UNDATED (AP) – A new lawsuit aimed at reshaping Pennsylvania’s congressional districts before the 2018 midterm election is speeding toward trial. A federal lawsuit filed earlier this month alleges that majority Republicans in the state Legislature drew congressional maps that give the GOP an unconstitutional partisan advantage at election time.
Republicans won 13 of 18 congressional seats in the 2014 and 2016 elections despite earning a little over 50 percent of the vote. The judge in the case says he wants to proceed quickly, scheduling trial for Dec. 5. Even with the compressed timeline, though, it’s unclear whether the case will be resolved in time for the spring primary. The Republicans say their maps are lawful. Pennsylvania is considered to be one of the most gerrymandered states.
MONONGAHELA, Pa. (AP) — A western Pennsylvania historical society has canceled a second round of historical tours combined with spooky tales at a cemetery following complaints from relatives of those buried there that the activity was disrespectful. The Monongahela Area Historical Society announced Thursday night on Facebook that the Oct. 20 and Oct. 27 tours of Mt. Zion Cemetery in Nottingham Township had been canceled. Society president Susan Bowers declined comment beyond the Facebook post.
Melissa Haywood Young of Finleyville, who has family members buried at Mt. Zion, commended the society for what she called “compassion and cooperation in canceling this ill-conceived event.” Monongahela Cemetery earlier rejected proposed tours and the Monongahela Ministerial Association also complained before the tours were relocated to Mt. Zion.
HAZLETON, Pa. (AP) — Like other students in her Visual Arts III class, Hazleton Area High School junior Abby Vardner was used to creating art on paper. So when instructor Angela Glowatch mentioned that her students would be painting a PennDOT snow plow blade for a public safety campaign and contest, Vardner couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “I wasn’t sure what to expect until I actually saw it,” Vardner said of the plow. “It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be.”
As part of its “Paint the Plow” public awareness campaign, PennDOT asked high school students to design plow blades with artwork based on the theme of “Winter Driving Safety.” Motorists who see the plows will be reminded to be cautious while driving during wintry conditions. PennDOT delivered the snow plow blades to participating schools in August. “We began with just drawing and sketching based on the theme,” said Vardner, 17. From the designs, the class voted to include snowmen, penguins and cars. They’re also including the message of “Ice and Snow, Take it Slow.”
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Features
NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for President Donald Trump say a judge should reject a lawsuit challenging Trump’s ability to block his critics from following him on Twitter. The lawyers filed papers late Friday to try to put an end to a Manhattan federal court lawsuit that makes First Amendment claims. They say Trump’s Twitter feed, which has more than 40 million followers, is not state action.
The lawsuit was filed in July by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and seven people rejected by Trump after criticizing the president. Jameel Jaffer, the institute’s director, said Trump’s lawyers were wrong in their legal analysis. He said in a statement Saturday that the president is not above the law. The lawsuit claims Trump’s decision to block some individuals was a viewpoint-based restriction.
FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) — A former school board member in South Carolina has apologized for sending an email where he called African-American board members “darkies.” But one black Florence School District One member says that is not enough and he wants a state and federal investigation into possible discrimination. Glenn Odom sent the email to a district employee in August asking for a ride and also asking her not to “send it to the darkies.”
Odom resigned Oct. 2, and the Morning News of Florence reported he apologized during a prayer gathering Friday, saying he was brought up to respect all people. Board member Alexis Pipkins Sr. is still upset. He says African-American board members weren’t told about the email for a month and that’s why he wants the district’s emails reviewed.
DENISON, Texas (AP) — A worker at a popular Texas-based fast food chain has been fired after refusing to serve two police officers. Denison Police Chief Jay Burch says in a Facebook post that his officers were trying to get something to eat at the Whataburger early Saturday when an unidentified female employee declined to serve them. Burch says the employee cursed at the North Texas officers and alleged “cops beat up my boyfriend and are racists.”
Burch didn’t identify the restaurant. But in a statement, Whataburger corporate communications said Saturday it discovered “an individual employee acted out of line with Whataburger’s values to treat all customers with respect.” Whataburger says the employee was fired and the company plans to speak with the officers “to apologize in person and make this right.”
MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) — A university in Michigan is offering an unusual degree — in marijuana. The Detroit Free Press reports that the university began its four-year medicinal plant chemistry degree this semester, with about a dozen students in the first class. Northern Michigan’s program combines chemistry, biology, botany, horticulture, marketing and finance to offer a four-year degree.
Brandon Canfield is an associate chemistry professor at the university in Marquette. He says students don’t grow marijuana plants in the program, but instead look to other plants that are traditionally recognized with medicinal value, but are legal to grow. University officials say the program fills a need because 29 states have legalized medical marijuana, including eight states where marijuana is also legal for recreational use.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been revoked by its board. The decision was reached Saturday in an emergency session. It comes after recent reports by The New York Times and The New Yorker that revealed sexual harassment and rape allegations against Weinstein going back decades. The move by the Academy is virtually unprecedented.
The Academy is the world’s top movie organization and is home to the Oscars. In a brief statement, the Academy said it sends a message that “sexually predatory behavior” in the film industry is over. Weinstein was ousted a week ago from The Weinstein Co., the movie and TV production company he co-founded and which now is struggling to survive this scandal. He has denied the accusations.
BERLIN (AP) — A Cistercian monastery that’s existed for almost 900 years in what is now western Germany is closing down for good, due to a shortage of monks. The Himmerod Abbey, founded in 1134 by the French abbot Bernard of Clairvaux, had just six resident monks before the closure that was decided this week, down from about 30 monks in the 1970s.
German news agency dpa on Saturday quoted the monastery’s head, Abbot Johannes, as saying the financial situation and especially the small number of monks had played a key role in the decision. The monastery’s property, near the village of Grosslittgen, will be transferred to the Catholic diocese of Trier, while the six monks will move to other monasteries. It was not clear what would happen to the monastery’s other staff.
LACONIA, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire city is celebrating a pumpkin festival known for its record-setting jack-o-lanterns three years after violence forced its cancellation. Organizers of the Pumpkin Festival on Saturday night will try to break the world record number of illuminated jack-o-lanterns. Keene had hosted the October event since 1991, but violence in 2014 prompted the City Council to reject the festival’s permit.
Police used tear gas to control crowds during disturbances near Keene State College. More than 170 students were disciplined and several dozen were injured. The festival has been held in Laconia since 2015. The festival had been a family friendly event for more than 20 years and broken world records for most lit jack-o-lanterns in one place. About 40,000 people are expected to visit Laconia between Friday and Saturday.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) — Two men who hiked for miles through Northern California wildfire territory expecting a grim discovery were met with a joyful one instead. Jack Weaver and his brother-in-law Patrick Widen walked around police barricades, through a creek and up treacherous hilly roads to save Weaver’s mom from having to recover the body of the family’s beloved dog Izzy.
Katherine Weaver was convinced Izzy died in a ferocious wildfire that destroyed their neighborhood and sent them fleeing for safety, Katherine still in her nightgown. When the men reached the end of the narrow road, Jack Weaver swore as he saw that the house was completely gone. But then Izzy came bounding from the rubble for a joyous reunion.
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Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Sports, Scores & Skeds
Newsradio 1070 and WKOK.com will monitor all of the NFL football games today with CBS Sportsradio. You can hear the Pittsburgh Steelers play on 100.9 The Valley, at 2:45pm.
