Bon

Trump threatened to withhold aid from Pa. as the coronavirus surges. Here’s what you need to know. By Spotlight PA | For PennLive.com Updated 6:37 AM; Today 5:00 AM At a campaign rally, President Donald Trump criticized Gov. Tom Wolf for his coronavirus restrictions and implied he might withhold aid in the future. (TIM TAI / Philadelphia Inquirer) Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. By Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA HARRISBURG — In a precarious position in the polls and with his focus fixed on the swing state of Pennsylvania, President Donald Trump has had no shortage of criticisms — many of them rooted in falsehoods — for Gov. Tom Wolf. Most recently, at a campaign rally, Trump criticized Wolf for his coronavirus restrictions and implied he might withhold federal disaster aid in the future. “I’ll remember it, Tom. I’m going to remember it, Tom,” Trump said before doing an impersonation of Wolf, holding his hand to his ear like a phone. “'Hello, Mr. President, this is Governor Wolf. I need help. I need help.' You know what, these people are bad.” U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., called the president’s comments outrageous. The governor’s press secretary said Trump was threatening everyone in the state. Pennsylvania Republican lawmakers largely kept quiet. So how worried should Pennsylvania residents be about possible retribution? The president’s statements aimed at Wolf are part of a pattern that politicizes the government’s disaster response, said Jeff Schlegelmilch, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. Earlier this month, shortly after the president wrote on Twitter that “California is going to hell. Vote Trump!”, his administration rejected a disaster declaration for the state’s wildfires. Less than two days later and facing criticism, Trump reversed course and approved California’s request, even before the state could go through the appeals process. “This kind of signaling from the administration, whether or not it plays out in the actual implementation of assistance, erodes trust in the very systems that are designed to be there when people need it most,” Schlegelmilch said. Pennsylvania receives tens of billions of dollars each year in federal funding, but most of that is driven by formulas and reimbursements set in law. But when disaster strikes, states often appeal to the federal government for more money, and the president has the power to approve or deny those requests. If approved, the Federal Emergency Management Agency picks up at least 75% of the cost for disaster response like restoring roads, removing debris, providing shelter, and supplying food, water, and medical supplies. “The president isn’t threatening the governor, he is threatening all citizens of the commonwealth by withholding federal aid,” said Lyndsay Kensinger, the governor’s spokesperson. “This type of behavior is amoral and unethical.” Wolf is still waiting to hear whether Trump will approve another disaster declaration, which he requested on Oct. 5. in response to more than $27.6 million in estimated damage that Tropical Storm Isaias caused in Philadelphia, its suburbs, and a few other counties in the eastern part of the state. Such requests can take weeks or even months to process. The clash is the latest between the Democratic governor who won the state by 17 percentage points two years ago and the Republican president whose odds of re-election greatly rely on another victory in Pennsylvania. Trump’s comments came three days after Pennsylvania set a new daily record for confirmed coronavirus cases, a record that was broken again on Tuesday. Hospitalizations in the state are also rising at their fastest pace in months, and officials are increasingly concerned about the extent of a “fall resurgence.” “The president isn’t threatening the governor, he is threatening all citizens of the commonwealth by withholding federal aid,” a spokesperson for Gov. Tom Wolf said. In the early months of the pandemic, Wolf largely avoided criticizing the president, even as Trump wrote on Twitter that the “great people of Pennsylvania want their freedom now.” But in September, Wolf said the president was putting people’s lives at risk by hosting campaign rallies that violate the state’s guidance for gathering limits, mask orders, and social distancing. During a Lehigh Valley rally Monday, the president went after Wolf, blaming the governor for shutting the campaign out of a venue on short notice — which the Wolf administration disputes, and the president and his campaign offered no evidence to support. Trump accused Wolf of keeping the “whole commonwealth shut down” to hurt the president’s re-election, which is untrue. Wolf has lifted the stay-at-home orders and many of the business restrictions he put in place this spring in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Other restrictions remain for indoor and outdoor events, as well as bars and restaurants, though Wolf has loosened them over time. The president also questioned the voting process in Pennsylvania and referred to Wolf “as the governor that counts the ballots” and said he would watch him “very closely.” Wolf later noted that each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties are responsible for counting ballots. Casey, the state’s Democratic senator, said it was “outrageous for President Trump to threaten to withhold funding from Pennsylvanians during a global pandemic.” Spokespeople for Democrats in the state House and Senate blasted the president’s comments, as well. Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey’s office did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did a spokesperson for the House Republican caucus in Harrisburg. A spokesperson for Senate Republicans said they “aren’t interested in getting into hypotheticals.” Nathan Benefield, vice president and chief operating officer of the conservative Commonwealth Foundation, criticized Wolf when the governor withheld federal money from a county earlier this year. But he dismissed concerns over Trump’s comments, saying the president appeared to be “riffing” at a rally. Schlegelmilch, of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, said some people have had suspicions during past administrations about the role of politics and whether swing states and swing counties were more likely to receive federal disaster aid. But he said that hasn’t been a mainstream concern until the Trump administration. A 2019 study from University of Michigan researchers found “the federal government responded on a larger scale and much more quickly” to hurricanes in Texas and Florida, compared to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. For the coronavirus, Schlegelmilch said the Trump administration hasn’t done enough to help states. But he thought FEMA and other agencies have taken an objective approach to distributing the aid that is available. The Trump administration approved a disaster declaration for Pennsylvania in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The state expects to receive about $29.7 million in disaster relief through FEMA’s Public Assistance program. That’s a small fraction of the billions Congress and the Trump administration have sent to Pennsylvania through the CARES Act and enhanced unemployment payments. Wolf and the bipartisan National Governors Association have urged Congress and the president to pass another massive relief package. During an interview on MSNBC on Tuesday, Wolf defended the state’s approach to the coronavirus — and took a shot at Trump’s re-election chances. “He really has to take Pennsylvania and evidently doesn’t feel very good about it,” Wolf said. “So he has been here numerous times and is picking on a couple people here, including me.”

