AP PA Headlines 2/28/19
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Federal investigators say a poorly installed natural gas connection is likely to blame for a gas explosion that killed a utility worker and destroyed two Pennsylvania homes in July 2017.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday the faulty connection let gas seep into the house in Millersville.
The blast also injured three other people and caused significant damage to six nearby houses, including one that was later condemned. Authorities say a locking sleeve used to connect the “tapping tee” to the gas main was not attached to the main. The unattached locking sleeve put stress on four nylon bolts, and two of those bolts fractured. A UGI Utilities employee was killed in the explosion.
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Features
NEW YORK (AP) — A nation watched. But did it believe? It’s a question that will be played out well after yesterday’s congressional testimony by President Trump’s former fixer. During his time in the House chamber, Michael Cohen described Trump as a racist, a con man — and a cheater. Broadcast TV networks broke away from regular programming for hours to show the testimony. So did the news networks, with CNN and MSNBC commentators noting Cohen’s efforts to rehabilitate himself as a man who used to lie for Trump but now wants to redeem himself, even as he faces prison. Fox commentators decried what they saw as an effort to detract from Trump’s summit in Vietnam with North Korea’s leader. That summit ended today — with no agreement.
UNDATED (AP) — Back in 2011, Donald Trump called for then-President Barack Obama to release his college transcripts from Columbia and Harvard Universities. But now, it appears Trump has been opposed to letting his own grade reports be released. Word of that came during yesterday’s congressional testimony by Trump former attorney Michael Cohen. Cohen says Trump told him to threaten legal action against colleges and high schools he attended if they released his school records or standardized test scores. It was among a series of actions Cohen says he did at Trump’s bidding during his successful campaign for the White House. Cohen told lawmakers and a national TV audience the request to withhold grades was ironic because he demanded the same thing of Obama — and because Trump is, according to Cohen, “a man who declares himself brilliant.”
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Transgender troops testifying for the first time to Congress say transitioning to another sex made them stronger, while Pentagon officials defended the Trump administration’s desire to bar people like them from enlisting in the future. Congressional Democrats said at the hearing yesterday by members of the House Armed Services Committee that President Donald Trump’s policy is based on discrimination and likened it to the Army’s ban on blacks in the 1940s.
Retired Air Force Gen. James N. Stewart, who is now performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, defended Trump’s policy that is held up in litigation. He says it is not a ban, but the military cannot make “special accommodations” for people with a medical condition.
UNDATED (AP) – Leading up to the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump directed his personal attorney at the time to threaten legal action against the colleges and high school he attended if they publicly released his grades or standardized test scores, the attorney, Michael Cohen, told Congress on Wednesday. Cohen revealed details about the threats among a list of other actions he took on behalf of Trump in testimony before the House Oversight Committee. Cohen and Trump parted ways last year after Cohen implicated Trump in federal campaign finance violations.
“When I say conman, I’m talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school, his colleges and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores,” he said. In support of his testimony, Cohen provided a May 2015 letter he penned to the president of Fordham University, the New York school Trump attended for two years in the 1960s before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania.
The letter warns that media outlets had requested Trump’s records but were denied by his legal team. Cohen reminded the school that Trump’s student records were protected by federal law, and he threatened to hold the school liable “to the fullest extent of the law” if the university released them.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “A Star Is Born” will be re-released tomorrow with nearly 12 minutes of extra footage. Warner Brothers says it will include extended performances of the song “Alibi” and an a cappella version of “Shallow.” It will also have new scenes that feature Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. The re-release will run for one week on more than 1,150 screens in the U.S. and Canada.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — That’s the way this cookie story crumbles. The South Carolina man who bought more than 120 boxes of Girl Scouts cookies to help a pair of scouts escape the cold has been arrested on drug charges. News reports in Greenville say the DEA has arrested 46-year-old Detric Lee McGowan on charges including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. The agency says McGowan is the same man who appears in a photo that got thousands of views and shares online. A Girl Scouts rep says the organization will cooperate with authorities — and that it had no reason to believe the suspect was anything but a customer.
SULPHUR, La. (AP) — This time, the gorilla in the room — was a man. Police in Louisiana say a man who had donned a gorilla suit broke into a Louisiana home and hid under a mattress before officers arrested him. News outlets say officers saw Jeremie Moran walking through yards in the costume — after getting calls about a suspicious person looking into homes. When police approached, the man ran into a home — and was found hiding there. He’s been jailed on charges including resisting an officer, unauthorized entry, meth possession — and wearing a mask. Yes, wearing a mask. In Louisiana it’s unlawful to wear a mask in public — except if it’s for religious purposes or on holidays like Halloween and Mardi Gras.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
PA Sports, Scores & Skeds
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State is trying to avoid a last-place finish in the Big Ten, but the Nittany Lions aren’t playing like a team that looks like it belongs there right now. Lamar Stevens scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half, and Penn State had an easy time with No. 17 Maryland in a 78-61 win on Wednesday night. Myles Dread had 17 points and Myreon Jones added 10 for the Nittany Lions (12-16, 5-12 Big Ten), who led for all but 51 seconds to win their third in a row and fourth of five.
“We knew we were talented,” Stevens said. “It’s just another level of toughness and focus that you have to dial in to win in this league.” The Nittany Lions channeled both against the Terrapins (21-8, 12-6). They took control in the first half with possibly their best 20 minutes of play since they won the NIT last season. Penn State forced eight turnovers, turned them into 12 points and took the lead for good with a 13-2 run that broke a 3-3 tie less than two minutes in. This game was, and all Penn State men’s basketball games are, on Newsradio 1070 WKOK and WKOK.com.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Hasan Abdullah posted 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds as Navy got past Bucknell 64-53 on Wednesday night. John Carter Jr. had 12 points for Navy (10-18, 7-10 Patriot League). George Kiernan added 10 points. The Bison’s 29.6 field goal percentage represented the worst mark by a Navy opponent this season. Kimbal Mackenzie had 15 points for the Bison (18-11, 12-5). Jimmy Sotos added seven assists. Nate Sestina had 12 rebounds and four blocks.
The Midshipmen evened the season series against the Bison with the win. Bucknell defeated Navy 69-57 on Jan. 30. Navy finishes out the regular season against Boston University on the road on Saturday. Bucknell finishes out the regular season against Army at home on Saturday. This Bucknell men’s basketball game was, and all games are, on our sister station Eagle 107.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman says the team will not use its franchise tag on quarterback Nick Foles and instead will let him become a free agent. Roseman told reporters in Indianapolis the decision came after Foles expressed his desire to become a starter during a recent meeting. Foles was Carson Wentz’s backup the last two seasons but ended both seasons as the starter. He was the Super Bowl MVP after leading the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title last February.
BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Class 1A District 3
Greenwood 63, Berks Christian 37
Class 1A District 6 Championship
Juniata Valley 50, Bishop Carroll 45
Class 3A District 4 Semifinal
Loyalsock 59, Central Columbia 57
Class 4A District 4 Semifinal
Danville 74, Mifflinburg 47
GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Class 3A District 4 Semifinal
Loyalsock 61, East Juniata 24
Class 4A District 4 Semifinal
Danville 48, Jersey Shore 36
Here are the scores from yesterday’s national sports events:
———
INTERLEAGUE
Final Minnesota 4 Philadelphia 2, 8 Innings
Final Washington 14 Houston 8
Final Toronto 2 Pittsburgh 1
Final San Francisco 15 Kansas City 2
Final Chi Cubs 9 Texas 5
Final Cleveland 6 Milwaukee 1
Final Cincinnati 11 Chi White Sox 4
Final L-A Dodgers 5 Oakland 3
Final L-A Angels 9 Colorado 7
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Detroit 10 N-Y Yankees 4, 6 Innings
Final Tampa Bay 5 Boston 4
Final Baltimore 7 Boston 6
Final Cleveland 6 Seattle 5
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Atlanta 4 St. Louis 0
Final N-Y Mets 14 Miami 6
Final Arizona 5 San Diego 5
———
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Houston 118 Charlotte 113
Final Washington 125 Brooklyn 116
Final OT Atlanta 131 Minnesota 123
Final Miami 126 Golden State 125
Final Portland 97 Boston 92
Final Chicago 109 Memphis 107
Final San Antonio 105 Detroit 93
Final Dallas 110 Indiana 101
Final Utah 111 L.A. Clippers 105
Final OT Milwaukee 141 Sacramento 140
Final L.A. Lakers 125 New Orleans 119
———
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Toronto 6 Edmonton 2
Final Calgary 2 New Jersey 1
Final OT Tampa Bay 4 N-Y Rangers 3
Final SO Colorado 3 Vancouver 2
Final Chicago 4 Anaheim 3
———
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (2) Virginia 81 Georgia Tech 51
Final (7) Tennessee 73 Mississippi 71
Final (8) Houston 99 East Carolina 65
Final Villanova 67 (10) Marquette 61
Final OT (11) Texas Tech 84 Oklahoma St. 80
Final (12) Nevada 89 UNLV 73
Final (14) Purdue 73 Illinois 56
Final Penn St. 78 (17) Maryland 61
Final (23) Cincinnati 52 SMU 49
TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
———
INTERLEAGUE
Pittsburgh at N-Y Yankees 1:05 p.m.
Baltimore at Philadelphia 1:05 p.m.
Washington at Boston 1:05 p.m.
Detroit at Atlanta 1:05 p.m.
Miami at Houston 1:05 p.m.
Philadelphia at Toronto 1:07 p.m.
San Diego at Kansas City 3:05 p.m.
Oakland at Chi Cubs 3:05 p.m.
Cleveland at Arizona 3:10 p.m.
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Chi White Sox at Seattle 3:10 p.m.
Texas at L-A Angels 3:10 p.m.
Minnesota at Tampa Bay 6:35 p.m.
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
N-Y Mets at St. Louis 1:05 p.m.
Milwaukee at Cincinnati 3:05 p.m.
Colorado at L-A Dodgers 3:05 p.m.
San Francisco at Milwaukee 3:05 p.m.
———
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Minnesota at Indiana 7:00 p.m.
Golden State at Orlando 7:00 p.m.
Cleveland at N-Y Knicks 7:30 p.m.
Miami at Houston 8:00 p.m.
Philadelphia at Oklahoma City 8:00 p.m.
Utah at Denver 10:30 p.m.
———
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Toronto at N-Y Islanders 7:00 p.m.
Philadelphia at Columbus 7:00 p.m.
Edmonton at Ottawa 7:30 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Boston 7:30 p.m.
Vancouver at Arizona 9:00 p.m.
Florida at Vegas 10:00 p.m.
Dallas at L.A. Kings 10:30 p.m.
———
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(1) Gonzaga at Pacific 11:00 p.m.
Nebraska at (9) Michigan 7:00 p.m.
(24) Wofford at Chattanooga 7:00 p.m.
(25) Washington at California 11:00 p.m.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
