Florida works to avoid ‘catastrophic’ pond collapse

PALMETTO, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says crews are working to prevent the collapse of a large wastewater pond to avoid a “catastrophic flood.” Manatee County officials say the latest models show that a breach at the old phosphate plant reservoir in the Tampa Bay area could gush out 340 million gallons of water in a matter of minutes, risking a 20-feet high wall of water. Authorities say 316 homes have been evacuated. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection says the water in the pond is mixed saltwater with processed water, but not expected to be toxic.

Amid outcry, states push mental health training for police

Lawmakers in several states are proposing legislation that would require more training for police in how to interact with someone in a mental crisis following some high-profile deaths. The proposals in places like California, New York and Utah lean heavily on additional training for officers or updating standards. But none of the laws appear to address the root question: whether police should be the ones responding when someone is mentally ill. A 2015 report says people with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed during a police encounter than others. A law enforcement expert say training in mental health response hasn’t changed for over 25 years and needs updating.

Corporations gave over $50M to voting restriction backers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Corporations have given more than $50 million in recent years to state lawmakers who have seized on Donald Trump’s lies about a stolen 2020 election to push for new restrictions on the right to vote. That’s according to a new report by the government watchdog nonprofit Public Citizen. Telecom-giant AT&T was the most prolific giver, donating over $800,000 since 2015 to authors of proposed restrictions, cosponsors of such measures, or those who voted in favor of the bills. Other top givers during the same period include Comcast, Philip Morris USA, UnitedHealth Group, Walmart, Verizon, General Motors and Pfizer.

Supreme Court dismisses case over Trump and Twitter critics

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has dismissed a case over former President Donald Trump’s efforts to block critics from his personal Twitter account. Lower courts had ruled against Trump. But the justices said Monday there was nothing left to the case after Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter and ended his presidential term in January. Twitter banned Trump two days after the deadly attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters on Jan. 6. The company said its decision was “due to the risk of further incitement of violence.” The court also formally threw out an appeals court ruling that found Trump violated the First Amendment whenever he blocked a critic to silence a viewpoint.

ER doctor says Floyd’s heart had stopped when he arrived

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The emergency room doctor who pronounced George Floyd dead after trying to resuscitate him has testified that Floyd’s heart had stopped by the time he arrived. Dr. Bradford Langenfeld, who was a senior resident on duty that night at Hennepin County Medical Center, said that he was not told of any efforts at the scene by bystanders or police to resuscitate Floyd but that paramedics told him they had tried for about 30 minutes. He took the stand at the beginning of Week Two at former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin’s murder trial, as prosecutors seeks to establish that it was Chauvin’s knee on the Black man’s neck that killed him last May.

High court sides with Google in copyright fight with Oracle

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is siding with Google in an $8 billion copyright dispute with Oracle. The justices sided with Google 6-2 on Monday. The case has to do with Google’s creation of the Android operating system now used on the vast majority of smartphones worldwide. To create Android, which was released in 2007, Google wrote millions of lines of new computer code. But it also used 11,330 lines of code and an organization that’s part of Oracle’s Java platform. Google says what it did is long-settled, common practice in the industry, a practice that has been good for technical progress, and the Supreme Court agreed.

New to DC, Buttigieg looks to build bridges with Biden plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two months into his job, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is forging a fresh path for his Cabinet role and in his life that could bridge gaps with Republicans when it comes to President Joe Biden’s agenda. He’s been caught on Twitter biking home from work. He’s made a pitch for Biden’s massive public works plan at the popular SXSW conference in Texas. And he keeps up a dizzying pace of media interviews to sway the public. Biden has tasked Buttigieg and four other Cabinet members with selling the administration’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure and climate proposal. The plan offers big stakes for Buttigieg at the department.

Beaver State Troopers Investigate Car Parked on I-376 Ramp in Brighton Twp.

Beaver State Troopers observed a dark blue Ford Expedition parked on the I-376 West bound ramp from Brighton road in Brighton Township yesterday around 3 AM. When they checked on the vehicle they found out that the California registration for the vehicle was expired. The operator of the vehicle, a 30 year old male from Beaver Falls, was later taken into custody for driving under the influence of alcohol.

State Police Investigating Burglary of 88 Year Old Man in Ellwood City

Pennsylvania State police are investigating a burglary that occurred between March 13th and 23rd in Ellwood City on Van Gorder Mill Road. Their report states that an unknown individual entered an unlocked garage and took two chain saws and a weed wacker from an 88 year old man. State Police are asking for assistance in identifying any suspicious activity that may have been noticed in the area. The equipment stolen was a Stihl MS260 chain saw, Stihl 0260 Chain saw and Stihl FS 56 weed eater.

State Police Release Details of an Accident on I-376

State police have reported an accident on I-376 W in Potter Township that occurred last Thursday. A Honda Oddyssey was traveling westbound when the operator lost control of the vehicle and struck a concrete barrier, according to the state police report. The vehicle sustained minor front end damage but was able to be driven from the scene. No injuries were reported.