Wind Causes Blackouts
Northwest PA – At press time this morning, thousands of households in Northwest Pennsylvania and Northeast Ohio are without electricity due to high winds causing disruptions by knocking trees and branches into powerlines. First Energy, the parent company of the region’s largest power provider Penelec, has not been able to estimate when service can be restored to more than 10,000 households in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, mainly in Erie and Ashtabula Counties. Northwestern REC reports 2,766 power outages, more than half of which are in Erie County. Drivers should give themselves extra time for their morning commute, PennDOT and many townships have also recorded a number of road closures due to trees and branches on roadways.
Jimmy Carter Dies at 100
Washington, D.C. – Flags across the nation are being raised at half-staff for one month in honor of former United States President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at his home in Plains Georgia on Sunday. The 39th President of the United States had been in at-home hospice care for nearly two years when he died at the age of 100. Carter was perhaps better known for his successful humanitarian efforts than for his time as President. President Joe Biden has scheduled Carter for a funeral to be held in state on January 9th which is also a national day of mourning.
Man Shoots Brother, Claims Self-Defense
Butler – A 22-year-old Butler County man was arrested on Christmas Eve after shooting his own brother with a .38 caliber handgun. Logan Rapsinki is charged with attempted homicide and first and second degree felonies for the Christmas Eve shooting of his older brother. Rapsinski claims that he was acting in self-defense after his 27-year-old brother tracked him down when he left the family gathering in an agitated state last Tuesday. The victim was shot one time in the groin from a short distance away.
Man Hospitalized After Hit & Run
Erie – Police in Erie are investigating a hit-and-run incident that left a 70-year-old man hospitalized in critical condition on Saturday night. Around 11:20 p.m. at night Erie PD was alerted to a pedestrian hit by a vehicle at the intersection of Ash and 15th streets on Saturday the 28th. At press time, police have not produced information about the vehicle that hit the victim, whose identity is currently being protected. He is in intensive care at UPMC Hamot.
Sharon Hospital Closes in 7 Days
Sharon – The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas has agreed to allow Sharon Regional Medical Center to close its doors for good, in exactly one week on January 6th. Judge Christopher Lopez agreed to allow Stewart Medical Holdings to close the hospital as part of bankruptcy proceedings on Friday. Around 700 employees at the Hospital will be unemployed, but federal law will require them to be paid in full until Valentine’s Day. Stewart asked for the closure in mid-December as soon as negotiations to sell the hospital to Meadville Medical Center failed.