Authorities are investigating after a person was struck by a train Tuesday morning in Beaver County. It happened in Big Beaver Borough and there has been no word on the victim’s condition. The identity of that person has not been released.
Pennsylvania’s Republican Congressmen are voicing support for former President Donald Trump following his indictment on federal criminal charges. U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly doubled down on his belief in the former president Tuesday, tweeting “Where’s the outrage, American?” The former president pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday in federal court in Miami. Pennsylvania Representatives Glenn Thompson and Guy Reschenthaler also say they oppose Trump’s indictment, saying the political maneuverings in the case exclude due process and the former president’s rights under the law.
Pennsylvania’s House lawmakers have passed a measure that will get rid of two taxes on cell phone service. It would eliminate sales tax and the gross receipts tax, a move Governor Josh Shapiro had said would save Pennsylvanians 124-million dollars a year. Republicans who opposed the bill say that over time, any savings to consumers will be offset by proposed increases in the state’s 911 surcharge. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Researchers have created robots that could help with Pennsylvania’s Spotted Lanternfly infestation. Leaders at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute say their autonomous robots use an all-electric tractor, a robotic arm, and computer vision to detect and destroy the bugs’ egg masses in fields and forests. It identifies them and scrapes them off surfaces. Officials say the insects have the potential to cost the state economy as much as 300-million-dollars each year for destruction of economically important crops that include apples, grapes, hops, walnuts, and some hardwood trees.
Local officials may be disbanding the Evans City-Seven Fields Police Department. Chief Joe McCombs says the agency is down to only two officers, himself and a sergeant. WPXI-TV reports Seven Hills leaders are in talks with two neighboring police departments, one of which they plan to form another partnership with this summer. Chief McCombs says state police have been responding to calls in the area but other nearby agencies have helped when troopers were unavailable.
Jurors in the trial of Robert Bowers on Tuesday were presented with more witness testimony concerning the defendant’s social media activity. Bowers is accused of killing 11 people in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in October of 2018. An FBI analyst called to the stand by prosecutors yesterday read hundred of messages posted by the defendant on the social media platform Gab-dot-com with many of them having been posted in the week before the shooting. In his testimony, analyst Evan Browne told jurors that Bowers’ messages included the word ‘Jews’ more than 150 times and a slur for the word ‘Jews’ nearly 90 times.
Western Pennsylvania shoppers might want to check their kitchen for packages of frozen fruit that are now the subject of a recall. The Willamette Valley Fruit Company of Oregon is recalling select packages of frozen sliced strawberries, mixed fruit, and an antioxidant fruit blend sold under the Great Value brand at Walmart stores in Pennsylvania and more than 30 other states. The fruit company says there are concerns about possible hepatitis A contamination though no illnesses have been reported from the affected products. The products were sold between January 24th and June 8th of this year. More info on the recall can be found at fda.gov/food.
Eric G. Olshan was sworn in Monday as the 60th U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, Olshan served as the chief of the Economic/Cyber/National Security Crimes Section. He joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2017, focusing primarily on white-collar prosecution.