February 21, 2023 2:33 am
After nearly three-decades as a Washington Commissioner, Republican Diana Irey-Vaughan has announced that she will not seek re-election. In a brief statement sent to WJPA News, Irey-Vaughan thanked “neighbors, friends and co-workers” for the “honor and privilege of serving as your Washington County Commissioner for the last 28 years. This opportunity to serve you has been a calling on my life, almost half my life, and has brought me much joy. It is with a grateful heart that my time as County Commissioner comes to a close, as I will not be seeking re-election”. She goes on to thank her children, husband, extended family, campaign team, community leaders, donors and friends “for the countless sacrifices you have made and assistance you have provided me”. Irey-Vaughan says the “opportunity to serve others has always been, and remains, a calling on my life. I will now look forward to my next adventure in service to my community”. She ended the statement, saying; “The time has now come for another to embrace this calling. To those who may feel drawn to answer this call, I encourage you, and I thank you”.
February 20, 2023 3:44 pm
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A new 6.4 magnitude earthquake on Monday killed three people and injured more than 200 in parts of Turkey that were laid waste two weeks ago by a massive quake that killed tens of thousands. Officials said more buildings collapsed, trapping occupants, and several people were injured in both Turkey and Syria. Monday’s earthquake was centered in the town of Defne, in Turkey’s Hatay province, one the worst-hit regions in the magnitude 7.8 quake that hit on Feb. 6. It was felt in Syria, Jordan, Cyprus, Israel and as far away as Egypt, and was followed by a second, magnitude 5.8 temblor. Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said three people were killed and 213 injured. Search and rescue efforts were underway in three collapsed buildings where a total of five people were believed trapped. A number of buildings collapsed in the new quake, trapping people inside, Hatay’s mayor Lutfu Savas said. He told NTV television that these may be people who had returned to homes or were trying move their furniture out of damaged buildings. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said at least eight people were hospitalized in Turkey. Syria’s state news agency, SANA, reported that six people were injured in Aleppo from falling debris. In Hatay, police search teams rescued one person who was trapped inside a 3-story building and were trying to reach three others inside, HaberTurk television reported. The Feb. 6 quake killed nearly 45,000 people in both countries — the vast majority of them in Turkey, where more than a million and a half people are in temporary shelters. Turkish authorities have recorded more than 6,000 aftershocks since.
February 20, 2023 12:27 pm
If you recently bought a bottled Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino – don’t drink it. PepsiCo has recalled more than 300,000 bottles of the drink over concerns that glass fragments may have gotten into some bottles, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The bottled Frappuccino drinks are not sold at Starbucks locations but in grocery stores and other retailers. A “foreign object” identified as glass was found in some of the bottles, the FDA notice said. No injuries have been reported. (Photo: ABC)
February 20, 2023 6:25 am
Former President Donal Trump is expected to travel to East Palestine, Ohio this week. The 45th President confirmed the visit Sunday after his son, Donal Trump Jr. tweeted the announcement on Friday writing; “If our ‘leaders’ are too afraid to actually lead, real leaders will step up and fill the void.” The visit on Wednesday comes after it was announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would head to the area for public health testing at the direction of the Biden Administration. The train, which contained the toxic chemical vinyl chloride, derailed February 3. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued an urgent evacuation notice two days later. Officials then conducted a controlled burn of the toxin February 6.
February 20, 2023 5:24 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – President Joe Biden has left Kyiv, Ukraine, after an unannounced visit to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Monday’s visit was a gesture of solidarity coming days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden delivered remarks and met with Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace to announce an additional half-billion dollars in U.S. assistance and to reassure Ukraine of American and allied support as the conflict continues. The Democratic U.S. president says, “One year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands.” Biden continues: “The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you.” While Biden was in Ukraine, U.S. surveillance planes kept watch over Kyiv from Polish airspace.
February 20, 2023 4:41 am
A suspect is in custody after a police chase in Fayette County overnight. State police initiated a chase on a vehicle around 2:40 a.m. at Crawford Avenue and Route 119 near the Sheetz in Connellsville, a 911 dispatcher told our news partners at Channel 11. It ended at Route 201 and Lenkey Road in Dunbar Township, when troopers took a suspect into custody. Officials tell us an ambulance was called to the scene. State police said they will release more information soon.
February 20, 2023 4:22 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Last year saw a record number of guns intercepted at airport checkpoints across the country. The numbers have been steadily climbing and hit 6,542 last year. The head of the Transportation Safety Administration, David Pekoske, says this is a reflection of what is going on in society and in “society there are more people carrying firearms.” Experts don’t think it’s an epidemic of would-be hijackers. Nearly everyone caught claims to have forgotten they had their gun with them. But they emphasize the danger even one gun can pose in the wrong hands on a plane or at a checkpoint.
February 20, 2023 4:19 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say a suspect has been arrested in the killing of a Catholic bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles who was fatally shot over the weekend in Southern California. Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputy Lizette Falcon said Monday that a person was arrested in the killing of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell. Sheriff Robert Luna was expected to provide details at a news conference at 3 p.m. Pacific time. The 69-year-old bishop was found in his home in Hacienda Heights with a gunshot wound and declared dead at the scene. He was killed Saturday just blocks from the St. John Vianney Catholic Church. Authorities have not said whether the bishop was targeted in the killing.
February 20, 2023 4:17 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Well-wishes and fond remembrances for former President Jimmy Carter were pouring in a day after he entered hospice care at his home in Georgia. Among those paying homage Sunday was his niece, who noted the legacy of the 39th president at the small Baptist church in Plains, Georgia, where Carter taught Sunday school for decades. Kim Fuller says she doesn’t know who will continue his legacy. In Atlanta, people arrived at The Carter Center to reflect on Carter’s life. James Culbertson drove his sons an hour to pay their respects. He also wanted to teach them “a little bit about how great a humanitarian he was, especially in the later stages of his life.”
February 20, 2023 4:14 am
Local real estate developer and entrepreneur Mark Kennison has announced his candidacy for Washington County Commissioner. The lifelong County resident will seek the Republican nomination in the May primary election. In a new release, Kennison says he has “founded several successful establishments on Main Street in Washington over the past decade.” That list includes; The Presidents Pub, The Upper Crust, and the entertainment venue Nineteen North. Kennison says he “tirelessly works to bring more anchor tenants to the downtown area as he strongly believes the tide rises all ships”. Kennison is also a board member for the Dreamers Company, a non-profit catalyst for community development. He says “he understands the needs of local businesses and vows to take this level of commitment and support to revitalization of all of Washington County.”
