The Ace Hardware in Greensburg has closed after a decade on East Pittsburgh Street.
Sales plummeted when the coronavirus pandemic hit and lockdowns were put in place, said owner John McCullough, owner of New Kensington-based Thrift Supply.
“We’ve just seen our customer base drop, and our business drop, and we found it difficult economically to succeed,” he said.
Competing with big-box stores and online shopping was already difficult, and the pandemic was the final blow, McCullough said.
Monday was the store’s last day in business.
“It was Cyber Monday,” McCullough said. “Appropriate, right?”
The store’s seven employees — four full-time and three part-time — were laid off.
Thrift Supply, which was founded in 1963, joined Ace Hardware in 1997. It has three locations in the region: Delmont, New Kensington and Kittanning. McCullough encourages Greensburg customers to visit the Delmont store.
“For 10 years, we’ve really had a nice customer base here, people have been great to us,” he said.
(CNN)Firefighters in Australia are battling a massive bushfire that has been burning out of control for six weeks across the popular tourist spot of Fraser Island, as parts of the country’s east swelter through a record-breaking heat wave following the hottest November on record.
Tourists and staff on the UNESCO World Heritage site have been forced to evacuate as the fire closes in on local attractions and the island’s unique forests are smothered in smoke.
On Tuesday morning local time, fire and emergency services in the eastern state of Queensland issued a “prepare to leave” warning for the Kingfisher Bay Resort and Village on the island, as blazes in several locations threatened the area.
Emergency crews used water bombs to slow the blaze, but the fire service warned conditions could get worse.
“Fire crews are working to contain the fire but firefighters may not be able to protect every property. You should not expect a firefighter at your door,” the directive said.
Queensland’s Bureau of Meteorology said the fire danger is likely to be exacerbated by strong winds and extreme heat wave conditions, which are forecast to continue in the state for the next few days.The blaze on Fraser Island was sparked by an illegal campfire. In six weeks it has torn through 76,000 hectares (187,800 acres) of bone-dry bush land, according to CNN affiliate Nine News.
Six people were taken to the hospital and hazardous materials teams were called in after employees reported an unknown smell at an Amazon fulfillment center in Eastvale, California, the company told CNN.
A gas tanker explosion along a Mexican highway killed at least a dozen people on Monday, according to reports.
The massive blast shook the busy Guadalajara-Tepic highway shortly before 11 a.m., sending motorists scrambling from their cars for safety, the Spanish-language newspaper El Universal said in a report.
Dramatic video posted on Twitter shows motorists leaving their cars and walking towards what appears to be a collision on the road ahead — only to scramble for their lives in the other direction when a burst of fire and smoke erupts in front of them.
Authorities said the explosion was caused by a tanker truck lugging natural gas that crashed into three other vehicles, bursting into flames, according to Mexico’s Milenio newspaper.
At least five people were killed in a pickup truck at the scene, three others while inside a Honda car, and three others in an unidentified vehicle
The U.S. Army announced Saturday the deaths of five soldiers who were part of peacekeeping operations with the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) mission.
The deceased are:
–Capt. Seth Vernon Vandekamp, 31, from Katy, Texas.
At least 27 people were killed in Turkey and Greece when a powerful earthquake hit the Aegean Sea on Friday afternoon, sending buildings crashing down and triggering what authorities have called a “mini tsunami.”
Istanbul, Turkey (CNN)At least 27 people were killed in Turkey and Greece when a powerful earthquake hit the Aegean Sea on Friday afternoon, sending buildings crashing down and triggering what authorities have called a “mini tsunami.”
Officials said 25 people were killed in coastal areas in Turkey’s west, while two teenagers — a boy and a girl — died on the Greek island of Samos after a wall collapsed on them.
In Turkey, at least 20 buildings in the city of Izmir alone were destroyed, Mayor Tunc Soyer told CNN Turk. Images showed vehicles crushed under the buildings and people digging through the rubble in search of survivors.
