This Jan. 2024 combination photo shows nominees for a Bucks County special election to fill a vacant Pennsylvania state House seat, Republican Candace Cabanas, left, and Democrat Jim Prokopiak in Fairless Hills, Pa., (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives hangs in the balance in a special election in the Philadelphia suburbs. Tuesday’s election there is the fourth time in a year a vacancy has put the majority up for grabs. The candidates are Democrat Jim Prokopiak and Republican Candace Cabanas. Prokopiak is an attorney from Levittown and has served on the Pennsbury School Board since his election in 2021. Cabanas of Fairless Hills is a political newcomer who has worked in the home health care and hospitality industries. The winner will replace Democrat John Galloway, who was elected to a judgeship.

A statue of former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is seen after its unveiling outside the NBA basketball team’s arena, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have unveiled a statue of Kobe Bryant, honoring their late superstar with a 19-foot bronze likeness outside their downtown arena. The 4,000-pound statue depicts Bryant in his white No. 8 jersey with his right index finger raised as he walked off the court following his 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006. The statue was unveiled at a ceremony attended by dozens of Lakers greats and hundreds of season ticket holders. His widow Vanessa Bryant spoke at the ceremony after remarks from owner Jeanie Buss, former teammate Derek Fisher, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and longtime Lakers coach Phil Jackson.

Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, AP Most valuable player speaks during the NFL Honors award show ahead of the Super Bowl 58 football game Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Las Vegas. The San Francisco 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 on Sunday. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Lamar Jackson was a near-unanimous choice for his second AP NFL Most Valuable Player award announced at NFL Honors on Thursday night. Christian McCaffrey ran away with the AP Offensive Player of the Year award. Myles Garrett beat out T.J. Watt for the AP Defensive Player of the Year award. C.J. Stroud won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award in a landslide. Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. won the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The Browns took home four awards. Quarterback Joe Flacco was AP Comeback Player of the Year. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski edged DeMeco Ryans for AP Coach of the Year honors by one first-place vote. Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz won the AP Assistant Coach of the Year award.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward received the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award on Thursday night at NFL Honors.

Prince Harry introduced Heyward.

“Prince freakin’ Harry,” a stunned Heyward said.

This was the sixth time the Steelers nominated Heyward for the award. He created the Heyward House Foundation that supports several initiatives in the Pittsburgh area.

“I want to say thank you to the Pittsburgh Steelers for giving me this opportunity,” Heyward said. “Mike T (Tomlin), it’s an honor to be coached by you. I couldn’t play for any other coach. To my teammates, I’m thankful to be your teammate.”

The foundation also honors his father, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, a fullback who played 11 seasons in the NFL. He died in 2006 at 39 of brain cancer.

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BOSTON (AP) — Two JetBlue planes made contact in a minor collision at Boston Logan International Airport. An airport authority spokeswoman says one plane’s wingtip touched another plane’s tail while both Airbus 321 jets were in the de-icing area. Nobody was hurt. The Federal Aviation Authority says it happened around 6:40 a.m. Thursday. Passengers on Flights 777 and 551 were moved onto other aircraft. The FAA says it all happened in an area of the tarmac controlled by JetBlue. The airline says flights to Las Vegas and Orlando will operate on other aircraft while these planes are repaired.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

A business that offered a 457B  plan outside of the established pension plan for Beaver County employees is the subject of a lawsuit brought on by the Department of Labor regarding what Beaver County Solicitor Garen Fedeles referred to as “suspicious transactions” when making the public aware of this news at Wednesday’s work session for the Beaver County Commissioners.

According to Fedeles, the former River’s Edge Wealth Management oversaw the 457B pension plans of approximately 120 current and retired County employees; elective plans that were not part of the required pension plans that County employees must participate in.

An RFP (request for proposal) is currently being drafted to find a new suitor for the 457B plans to be offered to County employees following the dissolution of River’s Edge. Fedeles stated that the RFP is due by March 1.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) takes a photograph with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13), NFL Network’s Scott Hanson, center, Kansas City Chiefs’ Chris Jones (95) and San Francisco 49ers’ Fred Warner, left, during the NFL football Super Bowl 58 opening night Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, in Las Vegas. The San Francisco 49ers will play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 Sunday. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The first Super Bowl in Las Vegas has everything the imaginary NFL scriptwriters could’ve wanted. There’s Patrick Mahomes and the underdog Kansas City Chiefs aiming to become the first repeat champions in 19 years and trying to solidify their claim to a dynasty with a third Super Bowl title in five years. There’s Brock Purdy returning from a significant injury after rising from “Mr. Irrelevant” to now lead the San Francisco 49ers to the brink of a record-tying sixth Super Bowl title that would etch his name alongside Pro Football Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young. Of course, there’s the glitz and glamour of America’s showcase city. Did we mention Taylor Swift yet?

A Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter flies during training at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. A Marine Corps helicopter, like the one pictured, that had been missing with five troops aboard as an historic storm continued drenching California was found Wednesday morning, Feb. 7, 2024, in a mountainous area outside San Diego.(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP)

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The military says five U.S. Marines aboard a helicopter that went down during stormy weather in the mountains outside of San Diego are confirmed dead. The miliary made the announcement early Thursday. Authorities say the CH-53E Super Stallion vanished late Tuesday night while returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego after training at Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas. The craft was discovered Wednesday morning near the mountain community of Pine Valley, an hour’s drive from San Diego. The names of the Marines were not immediately released. Efforts to recover the remains of the five have begun and an investigation into the crash is underway,

 

NFL football commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a Super Bowl 58 news conference, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, in Las Vegas. The San Francisco 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 on Sunday. (AP Photo/Matt York)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles will be the host team for the NFL’s first regular-season game in Brazil on Friday, Sept. 6. Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the game during his news conference at the Super Bowl site in Las Vegas on Monday. It will be the first Friday game on the NFL’s opening weekend in 54 years. The Eagles will play in Sao Paulo against an opponent to be named. The game will be played at Corinthians Arena, which was used in both the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. It will be one of five international games in 2024.

Firefighters work at the scene where two police officers were injured while responding to reported standoff in East Lansdowne, Pa., on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

EAST LANSDOWNE, Pa. (AP) — Authorities are expected to search the charred remains of a suburban Philadelphia home, a day after a shootout and fire that left two police officers wounded and at least six people unaccounted for. Officials in Delaware County say officers were called to the house in East Lansdowne on Wednesday afternoon on a report that a child had been wounded by gunfire. One officer was shot in the arm, another in the leg. District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer says both are expected to fully recover. Intense flames were seen consuming the three-story home, which was largely gutted. Stollsteimer says six to eight people may have been inside, but authorities wouldn’t be able to search until Thursday.