Police are investigating a head on crash in Franklin Township that killed a New Castle man and sent a woman to the hospital. The accident happened early yesterday morning on Route 422 when a 24-year-old Cassandra Clyde of Fombell crossed the center line and struck a vehicle being driven by 65-year-old James Barge. The woman was taken to Allegheny General Hospital with serious injuries and Barge died at the scene. Police say the woman may face charges.
Beaver County investigators are asking for help in finding a missing Aliquippa woman who has been missing since last October. The woman is 24-year-old Ri’Kiah Griffie who was last seen on October 11th. Investigators say they have followed several leads but none of them have helped them get any closer to finding Griffie. Anyone with information about Griffie’s whereabouts is asked to contact police.
Police in Neshannock Township are warning residents about a recent spike with vehicle break-ins in the Township. Police said the break-ins are taking place in public parking areas and recreational facilities. The suspects are smashing the vehicle windows to gain access to the valuables. Police are urging residents to not to keep valuables in your car.
House Minority leader Bryan Cutler is leading his fellow Republicans in introducing a new platform called “The Keystone Commitment.” Their plan unveiled earlier this week includes priorities of boosting the economy, making communities safe and affordable, and family-focused education. Cutler says the priorities of House Democrats, who hold a majority in the House, don’t reflect Republican values so they wanted to emphasize their own set of goals.
Pennsylvania’s junior senator says he’s now “feeling fantastic” after being treated for clinical depression in February. He tells KDKA-TV in an interview that aired Tuesday that he’s fully capable of serving in Congress. He said his depression is in remission and that he’s “just so grateful to be feeling great.” Fetterman, who also suffered a stroke last fall while campaigning, says the political attacks against him also may have contributed to the depression. The research group OpenSecrets says outside interest groups aired 84-million-dollars’ worth of attack ads against him.
Pennsylvania State Police recruiters are reportedly trying to recruit more women. In a recent meeting with police academy leaders in Hershey, First Lady Lori Shapiro stressed the importance of a more diverse police force. She says the state police force was the first in the country to fully integrate women into its regular command and they “need to build on that legacy.” Fewer than ten percent of the state’s four-thousand troopers are women. Leaders with the state police force say they’re also focusing on diversity as they try to fill vacancies.
Nurse practitioners have been rallying at the state capital for greater independence in their practicing collaboration agreements with doctors. Advocates want NPs to have full practice authority to see patients that they say would fill a gap in providing primary care. Senate Bill 25 would eliminate the requirement to have a physician agreement to work independently. Under the proposal, certified NPs would qualify to do so after working under a collaboration agreement for three years -roughly 36-hundred hours. The main opposition to allowing that comes from the Pennsylvania Medical Society, which represents doctors.
The Westmoreland County D.A.’s office has decided not to file charges of homicide by vehicle against a state police officer involved in a fatal accident last summer. Off-duty Trooper Tyler Strini rear-ended Glassport volunteer firefighter John Farally Sr. in August of last year in Salem Township. Farally suffered fatal injuries in the crash. Traffic citations including careless and reckless driving were announced this week against Strini. District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli says the evidence does not support a charge of homicide by vehicle.
Legislation regarding a vote on the Fairness Act is now headed to the Republican-controlled state Senate. The legislation would ban discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. It would also allow anyone in the Commonwealth to file complaints with the state Human Relations Commission. The bill narrowly cleared the Democratic-controlled state House earlier this week on a vote of 102 to 98.