At least 804 people have been injured in Turkey, said the country’s disaster agency. Dozens were saved by rescue teams using diggers and helicopters to search for survivors.
A total of 470 aftershocks have been recorded, 35 of which were over 4.0 magnitude, the agency added. Search and rescue operations remain under way in eight buildings, while operations have been completed in nine other buildings, the disaster agency said.
A French rescue helicopter lands close to a rescue vessel in Dunkirk, northern France, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020 during a search operation after four migrants, including a 5-year-old and 8-year-old child died Tuesday when their boat capsized while they and other migrants tried to cross the English Channel to Britain, French authorities said. Fifteen migrants have been saved so far and rescue and search operations are still under way, according to the regional administration for the Nord region. (AP Photo)
PARIS (AP) — At least four people, including two young children, died Tuesday when a boat carrying at least 19 migrants capsized off France while trying to cross the English Channel to Britain, French authorities said.
Fifteen migrants have been saved so far and rescue and search operations were still under way, according to the regional administration for the Nord region. It said in a statement that the dead were a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old, an adult woman and an adult man, and stressed that the toll so far is provisional pending further searches in the area.
The bombing happened as a prominent religious scholar during a special class was delivering a lecture about the teachings of Islam at the main hall of the Jamia Zubairia madrassa, said police officer Waqar Azim. He said initial investigations suggest the bomb went off minutes after someone left a bag at the madrassa.
TV footage showed the damaged main hall of the seminary, where the bombing took place. The hall was littered with broken glass and its carpet was stained with blood. Police said at least 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of explosives were used in the attack.
Several of the wounded students were in critical condition, and hospital authorities feared the death toll could climb further. Authorities said some seminary teachers and employees were also wounded in the bombing.
A portion of Market Street in Brownsville, Fayette County, was shut down Sunday after part of a building collapsed.
According to a statement from Mayor Ross Swords shared by the Hiller Volunteer Fire Company, all Downtown Brownsville traffic will be rerouted using the Inner County Bridge and Lane Bane Bridge following Penndot’s posted signs.
Local traffic is still able to access the downtown area using Brown Street, Brown Street gravel lot, Shady Avenue, Charles Street/ Bridge and Bank Street.The downtown square is also still open for parking.
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is asking Pittsburgh residents to observe a moment of silence and reflection at 9:54 a.m. Tuesday, the moment when the shooting started in 2018 at the Squirrel Hill synagogue that left 11 people dead and wounded two others.
“My thoughts continue to be with everyone impacted by this senseless tragedy. May the memories of our lost community members continue to be a blessing,” Peduto said in a statement.
(CNN)The East Troublesome Fire continues to devastate parts of northern Colorado, swallowing homes and businesses in its path.
Long lines of cars made their way out of the area as the fire grew Thursday. And traffic out of the small town of Estes Park was crawling as hundreds tried to evacuate, according to CNN affiliate KUSA.
Families who have already fled the area have been watching their homes go up in flames on home security cameras. One woman saw the fire rush toward her family cabin and doesn’t know if anything is left of her house.
“I can’t begin to tell you, it was so gut-wrenching when I opened up the app and I saw fire coming up our driveway and up the hillside,” Katy Brown told KUSA. “It was horrific, absolutely horrific to watch. I’ve never experienced anything like that before.”
CNN)The crew of a Navy T-6B Texan II was killed Friday when the two-seat airplane crashed in a small town near Mobile, Alabama, according to the Navy.
The turboprop aircraft crashed in Foley, which is about 30 miles by air from Mobile, at about 5 p.m. CT, said Cmdr. Zach Harrell, a public affairs officer with Naval Air Forces.
Harrell said the names of the deceased would be released after relatives have been notified. The plane is typically occupied by a student pilot and an instructor.
“It is with a heavy heart that we mourn two of our pilots who lost their lives during an aircraft crash in Alabama today,” the Chief of Naval Air Training said in a Twitter post. “Our deepest sympathy goes to their family and friends at this difficult time. Rest in peace, Shipmates. We have the watch.”