BREAKING NEWS: Several Homes Evacuated After House Explosion in Rimersburg RIMERSBURG BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – Emergency personnel from nine area fire companies are currently at the scene of an explosion that occurred at a residence in Rimersburg Borough this morning. According to a representative of Clarion County 9-1-1, the explosion was reported around 8:03 a.m. at 448 Chestnut Street. Rimersburg Hose Company, Sligo Volunteer Fire Department, New Bethlehem Fire Company 1, East Brady Volunteer Fire Department, Perry Township Fire Department, Callensburg Volunteer Fire Department, Parker City Volunteer Fire Department, Distant Area Volunteer Fire Department, and Sugarcreek TownshipVolunteer Fire Department were dispatched to the scene, along with Southern Southern Clarion County Ambulance Service and New Bethlehem Police Department. Representatives from Columbia Gas and West Penn Power also responded to the scene. It is not known if anyone was home at the time of the explosion and if any injuries occurred. The explosion was reportedly gas-related. Officials say a two-block radius around the scene of the explosion, including Cherry Run Estates, has been evacuated. No additional details are available at this time. Crews remain at the scene as of 9:50 a.m. (Stay with EXPLORE for continuous coverage of this Breaking News story.)

I would at least give $500 to my friend!!

Central Pa. miner’s death ruled accidental: coroner By Jenna Wise | jwise@pennlive.com Updated Oct 28, 2020; Posted Oct 28, 2020 A 37-year-old man involved in a Tuesday evening mining accident died of traumatic asphyxia, the Dauphin County coroner said. Daniel F. Shoener, of Donaldson, Schuylkill County, was 1000 feet underground working at a Williamstown mine on Mountainside Road and Colliery Road in Porter Township when a rock fell on him around 12:30 p.m., according to Pennsylvania State Police. Rescue crews were able to get Shoener out of the mine, but he died of his injuries. The coroner’s office ruled Shoener’s death as accidental. The mine is technically in Schuylkill County, it is about 100 feet from the Dauphin County line. A neighbor told PennLive he couldn’t remember any mining accidents at the mine in the last 20 years.

