Automated tickets

PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike will monitor drivers’ speed in construction zones and send tickets by mail to reduce accidents.
Beginning Jan. 4, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania Turnpike will begin a 60-day pilot program to formally test what’s called the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement program. The program is designed to cause drivers to slow down in construction areas by setting up speed monitoring equipment in work areas.
After the pilot program is finished, the two state agencies expect to deploy private contractors in white Jeep Cherokee SUVs at various sites throughout the state to monitor speed beginning March 4. If the monitors detect someone going more than 11 miles an hour over the speed limit, the motorist will receive a notice by mail with a warning for the first violation, followed by a $75 fine for a second offense and $150 for each future ticket. 

Source: Jeep Cherokee watching: Pa. to start automated speed enforcement in work zones | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Somerset Job Fair

A Somerset Township department store will host a job fair from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 7 in advance of its scheduled conversion into an off-price clothing and home decor retailer, store officials said Monday.

The job fair will be held at Peebles, 1610 N. Center Ave., Somerset, which is slated to be rebranded soon as a Gordmans location. Interested candidates should apply online at gordmans.com/careers, then attend the job fair on Jan. 7. Walk-ins also are welcome, according to a press release issued by a Gordmans representative.

Stage Stores Inc., the Houston-based company that operates Peebles, Gordmans and several other retail chains, announced last year that it plans to rebrand most of its stores under the Gordmans name. 

Twenty-three Peebles stores in Pennsylvania, including the Somerset Township store, will be reopened on Feb. 18 as Gordmans locations.

Positions for which the company is looking to hire vary by location, but include store managers, assistant store managers, sales associates and stockroom associates, according to Monday’s press release.

Source: Somerset department store to host job fair | News | tribdem.com

Mingo Junction arrest

Mingo Junction, Ohio (WTRF)-
UPDATE:
One man was taken into custody yesterday after the shots fired call in Mingo Junction.
Dennis Bernardi Jr. , 20 of Mingo Junction was arrested with charges pending and public intoxication.
The call came in around 1 am in Mingo on Grandview Avenue.
Stay with 7News for updates.
ORIGINAL:
According to Jefferson County 911 police were called to Grandville Avenue in Mingo Junction after getting reports of shots fired.
Police arrived at the scene and found no activity.
7News will update this story if more details become available

• Outgoing mayor releases disciplinary letter to St. Clairsville police officer
• Dr. Dave Walker’s Evening Forecast
• Snow showers Tuesday
• Fewer law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in 2019
• North Texas church shooting sparks more discussion about ‘good guys with guns’

Source: 1 man arrested after shots fired incident in Mingo Junction | WTRF

90 Year old Murdered

 In a bygone era when guys involved in questionable business dealings sported memorable monikers such as “Egghead,” “Codfish,” “Monster” and “Snooky,” Samuel Rende was just plain Sam.

The 90-year-old Mr. Rende — who was shot to death Saturday near the same Hazelwood streets where he grew up, in what police said was a targeted killing — never had a nickname. He was a man who had long stayed out of the public eye after doing time in the 1980s for his alleged involvement in a murder-for-hire scheme.

Samuel Rende was among those charged in 1981 in the murder-for-hire slaying of Norman McGregor. He pleaded no contest in 1985 to conspiracy.

Source: 90-year-old homicide victim was once linked to contract killing | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ramen Recall

Egg recall now hits ramen product
Veggie Noodle Co. is recalling Cece’s Veggie Co. brand Fresh Veggie Ramen with Chicken Broth (11.5 oz., UPC 5228700653). The recall includes this product with all expiration dates. The recall was made because the separately packaged egg (branded Peckish) that is included with the ramen has the potential to be contaminated with listeria.

Source: Ramen joins nation's egg recall | Fox Business

Shooting of 90 Year Old

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — New details have emerged in the murder of Samuel Rende, including possible motives and bizarre details about the suspect himself.
90-year-old Samuel Rende succumbed to his injuries after being shot in the head by 27-year-old Anthony Miller yesterday. He died at 12:59 p.m. at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. Medics transported him there from his pickup truck after having been found in critical condition.

Source: Man Who Murdered 90-Year-Old Was Walking His Dog, Stole Victim’s Wedding Ring – CBS Pittsburgh

Two people are dead and another person is critically injured in Texas shooting

Two people are dead and another person is critically injured after a shooting at a church in the Tarrant County city of White Settlement, officials said. During the incident, two men died from their injuries and another man was critically injured. Fort Worth spokesman Mike Drivdahl said in a news conference that they believe the gunman is among the three but it’s unknown if he was killed or is injured.

