Floats, marching bands hit the streets for 131st Rose Parade
Marching bands and floral floats moved through the streets under mostly sunny California skies as the 131st Rose Parade drew hundreds of thousands of spectators on New Year’s Day. A flyover by a B-2 stealth bomber and a performance by singer Ally Brooke kicked off the annual extravaganza in Pasadena. It featured dozens of colorful floats decked out with countless flowers. The theme is “The Power of Hope.” The grand marshals were actresses Rita Moreno and Gina Torres and Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez. Spectators started lining the route Tuesday, many of them camping on sidewalks and braving chilly overnight temperatures.

A report from Healthgrades recently named Heritage Valley Beaver among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation for Gastrointestinal Care. Every year, Healthgrades evaluates hospital performances of nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide. Heritage Valley Beaver was also recognized for several clinical achievements, some of which include:

• Five-Star Distinction in Treatment of Heart Attack in 2020.

• Five-Star Distinction for Total Knee Replacement in 2020.

• Five-Star Distinction for Esophageal/Stomach Surgeries in 2020.

• Five-Star Distinction for Colorectal Surgeries for 2 years in a row (2019-2020).

The complete Healthgrades 2020 Report to the Nation can be found at partners.healthgrades.com.

A house caught on fire last night on Penn Avenue in New Brighton. A mother, child and pet dog were inside the home when the fire sparked. When the mother smelled smoke, she discovered the fire and was able to get everyone out safely. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The family is being taken care of by the Red Cross.

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump says the federal government will soon announce a new strategy to tackle underage vaping, promising, “We’re going to protect our families, we’re going to protect our children, and we’re going to protect the industry.” Trump was vague about what the plan would entail but suggested “certain flavors” in cartridge-based e-cigarettes would be taken off the market “for a period of time.” The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration would ban the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes, such as those sold by Juul and NJOY. E-cigarette pods formulated to taste like tobacco or menthol would still be allowed.

UNDATED (AP) — 2020 is being rung in around the globe. More than 1 million people descended on Sydney Harbour to see fireworks despite the wildfires ravaging other parts of Australia. In Hong Kong, revelers as well as pro-democracy protesters came out to usher in the new year. Russia held the world’s longest New Year’s celebrations, spread across 11 time zones. Samoa’s New Year’s Eve remembered the 81 lives lost in a measles epidemic while Pope Francis delighted tourists in St. Peter’s Square when he took a stroll. In Indonesia, revelers were warned not to get too close to an active volcano. And in New York, a throng gathered in Times Square for the iconic ball drop.

HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) — The Hershey Co. will soon retire its vehicles that are shaped like its Hershey’s Kisses. The Hershey Kissmobiles are each made up of three huge Kisses candies and have traveled across the country since 1997. The chocolate company has confirmed that the 26-foot-long vehicles won’t return in 2020. A Hershey Co. spokesman says the company decided to pull the aging Kissmobiles out of safety concerns for employees and the public. It has also become more difficult to find replacement parts for the custom vehicles. One of the Kissmobiles will be available for public viewing at the AACA Museum in Hershey.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) — Police say an Amazon delivery driver stole a package that was delivered earlier by UPS at a Pennsylvania home. A woman in Wilkes-Barre reported a package being stolen from her home Monday. Surveillance footage showed a UPS driver dropping off a package at the house. An Amazon driver dropped off two packages later that afternoon and took the UPS package as he was leaving. Wilkes-Barre police say charges will be filed once the Amazon driver is identified.

UNDATED (AP) — Philadelphia’s new police chief has a challenging agenda ahead that includes addressing the city’s daily gun violence. Two shooting deaths Tuesday make 2019 the city’s deadliest year in a decade. Police have tallied 355 slayings this year, two more than 2018. City data shows the figure had fallen to below 250 homicides just a few years ago. Police say they’ve made arrests in just over half the homicide cases this year. Separately, they say about 1,450 people were shot in Philadelphia in 2019. Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw takes over the Philadelphia department in February.

BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man has admitted he killed his girlfriend’s 4-year-old son nearly three years ago. Keith Jordan Lambing entered a guilty plea Monday to third-degree murder and assault. Sentencing is likely to be imposed next week. The victim bled to death after the attack in March 2017. Butler County prosecutors say they opted not to pursue the death penalty because the child’s parents did not want to relive the facts of the crime during a trial. The 22-year-old Lambing, from Butler, Pennsylvania, is expected to receive 30 to 60 years under the plea agreement. A charge of rape was dismissed.

The owner of the Ellwood City Medical Center has filed for federal bankruptcy protection. Americore Health LLC, which now lists its headquarters as St Louis, Mo., filed paperwork Tuesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of Kentucky seeking Chapter 11 protection. Ellwood City Medical Center, which has been temporarily closed by Americore since Dec. 10 after the state Department of Health shut down its emergency room and inpatient services Nov. 27 for serious violations, is not the only facility affected. They will also close hospitals in Arkansas and St. Louis.