Sunday AP PA Headlines, Features, Sports Scores & Skeds

AP PA Headlines

Senate jams shale tax, industry permits into unhappy package

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — For years, environmental advocates had sought a tax on Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale natural gas production while business associations had sought speedier state consideration of permits for the activities of polluting industries. Now, legislation approved by the Republican-controlled state Senate gave both provisions an unexpected and unwelcome passenger: each other.

HYNDMAN, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say most residents are being allowed to return to the homes they were forced to leave after a train derailment and resulting fires in their small Pennsylvania town. CSX said results of tests on air quality prompted officials to reduce the evacuation zone to a limited area immediately surrounding the derailment site in Hyndman, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) southeast of Pittsburgh. Thirty-two cars derailed Wednesday morning, and cars containing propane and sulfur caught fire.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia police department says it plans to dismiss a suspended officer who was reportedly videotaped slamming a handcuffed man to the ground and bashing his head on the side of a swimming pool. A July 10 video shows officers slamming him to the ground and one smashing his head into the side of a pool. The 21-year-old was critically injured. The Fraternal Order of Police said Friday that union officials support the officer and “look forward to seeing the entire video.”

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — American Airlines says 10 people on a flight from Greece to Philadelphia were injured during severe turbulence. The airline says Flight 759 was coming from Athens with 287 passengers and a dozen crew members when it briefly encountered severe turbulence shortly before landing. After the flight landed at 3:10 p.m. Saturday, three passengers and seven crew members were taken to a hospital for evaluation.

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Oddities and Conversation Starters

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. (AP) — Washington State Highway Patrol says a large pig headed to auction jumped from a trailer on Interstate 5 near Federal Way on Saturday morning.  Trooper Rick Johnson says the pig made the leap at about 10 a.m. and passers-by stopped and herded the pig through an opening in barriers along the interstate so it wouldn’t walk into traffic.

Johnson says the pig had some scrapes but otherwise appeared uninjured.  He didn’t have an estimate of the pig’s weight, but it appeared significantly larger than the people herding it as seen on Washington Department of Transportation cameras along the interstate.  Johnson says the owner returned within about 45 minutes to reclaim the pig, and that no citations were issued.

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — Taking a break from the capital and a rocky first six months in office, President Donald Trump is spending the first full day of his “working vacation” quietly.  Trump departed Washington Friday for a 17-day trip to his private golf club in central New Jersey. He was accompanied by the aide charged with resetting his chaotic administration— new chief of staff John Kelly.

A White House official said Trump’s plans for Bedminster included meetings with aides and lawmakers. He was briefed by Kelly about the three U.S. Marines who were missing after their Osprey aircraft crashed into the sea off the east coast of Australia on Saturday while trying to land.  The White House did not say whether Trump was golfing on Saturday, and he was relatively quiet on Twitter.

SOUTHINGTON, Conn. (AP) — Nearly 500 children showed up  in a driving rain to swim, bicycle and run in a youth triathlon, the finale of a summer fitness program founded by the family of a boy killed in the Sandy Hook shootings.  Seven-year-old Chase Kowalski had competed in his first youth triathlon just months before the 2012 elementary school shooting.

Chase’s parents, Rebecca and Steve Kowalski, began the Race4Chase program to honor their son’s memory with something that focused on families, health and wellness.  Race4Chase is a camp that teaches children the fundamentals of swimming, biking, running, nutrition, strength and flexibility.  At the end the six weeks, campers come together for a sanctioned triathlon.  The program has grown to 20 locations in Connecticut, Rhode Island and South Carolina. The Kowalskis hope it goes nationwide.

NEW YORK (AP) — An old construction barge planted with vegetables, apple trees and fragrant herbs is giving New Yorkers chance to pick something and eat it.  The barge is called Swale and is currently docked in the Bronx and will move to Hudson River Park in lower Manhattan next month.

Founder Mary Mattingly created Swale in part so that New Yorkers could forage for food, which is illegal throughout the city’s 30,000 acres of public parks.  The no-foraging rule doesn’t apply to Swale, since it’s a barge. The food there is free.  Swale was launched in 2016 with funding from Kickstarter and a nonprofit called A Blade of Grass.  The hard cider company Strongbow is providing additional support this year including a donated “orchard” of eight apple trees.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Sports, Scores & Skeds

The Philadelphia Phillies play the Colorado Rockies in Colorado on Newsradio 1070 WKOK today at 2:35pm. You can hear the game on 1070AM WKOK, while our normal programming (CBS News, CBS Sportsradio, and AccuWeather) continue on WKOK.com.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh acquired the veteran utility infielder Sean Rodriguez from Atlanta on Saturday in exchange for minor league infielder Connor Joe. The Pirates also claimed reliever George Kontos off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Eagles executive Jim Gallagher has died after spending almost a half-century with the team. He was 88. The team said he died Friday but did not give other details. Gallagher joined the Eagles in 1949 and retired in 1995.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — After two big seasons, dynamic running back Saquon Barkley enters his third and possibly final season at Penn State bigger, stronger and faster. Barkley wants to play a bigger role and the coaching staff intends to use him more than ever.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved