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FakeNoose
FakeNoose's Journal
FakeNoose's Journal
March 30, 2023
AP story - more at link - will be updated
Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on lockdown after armed person reported
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
WASHINGTON — Joint Base Andrews, one of the nation’s most sensitive military bases and home to Air Force One, has been locked down after reports of a man carrying an “assault-style” rifle on Thursday, authorities said.
The Maryland base was locked down after the person was reportedly seen near the base’s housing area, according to the base’s Facebook page.
Staff Sgt. Jared Duhon, a spokesperson for the base, said no shots have been fired. There was no immediate report of any injuries and additional details were not immediately available.
Joint Base Andrews, a few miles outside Washington, is home to the fleet of blue and white presidential aircraft, including Air Force One and the “doomsday” 747 aircraft that can serve as the nation’s airborne nuclear command and control centers if needed.
Read more: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2023/03/30/joint-base-andrews-maryland-lockdown-washington/stories/202303300119
AP story - more at link - will be updated
March 30, 2023
- More at link, including bios of each candidate -
Commonwealth Court, Democratic candidates are Bryan Neft, Matthew Wolf
Commonwealth Court, Republican candidates are Megan Martin, Joshua Prince
Superior Court, Democratic candidates are Jill Beck, Timika Lane, Patrick Dugan
Superior Court, Republican candidates are Maria Battista, Harry Smail
Photos and bios of all the candidates are given on the OP link.
Pa. primary election 2023: A complete guide to the candidates for Commonwealth and Superior Courts
Spotlight PA link: https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/03/pa-election-primary-2023-commonwealth-superior-court-candidates/
HARRISBURG — In May, Democrats and Republicans will choose their parties’ candidates for three vacant seats on Commonwealth and Superior Courts. The winners will compete in the November general election.
Pennsylvania’s two intermediate appellate courts have the power to affirm or reverse decisions made in lower courts. Their rulings can be appealed to the state Supreme Court, Pennsylvania’s court of last resort.
The person who wins the open seat on Commonwealth Court could help shape Pennsylvania’s laws on everything from elections to firearms, while the two candidates who win seats on Superior Court could decide the outcomes of high-profile criminal cases. Judges on both courts are often top candidates to fill openings on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
The two intermediate appellate courts serve distinct roles in the commonwealth’s legal system. Commonwealth Court presides over civil actions brought by and against the Pennsylvania state government and hears appeals primarily in cases involving state departments and local governments. Superior Court handles criminal, family, and civil cases that are appealed by county Courts of Common Pleas.
Pennsylvania’s two intermediate appellate courts have the power to affirm or reverse decisions made in lower courts. Their rulings can be appealed to the state Supreme Court, Pennsylvania’s court of last resort.
The person who wins the open seat on Commonwealth Court could help shape Pennsylvania’s laws on everything from elections to firearms, while the two candidates who win seats on Superior Court could decide the outcomes of high-profile criminal cases. Judges on both courts are often top candidates to fill openings on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
The two intermediate appellate courts serve distinct roles in the commonwealth’s legal system. Commonwealth Court presides over civil actions brought by and against the Pennsylvania state government and hears appeals primarily in cases involving state departments and local governments. Superior Court handles criminal, family, and civil cases that are appealed by county Courts of Common Pleas.
- More at link, including bios of each candidate -
Commonwealth Court, Democratic candidates are Bryan Neft, Matthew Wolf
Commonwealth Court, Republican candidates are Megan Martin, Joshua Prince
Superior Court, Democratic candidates are Jill Beck, Timika Lane, Patrick Dugan
Superior Court, Republican candidates are Maria Battista, Harry Smail
Photos and bios of all the candidates are given on the OP link.
March 29, 2023
It was all over the TV news in Pittsburgh today, but suddenly - whew! - we found out it wasn't really happening.
'A major sigh of relief' after false reports of active shooters at Pittsburgh-area schools
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Panic then relief rippled across the Pittsburgh region Wednesday when a series of fake phone calls reporting active school shooters shattered the quiet of the mid-morning.
An Allegheny County spokesperson said the county 911 line had received two separate calls reporting an active shooter at two separate schools, Central Catholic and Oakland Catholic, but that authorities believed “these are false reports.” Similar calls targeted schools in numerous other counties across Western Pennsylvania and beyond.
Shortly before noon, Pittsburgh law enforcement officials said the scenes were clear at both schools. Officers, including heavily armed SWAT team members, went room by room in the schools, checking for anyone who wasn’t supposed to be there, Pittsburgh Acting Police Chief Tom Strangrecki told reporters.
“We treated it as a real incident,” he said. “We were prepared… to confront any active shooters in the building and protect any students.”
Read more: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/03/29/pittsburgh-school-shooting-report-phone-calls-police/stories/202303290083
It was all over the TV news in Pittsburgh today, but suddenly - whew! - we found out it wasn't really happening.
March 29, 2023
(link) https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-water-safe-contamination-chemical-spill-20230328.html
- more at link -
Philly's water is safe to drink, Mayor Jim Kenney declares: 'The threat has passed'
(link) https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-water-safe-contamination-chemical-spill-20230328.html
OK, Philly, you can drink the water without worry now.
“We can all confidently say the threat has passed,” Mayor Jim Kenney said at a news briefing Tuesday evening. “I repeat, all the city’s drinking water is safe to drink.” He even drank a glass himself.