“When White Settlement PD and White Settlement Fire Department arrived on scene, they did find a total of three patients that have been transported in critical condition. That includes who they do believe is the shooter, so that is a total of three, including the shooter, who have been transported.”

MedStar has since said the third man in critical condition died en route to the hospital but was resuscitated and is currently undergoing surgery. Two other victims were injured trying to duck and cover but have been treated and released.

Source: 2 Dead, 1 Critically Injured After Shooting At West Freeway Church Of Christ In White Settlement

Four People Stabbed In New York Basement

A knife-wielding assailant stabbed four people in a rabbi’s basement synagogue in Rockland County during a crowded Hanukkah celebration Saturday night, according to a law enforcement source.
The suspect fled the scene in a car, driving over the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan — and was promptly arrested by the NYPD  in Harlem at midnight, the source said.
He was being held early Sunday at the 32nd Precinct until State Troopers, the lead agency responding to the attack, could transport him back upstate, the source said.
One victim was left in critical condition in the attack, which happened at around 10 p.m., when a man walked into the basement synagogue in Monsey with a machete or similarly large knife and began attacking people, the source said.

Source: Multiple people stabbed at synagogue in Rockland County, New York

School buses are slipping and sliding on the roads

A surge of warm air caused parts of southern Minnesota to freeze over.

(CNN)Minnesota's known for being cold, but the southern part of the state froze over late Friday and early Saturday.

Overnight temperatures were hovering below freezing, said CNN meteorologist Gene Norman, but what was odd was that current temperatures in the state are warmer for this time of year.

"It's slightly unusual," Norman said, adding that the icing occurred because of a surge of warm air. "What's falling out of the sky, melts in a shallow layer above the ground and refreezes when it hits the ground."

So how cold is it in Minnesota? Well, it's so cold that ...

School buses are slipping and sliding on the roads

Source: Minnesota road conditions are so icy, school buses are sliding down the streets - CNN

Drive Bye Shooting

A group of men were shooting a music video when they were “basically ambushed.”

2 killed, 7 injured in drive-by shooting while filming music video: Sheriff

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9 shot in drive-by shooting while filming music video: Sheriff

Saturday, December 28, 2019 9:02AM

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Two men were killed and seven others were injured in a drive-by shooting while they were filming a music video in Texas, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

Gonzalez said a group of men were in the area filming a music video in the parking lot of a nearby business park off of I-45 N.

Ed Gonzalez

✔@SheriffEd_HCSO

Update: we are now at 9 total gunshot wound victims: 2 were confirmed deceased at scene, 1 was critical, the others remain hospitalized. Anyone with info is urged to call @CrimeStopHOU at 713-222-TIPS. https://twitter.com/sheriffed_hcso/status/1210782457634541568 …

Ed Gonzalez

✔@SheriffEd_HCSO

@HCSOTexas are at the 500 block of Smart Street, reference a drive-by shooting. Initial report indicates 4 gunshot wound victims. Of the 4, two have been confirmed at the scene and the other two are wounded. Still an active scene. Details are limited. #HouNews

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“All of a sudden, basically, they were ambushed,” he said.

A total of nine people were shot. Two men were found dead on the scene, and the others were hospitalized, some in critical condition.

Gonzalez described the victims as young Hispanic males in their 20s.

Ed Gonzalez

✔@SheriffEd_HCSO

Update: we now believe the number of gunshot victims to be at least 8. A group of Hispanic males (in their 20s) were filming a music video in the parking lot when unknown suspects possibly drove by and opened fire on the group. #HouNews https://twitter.com/sheriffed_hcso/status/1210782457634541568 …

Ed Gonzalez

✔@SheriffEd_HCSO

@HCSOTexas are at the 500 block of Smart Street, reference a drive-by shooting. Initial report indicates 4 gunshot wound victims. Of the 4, two have been confirmed at the scene and the other two are wounded. Still an active scene. Details are limited. #HouNews

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“We believe there could still be more (victims) that are injured that happened to leave the scene before we got here,” he said.

Gonzalez also said the shooters were in cars and others may have been on foot. A description of the suspects was not immediately released.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office or Houston Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-TIPS.

