A centuries-old European holiday has made its way to Pittsburgh’s Market Square. People stomped through Christmas Village, celebrating Krampusnacht, which is the darker side of the holiday season. Many participants showed off their creativity by dressing up in costumes and as Krampus, the counterpart to St. Nick.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration says a first round of testing drinking water in Pennsylvania for the toxic chemicals known as PFAS doesn’t indicate widespread contamination. Wolf’s administration said Thursday that one of 96 sites sampled tested above the federal health advisory level for two PFAS chemicals. The administration says that lone site is a manufacturer of electrical resistor components. Sites being tested are near a potential source of PFAS contamination, such as military bases and landfills. In addition to sampling, Wolf’s administration is marshaling millions of dollars to help improve water treatment in areas in suburban Philadelphia with contamination.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania lawmaker accused of bilking a charity she founded out of more than a half-million dollars is telling legislative leaders she’s resigning as of next week. Philadelphia Democratic Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Turzai Thursday saying she disputes many of the allegations against her. She says she’s resigning in part to focus on her criminal defense. State prosecutors allege the 53-year-old freshman’legislator spent charity funds on luxury items, travel and personal expenses. Johnson-Harrell says her resignation will take effect on Dec. 13.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf is commuting the life sentences of eight more people in prison, bringing the total to 19 since he took office in 2015. Wolf’s office said Thursday all eight have used their time in prison to rehabilitate themselves, remained largely free of any incident and shown remorse for their actions and victims. Wolf’s office says those receiving a commutation for a life sentence must go to a halfway house for a year, after which they are under parole supervision for the rest of their lives.
A Pittsburgh city councilman wants to declare racism a public health crisis. On Thursday, councilman Ricky Burgess introduced a resolution calling racism a health crisis in Pittsburgh. He is basing this largely on a recent University of Pittsburgh study on racism. The study concluded that black people in Pittsburgh are far worse off here than in other comparable cities. The study revealed that on many benchmarks, including health, education, house, employment and life expectancy, there is a huge gap between white and black people in Pittsburgh. Burgess wants commissions to address racism and money to fund it.
Pittsburgh teenagers posted on the social media site Tik Tok while trapped in a car after a rollover crash. The passenger told BuzzFeed the lip-syncing post helped them cope while they waited for police to arrive at the crash, which occurred on Coraopolis Heights Road around 3 p.m. Nov. 15. The Moon police chief says the teens seemed like they weren’t taking this very seriously. The teens were not injured. Police believe the 17-year-old driver lost control of the car while going around a curve.
The Attorney General’s office says that officials were involved in a shooting with a suspect during an undercover child predator investigation in Robinson Township. The office said on Thursday that no one was injured during the incident. The suspect was apprehended, and officials are investigating. No other information was released.
Two people are in police custody after leading police on a two-state, high-speed chase that lasted two hours — and it was caught on video going through Route 51. Police said it started early Thursday morning in Ohio when officers tried to pull a car over for a traffic violation. Instead, police said the vehicle took off, crossing state lines into Chippewa Township. It ended hours later when the suspects bailed out of the vehicle, and police found them hiding in the woods. Ayvree Spratley and Benasia Lucas were both taken into custody in Ohio. Police said the chase reached nearly 100 miles per hour, and when officers searched the suspects’ vehicle, they found suspected heroin inside. Police in Ohio will be handling the charges for this case, and a third suspect who was inside that car is still on the run.
Nearly 100 workers have been laid off just a week after the emergency room and inpatient services at the Ellwood City Medical Center shut down. On Thursday, 92 people were called and told to clean out their desks because they were being laid off. This comes months after employees at the hospital says they had not received paychecks on multiple occasions. But community leaders are now trying to step in. State Rep. Aaron Bernstein is getting involved in finding new jobs for these people. He said his office is available immediately to assist with unemployment claims for them. Bernstein said he has already coordinated with city leaders to establish a payment plan for the employees who use Ellwood Electric. He is also going to be setting up a job fair, inviting other healthcare facilities.
Beaver County’s first fatality at Pearl Harbor will be remembered this weekend. 2nd Lt. Louis Gustav Moslener Junior is the first from Beaver County to be killed in action in a surprise attack by Japanese forces on Pearl Harbor, a U-S naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii on December 7th, 1941. Moslener is buried in Beaver Cemetery, located on Buffalo Street in Beaver. Saturday marks the third year that a memorial ceremony will be held at Moslener’s grave, and it will be open to the public. Those attending are asked to gather at 12:30 pm. Opening remarks will be given at 12:55, which approximates the time Pearl Harbor was bombed. Moslener’s grave is at the first right turn after entering the cemetery and a block down on the left.