Ballots can’t be tossed out over voter signature, court says
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court is prohibiting counties from rejecting ballots if the voter’s signature on it does not resemble the signature on the voter’s registration form. Two Republican justices joined five Democratic justices in Friday’s decision. It addresses a key concern surrounding an avalanche of mail-in ballots in the presidential battleground state. The verdict was a victory for the state’s top election official. Kathy Boockvar is a Democrat who had asked the court to back her up in a legal dispute with President Donald Trump’s campaign and Republican lawmakers. Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are locked in a battle to win Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes.

Pandemic hurts AT&T in 3rd quarter; wireless unit stable
By TALI ARBEL AP Technology Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — The pandemic continued to hit AT&T in the third quarter as closed theaters, wary U.S. moviegoers and the Hollywood shutdown hurt its WarnerMedia movie and TV business. The company’s largest division, wireless, was stable, but customers continued to drop their DirecTV service as TV-watching shifts online. The new HBO Max streaming service had 8.6 million activations, but millions of HBO customers haven’t turned it on. Overall, AT&T Inc. said net income fell 24% to $2.82 billion, or 39 cents per share. Revenue fell 5% to $42.34 billion. The pandemic cost AT&T about $2.5 billion in revenue.

Coca-Cola recovery continues as it grows leaner in pandemic
By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer
The Coca-Cola Co. said it saw gradual improvement in the third quarter, as it turned its focus to emerging leaner from the global pandemic. Atlanta-based Coke said its revenue fell 9% to $8.7 billion. That was well ahead of Wall Street’s forecast of $8.4 billion, according to analysts polled by FactSet. It was also better than the 28% drop in revenue the company saw in the second quarter. Coke Chairman and CEO James Quincey said the company has accelerated a planned reorganization that will put more emphasis on fast-growing brands. Coke is retiring several underperforming products by the end of this year, including Tab diet soda.

September existing home sales climb 9.4%, highest since ’06
By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Sales of existing homes climbed 9.4% in September, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday, the latest sign that the housing market remains red hot despite the coronavirus pandemic. On a seasonally-adjusted rate, the selling pace of existing homes climbed to 6.54 million annualized units. That is the highest level for that metric since February 2006, at the peak of the previous housing bubble.

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More solid earnings reports send US stock indexes higher
The Associated Press undefined
Stocks are opening slightly higher on Wall Street, following gains in European markets, as more U.S. companies report encouraging results for the summer earnings period. The S&P 500 index edged up 0.2% in the early going Friday, though it’s still on track for its first weekly loss in four weeks. Barbie maker Mattel soared after its latest earnings blew past analysts’ forecasts. Capital One was also sharply higher after turning in robust results. Drugmaker Gilead rose after U.S. regulators gave formal approval to its antiviral drug remdesivir to treat patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Treasury yields remained near their highest level since June.

Trump campaign tapes voters at drop boxes, threatens lawsuit
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Trump campaign has been videotaping people as they deposit ballots in drop boxes in Philadelphia in what it says is an attempt to catch violations. The state’s Democratic attorney general suggests that the tactic could amount to illegal voter intimidation. The campaign acknowledged the taping in a letter that complained voters were caught on video illegally depositing multiple ballots. Elections officials say they can’t confirm the activity is inappropriate under Pennsylvania law. Also, a new lawsuit filed Thursday challenged a court-ordered extension of the deadline to receive mailed presidential ballots in Pennsylvania. The state’s 20 electoral votes are key in the presidential race.

Ex-Pennsylvania court clerk sentenced for mail fraud
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — Schuylkill County’s former clerk of courts is going to federal prison after he tried to cover his tracks when an audit uncovered a misappropriation of funds. A judge on Thursday sentenced 70-year-old Steven Lukach Jr. of Nesquehoning to 27 months behind bars for mail fraud and falsification of records. He also ordered Lukach to pay nearly $16,000 in restitution. Lukach served approximately 27 years as court clerk in the Pennsylvania county when an audit in 2013 uncovered money was misappropriated. Federal prosecutors say Lukach stole mail that was sent to banks, forged records and sent fake bank records in a bid to conceal that he was taking funds from various accounts for his own personal purposes.

