May 2, 2023 4:15 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s state Senate is approving legislation to ban so-called safe injection sites, where opioid users could legally inject heroin and other drugs under supervision as a way to reduce overdoses. The bill passed Monday, 41-9, with every Republican in favor and nine of 22 Democrats against it. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Christine Tartaglione, says she supports recovery efforts, but not what she called “programs that perpetuate addiction without a path to recovery.” Sen. Nikil Saval said efforts to ban the centers are based on misconceptions and that they save lives. Gov. Josh Shapiro opposes safe injection sites. The bill goes to the state House of Representatives.
May 2, 2023 4:13 am
TORONTO (AP) — Legendary folk singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot has died. He was one of the most renowned voices to come from Toronto’s Yorkville folk club scene in the 1960s. He penned hundreds of songs, including “Carefree Highway,” “Early Morning Rain” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Once called a “rare talent” by Bob Dylan, Lightfoot wrote deeply autobiographical lyrics and explored issues surrounding the Canadian national identity. His works have been covered by many artists, including Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte and Johnny Cash. A family representative said Lightfoot died at a Toronto hospital Monday. He was 84. The cause of death wasn’t immediately available.
May 2, 2023 4:10 am
The Canon-McMillan School District says they received a ‘Safe 2 Say’ alert Monday about a “potential horseplay incident involving a b.b gun that may have occurred on school property. The district posted a message saying that North Strabane Township police are investigating and working to determine what may have transpired and where the incident took place. They say residents may have noticed a police presence at Memorial Stadium in Canonsburg. They say “at no time was anyone in danger”. The district thanked the individual who saw something and used the Safe 2 Say system. No other information is currently available.
May 2, 2023 4:00 am
Washington City Council got an update on activities that took place in April and also what will be coming down the line in the spring and summer. Fire Chief Chris Richer began the meeting by announcing that the fire department received a Gold Certification for Training from the State Office of the Fire Commissioner. The Washington City Fire Department is one of only 31 departments in Pennsylvania to achieve 100% in its firefighter training. Richer also stated that the Bicycle Helmet Day event was a success and helmets are still available for free. Just contact the fire department for a fitting. Police Chief Dan Rush reported that 224 pounds of prescription drugs were taken in on National Drug Take Back Day. Park Director De Anna Martin announced that the parks department is in receipt of a Step Into Swim grant to allow residents to take swimming lessons at a reduced cost. The Color Run is scheduled for May 13 and the Washington Pickleball Club Tournament is now a two day event being held May 20 and 21. Finally, Main Street Manager Shana Brown is gearing up for the May 6 Running of the Wools event. Festivities begin with a Breakfast Crawl at 9:30, the Main Pavilion opens at 10:00 with various vendors. The race kicks off on Main Street at noon with championship races at 2:30. The day ends with a Kitchen Clash at 3:00. In city business for Thursday’s voting meeting, police and firefighter promotions are scheduled. Consideration for glass recycling and the next recipient of the Pride of Washington Award will be announced. The meeting will be at 6:00 PM on May 4.
May 1, 2023 12:44 pm
CLEVELAND, Texas (AP) – The search in Texas for a gunman who fatally shot five neighbors with an AR-style rifle has entered a third day after authorities over the weekend acknowledged they had little sense of the killer’s whereabouts despite a widening dragnet near Houston. The suspect, 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, has been at large since the shooting just before midnight Friday in the rural town of Cleveland. By Sunday evening, authorities said more than 250 officers from multiple jurisdictions have joined the manhunt and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott put up $50,000 in reward money for tips leading to Oropeza’s capture. Police recovered the AR-15-style rifle that they said Oropeza used in the shootings. Authorities were not sure if he was carrying another weapon. (Photo: ABC)
May 1, 2023 4:25 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Police say the 2-year-old daughter of Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett drowned in a swimming pool at the family’s home. Officers responding to a call that a child had fallen into a pool were sent to Barrett’s home Sunday morning. The football player’s youngest child, Arrayah, was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead. Police said an investigation is ongoing but the drowning “is not believed to be suspicious in nature at this time.” Barrett and his wife, Jordanna, have three other children.
May 1, 2023 4:24 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Biden administration is making its own attempt at speedy asylum screenings at the border, insisting it will be different than under President Donald Trump. Interviews will be done exclusively by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, not by Border Patrol agents, and there will be access to legal counsel. Some advocates for immigrants are doubtful. Generally, about three in four asylum-seekers pass initial screenings. Under Trump’s speedy screening, it was roughly flipped. Internal government watchdog agencies were sharply critical of the fast turnarounds and difficulties with access to legal counsel.
May 1, 2023 4:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Ask them about the impact the news media has on democracy, and Americans are likelier to say it’s doing more harm than good. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights finds that nearly three-quarters of Americans say the news media is increasing political polarization, and only a slim majority says they have some degree of confidence in the media’s ability to report the news fairly. When it comes to misinformation, about 9 in 10 say it’s a problem and more than half say politicians, social media users, internet companies and the news media all share in the blame.
May 1, 2023 4:21 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. says JPMorgan Chase Bank will take over all assets of troubled First Republic Bank. The FDIC said California regulators closed First Republic and appointed it as receiver. It said JPMorgan Chase will assume “all of the deposits and substantially all of the assets of First Republic Bank.” Regulators had been working to find a way forward before U.S. stock markets opened Monday. San Francisco-based First Republic has struggled since the collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in early March. They added to worries that the bank may not survive as an independent entity for much longer.
May 1, 2023 4:18 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Most 16-year-olds are thinking about getting their driver’s license but one teen from Monroeville has just completed a bachelor’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh. RJ Krishnaswamy is graduating Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a minor in mathematics from Pitt’s Frederick Honors College. “I’m feeling proud. It’s awesome. I’ve completed my bachelor’s and moving on to my master’s,” said RJ. By age 9, RJ was already enrolled in classes at the Community College of Allegheny County and had a 4.0 GPA. His parents say he was extremely advanced at a young age and they nurtured his curiousities and let him lead the way. “Some kids like baseball, some kids like football, he likes to learn,” said RJ’s mother. RJ is halfway through his master’s degree and hopes to pursue his doctorate after completing that so he can do research and make new discoveries.
