Amity Man Pleads To Reduced Charges

January 24, 2023 2:53 am

An Amity man who is charged with setting a car on fire pleaded guilty to an amended misdemeanor charge of failure to control or report a dangerous fire. Richard Bishop, 55 was admitted to the ARD program that will sentence him to 12 months of probation. Police records indicate that Bishop pulled his car from his garage and doused it with gasoline and set it on fire in June of 2022. When police arrived, firefighters were tending to the blaze and Bishop admitted to them that he set the car on fire. Along with the probationary sentence Bishop will need to complete a mental health evaluation. Bishop was facing felony charges of arson and reckless burning.

Hazing Lawsuit Ends With Nearly $3M Settlement

January 23, 2023 5:39 pm

(AP) – The family of a student who died from alcohol poisoning while pledging a fraternity will receive nearly $3 million from Bowling Green State University to settle its hazing-related lawsuit. A copy of the agreement announced Monday says the family of Stone Foltz and the university will work together to eliminate hazing on college campuses. A university investigation found that Foltz died of alcohol poisoning in March 2021 after a fraternity event where there was a tradition of new members attempting to finish a bottle of alcohol. Both sides say the settlement will allow them to focus on ending hazing.

Former Priest Sentenced On Child Porn Charges

January 23, 2023 5:36 pm

EASTON, Pa. (AP) – A Roman Catholic priest accused of collecting thousands of child pornography images while serving overseas and then bringing them with him when he returned to the United States has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison. The Rev. William McCandless was sentenced Monday in Easton to 37 months in prison on a conviction of having used his cellphone to try to access pornography featuring underage boys.  Other charges were dropped in a plea deal. The former DeSales University counselor apologized to his family, friends and religious order, saying “words cannot express the depths of my remorse.”

Did You Get Your Annual COVID-19 Shot?

January 23, 2023 1:49 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. health officials want to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like the annual flu shot. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday proposed a simplified approach so that most adults and children would get a once-a-year shot. Americans would no longer have to keep track of how many shots they’ve received or when. The proposal comes as boosters have become a hard sell. The FDA is asking a panel of outside vaccine experts to weigh in on the new approach at a meeting Thursday. The agency will present data suggesting most Americans have enough protection to move to a once-a-year shots.

SWAT Team Called To Pittsburgh’s South Side

January 23, 2023 12:43 pm

(WPXI) – A SWAT Team was called to a residence early Monday morning on Pittsburgh’s South Side where a rap video was being filmed after police recognized a warrant suspect, resulting in four arrests.  According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, officers noticed a warrant suspect on a deck in the 2100 block of Carey Way around one-thirty. They say a male allegedly ran into the short-term rental, where a party was going on and refused to come out. Police say they were filming a rap video in the building as well.  Officers say they believed there were also other warrant suspects inside, as well as multiple guns. After the SWAT Team was called, seven females exited the residence. They were evaluated by medics, identified and released. Authorities say four men were taken into custody for warrants. They were identified as Ricardo Crosby, 18; Asaun Porter, 19; Kelshon Lovelace, 21; and Lawrence Strothers Jr., 18. All were arrested on warrants out of Allegheny County, Allegheny Juvenile Probation, and the City of Pittsburgh with charges ranging from firearms violations to attempted homicide.

Water Issues Led To Flexible Instruction Day In Washington

January 23, 2023 8:00 am

A persistent water line problem at Washington Park Elementary has led Washington School District to switch to a ‘Flexible Instruction Day’ on Monday.  Superintendent George Lammay tells WJPA News the move included all students from Kindergarten through High School.  On Friday, the district was forced to send Washington Park Elementary students home early because of the water line issue. Lammay says work continues to fix the problem.

More Oath Keepers Convicted Of Seditious Conspiracy

January 23, 2023 4:22 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – Four members of the Oath Keepers have been convicted of seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack in the second major trial involving far-right extremists accused of plotting to forcibly keep President Donald Trump in power. A Washington, D.C., jury found Joseph Hackett, Robert Minuta, David Moerschel and Edward Vallejo guilty on Monday. The verdict comes weeks after a different jury convicted two leaders of the extremist group in the mob’s attack that halted the certification of President Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Defense attorneys said there was no plot to stop the transfer of presidential power.

Democrats Blast Biden For Classified Docs Case

January 23, 2023 4:19 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senior Democrats are expressing criticism of how President Joe Biden handled classified material after leaving office as vice president. And they’re disappointed that the White House hasn’t been more forthcoming with the public. The latest development came Saturday, when the president’s lawyer said that during a search Friday of Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, the FBI found additional documents with classified markings and took possession of some of his handwritten notes. Second-ranking Democratic Dick Durbin says Biden should be “embarrassed by the situation.”

Poland To Ask Germany For Go-Ahead To Send Tanks

January 23, 2023 4:18 am

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Poland’s prime minister says the government will ask Germany for permission to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki didn’t specify when the request will be made. He said Monday that Poland is building a coalition of nations ready to send Leopards. He said Warsaw would make its own decisions even if there is no permission from Germany. He didn’t elaborate. Morawiecki said that Germany has “more than 350 active Leopards and about 200 in storage.” The Ukrainian government says tanks and especially the German-made Leopards are vital if it is to prevail over the Kremlin’s invading forces.

Monterey Mass Shooting Death Toll Rises

January 23, 2023 4:17 am

MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (AP) – The search for the motive behind the shooting massacre at a Los Angeles-area ballroom dance hall led police to a mobile home community. Authorities say Huu Can Tran killed 11 people at a Monterey Park dance hall and attempted a shooting later at another club before taking his own life. Police in his town of Hemet say he alleged earlier this month that he was the victim of fraud, theft and poisoning by relatives a decade or two ago, but didn’t provide supporting documents he promised. The death toll rose to 11 after health officials announced that one of the 10 people wounded had died.