerting anglers that Lake Wilma, located in Wayne Township, Greene County, will be temporarily closed to the public, by the private owner, effective immediately. Because the lake is being closed by the owner at this time for their current operations in the area, the PFBC will be unable to conduct trout stocking operations at the lake, which were scheduled to occur on March 22 and April 12, 2023. Additionally, anglers will be unable to access the lake on Mentored Youth Trout Day on March 25, Opening Day of Trout Season on April 1, and for an indefinite period to follow. The PFBC is currently looking for opportunities to reallocate the trout that were scheduled to be stocked in Lake Wilma to other waters for anglers to enjoy this season. CNX Resources Corporation, which owns Lake Wilma and allows public access for fishing and boating, has indicated that, in lieu of the temporary closure, the company intends to stock the lake with trout at a later date and host a special community fishing event at a date to be determined. Additional details regarding the fishing event will be available in the coming weeks. To find alternate waters stocked with trout in Greene County and across Pennsylvania, anglers can review the Trout Stocking Schedule on the PFBC website (Fishandboat.com).
March 17, 2023 12:33 pm
THE HAGUE (AP) — The International Criminal Court says it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes because of his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine. The court said in a statement that Putin “is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.” It also issued a warrant Friday for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Putin’s office, on similar allegations. A possible trial of any Russians at the ICC remains a long way off. Moscow does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction or extradite its nationals.
March 17, 2023 10:20 am
DETROIT (AP) – Ford is recalling more than 1.5 million vehicles in the U.S. in two actions to fix leaky brake hoses and windshield wiper arms that can break. The largest recall covers nearly 1.3 million 2013 through 2018 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKX midsize cars. The company says in documents posted Friday by safety regulators that the front brake hoses can rupture and leak brake fluid. That would increase brake pedal travel and make stopping distances longer. Dealers will replace the hoses. Ford will mail owner notification letters starting April 17. They’ll get a second letter once parts are available for the fix. The second recall covers more than 222,000 F-150 pickups from 2021. The windshield wiper arms can break. Dealers will replace the arms if needed.
March 17, 2023 9:24 am
SVB Financial Group is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. SVB Financial Group is no longer affiliated with Silicon Valley Bank or the bank’s private banking and wealth management business, SVB Private. SVB Financial Group ran Silicon Valley Bank up until it was seized last Friday. The bank’s successor, Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, is being run under the jurisdiction of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and is not included in the Chapter 11 filing.
March 17, 2023 4:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Besieged Republican Rep. George Santos is carrying on in Congress despite calls for him to resign after he admitted to fabricating many aspects of his life story. He faces a crush of investigations, but he is rewriting his story in real time — delivering speeches, dashing through the halls of the U.S. Capitol, business as usual. It’s an unusual up-is-down approach that would have been almost unthinkable in an earlier generation. But it’s one that signals the new norms taking hold amid the deepening of a post-truth era in Congress. Pressed about it, Santos declared, “Truth still matters very much.”
March 17, 2023 4:22 am
DINWIDDIE, Va. (AP) — Attorneys for the family of a Black Virginia man who died in law enforcement custody say video of the incident shows seven sheriff’s deputies pushing down “every part of his body” with “absolute brutality.” Mark Krudys, one of the lawyers for the family of Irvo Otieno, spoke Thursday at a news conference along with civil rights attorney Ben Crump and members of Otieno’s family. Krudys says he “was not really prepared to see” the video footage and stressed that Otieno was in handcuffs and leg irons. He says, “You can see that they’re putting their back into it. Every part of his body is being pushed down with absolute brutality.” Seven deputies and three hospital employees have been charged with second-degree murder in Otieno’s death March 6.
March 17, 2023 4:21 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Eleven of the biggest banks in the country have announced a $30 billion rescue package for First Republic Bank. It’s an effort to stop the California-based bank from becoming the third to fail in less than a week. Shares of First Republic had fallen sharply this week, dropping 60% on Monday alone. For the package, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo would each put $5 billion in uninsured deposits into First Republic. Meanwhile Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs would deposit $2.5 billion each. The remaining $5 billion would come from five other banks.
March 17, 2023 4:19 am
BEIJING (AP) — China says President Xi Jinping will visit Russia from Monday to Wednesday in an apparent show of support for Vladimir Putin. No other details were given, but China has declared a “no-limits” friendship with Russia and refused to condemn Moscow’s invasion _ even while declaring that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries be respected. Beijing has also condemned Western sanctions and accused NATO and the United States of provoking Russia. Putin invited Xi to visit Russia during a video conference call the two held in late December. The visit, Putin said, could “demonstrate to the whole world the strength of the Russian-Chinese ties” and “become the main political event of the year in bilateral relations.”
March 17, 2023 4:16 am
SEWICKLEY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – A man is dead and his wife is fighting for her life after a devastating fire at their Westmoreland County home on Thursday. Intense flames could be seen shooting out of all sides of their home on Yukon Road in Sewickley Township around 4:00 p.m. According to the Westmoreland County coroner, the man who died is 65-year-old David Shotts, Sr. His wife, Ruth, the coroner said, was airlifted to UPMC Mercy hospital with burns and smoke inhalation. Neighbors said they heard an explosion. The cause of this fire is being investigated by the State Police Fire Marshal.
