November 14, 2021 4:27 am
BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (WPXI) — There are dozens of ducks and chickens roaming free at Kindred Spirits Rescue Ranch. The animals are doing fine according to officials, but that was not the case when the 50 chickens and nine ducks were first found. Three animals reportedly died after being caked with feces. Those animals came from a home on 13th Avenue in Beaver Falls. They all lived inside with Leah Fontanez, whose attorney says her neighbors called the cops on her and her animals. According to the criminal complaint, the chickens and ducks were defecating in their food. There were nine dogs and puppies without water and clean areas. Then there was a bearded dragon living under the same conditions. The Humane Society charged Fontanez with 139 animal cruelty and neglect charges including felonies for the dead chickens.
November 13, 2021 4:38 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Medicare’s “Part B” outpatient premium will jump by $21.60 a month in 2022, one of the largest increases ever. Officials said Friday a new Alzheimer’s drug is responsible for about half of that. The increase guarantees that health care costs will gobble up a big chunk of the recently announced Social Security cost-of-living allowance, a boost that had worked out to $92 a month for the average retired worker. The announcement on premiums comes as Congress is considering Democratic legislation that would curb what Medicare pays for medications. The new Part B premium will be $170.10 a month.
November 13, 2021 4:36 am
MEXICO CITY (AP) – Dozens of Mexican farmers armed with rifles and shotguns have gathered in a pocket of mountain forest in southern Mexico to angrily reject a Supreme Court ruling on a decades-old land dispute. The conflict is centered on the Chimalapas, an area of tropical and pine forest that is threatened by logging and cattle ranching. For years, settlers have claimed the area belongs to Chiapas state. But this week the Supreme Court ruled that about 400,000 acres (160,000 hectares) belong to the neighboring state of Oaxaca. Farmers in the area are demanding to remain part of Chiapas and say they will resist plans to redraw boundary lines.
November 13, 2021 4:35 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House says President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping will hold their much-anticipated virtual summit on Monday evening. The leaders are looking to dial back tensions after a rough start to the U.S.-China relationship since Biden took office earlier this year. The White House is setting low expectations for the video call between the leaders. Biden is expected to stress that the two nations need to set guardrails in areas of deepening tension in the increasingly complicated U.S.-China relationship. White House officials said that no major announcements are expected to come from the meeting.
November 13, 2021 4:34 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – For one day at least, everyone with power over Britney Spears was in agreement. She needed to be freed. A Los Angeles judge on Friday released the pop star from the conservatorship that has had power over her life and money for nearly 14 years. Attorneys, parents, court appointees and Spears herself had spent the past few months having dramatic arguments over the legal restrictions. It ended with little drama and no conditions. Her attorney and court conservator say there are safety nets in place that will allow her a smooth transition as she regains control of her life.
November 13, 2021 4:33 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats’ $1.85 trillion package of social and climate initiatives seems afflicted by a maddening parade of hurdles. Looming ahead is the Congressional Budget Office, which could cause problems that would be messy but probably surmountable. That office is Congress’ nonpartisan fiscal scorekeeper, and it’s working on a 10-year cost estimate of the bill and its programs. Moderates will be looking closely at how close the measure comes to paying for itself with savings, like President Joe Biden and Democrats claim it does. Leaders hope the House will approve the measure next week and send it to the Senate.
November 13, 2021 4:31 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A federal court has declined to lift its stay on the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more workers. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had granted an emergency stay last Saturday of the requirement by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration that those workers be vaccinated by Jan. 4 or face mask requirements and weekly tests. Lawyers for the Justice and Labor departments filed a response Monday. It said stopping the mandate from taking effect will only prolong the COVID-19 pandemic and “cost dozens or even hundreds of lives per day.” The appeals court rejected that argument Friday.
November 13, 2021 4:22 am
MORGANTOWN (WPXI) — West Virginia University Police issued a Campus Warning at 7 p.m. on Friday after officers received a report of an arson on campus earlier in the afternoon. The Morgantown Fire Department responded to a fire shortly after 4 p.m. that appears to have been set near an upstairs doorway in the Mountainlair. The fire caused damage to a bench and the surrounding flooring. Students and employees are encouraged to be vigilant. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 304-293-COPS (2677) or visit the department at 992 Elmer Prince Drive, Morgantown, 26505.
November 13, 2021 4:19 am
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WPXI) — With the holidays right around the corner, there is some growing concern and more questions over a looming new Covid-19 variant. It’s called the “delta plus” or AY.4.2 variant, and cases have already been reported in more than 10 states. None have occurred in Pennsylvania; however, doctors are monitoring the situation. “Viruses constantly change. That’s why we have to get flu vaccines every year and the more people are vaccinated, the less chance that a variant or changed virus will actually cause any major disease,” said Dr. Jennifer Preiss, primary care physician with Allegheny Health Network. Preiss says there is no need to panic at this point. She says roughly 10% of the new variant cases are in Great Britain and that the information on the variant and how quickly it may spread are still new, and research is ongoing. CNBC reports the delta plus variant can spread 12-18% more efficiently than the original delta variant. Distinguishing it from the flu can be a bit challenging, so testing and masking are more important than ever before.
November 13, 2021 1:45 am
A Washington County man pleaded guilty to a felony count of homicide by vehicle in plea court on Friday. Joshua Scott, 30 of Washington will receive jail time for his role in a single car crash in Amwell Township that took the life of his father 63-year-old James Scott in March of 2020. Scott also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence. In all, Scott will receive a jail term of 11 ½ months to 23 months in jail and serve three years probation for the homicide by vehicle charge. He will also serve up to six months in jail for the DUI charge. That sentence will run concurrently to the first. Scott will pay a $1000 fine and will have his driver’s license suspended for four years. Scott will report to the Washington County Jail on December 27th.
