January 22, 2023 4:12 am
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. (WPXI)— Both drivers were killed in a two-vehicle crash in Westmoreland County on Friday, the coroner’s office said. The crash took place along Haws Pike, or Route 56, in St. Clair Township. According to the coroner’s office, the driver of a Dodge Ram was heading east on Route 56 as the driver of a Chrysler 300 was traveling west. The Dodge crossed the center line into the opposite lane and struck the Chrysler in a head-on collision. Both drivers were pronounced deceased at the scene. Two other people were taken to a hospital for injuries. The driver of the Dodge has been identified as 36-year-old Robert Deemer of Cambria County. The driver of the Chrysler has been identified as 84-year-old Gerald McGeary of Westmoreland County. Coroner Tim Carson said the two people died from blunt force trauma. Neither of them were wearing a seat belt. Pennsylvania State Police are handling the investigation.
January 22, 2023 1:17 am
A second Republican has announced their candidacy for the office of Washington County Prothonotary. Kevin Hill of Hickory is a former district manager for the Republican Party in Washington County. He states that he has gained a wealth of business knowledge as a manager in the insurance industry. Hill says that he hopes to bring the kind of success and leadership that is needed back to the Prothonotary office, restoring how this crucial row office is run and to work as a cohesive team with the other elected officials. This announcement came after current Prothonotary Laura Hough announced Thursday that she plans to run for re-election. Hough was elected to the position in 2019 as the first registered Republican to hold the office in over forty-years. The primary is May 16.
January 21, 2023 4:32 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Josh Shapiro says he’ll keep in place a ban on executive-branch employees receiving gifts of influence that is stricter than state law, but relax some provisions under his predecessor. Under Shapiro’s new executive order signed Friday, the roughly 80,000 executive-branch employees are banned from soliciting or accepting anything above minimal value from people seeking to influence them, such as lobbyists or government contractors. But Shapiro’s order allows employees to accept smaller items of hospitality or thanks without paying for it, such as an infrequent meal, bottle of water, cup of coffee, plaque or mug. That relaxes a stricter ban put in place in 2015 by former Gov. Tom Wolf.
January 21, 2023 4:29 am
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Prosecutors vow to file two manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin and a weapons supervisor in the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie. The looming charges have set in motion evidentiary proceedings and a reckoning for film set safety and the handling of firearms. One charge is for negligence. Another is for reckless disregard “without due caution and circumspection” and carries a five-year minimum sentence. Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Authorities say Baldwin was pointing a pistol at her when he cocked the hammer and fired.
January 21, 2023 4:28 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A half century after Roe v. Wade, March for Life supporters are celebrating the dismantling of that constitutional right to abortion and heralding the political struggle set loose by the Supreme Court’s decision. Meantime President Joe Biden has pledged to do all in his power to restore that right. The first March for Life since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June came with a new focus. Instead of concentrating their attention on the court, the marchers vowed to push for action from the building directly across the street: the U.S. Capitol.
January 21, 2023 4:27 am
Progressive legislators are hoping the time is right to hike taxes on the rich, especially after three pandemic years. In a coordinated effort, lawmakers in eight states are proposing new taxes on their resident billionaires and ultra-millionaires. The ideas — unveiled in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, New York and Washington — include a “wealth tax” on assets in some states — a concept that Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren advocated for, but that hasn’t gained traction in Congress. Similar bills have died before, but the political left isn’t ready to give up on a populist argument that the richest Americans need to pay more in taxes.
January 21, 2023 4:26 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lawyers for the 5-year-old son and estate of a man who died after repeatedly being shocked by police with a stun gun have filed a $50 million claim for damages against the city of Los Angeles. Lawyers for Keenan Anderson’s son said Friday that they plan to sue Los Angeles police for civil rights violations after Anderson died following a traffic collision earlier this month. Anderson was a high school English teacher in Washington, D.C. and cousin of Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter. Police say he was involved in a hit-and-run traffic collision in Venice, ran from officers and resisted arrest.
January 21, 2023 4:25 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk has taken the witness stand to defend a 2018 tweet claiming he had lined up the financing to take Tesla private in a deal that never came close to happening. That tweet resulted in a $40 million settlement with securities regulators and a class-action lawsuit alleging he misled investors. The impulsive billionaire defended his prolific tweeting as “the most democratic way” to distribute information even while acknowledging constraints of Twitter’s 280-character limit can make it difficult to make everything as clear as possible. Musk spent about a half hour on the stand before the trial adjourned. He is supposed to return to court Monday.
January 21, 2023 4:19 am
CECIL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Brink’s armored truck caught fire on I-79 in Washington County on Friday. Washington County dispatchers said police, firefighters and medics responded to the scene at 4:07 p.m. There were no reported injuries. The fire was put out by crews on scene and there is no word on what caused the blaze.
January 21, 2023 4:10 am
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. (WPXI) — A UPMC doctor accused of driving over the speed limit while under the influence and causing a fatal crash appeared in court for the first time Friday. Joseph Yanta is charged with causing the crash that killed his coworker in July 2022. Another UPMC doctor, Doug Rockacy, was killed in the crash on Wexford Bayne Road in Pine Township. A judge in Pittsburgh Municipal Court made it known that his kids know both the Yanta family as well as the Rockacy family and ultimately recused himself from overseeing Doctor Joseph Yanta’s preliminary hearing. According to the criminal complaint, Yanta was driving nearly 130 miles per hour when he lost control. His Tesla went airborne and crashed into a creek. Detectives say Rockacy was ejected from the passenger seat. People who were with Rockacy and Yanta that day said they were at a golf outing all day. Police said they went to Cenci’s Pizza in Wexford afterward, and surveillance video shows they continued to drink there. The criminal complaint states Yanta’s blood alcohol content was a .172, an hour and a half after the crash. The new date for Yanta’s preliminary hearing is Feb. 24.