San Francisco passes CAREN Act to criminalize phony 911 calls based on race by ABC NewsOctober 27, 2020 By IVAN PEREIRA, ABC News (SAN FRANCISCO) — San Francisco leaders voted to crack down on so-called “Karens” who use 911 calls to discriminate against minorities. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the Caution Against Racially and Exploitative Non-Emergencies, or CAREN, Act on Tuesday, which amends the city’s police code and allows anyone harmed by such calls to sue. The bill, nicknamed for the slang term given to people who make the baseless calls, means violators would be liable in court to general damages of at least $1,000 plus costs and attorney’s fees, and punitive damages. Supervisor Shamann Walton, who introduced the bill in July, said in a statement that the act should make residents think twice before calling the police on their Black or minority neighbors over a non-emergency. “Rather than calling the police or law enforcement on your neighbor, or someone who you think doesn’t look like they should be your neighbor, try talking to them and getting to know them. Let’s build relationships in our communities,” he said in a statement. The act expands the city’s definition of a protected class “to prevent false emergency calls with the specific intent to discriminate against a person or otherwise infringe the person’s rights or cause the person specified harms on the basis of the person’s race, color, ancestry, national origin, place of birth, sex, age, religion, creed, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, weight, or height.” Mayor London Breed has said she supports the bill, which would go into law 30 days after it’s signed. The false reports have gained more attention in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd and the racial reckoning it prompted in the U.S. One of the most prominent cases came in May when a woman in New York’s Central Park called police on a birdwatcher who had asked her to put her dog on a leash. She claimed an “African American man” was threatening her and “tried to assault her” — neither of which was true. She is expected to plead guilty to falsely reporting an incident at a court date next month. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed a similar bill into law Tuesday. The bill, HB 5098, expands the state’s definition of hate crimes to include “false 911 calls or reports to law enforcement against another person made on the basis of race, religious conviction, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, or national origin.”

Elk Season Right Around the Corner HARRISBURG, Pa. – Coming off the heels of an unforgettable archery-only elk hunt when 21 of 26 bowhunters – and all 10 who hunted bulls – harvested elk, the 104 general season elk license holders, 26 for bulls and 78 for antlerless, are primed for one of the most exciting hunting adventures in the Keystone State. (Photo courtesy of Dave Cyphert of ProPoint Media Photography) The general elk season begins Monday, Nov. 2 and ends Saturday, Nov. 7. Elk licenses for the general season have been allocated in 12 Elk Hunt Zones, geographic elk-management units dispersed throughout the northcentral Pennsylvania elk range. Maps of the zones can be found on the elk page at www.pgc.pa.gov. Many other hunting seasons, including archery deer and bear, and most small game and turkey seasons, occur simultaneous to the general elk season. Hunters participating in the general elk season, in which firearms are permitted, must wear, at all times, 250 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange material on the head, chest, and back combined, visible 360 degrees. A successful hunter must attach the tag that comes with a license to the ear of an elk immediately after harvest and before the carcass is moved. In addition, within 24 hours, each hunter who harvests an elk must take it, along with his or her hunting license and elk license, to the Game Commission check station, where samples are collected to test for Chronic Wasting Disease, brucellosis and tuberculosis. The elk check station remains open to the public, but spectators should follow COVID-19 guidelines including social-distancing and the use of face-coverings. The check station is located at the Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette, hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day of the season. Following completion of the general elk season, one more opportunity exists for Pennsylvania elk hunters. Thirty-four hunters will participate in the antlerless elk-only late season that runs from Jan. 2 through Jan. 9, 2021. Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans thanked all who participated in Pennsylvania’s annual elk-license drawing, and wished good luck to those hunters who were drawn for 2020-21 elk licenses. “Pennsylvania’s world-class elk provide hunters a one-of-a-kind – and often once-in-a-lifetime – opportunity to experience thrills like none other in Penn’s Woods, but it all starts with submitting an application before the July 31 deadline each year,” Burhans said. “Those hunters who did so this year and were lucky enough to be drawn for a license all will have unforgettable hunts, and I wish them all success.”

