August 17, 2021 2:40 am
A Canonsburg man, charged with rape, appeared by video Tuesday, during his plea hearing in Washington County Court to request a jury trial. Nineteen-year-old Brady Hugh Paul is facing multiple charges, including rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, strangulation and corruption of minors. Authorities say the alleged incident occurred on December 12, 2020, when Paul reportedly raped a sixteen-year-old girl at his home in Canonsburg. Paul allegedly also offered the girl marijuana. His trial has been scheduled for October 12th.
August 16, 2021 4:30 am
QUINCY, Calif. (AP) – Thousands of Northern California homes remain threatened by the nation’s largest wildfire and officials warn the danger of new blazes erupting across the West is high because of unstable weather. Thunderstorms haven’t produced much rain, but whipped up winds and generated lightning strikes across the northern Sierra where crews were battling the month-old Dixie Fire. Extreme heat returned Sunday, with temperatures expected to top 100 degrees. More than 100 large wildfires were burning in more than a dozen states in the West, a region seared by drought and hot, bone-dry weather that turned forests, brushlands, meadows and pastures into tinder.
August 16, 2021 4:29 am
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – Three tropical systems are churning early Monday in the Atlantic basin and threatening to impact the U.S. Gulf Coast, some Caribbean islands including earthquake-damaged Haiti, and the island of Bermuda. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Fred could make landfall by Monday evening along the Florida Panhandle. Heavy rain and storm surge were expected. Tropical depression Grace is forecast to move over Hispaniola and possibly cause flooding and mudslides just days after a 7.2 magnitude quake hit Haiti. Tropical depression eight formed Sunday near Bermuda and is expected to become a tropical storm sometime Monday.
August 16, 2021 4:28 am
LES CAYES, Haiti (AP) – Many of the Haitians injured during a powerful earthquake over the weekend are lying in the open, under burning heat, waiting for help as hospitals overflow with patients. Thousands more in the quake zone are sleeping outside for a second night, clutching small transistor radios tuned to the news. Officials have raised the death toll from Saturday’s earthquake to at least 1,297. And the devastation could soon worsen. Tropical Depression Grace is predicted to reach Haiti on Monday night, bringing the potential for heavy rain, flooding and landslides. The country’s Civil Protection Agency says the magnitude 7.2 earthquake also left at least 5,700 people injured.
August 16, 2021 4:27 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Biden administration has approved a significant and permanent increase in the levels of food stamp assistance available to needy families. It’s the largest single increase in the program’s history. Starting in October, average benefits for food stamps will rise more than 25 percent above pre-pandemic levels. The increased assistance will be available indefinitely to all 42 million beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The increase coincides with the end of a 15 percent boost in SNAP benefits that was ordered as a pandemic protection measure. In practical terms, the average monthly per-person benefits will rise from $121 to $157.
August 16, 2021 4:26 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden says he stands “squarely behind” his decision for the U.S. to leave Afghanistan.. Speaking about the chaotic situation in Afghanistan, Biden says he faced a choice between following an agreement to withdraw or sending thousands more U.S. troops for a “third decade” of war. Biden spoke Monday after the planned withdrawal of American forces turned deadly at Kabul’s airport as thousands tried to flee following the Taliban’s swift takeover of the country. Biden returned to the White House from the Camp David presidential retreat to deliver his first public remarks on the situation in nearly a week.
August 16, 2021 4:21 am
EAST WASHINGTON, Pa. — (WPXI) – The Borough of East Washington honored the ultimate sacrifice that Nicholas Cumer made in 2019 when he saved two co-workers during a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio. The Borough of East Washington held its annual community picnic on Sunday at East Washington Borough Park, where they renamed it to honor Cumer. “To see what the borough has done on his behalf renaming this park I think speaks volumes of Nick, who he is and what he represented in his life each day living it to the full and putting others needs before his own. In my opinion it’s fitting,” Rev. Brian Greenleaf with the Washington Alliance Church said. “Certainly an honor to be part of this and the family is just overwhelmed with love and support,” Rev. Greenleaf said. The new park sign featuring Cumer was unveiled by borough council.
August 16, 2021 4:16 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Western Pennsylvania has been deemed a hot spot of COVID-19 transmission by the CDC. Allegheny, Greene, Washington, Beaver, Lawrence, Armstrong and Jefferson counties each had a “high” level of transmission from Aug 8-14. According to the CDC, having a “high” COVID-19 transmission level means for every 100,000 people, there are 100 cases. Other local counties also had a “substantial” level of COVID-19 transmission during that same timeframe. “Substantial” means there are 50 to 100 cases for every 100,000 people. There are no “Moderate” or “Low” areas in any of the surrounding counties.
August 15, 2021 8:05 am
QUINCY, Calif. (AP) — The danger of new fires erupting across the West because of unstable weather conditions added to the burden already faced by overstretched crews battling blazes across the region. Thunderstorms pushed flames in Northern California on Saturday closer to two towns not far from where the Dixie Fire last week destroyed much of the small town of Greenville, a gold rush-era community. The thunderstorms, which began Friday, didn’t produce much rain but whipped up wind and created lightning strikes, forcing crews to focus on using bulldozers to build lines and keep the blaze from reaching Westwood, a town of about 1,700 people. Westwood was placed under evacuation orders Aug. 5.
August 15, 2021 8:03 am
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Forecasters expected the remnants of Fred to return to tropical storm status in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday as parts of the Caribbean were gearing up for impacts from Tropical Storm Grace. Fred was forecast to move across the Gulf before reaching the coast Monday night or Tuesday morning, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said people from Alabama to the central Florida Panhandle should monitor the system’s progress. A tropical storm watch was issued from the Alabama/Florida border to Ochlockonee, Florida. The system’s maximum sustained winds increased to 40 mph Sunday morning.