AAA: It’s the Peak Time of Year for Deer Collisions
The average AAA Insurance vehicle claim for a deer incident is about $3,500

Cooler weather and shorter days means more deer are now gracing Pennsylvania’s roadways. The number of deer-vehicle collisions increases in October, peaking in November and December. To reduce inconvenience, costs, and potential danger, AAA East Central cautions motorists to be especially vigilant on the road in animal-prone areas in the months ahead.

“More collisions between vehicles and deer occur in November than any other month,” says Mark Sisson, vice president of Insurance, AAA East Central. “One of our top claims in the winter is for vehicles that have been totaled from hitting animals, and the costs can be staggering.”

Last year, there were more than 4,300 deer-vehicle crashes in Pennsylvania, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Moreover, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more than 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions occur each year nationwide, resulting in 150 fatalities and tens of thousands of injuries.

AAA’s Recommendation: Check Your Coverage.
AAA Insurance reports that it’s average deer-related claim in the region is about $3,500, though costs can be much higher depending on the damage to a vehicle.

Collision coverage pays for damage to your car resulting from a collision with an object (e.g., a telephone pole, a guard rail, a mailbox), or as a result of flipping over. AAA East Central recommends motorists opt-in for comprehensive coverage, which is for damage to your car covered by disasters “other than collisions” (in this case, contact with animals).

“While adding comprehensive coverage may add a small amount to your premium, it could save you money down the road,” continued Sisson.

To help prevent a crash or to reduce damage from an animal collision, AAA suggests motorists:

• Pay attention to road signs. Yellow, diamond-shaped signs with an image of a deer indicate areas with high levels of deer activity.
• Keep your eyes on the road. Ditching distractions is one of the easiest ways to make sure you’re ready for when a deer comes out of nowhere.
• Be especially attentive in early morning and evening hours. Many animals, especially deer, are most active from 5-8 a.m. and 5-8 p.m., prime commuting times for many.
• Use high beams when there’s no oncoming traffic. You can spot animals sooner. Sometimes the light reflecting off their eyes will reveal their location.
• Slow down, and watch for other deer to appear. Deer rarely travel alone, so if you see one, there are likely to be more nearby.
• Resist the urge to swerve. Instead, stay in your lane with both hands firmly on the wheel. Swerving away from animals can confuse them so they don’t know which way to run. It can also put you in the path of oncoming vehicles or cause you to crash into something.
• If the crash is imminent take your foot off the brake. During hard braking, the front end of your vehicle is pulled downward which can cause the animal to travel up over the hood towards your windshield. Letting off the brake can protect drivers from windshield strikes because the animal is more likely to be pushed to one side of the vehicle or over the top of the vehicle.

If you hit a deer, AAA recommends:

• Call the police.
• Avoid making contact with the animal. A frightened or wounded animal can hurt you or further injure itself.
• Put the vehicle’s hazard lights on, whether it’s light or dark outside.
• If possible, immediately move the vehicle to a safe location, out of the roadway, and wait for help to arrive.
• Contact your insurance agent or company representative as quickly as possible to report any damage to your car.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 76 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

(File Photo)

(SEWICKLEY, Pa.) Two fishermen were rescued after their fishing boat capsized in the Ohio River in Sewickley Thursday night. The boat had just left the dock near Sewickley when they hit a log in the river and overturned. First Responders were able to help the men after one swam safely to shore and the other held onto the capsized boat until he was rescued. Both men are expected to be OK.

(Ambridge, Pa.) President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump criticized Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 restrictions and praised his father’s economic policies during a Make America Great Again Rally at Munroe Inc.’s warehouse in Ambridge on Thursday Afternoon. Trump spoke to numerous supporters as they cheered as he talked about the President’s efforts to protect our First and Second Amendment rights. Trump told the crowd that Biden and the Democrats want to defund the police and take your guns.

Trump went on to state that Pittsburgh has “some of the toughest guys in the world,” before criticizing Biden and his son Hunter saying that. “This guy has the worst work ethic of any person I’ve ever met in my entire life,” “He literally doesn’t leave his house.”

Trump on Thursday called his father the hardest working person he knows, tirelessly trying to “drain the swamp” that is Washington, D.C.