Source: 2 killed, 7 injured in drive-by shooting while filming music video: Sheriff | abc7chicago.com

A man wanted for a deadly double shooting arrested

PITTSBURGH — A man wanted for a deadly double shooting that occurred during a blinding snow squall earlier this month was arrested at his mother’s house in Pitcairn, police said.

You can customize your WPXI News App to receive alerts for Allegheny County news. CLICK HERE to find out how.

Investigators said Maurice Demond King, 26, of Turtle Creek, was arrested on Dec. 26. He was charged with homicide, aggravated assault, carrying a firearm without a license, tampering with evidence and other charges in connection with the double shooting on Dec. 18.

Source: Man arrested after deadly double shooting on Pittsburgh’s North Side

12 Dead In Crash

The Bek Air flight with 100 on board went down shortly after take off at the airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, on Friday morning. The plane was en route to the capital, Nursultan.

• At least 12 people were reported dead after a passenger jet crashed after takeoff from a Kazakh airport today
• The plane 'smashed through a concrete fence and then into a small building immediately after losing altitude'
• Authorities found 35 survivors with injuries.

Source: At least 15 dead when jet with 100 people on board crashes after takeoff in Kazakhstan | Daily Mail Online

Wreckage has been found

The wreckage of a Hawaii tour helicopter carrying seven people that went missing Thursday evening has been found, and crews are continuing to search for possible survivors, officials said.

The helicopter was found about 9:30 a.m. Friday in a mountainous area on the east side of the island of Kauai, authorities said. A pilot and six passengers, including two children, were on board.

Authorities said in a news release that they were sending additional resources to search for survivors.
Kauai Fire Department Battalion Chief Sol Kanoho said "no actionable information on the status of the passengers" was available during a news conference Friday afternoon.

The U.S. Coast Guard had resumed its search for the tour helicopter more than 12 hours after it vanished during a flight over the nearly uninhabited island.The helicopter had been due to arrive back at Kauai’s Na Pali coast at 5:21 p.m. local time on Thursday but never made it back. Authorities last made contact with the chopper around 4:40 p.m. when the pilot reported the tour was leaving the Waimea Canyon area, Hawaii News Now reported.The Coast Guard initially sent an MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter crew and a cutter but found no sign of the aircraft.The weather conditions in the area were considered challenging, the local news outlet reported.

Source: Wreckage of Hawaii tour helicopter carrying 7 has been found, officials say | Fox News

BY JIM MUSTIAN
Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed a state hate crimes task force to investigate the assault this week of an Orthodox Jewish man in Manhattan — the latest in a string of antisemitic attacks in the area.
“This horrific and cowardly act of antisemitism is repugnant to our values, and it’s even more despicable that it occurred over the holidays,” Cuomo said in a statement. “We have absolutely zero tolerance for bigotry and hate, and we will continue to call it out whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head.”
New York City police said the attack happened Monday morning on the Upper East Side. They said Steven Jorge, 28, of Miami, Florida, made antisemitic remarks and punched the 65-year-old man in the face with a closed fist.

Source: City and state cops investigate four antisemitic attacks in NYC in 24 hours - amNewYork

Redwood tree fell and killed a man

A huge redwood tree fell and killed a man visiting Muir Woods national monument park in California on Christmas Eve, authorities said on Thursday.
Subhradeep Dutta, 28, of Edina, Minnesota, died while walking on a marked dirt trail with two other people in the park north of San Francisco famous for its towering trees, according to the Marin county coroner’s office and a spokesman for the park.
Dutta was pinned by the trunk of the 200ft (61-meters) tree and was pronounced dead at the scene. The trunk measured more than 4ft (1.22 meters) in diameter.
A woman injured by falling debris was taken to the hospital for treatment. A man hiking with the group escaped injury.
The tree fell following a series of winter storms over the past two weeks.

Clerk Shoots Robber

• Police said two masked men entered the store in San Francisco where 56-year-old Mark Kasprowicz was working behind the counter on Sunday night 
• One of the men held Kasprowicz at gunpoint while the other went behind the counter and violently pistol-whipped him
• The store's surveillance cameras captured one of the men shoving Kasprowicz to the floor and striking him with one hand while grabbing cash from the register
• Kasprowicz could be seen bleeding from the head and cowering below 
• Kasprowicz managed to fire one shot as his attackers fled 
• One of the assailants collapsed and died about a half block from the store while the other man got away 

Source: Store clerk shoots dead an armed intruder during violent robbery | Daily Mail Online

Bing Forever

The great performer Bing Crosby reached the height of his stardom about 80 years ago, but every Christmas season, he makes a triumphant return to American radio and malls and other public places.
American tastes have drastically changed over the decades, yet our Christmas songbook has remained largely the same. With honorable exceptions — most notably Mariah Carey’s 1994 classic, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” — the most-played and most beloved Christmas songs date from the 1930s and the couple of decades after.
Everyone knows Bruce Springsteen’s energetic version of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.” He ­recorded it in 1975, but the song was written and first performed in the 1930s, making it utterly characteristic.

