PITTSBURGH (AP) — The owner of an alligator that escaped from a Pittsburgh home last month is facing charges stemming from the discovery of numerous animals at the residence. Police filed 33 counts of neglect against Mark McGowan on Tuesday, along with single counts of animal cruelty and recklessly endangering another person. Authorities started investigating McGowan after “Chomp,” a 5-foot (1.52-meter)-long alligator, was found along a city street June 6. A few days later, they removed 32 animals from the home.

Pennsylvania is moving to replace the federally operated Healthcare.gov with its own website to sell Affordable Care Act-compliant policies in a bid to get more people into it and lower their costs. Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation Tuesday after it passed the Legislature unanimously last week. The administration says it expects it can lower premiums by 5% to 10% for the 400,000 people who buy policies in the marketplace. Wolf’s insurance commissioner, Jessica Altman, said the savings can especially help the roughly 80,000 people who buy policies through Healthcare.gov, but whose incomes are too high to qualify for a federal tax subsidy.

A woman who gave a waitress in Clearwater, Florida a $5,000 tip was arrested after using her boyfriend’s credit card, according to authorities. 24-year-old Serina Wolfe of Buffalo, N.Y., was upset that he wouldn’t buy her a plane ticket to New York, according to an arrest affidavit. Initial reports said she left the generous tip for a waitress grieving the loss of her dog. Deputies said he initially put a hold on the card so she couldn’t buy a plane ticket, but once he lifted the hold, she gave the $5,000 tip. Wolfe denied making the purchase. Then her boyfriend reported the charge to his credit card company as fraudulent, saying he believed she was drunk or trying to get back at him. Clear Sky Cafe, where the tip was given, was notified the purchase was fraudulent Monday, but they had already paid out their waitress for the amount of $5,000 for the tip and $55.37 for the food. Wolfe voluntarily handed over the card she used to deputies and was arrested for grand theft. It is unclear at this time whether or not the server will get to keep the money.

A naked man was spotted sitting on the pavement outside the courthouse downtown. A public safety officer said that a man took his clothes off in front of Juvenile Court to protest an unknown cause around 2:30 p.m. today. He reportedly covered his genitals and did not expose himself to anyone. No children were reportedly present at the time. When police told him to put his clothes back on, he did. He was not arrested.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republicans who control Pennsylvania’s Senate are warning that they’ll reassign the duties of Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman as the chamber’s presiding officer if he defies the chamber’s rules again. Republicans issued the two-page letter publicly Tuesday. It came six days after the chamber devolved into shouting, name-calling and bare-knuckled procedural tactics over a Republican bill to end a decades-old program that temporarily offers $200 a month to people deemed unable to work.

Harrisburg, PA (AP)- Gov. Tom Wolf is signing legislation that his office says clarifies the options for who schools can hire as armed security guards, although Wolf’s administration says it bars districts from allowing teachers to be armed. The bill Wolf signed Tuesday also expands training requirements for armed school officers. It says schools can hire armed security guards on contract or employ a county sheriff or deputy sheriff. Wolf’s office says schools were already employing both.

There’s no word yet of any charges in the hit-and-run death of a Lawrence County woman. New Castle police say they have impounded the semi-truck that apparently struck 19-year old Alissa Jones on Sunday night. Jones died yesterday of injuries suffered when she was hit while getting out of her car in Taylor Township.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOSH KAIL, OF BEAVER, JUST HAD HIS FIRST BILL PASSED INTO LAW. HOUSE BILL 384 WAS SIGNED BY GOVERNOR WOLF ON FRIDAY. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS INTERN, CHRISTINA SAINOVICH, HAS DETAILS…

BREAKING NEWS: THERE’S A STANDOFF UNDERWAY IN SOUTH HEIGHTS THIS MORNING. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO HAS DETAILS. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

WEATHER FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 3RD, 2019

 

TODAY – SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH – 84.

TONIGHT – SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. LOW NEAR 70.

INDEPENDENCE DAY – SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH – 87.

FRIDAY – SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH – 87.

SATURDAY – SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH – 85.

SUNDAY – SHOWERS IN THE MORNING. REMAINING PARTLY
CLOUDY FOR THE AFTERNOON. HIGH – 83.