May 17, 2022 4:01 am
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – Police are investigating after a woman’s body was found inside a Washington County motel room. Investigators believe she may have been dead for several days before they found her. South Strabane police responded to the Rodeway Inn on Motel 6 Drive on Saturday afternoon for a report of a woman’s body found. The 42-year-old woman was discovered in a bathtub by a customer checking into that room. The motel manager tells our news partners at Channel 11 the woman and her boyfriend checked into the room for five to six days. The boyfriend asked housekeeping not to enter the room, saying they did not want to be disturbed and not to give them any housekeeping services. The manager said this is common and didn’t raise any alarms. The woman has not yet been identified and police are still investigating. The manager was asked why housekeeping didn’t clean the room before the next guest checked in and discovered the body and he said it was an error in the computer system.
May 17, 2022 3:55 am
The Peters Township School Board met and approved the preliminary budget for the 2022-2023 school year. Next year’s spending plan comes in at $76,954,523 and will be attained by instituting a .49 mill tax increase on Peters Township residents. Brad Rau, Business Manager for the district indicates that the average home in the district assessed at $300,000 will see an increase in taxes of $147. Rau states that this is the final tax increase in a series of increases that were approved to build the new high school and renovate the middle school. Rau stated that the district always intended to levy the highest increase allowed by law for this increase. He indicated that some pandemic related costs are being carried over into this budget and unforeseen costs such as fuel and energy are also being addressed. Rau said it is too early to tell if any of the latent pandemic costs and projected energy costs will necessitate a tax increase next year.
May 17, 2022 2:54 am
A McMurray man facing felony aggravated assault charges pleaded guilty to lesser charges Tuesday. Dean Dapra, 33 pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of terroristic threats and reckless endangerment. Dapra was accused of firing shots at a driver as both traveled E. McMurray Road. The victim explained to police that he tried to alert Dapra his lights were out by flashing his. Dapra initially told police he did not remember firing his gun but later confessed. Dapra appeared at his hearing via video from the Washington County Jail. He was sentenced to 96 days to 12 months on both charges served concurrently. He is being given credit for time served and will be released immediately. He will serve 23 months probation once he is released.
May 17, 2022 2:52 am
A Pennsylvania State Police Drug raid at 243 Key Avenue, Canton Township back in March will send 5 people to court. Preliminary hearings were scheduled for six people on Tuesday. All six people faced identical charges of felony possession and conspiracy to deliver controlled substance charges. Three of the accused waived their charges to court. Sherman Haddix, 48 of Canton Twp., Kejuan Boozer, 29 of Washington and Bobbie Jo Chiff, 34 of McDonald all waived their charges. Samantha Eckman, 30 of Eighty Four and Tyree Jackson, 31 of Washington proceeded with hearings. Police testimony stated that they were given a tip by a neighbor to foot and vehicle traffic resembling some sort of transaction. Police set up surveillance and on March 29 obtained a search warrant for the residence. Alleged drugs, a gun, ammunition and cash were found and all six were arrested. The charges for Eckman and Jackson were held for court. A sixth man, Alvie Dent, 31 of Warren, Michigan had his hearing continued because his attorney could not be present. Jackson, Eckman and Chiff will be arraigned on June 30. Haddix and Boozer requested Fast Track waivers and will be arraigned July 26. Dent had his preliminary hearing rescheduled for May 24.
May 16, 2022 9:48 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Former President Donald Trump’s winning streak in U.S. Senate primaries is on the line Tuesday as voters in five states cast their ballots in midterm elections. Trump backed celebrity heart surgeon Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania and U.S. Rep. Ted Budd in North Carolina in those states’ Republican primaries for U.S. Senate. On the Democratic side, Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman revealed on Sunday that he had suffered a stroke but said he was on the way to a “full recovery.” In other races, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Idaho are áholding primaries for governor on Tuesday. In North Carolina, congressman Madison Cawthorn is trying to survive a Republican primary after a turbulent first term in office. (Photo: AP)
May 16, 2022 9:46 am
UNDATED (AP) – The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has hit 1 million, less than 2 1/2 years into the outbreak. That is a once-unimaginable figure that only hints at the multitudes of loved ones and friends staggered by grief and frustration. The figure is based on data kept by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of dead is equivalent to a 9/11 attack every day for 336 days. It is roughly equal to the number of Americans who died in the Civil War and World War II combined. It’s as if Boston and Pittsburgh were wiped out. Some of those left behind say they cannot return to normal. They replay their loved ones’ voicemail messages. Or watch old videos to see them dance. When other people say they are done with the virus, they bristle with anger or ache in silence.
May 16, 2022 4:28 am
LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. (AP) – Authorities say a gunman in a deadly attack at a California church was a Chinese immigrant motivated by hate for Taiwanese people. California officials spoke Monday about what led to the shooter to open fire, killing John Cheng and wounding five others. Authorities say Cheng heroically tackled the gunman and worshippers hog-tied his legs with an electrical cord until authorities arrived. The shooting was at the Geneva Presbyterian Church in the city of Laguna Woods. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department tweeted that 68-year-old David Chou of Las Vegas has been booked on one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder.
May 16, 2022 4:26 am
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – Buffalo’s police commissioner says the white gunman accused of a racist rampage at a supermarket planned to keep killing people if he had escaped the scene. Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia spoke to CNN on Monday, while authorities investigated the massacre of 10 Black shoppers and workers as a potential federal hate crime or act of domestic terrorism. Gramiglia says the gunman even talked about shooting up another store. The accused gunman, 18-year-old Payton Gendron, ultimately surrendered to police who confronted him in the supermarket’s vestibule. He has been charged with murder.
May 16, 2022 4:23 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un blasted officials over slow medicine deliveries and ordered his military to respond to the largely undiagnosed COVID-19 crisis that has left 1.2 million people ill with fever and 50 dead in a matter of days. More than 560,000 people are in quarantine due to the fever. Eight more deaths and 392,920 newly detected fevers were reported Monday. It’s not known how many were COVID-19 since North Korea likely lacks enough testing supplies. It’s also not clear if North Korea’s urgent messaging about the outbreak indicates a willingness to receive outside help. It shunned vaccines from a U.N.-backed program earlier. China and South Korea said they were willing to help but indicated North Korea hasn’t requested any.
May 16, 2022 4:21 am
BEIJING (AP) – Authorities say most of Shanghai has stopped the spread of the coronavirus in the community and fewer than 1 million people remain under strict lockdown. China’s largest city is moving toward reopening as economic data showed the gloomy impact of China’s “zero-COVID” policy. Vice Mayor Zong Ming credited prevention measures and said the outbreak was under effective control with 15 out of Shanghai’s 16 districts eliminating virus transmission among people not already in quarantine. Supermarkets, malls and restaurants were allowed to reopen Monday with limits on the numbers of people and mandated “no contact” transactions. But restrictions on movement remain in place and the subway train system remains closed for now.