Source: Why great Christmas music will never die

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump spent Christmas Eve attending a service

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump spent Christmas Eve attending a service at a West Palm Beach church before dining at the president’s private club.
The Trumps were greeted by applause and cheers as they arrived to Family Church for a 6 p.m. music-filled “Candlelight Christmas Celebration.”
They were welcomed by the Southern Baptist Convention-affiliated church’s pastor, Jimmy Scroggins, and his family. They sat in the third pew.
Scroggins spoke about the birth of Jesus during his homily at the service and made a nod to the president and his family.
“There was no Secret Service. There was no motorcade. There was no gaggle of press,” he said.
After the service, the Trumps went to Mar-a-Lago for Christmas Eve Dinner. At his club, the president was asked by a reporter if he prayed for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the service.
Trump didn’t respond, but said, “We’re going to have a great year.”
Inside the ballroom, Trump was spotted briefly chatting with famed attorney Alan Dershowitz.
Dershowitz, a constitutional scholar, has reportedly been eyed by Trump advisers as a possible addition to the president’s impeachment team.
FILED UNDER ALAN DERSHOWITZ ,  CHRISTMAS ,  CHURCH ,  DONALD TRUMP

Source: Trump and Melania attend Christmas Eve church service before Mar-a-Lago dinner

Three adults are dead and four children were rescued

Three adults are dead and four children were rescued after a Christmas Eve murder-suicide at a home in Florida.

The Lakeland Police Department responded to a report of a shooting after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday evening and officers found the four children, all under 10 years old, unharmed inside the house and transported them to the police station, spokeswoman Robin Tillet told CBS 10 News.

Source: 3 adults dead, 4 children rescued after Florida murder-suicide - New York Daily News

Hard Boiled Egg Recall

Multiple brands of products that include hard-boiled eggs are under nationwide recall following an alert last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about a deadly outbreak of listeria. At least seven people in five states have gotten sick, including one who died in Texas.The eggs from Almark Foods of Gainesville, Ga., were sent to foodservice operators nationwide.  Almark says it has temporarily suspended all production at its Gainesville plant.

Source: Check your fridge: 88 egg products under recall after deadly listeria outbreak | WPMT FOX43

A Steubenville church is preparing to feed hundreds of people on Christmas Day.

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — A Steubenville church is preparing to feed hundreds of people on Christmas Day.
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church will have its 9th annual lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For the last several days, church members have been preparing the food after community members donated money.

 

The lunch will be held in the church basement. Last year they had nearly 700 people come out.

"Steubenville is a really fantastic city. Many of you know we have a large festival in the summertime. This is our way to not only say thank you to the whole city, but to show you our love and the love of Christ," said Rev. Matthew Moore.

The church will also be delivering food to shut-ins. All they need to do is call the church.

Source: Steubenville church preparing to feed hundreds for Christmas | WTOV

An Uber driver fired a shot at robbery suspect

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – An Uber driver fired a shot in self-defense when he said four of his passengers assaulted him.

Pittsburgh Police say they responded to a report of an assault on the 300 block of Crafton Avenue around 2 a.m. Tuesday morning.

When they arrived, they met an Uber driver who told police he was assaulted by four men who were passengers in the car.

Lindsay Ward@LindsayWardTV

BREAKING: Details just released from @PghPolice on a shooting in Oakland. They say a male Uber driver was assaulted by 4 male passengers. The driver shot in self defense. The bullet grazed a passenger. More on @PittsburghsCW @KDKA

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Police say the driver claimed he shot in self-defense, with his shot grazing a suspect in the head. That suspect was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

The other passengers ran, but police say they were later arrested on robbery charges.

Uber says its firearms policy prohibits “riders and their guests, as well as driver and delivery partners, from carrying firearms of any kind while using our app.”

Police are investigating.

Source: Pittsburgh Police: Uber Driver Shoots After Being Assaulted By 4 Male Passengers – CBS Pittsburgh