Traffic Accident On Million Dollar Highway Near Greenbriar Road State Police investigated an accident on the Million Dollar Highway in Fox Township. David McCarren, 51, was traveling south when it left the right side of the road. The vehicle hit the embankment and went airborne for about 35 yards before nose diving into a field. McCarren and a passenger, a 3 year old female, were transported to Penn Highlands Elk for treatment of injuries

Must of been because his “future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades“ 😳🙄😬💀😎

Central Pa. man dies in mining accident: police By Becky Metrick | bmetrick@pennlive.com Updated 7:45 PM; Today 6:22 PM A Schuylkill County man died after being hit and trapped by a falling rock at the Williamstown mine on Tuesday afternoon, according to state police. Daniel Frank Shoener, 37, of Donaldson, was 1000 feet underground working at the mine on Mountainside Road and Colliery Road in Porter Township when the rock fell around 12:30 p.m., police said. Despite rescue crews being able to get Shoener out, he had suffered blunt force trauma and died from his injuries, police said. Police are calling it an accidental death; however, the Dauphin County Coroner’s office has not released a statement as of Tuesday evening. Williamstown Mine #1 is a coal mine operated by Kimmel’s Mining, Inc., according to MinesDatabase.com. Media was asked to stay about a mile and a half down the road from the accident scene for the duration of the investigation. The main road to the mine is surrounded by homes and is only a few blocks from the main road that cuts through Williamstown. While police said the mine is technically in Schuylkill County, it is about 100 feet from the Dauphin County line. One neighbor said he didn’t remember any mining accidents at this mine in the last 20 years. The Mine Safety and Health Administration, Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Bureau of Mine Safety and Life Team EMS all assisted in the rescue and investigation.

Crews, coroner responding to mining accident in Williamstown By Becky Metrick | bmetrick@pennlive.com Updated 7:45 PM; Today 4:07 PM Fire police at the intersection of Broad Street and Ray/Colliery roads in Williamstown. A mining accident was reported early Tuesday afternoon. Photo by Mark Pynes Update: Central Pa. man dies in mining accident: police Crews are responding to a mining accident Tuesday afternoon in Williamstown, Dauphin County, fire police said. The mine, called Williamstown Mine #1, is a coal mine operated by Kimmel’s Mining, Inc., according to minesdatabase.com. A member of local fire police was keeping media about a mile and a half away from the scene as of 3:30 p.m. The Dauphin County coroner’s office confirmed that it has sent someone to the scene of the incident. Neighbors in the area said they heard loud booms around 1:30 p.m. No additional information was immediately available.

Why would you take a human skull that you found & put it on display? I would be calling 911, if reception is available by the skull.

Missing man’s skull discovered on Tennessee resident’s fireplace mantle By Linda Hasco | lhasco@pennlive.com Updated 5:42 PM; Today 11:09 AM Human skull model. (Photo credit: Pexels.com)Pexels.com A human skull sporting sunglasses, discovered on a Tennessee resident’s fireplace mantle, has been positively identified. According to a Facebook post by District Attorney General Russell Johnson, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office was informed that through DNA testing, the skull, which sat on the fireplace mantle for more than a year, has been found to be that of a man missing in Morgan County, Tennessee since 2012. The Facebook post said that a person found the human skull in the Gobey area of Morgan County, allegedly in March 2019. It was subsequently placed on a fireplace mantle, where it remained until someone notified the Sheriff’s Office, the post said. According to Johnson’s Facebook post, the skull, which was retrieved by the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, was sent for testing. Using DNA from family members of Junior Willie McCann, who had been missing since September 2012, Knox County Regional Forensics Center and the University of Tennessee Department of Anthropology made a positive identification, the post said. Investigators carried out an “extensive search” of the area where the man supposedly found the skull, but no additional remains were found, the post said. “Speculation and rumor has been that Junior Willie McCann was possibly killed by a family member who is now deceased as well,” Johnson wrote in the Facebook post. Morgan County Sheriff Wayne Potter urges anyone with information related to Junior Willie McCann, or other persons who remain missing, to contact the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office at (423) 346-6262, the post cited

I miss the show

Faith drank 3 bottles between getting home & going to bed yesterday no problem at all!!

What statue? The one that used to be between the east & west lane In Driftwood? It’s still standing where they moved it.