June 6, 2023 2:41 am
The South Strabane Fire Department and Pennsylvania State Police hosted an educational presentation bringing attention to the Move Over law that drivers must respect when they approach a disabled vehicle or first response vehicle with its emergency lights illuminated. According to Pennsylvania State Trooper Forrest Allison, when a driver encounters an emergency vehicle on a highway, drivers are to move to a non adjacent lane away from the vehicle. If that is not possible, drivers are to slow down to a speed of no less than 20 mph below the posted speed limit. According to Allison first offense fines begin at $250. Subsequent fines could reach $2000 with a drivers license suspension. A $10,000 fine is possible if a driver or first responder is killed by a speeding driver in an accident zone. South Strabane Township Fire Chief Jordan Cramer spoke of the need for the law’s adherence also. His department experienced a situation last month where the department’s ladder truck was on the scene of an accident on Interstate 70 and was struck by a speeding driver that ignored that Move Over law. Cramer also introduced a new safety device that will be installed on all South Strabane Twp. vehicles. The HAAS Alert device will send electronic notices to drivers up to a half mile away of emergency vehicles working ahead so that they may slow down to safely navigate the scene. The device works on Apple Maps and the Waze App. Developers are looking to get it included on Google Maps. In a gesture of support, Larry Winter, President of South Hills Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Kia, has offered to pay for the maintenance costs for the system for South Strabane Township, North Strabane Township and Cecil Township for the next five years. According to Winter, his wife was the impetus for the donation. She heard about the fire truck accident and insisted that they try and do something to help. Only later did they both learn that their son was directly involved with the accident.
June 6, 2023 2:07 am
A Greene County woman is on trial for the shooting of her boyfriend’s estranged wife. Michaela Hildreth, 28 of Ninevah is facing attempted homicide, aggravated assault and endangerment charges for her alleged shooting of Amy Mruk on July 20, 2022. According to testimony from John Mruk, he called his estranged wife in an effort to locate a missing rifle. Neither could find it in their homes so they met to travel to a friend of their son’s home to see if the rifle was there. When the Mruk’s met, Amy Mruk got into an SUV with John Mruk. The vehicle was being driven by Michaela Hildreth, John Mruk’s girlfriend. Amy Mruk and Hildreth got into several shouting matches, several turning physical. Near midnight on July 20, the vehicle being driven by Hildreth screeched to a halt on Moon Road in Chartiers Township. Amy Mruk exited the vehicle, walked around and began arguing with Hildreth again and Hildreth then shot Mruk through the driver side window. Further witnesses testified rendering aid to Amy Mruk. One witness stated that they heard Hildreth tell someone on her cellphone “I shot someone. I ruined my life.” Police testimony included finding a 9mm hand gun belonging to Hildreth near her at the scene and other evidence found at the scene. Closing arguments are set to begin Thursday.
June 5, 2023 5:55 pm
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple has unveiled a long-rumored headset that will place its users between the virtual and real world, while also testing the technology trendsetter’s ability to popularize new-fangled devices after others failed to capture the public’s imagination. After years of speculation, Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday hailed the arrival of the sleek goggles — dubbed “Vision Pro” — at the the company’s annual developers conference held on a park-like campus in Cupertino, California, that Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs helped design. The Vision Pro will sell for $3,500 when it comes out early next year, a price likely to limit its appeal. (Photo: ABC)
June 5, 2023 5:54 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI agent convicted in one of the most notorious spying cases in American history has died in prison. Robert Hanssen took more than $1.4 million in cash and diamonds to trade secrets with Moscow. Prison officials say Hanssen was found unresponsive in his cell at a federal prison in Florence, Colorado. He is believed to have died of natural causes. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of Hanssen’s death and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. He had been serving a sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole since 2002.
June 5, 2023 9:59 am
BANGKOK (AP) — The United States military has released video of what it called an “unsafe” Chinese maneuver in the Taiwan Strait on the weekend, in which a Chinese navy ship cut sharply across the path of an American destroyer, forcing the U.S. vessel to slow to avoid a collision. The incident occurred Saturday as the American destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal were conducting a so-called “freedom of navigation” transit of the strait between Taiwan and mainland China. The video released Monday shows the Chinese ship cutting across the course of the American one. It came on a day when both U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu were in Singapore for an annual defense conference.
June 5, 2023 7:40 am
State Police are investigating a two-vehicle crash late Sunday along Interstate 70 that left a man dead, and two others injured. Troopers say it happened just before 11 p.m in the eastbound lanes near the Jessop Place exit. A vehicle driven by 67 year old Thomas McCluskey of McDonald struck the other vehicle, which was also traveling eastbound, causing both to spin-out and strike the concrete median. He was transported to Washington Hospital where he died. A passenger in his vehicle, identified as 62-year-old Alice Eiszler of Bridgeville was not injured. The driver of the other vehicle, 28-year-old Jennifer Piersol of Bridgeville and a 1-year old passenger where both transported to Washington Hospital but there is no word on the severity of their injuries. State Police say they continue to investigate.
June 5, 2023 5:09 am
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A new Florida law banning gender-affirming care for minors is getting a lot of attention nationally as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis runs for president, but it’s also impacting transgender adults. Children were the main focus of debate and coverage of the new law that DeSantis signed last month. However, it also includes restrictions on adult care. That’s creating chaos for patients and providers in the state with what’s estimated to be the nation’s second-highest transgender population. Patients now have to be treated face-to-face by a medical doctor. Those restrictions have proved particularly onerous because many trans adults were seeing nurse practitioners and using tele-health.
June 5, 2023 5:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The pilot of the business jet that flew over Washington and crashed in Virginia appeared to be slumped over and unresponsive, the fighter jet pilots reported, according to two US officials briefed on the matter. The officials were not authorized to discuss details of the military operation and spoke on condition of anonymity. Authorities say four people were killed in the crash in a remote part of Virginia Sunday. The identities of the four people weren’t immediately released. Federal investigators say it will take a few days to solve the mystery of why the plane veered off course and slammed into a mountain.
June 5, 2023 5:06 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian officials say their forces thwarted large Ukrainian attacks in two provinces of Ukraine illegally annexed by Moscow. Ukraine didn’t confirm the attacks, making it unclear whether they marked the start of an anticipated counteroffensive. Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a rare early morning video released Monday that its forces pushed back a “large scale” assault Sunday at five points in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province. A ministry spokesman said 250 Ukrainian personnel were killed. A Moscow-installed official in southeast Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia province says Kyiv’s forces also attempted to breach Russian defenses there but were repelled after advancing less than a quarter-mile. The Ukrainian military suggested the Russian reports were part of a misinformation campaign.
June 5, 2023 5:03 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Authorities say a state trooper shot and killed a man whose vehicle struck two troopers as law enforcement tried to get control of an illegal early morning street racing gathering on a Philadelphia interstate. State police say troopers were called to I-95 in the Penn’s Landing area shortly before 3:30 a.m. Sunday where “numerous vehicles and pedestrians” were illegally blocking the highway. One vehicle didn’t stop and struck two troopers, and a trooper shot and killed the 18-year-old driver. State police and the city’s district attorney are investigating. Officials say the street racing gathering was one of several that took place in the city overnight.
