4 injured, 1 killed across NYC in latest grisly shootings

Five people were shot — one fatally — across the city Wednesday and Thursday, according to police.Most recently, a 25-year-old man was blasted in the stomach

Five people were shot — one fatally — across the city Wednesday and Thursday, according to police.

Most recently, a 25-year-old man was blasted in the stomach on the grounds of the Gun Hill Houses on Magenta Street in the Bronx just before 2:30 a.m. Thursday, cops said.

He was taken to NYC health + Hospitals/Jacobi with non-life-threatening injuries and is described as highly uncooperative, according to police.

Nearly three hours earlier, a 32-year-old man was struck in the ankle on Ralph Avenue near East 76th Street in Canarsie.

The shooter took off, heading north on Ralph Avenue, in a white Honda Civic sedan, with damage on the side doors, police said.

The victim was taken to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center. It is unclear whether he was the intended target.

On Wednesday afternoon, Manuel Valarezo, 33, was gunned down on Post Avenue near Academy Street in Inwood during some type of altercation around 4:45 p.m., cops said.

Source: 4 injured, 1 killed across NYC in latest grisly shootings

Armed robber targeting walkers, joggers in West LA

An armed suspect has targeted men and women walking or jogging alone at night from the West Adams district to Westchester, authorities said Thursday.

The suspect drove a gray truck and was armed with a gun, which he fired during at least two of the incidents.

The suspect has mostly taken cellphones, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The neighborhoods where the robberies occurred include Mar Vista, West Adams, Picfair Village, Westchester, Mid-Wilshire, Carthay Circle, Beverly Grove, Fairfax, Crestview, Faircrest Heights, and Palms, police said.

Police warned residents in the area to consider the following: • Always be alert to your surroundings and the people around you; • Try to stay in well-lit areas; • Don’t walk alone at night and always avoid areas where there are few people; • Be careful when people stop you for directions, always reply from a distance, and never get too close to the car;   • If you feel you’re being followed, walk to a well-populated area;   • Don’t resist. Give up your property, don’t give up your life;   • Report the crime to the police, try to describe the attacker accurately.

A detailed description of the suspect was not disclosed.

Source: Armed robber targeting walkers, joggers in West LA

Greensburg City Hall closed this week due to suspected coronavirus case | TribLIVE.com

Greensburg City Hall is closed this week due to a suspected coronavirus infection of a city employee, Councilman Randy Finfrock said.

“Just as an abundance of caution we’re deep cleaning City Hall, and we’ll be back in business Monday,” he said.

Officials closed the building Tuesday afternoon.

A city employee was feeling ill and took a coronavirus test, but the results have not been confirmed.

Source: Greensburg City Hall closed this week due to suspected coronavirus case | TribLIVE.com

Stage Right plans outdoor, circus sideshow-inspired ‘Rocky Horror Show Live’ | TribLIVE.com

Get ready to do the time warp again.

Stage Right Theatre Company will stage “The Rocky Horror Show Live” under a big top tent on Oct. 23-24 and 30-31.

There will be a few pandemic-driven changes to the company’s long-running Halloween season production, including the outdoor venue, said director and Stage Right founder Tony Marino.

“What won’t change is the blast people are going to have,” he said.

The 40-by-80-foot “glorious, giant circus tent” sheltering the production will be set up in Stage Right’s parking lot at 105 W. Fourth St., Greensburg.“It was really important to us that if we were going to do this (that) we did it safely,” Marino said. “So the tent is huge and will have sides rolled up to provide airflow, (and) we are only selling 200 tickets per show.”And where there’s a circus tent, there should be a circus atmosphere, he said.Members of the show’s ensemble will be costumed as iconic sideshow and circus freak characters.“That seems to fit 2020 more than anything,” Marino said. “More than being a Halloween staple, that seems to fit the intersection of where we are now.”

Source: Stage Right plans outdoor, circus sideshow-inspired ‘Rocky Horror Show Live’ | TribLIVE.com

CNN, New York Times spotlight Westmoreland County as key in presidential race | TribLIVE.com

National media outlets are eyeing Westmoreland County as a key battleground in the looming presidential election.