HOUSTON (AP) — Carlos Correa homered and delivered a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth to give the Houston Astros a 2-1 win and a two-games-to-none lead over the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series. Jose Altuve (al-TOO’-vay) hit a one-out single in the ninth and scored the winning run after catcher Gary Sanchez couldn’t handle the relay throw from shortstop Didi Gregorius (DEE’-dee greh-GOHR’-ee-uhs). Justin Verlander struck out a career playoff-high 13 hitters and went the distance on a five-hitter.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Taylor slammed a tiebreaking, solo homer in the sixth inning to help the Los Angeles Dodgers take Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, 5-2 over the Chicago Cubs. Yasiel Puig (YAH’-see-ul pweeg) also hit a solo homer after his RBI double sparked the Dodgers’ comeback from a 2-0 deficit. The Dodgers received four perfect innings from their bullpen after Clayton Kershaw surrendered a two-run homer by Albert Almora Jr. during his five innings of work.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nyheim Hines ran for an 83-yard touchdown and returned a punt 92 yards for another score on his way to 249 total yards to help No. 20 North Carolina State win its sixth straight game with a 35-17 victory over Pittsburgh. Jaylen Samuels added a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown runs for the Wolfpack (6-1, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who matched their best ACC start since 2002 by relying on Hines early and Samuels late.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby scored two goals, including a bad-angle deflection in the third period to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins past the Florida Panthers 4-3. Patric Hornqvist and Greg McKegg also scored for the Penguins, who are 8-0-2 in their last 10 games against the Panthers. Matt Murray stopped 43 shots for Pittsburgh.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Claude Giroux, Scott Laughton and Sean Couturier each scored two goals to help lead the Philadelphia Flyers to an 8-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Wayne Simmonds, Claude Giroux and Valtteri Filppula also scored for the Flyers in their home opener.
SCOREBOARD
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Houston 2 N-Y Yankees 1
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final L-A Dodgers 5 Chi Cubs 2
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 8 Washington 2
Final Pittsburgh 4 Florida 3
Final Tampa Bay 2 St. Louis 1
Final Winnipeg 2 Carolina 1
Final OT Toronto 4 Montreal 3
Final New Jersey 3 N-Y Rangers 2
Final Dallas 3 Colorado 1
Final OT Columbus 5 Minnesota 4
Final OT Chicago 2 Nashville 1
Final Boston 6 Arizona 2
Final Calgary 5 Vancouver 2
Final Ottawa 6 Edmonton 1
Final N-Y Islanders 3 San Jose 1
Final L.A. Kings 4 Buffalo 2
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TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Final (1) Alabama 41 Arkansas 9
Final (4) Georgia 53 Missouri 28
Final Arizona St. 13 (5) Washington 7
Final (6) TCU 26 Kansas St. 6
Final (7) Wisconsin 17 Purdue 9
Final (9) Ohio St. 56 Nebraska 14
Final LSU 27 (10) Auburn 23
Final (11) Miami 25 Georgia Tech 24
Final (12) Oklahoma 29 Texas 24
Final (13) Southern Cal 28 Utah 27
Final (14) Oklahoma St. 59 Baylor 16
Final OT (17) Michigan 27 Indiana 20
UMass at (18) South Florida 1:00 p.m.
Final (18) South Florida 33 Cincinnati 3
Final Boise St. 31 (19) San Diego St. 14
Final (20) NC State 35 Pittsburgh 17
Final (21) Michigan St. 30 Minnesota 27
Final (22) UCF 63 East Carolina 21
Final (23) Stanford 49 Oregon 7
Final West Virginia 46 (24) Texas Tech 35
Final Memphis 30 (25) Navy 27
TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
San Francisco at Washington 1:00 p.m.
Chicago at Baltimore 1:00 p.m.
Cleveland at Houston 1:00 p.m.
Detroit at New Orleans 1:00 p.m.
Green Bay at Minnesota 1:00 p.m.
Miami at Atlanta 1:00 p.m.
New England at N-Y Jets 1:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Arizona 4:05 p.m.
L.A. Rams at Jacksonville 4:05 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Kansas City 4:25 p.m.
L.A. Chargers at Oakland 4:25 p.m.
N-Y Giants at Denver 8:30 p.m.
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Chi Cubs at L-A Dodgers 7:38 p.m.
———
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Boston at Vegas 7:00 p.m.
Buffalo at Anaheim 9:00 p.m.
N-Y Islanders at L.A. Kings 10:30 p.m.
———
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
San Francisco at Washington 1:00 p.m.
Chicago at Baltimore 1:00 p.m.
Cleveland at Houston 1:00 p.m.
Detroit at New Orleans 1:00 p.m.
Green Bay at Minnesota 1:00 p.m.
Miami at Atlanta 1:00 p.m.
New England at N-Y Jets 1:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Arizona 4:05 p.m.
L.A. Rams at Jacksonville 4:05 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Kansas City 4:25 p.m.
L.A. Chargers at Oakland 4:25 p.m.
N-Y Giants at Denver 8:30 p.m.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved