DIMOCK, Pa. (AP) — The federal government is back for the first time in more than five years to investigate ongoing claims of contamination in a rural Pennsylvania community that became a battleground in the debate over gas drilling and fracking. The testing has resurrected old questions about the groundwater in Dimock, whose plight was the focus of the Emmy-winning documentary “Gasland.”
State regulators say Houston-based Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. still hasn’t fixed the water. Cabot says the methane was there long before it began drilling. It’s an argument that’s been going on for eight years. Public health experts visited 25 homes last month to test for bacteria, gases and chemicals. Ken Morcom and Kim Grosso say they’re tired of living with tainted water. They’re trying to get Cabot to buy them out.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania environmental regulators and the state’s most active gas driller have reached a settlement on claims the Texas-based company failed to repair a natural gas well that contaminated groundwater and a stream. The Department of Environmental Protection had initially pursued a record $8.9 million fine against Range Resources over the methane contamination in Lycoming County.
Settlement documents filed this week do not require Range to pay a penalty, but give the department the right to pursue one in the future. The settlement says Range and the state agency dropped litigation to “focus their limited resources on a technical resolution of the matter.” The agency said the colorless, odorless gas was detected in private water supplies and a stream following drilling and hydraulic fracturing at a Lycoming County site in 2011.
MARYS, Pa. (AP) — An Elk County company that’s been making Sylvania light bulbs for 110 years is retaining 200 jobs and adding 20 more by adding state-of-the-art robotics technology to fuel its switch to LED light manufacturing. Ledvance, based in St. Marys, says LED bulbs are the future of lighting even had the federal government not mandated the switch from incandescent bulbs.
Chief Executive Officer Jes Hansen says LED bulbs “can last up to 22 years and only use a tenth of the electricity old light bulbs used.” Hansen says the plant about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh is “the first to manufacture LEDs in this volume in the United States.” The production boost is being supported by Wal-Mart, which has agreed to sell the new LED bulbs at its stores nationwide..
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Officials say the oldest male tiger has died at the Pittsburgh Zoo a day after a baby elephant born prematurely was euthanized. The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium says 18-year-old Taiga died Thursday of complications from a diaphragmatic hernia. The zoo says Taiga had been immobilized for a routine procedure earlier in the day and suddenly died that afternoon.
The zoo says a necropsy found the hernia within the stomach and intestines in the chest cavity that “had been there for some time” and impeded the animal’s breathing. The zoo says X-rays taken eight months ago showed no abnormalities. Officials say a 3-month-old female African elephant born prematurely in May was euthanized Wednesday after failing to gain enough weight despite responding favorably to a feeding tube.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Conversation starters and Features
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says Harvey “has profoundly affected our entire nation” and he’s praising what he calls “heroic efforts” in the wake of the devastating storm. Trump is carrying a message to victims as he prepares for his trip Saturday to Houston and Lake Charles, Louisiana. As he says in his weekly radio address: “We are with you every single step of the way. We will help you recover. We will help you rebuild. We will support you today, tomorrow, and the day after.”
Pres. Trump was in Texas earlier in the week, too, and he says he saw “a spirit of love, determination and resolve. A spirit, that even when wounded, never gives up, never gives in, never loses hope.” The president says storm victims face “a long and difficult path” ahead, but he says that “we are stronger than the obstacles in our path.”
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — In becoming Miss America last September, Savvy Shields urged both U.S. political parties to stop arguing and start compromising to get things done. A year later, with the nation even more divided, the outgoing Miss America says Americans are a lot more alike than they realize.
She says most people she met, from the powerful to the humble; really want to help make their communities better in whatever way they can. The former Miss Arkansas will crown her successor Sept. 10 in Atlantic City. She hasn’t yet chosen a career path, but says many options have presented themselves during her year as Miss America.
DANVERS, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts library is reminding residents that Chuck E. Cheese tokens are not an acceptable form of payment for overdue book fines. Peabody Institute Library in Danvers, Massachusetts, posted on Facebook this week the library has had a surge of people attempting to pay fines and printing fees with tokens from Chuck E. Cheese and Bonkers— a Peabody amusement center —this summer.
The library says the tokens are not legal tender and cannot be accepted. Bookkeeper Sue Kontos tell The Salem News she had counted three Chuck E. Cheese tokens one day before realizing they weren’t real money. Chuck E. Cheese is a restaurant and entertainment center for kids featuring arcade and video games. The company has been phasing out the use of coins.