Both CNN and the New York Times this week spotlighted the county in reports, talking to residents and politicians about their efforts to swing the race in favor of either President Donald Trump or his Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

CNN — which called Westmoreland “pivotal” for Trump — spoke with Leslie Rossi, owner of the famous red, white and blue Trump House in Unity, which features a large cutout of the president outside.

“Four years ago, my work was really hard here,” Rossi told CNN. “I had to convince them President Trump was the best choice for them. This time, I don’t have to do any of that. They’re all in.”

Source: CNN, New York Times spotlight Westmoreland County as key in presidential race | TribLIVE.com

One person taken to hospital after crash along Route 130 in Penn Township

This is along the 2000 block of Route 130.

The vehicle hit a utility pole and the force of the crash brought down electric wires. First responders were unable to reach the victim until a crew from West Penn Power could shut down the lines.

Rescuers extricated the victim about 9:30 p.m.

The vehicle also damaged a gas meter, emergency dispatchers confirmed.

The person inside the vehicle was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Their condition is unknown at this time.

Stay with the WTAE mobile app for updates. Download the app now to stay connected with breaking news updates.

Source: One person taken to hospital after crash along Route 130 in Penn Township

Police arrest man after large heroin bust at Westmoreland Co. home

GREENSBURG, Pa. — Police arrested a man after a large heroin bust in Westmoreland County.

Chyrone Rodgers, 32, of Greensburg, was arrested after officers served a search warrant at a home on Broad Street on Wednesday.

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Source: Police arrest man after large heroin bust at Westmoreland Co. home

Who Is Midwest Direct? Here’s What You Need To Know About The Company Being Blamed For Ballot Issues In Western Pa. And Ohio

Midwest Direct, the company that sent nearly 29,000 ballots to the wrong people in Allegheny County, is also being blamed for ballot issues in Westmoreland County and Ohio.

Source: Who Is Midwest Direct? Here’s What You Need To Know About The Company Being Blamed For Ballot Issues In Western Pa. And Ohio

Putin Says He Wants to Work With Biden, Claims ‘Shared Values’ Between Democrats and Communism

U.S. intelligence agencies have said that Russia is attempting to “denigrate” Biden ahead of the election.

Vladimir Putin has attempted to mark a positive resemblance between Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, and Soviet communists in a wide-ranging interview with the Rossiya TV channel, released Wednesday as the 2020 vice presidential candidates prepared to debate.

The president said the Kremlin would be open to working with whoever sits in the Oval Office in 2021, despite U.S. intelligence reports indicating that Russia is trying to undermine Biden in the same way it did Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.

But Putin linked Biden to communist ideology during the interview. While Putin—a former party member, KGB colonel and intelligence operative—made the comparison in positive terms, his comment lines up with GOP talking points about the Biden-Kamala Harris ticket. Trump and his allies have tried to frame their opponents proposing a far-left, extremist platform dictated by the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Source: Putin Says He Wants to Work With Biden, Claims ‘Shared Values’ Between Democrats and Communism

COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Westmoreland County

State and local health officials have not pointed to any events or activities as the reason behind the current surge in cases.

With 86 new COVID-19 cases reported Tuesday, Westmoreland County is continuing to see its largest surge in cases since the pandemic began.

The county has averaged a daily total of more than 65 cases for the past week. The state Department of Health is also reporting 35 people are hospitalized in the county, with four people requiring ventilators.

“I think people let their guard down,” said Dr. Carol Fox, chief medical officer for Excela Health. “I think we went through a phase where there were not a lot of positive cases, and individuals felt more comfortable being without their mask.”

Fox said right now there are no concerns about hospital capacity within the Excela Health system, adding that many cases are not severe.

“We do have less individuals requiring ventilators and intensive care units,” Fox said. “That being said, they are sick enough to be in the hospital and that’s something to be concerned about.”

COVID-19 cases have impacted more than a half dozen school districts in Westmoreland County and outbreaks are currently ongoing at Westmoreland Manor senior care center and the Westmoreland County prison.

Fifty-eight people in the county have now died from COVID-19, according to the Westmoreland County coroner.