At least one person is dead following a late-night crash along Interstate 279.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — One person is dead following a late-night crash involving a tractor trailer along Interstate 279.
Pennsylvania State Police say the victim was in his 30s and was driving the car involved. Police also said that the impact was so intense that the tractor trailer itself was damaged, which they say is rare.
(Photo Credit: KDKA)
According to state police, the driver of the car was traveling the wrong way in the northbound lane of I-279. The tractor trailer, which was a Pepsi truck, was traveling northbound.
It was around midnight when the two crashed head-on.
“Struck each other head-on,” State Police Tpr. Melinda Bondarenka said.
Watch as KDKA’s Lindsay Ward provides the latest updates:
The car was crushed underneath the tractor-trailer.
“After impact, the vehicle at fault caught fire. The operator of the semi-trailer was able to get out and extinguish that fire,” said Tpr. Bondarenka.
(Photo Credit: KDKA Photojournalist Brian Smithmyer)
I-279 was closed for several hours overnight, forcing early-morning drivers to take detours. It finally reopened around 6 a.m.
At this time, state police say they do not know if speed or alcohol was a factor.
As for the driver of the Pepsi truck, he’s expected to recover.
“Was transported to a local area hospital with minor injury,” Tpr. Bondarenka said.
At this point, it’s being investigated as to why the driver of that blue car was traveling the wrong way.
A Roman Catholic archbishop performed an exorcism in Northern California on Saturday morning at the site where racial injustice protesters toppled a statue of 18th-century Spanish missionary Junipero Serra days earlier.
But at 6:42 p.m. Friday night, the Dalton Fire Department arrived at the farm after farmers spotted the 1,000-pound hay bales ablaze.
“Within about 24 hours is when it went up in flames,” Pike said. “So it didn’t take long.”
Dicken Crane, the farm’s owner, posted images of the fire on Facebook.
“It’s actually hard to believe anyone who says they love this country would do this,” he wrote.
The Dalton Police Department said they arrested Lonnie Durfee, 49, and charged him with burning personal property. He will be arraigned Tuesday. Police said the investigation is ongoing.
Pike said she doesn’t know the individual personally but heard that he was boasting about the fire to friends shortly afterward.
Moscow (CNN)More than 2,300 people were evacuated from villages in the Russian region of Ryazan after a wildfire set off explosions at an ammunition depot, Russian state media reported Wednesday, citing the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The fire had not been contained as of Thursday morning, and more than 20 people were taken to hospital, the state news agency TASS reported, citing local officials.
Local authorities imposed a state of emergency in the region, located in western Russia.
The Glass Fire in northern California’s Sonoma County and Napa Valley wine country that burned down the Chateau Boswell more than quadrupled in size overnight to 11,000 acres on Monday.
Chateau Boswell in St. Helena Napa Valley was destroyed Sunday in the Glass Fire
It’s one of only a handful of family-run wineries in the famous California wine region and opened in 1979
Fire has also ravaged the likes of Castello di Amorosa and Venge, plus Merus Wines and Davis Estates were under imminent threat
Officials said 64 other wineries were within the evacuation or evacuation warning areas
The Black Rock Inn bed and breakfast was also up in flames as 1,000 firefighters struggled to contain the blaze
Around 2,000 people have been told to leave their homes, and a further 3,000 to prepare to do so as the wildfires ripped into Santa Rosa and St. Helena
California wildfires have scorched more than 3.7 million acres so far in 2020, far exceeding any single year
Around 18 townhouse units in an apartment complex along Summit Avenue in Canonsburg were damaged after a large fire broke out Sunday afternoon.
First responders arrived at the scene of the apartment complex building for reports of a fire around 1 p.m. Sunday, according to Washington County dispatch. Around 10 fire departments responded to the scene, dispatch said.
Three people have died after Cyclone Ianos, a rare storm known as a medicane, battered Greece, flooding streets and homes, Greek authorities said on Sunday.