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A candidate for governor in Vermont is too young to vote but he’s not too young to run. Thirteen-year-old Ethan Sonneborn tells The Burlington Free Press that he can run because Vermont is one of two states without age restrictions. He’s currently collecting 500 signatures of registered voters, a requirement for the Vermont ballot.
The Bristol teen insists he’s running to win the 2018 election but that he’d be happy to merely “send a message about young people in politics.” He says if elected, he’d press for a “practical but progressive agenda.” He acknowledges he’s struggled to get Democratic Party officials to take him seriously and that campaigning will be difficult during school. But he’s undeterred. He says he’d rather lose the election and get visibility than lose quietly.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Sports, Scores & Skeds
The Philadelphia Phillies play on Newsradio 1070 WKOK. You can hear the Phillies play the Marlins at 1:35pm today. Remember, all of our normal programming (CBS News, AccuWeather and CBS Sportsradio) continues at WKOK.com.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Saquon Barkley racked up 226 total yards and two touchdowns to lead Number 6 Penn State to a 52-0 win over Akron. The junior running back is a Heisman Trophy hopeful along with quarterback Trace McSorley, who also had a big game. McSorley was 18 for 25 for 280 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a touchdown. Penn State’s defense forced Akron to punt 11 times.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers weren’t going to wait for wide receiver Sammie Coates to get healthy or regain his confidence. Instead, the Steelers shipped Coates and his blazing speed but erratic hands to Cleveland. Pittsburgh also sent a seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft to the Browns in exchange for a sixth-round pick last season, the team’s most notable move as it trimmed its roster to 53. The Steelers also sent cornerback Ross Cockrell to the New York Giants for a conditional pick.
INTERLEAGUE
Final Houston 12 N-Y Mets 8
Final Houston 4 N-Y Mets 1
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final N-Y Yankees 5 Boston 1
Final Cleveland 5 Detroit 2
Final Toronto 7 Baltimore 2
Final Minnesota 17 Kansas City 0
Final Chi White Sox 5 Tampa Bay 4
Final L.A. Angels 7 Texas 4, 10 Innings
Final Seattle 7 Oakland 6
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Chi Cubs 14 Atlanta 12
Final San Diego 6 L.A. Dodgers 5
Final San Francisco 2 St. Louis 1, 10 Innings
Final Pittsburgh 5 Cincinnati 0
Final Miami 10 Philadelphia 9
Final Washington 3 Milwaukee 2
Final Arizona 6 Colorado 2
Final San Diego 7 L.A. Dodgers 2
———
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final San Antonio 75 Indiana 71
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TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Final (1) Alabama 24 (3) Florida St. 7
Final (4) Southern Cal 49 W. Michigan 31
Final (5) Clemson 56 Kent St. 3
Final (6) Penn St. 52 Akron 0
Final (7) Oklahoma 56 UTEP 7
Final (11) Michigan 33 (17) Florida 17
Final (12) Auburn 41 Georgia Southern 7
Final (13) LSU 27 BYU 0
Final (15) Georgia 31 Appalachian St. 10
Final (16) Louisville 35 Purdue 28
Final (18) Miami 41 Bethune-Cookman 13
Final (19) South Florida 31 Stony Brook 17
Final (20) Kansas St. 55 Cent. Arkansas 19
Final Maryland 51 (23) Texas 41
Final (24) Washington St. 31 Montana St. 0
TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
———
INTERLEAGUE
N-Y Mets at Houston 2:10 p.m.
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland at Detroit 1:10 p.m.
Toronto at Baltimore 1:35 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Chi White Sox 2:10 p.m.
Kansas City at Minnesota 2:10 p.m.
L.A. Angels at Texas 3:05 p.m.
Oakland at Seattle 4:10 p.m.
Boston at N-Y Yankees 7:35 p.m.
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia at Miami 1:10 p.m.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh 1:35 p.m.
Washington at Milwaukee 2:10 p.m.
Atlanta at Chi Cubs 2:20 p.m.
Arizona at Colorado 3:10 p.m.
St. Louis at San Francisco 4:05 p.m.
L.A. Dodgers at San Diego 4:40 p.m.
———
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
N-Y Liberty at Dallas 2:00 p.m.
Connecticut at L.A. Sparks 5:00 p.m.
Seattle at Chicago 6:00 p.m.
Atlanta at Phoenix 6:00 p.m.
Washington at Minnesota 7:00 p.m.
———
TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
(22) West Virginia at (21) Virginia Tech 7:30 p.m.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