Source: COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Westmoreland County

The Palace Theatre’s new livestream system will bring arts into homes | TribLIVE.com

While audiences are unable to come to The Palace Theatre, Westmoreland Cultural Trust will bring programming to audiences with a new livestreaming service.

“Livestreaming will allow us to bring back much-needed entertainment and cultural experiences that have been missing since the pandemic began,” said April Kopas, CEO of Westmoreland Cultural Trust, which operates the theater. “With the easing of restrictions for indoor gatherings, there is the potential for an event to offer both an online experience to the public and a smaller, intimate (but socially distanced) in-theatre live experience, while adhering to our increased safety protocols.”

The virtual platform will allow regional cultural organizations and nonprofits to showcase local arts and entertainment in live performances viewed from the comforts of home, according to a release.

Source: The Palace Theatre’s new livestream system will bring arts into homes | TribLIVE.com

L.A. Fire Department’s robot goes where firefighters can’t – Los Angeles Times

With its bright-yellow armored body, grippy tank-like treads, plow nose and water cannon, the Los Angeles Fire Department’s latest piece of equipment looks more like a Star Wars sidekick than a firefighting assistant.

With its bright-yellow armored body, grippy tank-like treads, plow nose and water cannon, the Los Angeles Fire Department’s latest piece of equipment looks more like a Star Wars sidekick than a firefighting assistant.

But this mini robot tanker is an inferno buster that packs a powerful punch of water or foam and can go where firefighters otherwise can’t. The LAFD on Tuesday became the first fire department in the nation to acquire the Robotics Systems 3, a droid on steroids.

LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas said firefighters put their lives on the line when battling blazes. This year, 11 LAFD crew members were severely injured when a fireball engulfed four downtown buildings after a massive explosion that was ignited by hazardous materials.

Now, firefighters can use RS3 as a safer alternative in battling potentially explosive blazes and it allows the department to get inside a burning building when humans could not dare enter safely.

“I can afford to lose one of these wonderful machines, I cannot afford to lose a firefighter,” Terrazas said, admiring the control pad that remotely operates the firefighting drone.

On Tuesday morning, as flames engulfed a pair of industrial textile buildings in downtown L.A., firefighters did not enter alone. RS3 rode shotgun for the first time, Terrazas said.

As more than 130 firefighters battled the blaze, the droid got its first run maneuvering inside a fire so dangerous that department officials pulled crews from within. Terrazas said it used it plow front end to push its way into the burning structure. The robotic vehicle the size of a Smart car can turn on a dime and fit through a set of double doors.

Source: L.A. Fire Department’s robot goes where firefighters can’t – Los Angeles Times

Police investigating shooting in Penn Hills

Penn Hills police are investigating the shooting of a man during a drug deal gone bad on Tuesday afternoon, police confirmed.

Police received a report of a man shot in a car at the GetGo station on Frankstown Road shortly before 4 p.m.

Penn Hills police Chief Howard Burton said the victim told officers he’d been shot during a drug deal.

A short time later, officers spotted a vehicle believed to have been used in the shooting.

Officers gave chase into Wilkins Township, Burton said, but called it off due to concerns about the safety of other traffic and pedestrians.

Another police department found the car in the Prospect Terrace apartment complex in East Pittsburgh and took two men into custody.

Burton said the case remains under investigation.

Source: Police investigating shooting in Penn Hills

Vatican under fire for moving to renew deal with the Chinese Communist Party | Fox News

Much to the chagrin of U.S. officials and human rights advocates – amid the notion that China is one of the most dangerous places on the planet to be Christian – the Vatican is in the process of renewing a 2018 provisional deal with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Source: Vatican under fire for moving to renew deal with the Chinese Communist Party | Fox News

Sen. Mazie Hirono confronted Amy Coney Barrett’s offensive use of ‘sexual preference’ while discussing LGBTQ rights – Vox

Barrett on Tuesday used a term that LGBTQ activists have called “offensive,” “outdated,” and a “dog whistle.”

“I have no agenda, and I do want to be clear that I have never discriminated on the basis of sexual preference and would not ever discriminate on the basis of sexual preference,” Barrett said, when asked about her stance on preserving protections for members of the LGBTQ community.

The term “sexual preference,” however, is an offensive one, which suggests that sexual orientation is a choice, Lambda Legal, a legal advocacy group, explained on Twitter.

Source: Sen. Mazie Hirono confronted Amy Coney Barrett’s offensive use of ‘sexual preference’ while discussing LGBTQ rights – Vox

Dancing With The Stars: Jesse Metcalfe gets eliminated after tango with Sharna Burgess on ’80s Night | Daily Mail Online

The 41-year-old actor was eliminated Monday from season 29 of Dancing With The Stars after performing a tango with pro partner Sharna Burgess, 35, during ’80s Night.

Source: Dancing With The Stars: Jesse Metcalfe gets eliminated after tango with Sharna Burgess on ’80s Night | Daily Mail Online

Dog food recall over high levels of mold byproduct expands: FDA

Beware, dog owners: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it expan

Beware, dog owners: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it expanded a previously announced dog food recall over concerns the products contain a mold byproduct that is potentially above acceptable levels.

Various Sunshine Mills’ dog food brands have been affected, including Champ, Field Trial, Good Dog, Hunter’s Special, Old Glory, Paws Happy Life, Pet Expert, Principle, Retriever, River Bend, and Sportsman’s Pride, among others. A full list can be found here.

Sunshine Mills’ expanded recall comes after the company first announced the recall in September over concerns the products contained above-limit levels of aflatoxin, which the FDA said at the time is a “naturally occurring mold byproduct from the growth of Aspergillus flavus and can be harmful to pets if consumed in significant quantities.”

 

Source: Dog food recall over high levels of mold byproduct expands: FDA

Federal Agents Raid Home Of Pittsburgh-Area Mail Carrier, Collect Bags Of Suspected Undelivered Mail – CBS Pittsburgh

Special agents from the U.S. Postal Service raided a home in Baldwin, confiscating what neighbors say were eight bags of suspected undelivered mail.

Source: Federal Agents Raid Home Of Pittsburgh-Area Mail Carrier, Collect Bags Of Suspected Undelivered Mail – CBS Pittsburgh

Statues of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt toppled in Portland | Daily Mail Online

In what organizers called an ‘Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage’, the two statues were torn down in the space of 10 minutes by protesters who toppled the monuments and defaced the plinths in Portland.

Donald Trump today raged at the ‘animals’ who tore down statues of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt in Portland last night as rioting returned to the city on the eve of Columbus Day.

Trump condemned the protesters as ‘Antifa radicals’ and ‘Biden fools’, urging the FBI to ‘get them’ and calling on Portland to send for federal troops.

‘Put these animals in jail, now,’ said Trump. ‘The Radical Left only knows how to take advantage of very dumb ‘leadership’ fools. This is Biden! Law & Order!’

Source: Statues of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt toppled in Portland | Daily Mail Online

Denver shooting: Matthew Dolloff, security guard hired by local TV station 9NEWS, jailed in deadly shooting of Lee Keltner at ‘Patriot Rally’ – masslive.com

The shooting victim was not named by authorities and died at a nearby hospital. But his son identified the man on Sunday to the Denver Post as Lee Keltner, a 49-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who operated a hat-making business in the Denver area.

“He wasn’t a part of any group,” Johnathon Keltner told the newspaper. “He was there to rally for the police department and he’d been down there before rallying for the police department.”

Source: Denver shooting: Matthew Dolloff, security guard hired by local TV station 9NEWS, jailed in deadly shooting of Lee Keltner at ‘Patriot Rally’ – masslive.com

Dem senator calls Barrett a ‘judicial torpedo’ aimed at Obamacare during confirmation hearing | Fox News

Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse called Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett a “judicial torpedo” aimed at the Affordable Care Act in his opening statement Monday, joining a number of his Democratic colleagues in framing the confirmation of the conservative judge as an attack against the Obama-era health care law.

Source: Dem senator calls Barrett a ‘judicial torpedo’ aimed at Obamacare during confirmation hearing | Fox News

Man, 19, killed in car accident in Hempfield | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A single-vehicle crash early Sunday morning in Hempfield, Westmoreland County, resulted in the death of a 19-year old man from Florida, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette news partner KDKA reported. The statewide death toll totaled 1,190 in 2018. While a 4.7 percent jump from the 1,137 deaths recorded in 2017, it’s still the third-lowest total in the last 20 years.

According to the local chp accident report, One in every 44 people was involved in a reportable traffic accident in the state of Pennsylvania. There were over 128,000 reported crashes and over 80,000 injuries reported in 2017. Fatalities decreased by 4.3 percent and total injuries decreased by 2.8 percent from 2016.

The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office said Michael Schiff, 19, of Florida, was killed in the crash along Route 30 around 1 a.m. Sunday.

Schiff was driving alone when his vehicle crossed over the center barrier of the roadway, across opposite lanes of traffic, and crashed into the corner of a building, before stopping on its rooftop.

Schiff was pronounced dead at the scene.

The coroner’s office said it believes speed was a factor in the crash.

Source: Man, 19, killed in car accident in Hempfield | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh’s Greenfield Bridge opens ahead of schedule after upgrades | TribLIVE.com

The bridge, which spans the Parkway East to link the city’s Greenfield neighborhood to Schenley Park, closed at 7 a.m. Sept. 21.

The Pittsburgh Department of Mobility and Infrastructure had estimated the thoroughfare would be closed to drivers and pedestrians until Oct. 21.

“Mosites Construction Co., the contractor who built the bridge, addressed several outstanding issues to ensure the longevity of the structure,” Tim McNulty, spokesman for Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, said Sunday in a statement.

The contractor’s crews milled the concrete deck of the bridge and installed a new concrete surface to prevent water from seeping into the bridge deck. The bridge’s east barrier, which had been flaking and peeling, got fresh protective coating.

Source: Pittsburgh’s Greenfield Bridge opens ahead of schedule after upgrades | TribLIVE.com

Navy veteran Joe Collins targets Democrat Maxine Waters’ home in campaign ad

U.S. Navy veteran Joe Collins on Saturday released a scathing campaign ad attacking Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., for living in a multi-millionaire mansion while representing a district plagued by crime and poverty.

In the ad, Collins stands outside Waters’ $6 million California residence, noting that it is not even located inside the District she represents.

“Do you know where I am right now? Maxine Waters’ six million-dollar mansion,” Collins asks. “Do you know where I’m not right now? Maxine Waters’ district.”

Waters has represented the area that is now California’s 43rd District since 1991. Before that, she had served in the California State Assembly since 1976. Her home used to be within the boundaries of District 43 until redistricting shifted her neighborhood into the 37th District, which is represented by Democratic Rep. Karen Bass.

Source: Navy veteran Joe Collins targets Democrat Maxine Waters’ home in campaign ad

Judge Throws Out Trump Campaign’s Pennsylvania Lawsuit

In this case, Trump’s campaign wanted the court to bar counties from using drop boxes or mobile sites to collect mail-in ballots.

HARRISBURG, PA — A federal judge in Pennsylvania on Saturday threw out a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump’s campaign, dismissing its challenges to the battleground state’s poll-watching law and its efforts to limit how mail-in ballots can be collected and which of them can be counted.

Trump’s campaign said it would appeal at least one element of the decision, with barely three weeks to go until Election Day in a state hotly contested by Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

The lawsuit was opposed by the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, the state Democratic Party, the League of Women Voters, the NAACP’s Pennsylvania office and other allied groups.

“The court’s decision today affirms what we’ve long known, that Pennsylvania’s elections are safe, secure, and accurate, and residents can vote on Nov. 3rd with confidence that their votes will be counted and their voices heard,” Wolf’s office said in a statement. “The ruling is a complete rejection of the continued misinformation about voter fraud and corruption, and those who seek to sow chaos and discord ahead of the upcoming election.”

Source: Judge Throws Out Trump Campaign’s Pennsylvania Lawsuit

French mob attacks police station with fireworks, metal bars | Fox News

Police posted a video showing fireworks going off in the direction of the station. The assailants failed to gain entry but managed to heavily damage the station and nearby cars, officials said.

No one has yet been arrested for the attack.

“Violent attack last night on the police station of Champigny with mortar shots and various projectiles. No police officer was injured,” the Paris police headquarters tweeted Sunday.

Source: French mob attacks police station with fireworks, metal bars | Fox News

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