State Police in Lawrence County continue to investigate a homicide in Perry Township from Saturday morning. Troopers responded to a report of a vehicle over a hillside along River Road near Butler Avenue just before 3:30 AM on Saturday. Emergency repsonders found 39 year old Julie Anne Wegmiller inside a pick-up truck dead from an apparent gunshot wound. Her husband, 40-year-old Edwin Fran Wegmiller Jr., was found outside of the vehicle also with gunshot wounds but still alive. Wegmiller Jr. was taken to UPMC Cranberry Hospital then flown by helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital where he remains in critical condition.
Pennsylvania student loan borrowers have to start making payments again today. Education Department officials confirm the Biden administration is moving ahead with plans to resume collecting payments in October. The resumption comes after a loans were put on hold for more than three years during and after the COVID pandemic. Pennsylvania has more than one-point-eight-five-million federal student loan borrowers who owe a collective 67-billion dollars.
The state House has approved a bill that would loosen restrictions on the number of days schools must be open in a year. House Bill 1507 will allow local school leaders to decide whether the school year should be 180 days or whether the district year can be considered completed once schools have been in session for 990 hours. The measure passed unanimously with 202 lawmakers approving.
The American Red Cross is recognizing a security worker at PNC Park for his life-saving actions. Officials say Patrick Benedict was able to get a piece of hot dog dislodged from a co-worker’s wind pipe at the stadium in June. Pennsylvania Red Cross CEO Jorge Martinez gave Benedict their Lifesaving Award during the Pirates game this past Friday. The award is the highest civilian honor that the organization hands out.
The family of the Karns City High School quarterback who collapsed on the field a month ago is sharing an update on his condition. Mason Martin’s parents say he is still unconscious but is making progress on reacting to sound and touch. They add that he is now able to spend less time on a ventilator. He suffered a brain injury and a collapsed lung during a game on September 1st.
— Union members are expected to ratify terms of a new labor agreement with the Duquesne Light Company this week. The energy company and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 29 reached a new 3-year deal on Friday avoiding a possible strike that could have begun this past weekend. A spokesperson for the union thanked all involved in the negotiation for working around the clock to avoid a strike.
Some Pittsburgh companies are focusing on self-driving trucks as they look to advance the development of autonomous vehicles. Stack AV is seeking space in the Strip District as they shift from work on passenger cars to commercial truck research. Aurora Innovation has come up with more than 800-million dollars that they plan to invest in a self-driving truck program. Officials with Aurora say they believe their technology will be able to make the transportation of products safer over time.
Youngstown police are investigating the death of a one-year-old child found Friday in a home swimming pool. Police say the little girl had been in the care of a babysitter. No arrests have been made.
A House Democratic lawmaker is pushing legislation that would end exemptions to indoor smoking bans. Health Committee Majority Chairman Dan Frankel has held a public hearing on House Bill 1657, which would end the exemption for casinos, bars and private clubs due to the state’s Clean Indoor Air Act of 2008. His proposal would also expand the definition of smoking to add e-cigarettes. The measure would allow smoking only in personal residences, outdoor spaces and vehicles as long as they’re not used for daycare services.
The number of hospitalizations for COVID has increased in many counties in the region. CDC figures on 14-day changes showing the number of people going in for treatment rose 68 percent in Lehigh County. There’s been a 32-percent increase for Northampton County. Data is reported by each hospital to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and includes confirmed and suspected adult and pediatric patients.