The heavy rainfall on Saturday turned Karditsa, in one of Greece’s biggest plains, into a lake. Video footage showed flooded highways, collapsed bridges and agricultural land turned into mud lakes with farmers carrying their sheep to rescue.
A river flooded its banks and damaged roads and a medical centre in the town of Mouzaki.
Experts estimate that about 5,000 houses were flooded in the area of Karditsa. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is expected to visit the region in the coming days, said the government will provide economic relief to the affected areas.
The fire broke out Sunday evening at the popular eatery.
According to various reports on social media, the fire broke out at around 8 p.m. Smoke could be seen coming from the roof, and firefighters opened the roof to battle the blaze.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
HILLTOP LAKES, Texas (KBTX) – Four people died Sunday morning in a plane crash near Hilltop Lakes in Leon County.
According to flight records, the 1984 single-engine plane left Horseshoe Bay Resort near Marble Falls, west of Austin, at 10:00 a.m. Sunday and was headed to the Natchitoches, Louisiana Regional Airport.
Troopers say on the way, the plane started to have engine issues. The aircraft was attempting to make an emergency landing at Hilltop Lakes Airport when it crashed near the Hilltop Lakes stables north of Normangee around 10:45 a.m.
Officials say the pilot had been in contact with the FAA before the crash, saying the plane was having engine problems.
More people are leaving California than arriving, driven out by worsening wildfires, power outages, the skyrocketing cost of living and politics.
More people are leaving California than arriving, driven out by worsening wildfires, power outages and the skyrocketing cost of living
In 2018 more than 86,000 people left California for Texas, nearly 70,000 left for Arizona and about 55,000 left for Washington
Between 2007 and 2016, some 5million residents moved to California and 6million people moved out to other states
According to a poll locals say they consider leaving due to the high cost of housing, heavy taxation, or political culture
Today more than two dozen fires are blazing, ripping through a record 3.1million acres of land and killing 22 people, the worse inferno in the state’s history
Beaver County emergency dispatchers confirmed the coroner was called to the scene near the 8th Street crossing.
Six people were taken to the hospital and hazardous materials teams were called in after employees reported an unknown smell at an Amazon fulfillment center in Eastvale, California, the company told CNN.
The U.S. Army announced Saturday the deaths of five soldiers who were part of peacekeeping operations with the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) mission.
Arson investigators are looking into an explosion at a port-a-potty in Lawrenceville.
MOUNT PLEASANT MILLS, Pa. —
At least 27 people were killed in Turkey and Greece when a powerful earthquake hit the Aegean Sea on Friday afternoon, sending buildings crashing down and triggering what authorities have called a “mini tsunami.”
Vietnam is preparing to evacuate nearly 1.3 million people ahead of Typhoon Molave, which is expected to make landfall on Wednesday.
BROWNSVILLE, Pa. —
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is asking Pittsburgh residents to observe a moment of silence and reflection at 9:54 a.m. Tuesday, the moment when the shooting started in 2018 at the Squirrel Hill synagogue that left 11 people dead and wounded two others.
A Roman Catholic archbishop performed an exorcism in Northern California on Saturday morning at the site where racial injustice protesters toppled a statue of 18th-century Spanish missionary Junipero Serra days earlier.
Disaster funds would have helped rebuilding and cleanup efforts in the aftermath of several blazes, including the Bobcat and Creek fires.
The Glass Fire in northern California’s Sonoma County and Napa Valley wine country that burned down the Chateau Boswell more than quadrupled in size overnight to 11,000 acres on Monday.
Three people have died after Cyclone Ianos, a rare storm known as a medicane, battered Greece, flooding streets and homes, Greek authorities said on Sunday.
More people are leaving California than arriving, driven out by worsening wildfires, power outages, the skyrocketing cost of living and politics.
“The reality is that my mom most likely didn’t make it off the mountain,” said a California woman searching for her mother.
The August Complex Fire at 472,185 acres merged this week with the Elkhorn Fire, which has burned more than 255,000-acres.