Repeated tests detected no evidence of contamination from the 8,100 gallons of hazardous material that spilled just before midnight Friday from a Bucks County plant and into a Delaware River tributary about 13 miles north of the Philadelphia Water Department’s Baxter water-treatment plant, city officials said.
In fact, Mike Carroll, the city’s deputy managing director, said it would have been impossible for the contaminants to reach the Baxter intake before the gate was closed early Saturday.
“We can all confidently say the threat has passed,” Mayor Jim Kenney said at a news briefing Tuesday evening. “I repeat, all the city’s drinking water is safe to drink.” He even drank a glass himself.
Repeated tests detected no evidence of contamination from the 8,100 gallons of hazardous material that spilled just before midnight Friday from a Bucks County plant and into a Delaware River tributary about 13 miles north of the Philadelphia Water Department’s Baxter water-treatment plant, city officials said.
In fact, Mike Carroll, the city’s deputy managing director, said it would have been impossible for the contaminants to reach the Baxter intake before the gate was closed early Saturday.
- more at link -
March 28, 2023
Lots of information and answered questions on this PA voters' website!
- more at link -
PA Voters' Guide: Voting by mail-in or absentee ballot is safe, secure, and easy.
PA voters' link: https://www.vote.pa.gov/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Mail-and-Absentee-Ballot.aspx#mailin
In Pennsylvania, you have two options for mail ballots.
Mail-in ballot – Any qualified voter may apply for a mail-in ballot. You may simply request this ballot without a reason.
Absentee ballot – If you plan to be out of the municipality on election day or if you have a disability or illness that prevents you from going to your polling place on election day, you can request this ballot type, which still requires you to list a reason for your ballot.
In order to request either ballot type, you must be registered to vote.
Check Your Registration Status to review your registration information.
Mail-in ballot – Any qualified voter may apply for a mail-in ballot. You may simply request this ballot without a reason.
Absentee ballot – If you plan to be out of the municipality on election day or if you have a disability or illness that prevents you from going to your polling place on election day, you can request this ballot type, which still requires you to list a reason for your ballot.
In order to request either ballot type, you must be registered to vote.
Check Your Registration Status to review your registration information.
Lots of information and answered questions on this PA voters' website!
- more at link -
March 27, 2023
(link) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-23/pennsylvania-bill-targets-maternal-care-desert-in-suburban-philadelphia?srnd=citylab-economy
- more at link -
This is a developing story that can also be followed on the "Pennsylvania State Senate Co-sponsorship" website.
Link is here: https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20230&cosponId=40280&mc_cid=a2a17effcd&mc_eid=3ab2f24ac3
Bloomberg: Pennsylvania Fights Hospital Closures With Curb on For-Profit Buyers
(link) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-23/pennsylvania-bill-targets-maternal-care-desert-in-suburban-philadelphia?srnd=citylab-economy
Pennsylvania lawmakers plan to introduce legislation that would place a moratorium on private equity and other for-profit firms from buying hospitals in the state, following closures and cutbacks that curtailed care in parts of suburban Philadelphia.
The package of bills would also prohibit owners from taking out dividends within two years of an acquisition and limit a type of financing known as sale-leaseback transactions on hospitals’ real estate. The legislation was floated at the end of the session last year but didn’t progress. A separate bill introduced this year, meanwhile, would make it more difficult to close hospitals.
The legislation, which is similar to efforts to curb corporate ownership and closures in a handful of states like Rhode Island and Illinois, comes after cutbacks at private equity-owned Crozer Health and its closure of two Pennsylvania facilities: Springfield Hospital early last year in a move it called temporary, and Delaware County Memorial in November amidst a court battle over its future.
The private equity industry’s charge into hospital ownership has lawmakers and patient advocates across the country on edge just as labor shortages and inflation have thrown the industry into financial crisis. The backlash is unsurprising since private hospitals have a reputation for putting profits ahead of the needs of the community, especially in poor areas, said Alan Sager, professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University.
The package of bills would also prohibit owners from taking out dividends within two years of an acquisition and limit a type of financing known as sale-leaseback transactions on hospitals’ real estate. The legislation was floated at the end of the session last year but didn’t progress. A separate bill introduced this year, meanwhile, would make it more difficult to close hospitals.
The legislation, which is similar to efforts to curb corporate ownership and closures in a handful of states like Rhode Island and Illinois, comes after cutbacks at private equity-owned Crozer Health and its closure of two Pennsylvania facilities: Springfield Hospital early last year in a move it called temporary, and Delaware County Memorial in November amidst a court battle over its future.
The private equity industry’s charge into hospital ownership has lawmakers and patient advocates across the country on edge just as labor shortages and inflation have thrown the industry into financial crisis. The backlash is unsurprising since private hospitals have a reputation for putting profits ahead of the needs of the community, especially in poor areas, said Alan Sager, professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University.
- more at link -
This is a developing story that can also be followed on the "Pennsylvania State Senate Co-sponsorship" website.
Link is here: https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20230&cosponId=40280&mc_cid=a2a17effcd&mc_eid=3ab2f24ac3
March 26, 2023
- short article, no more at link -
At least it's not the result of a train derailment or collision. Why are these chemical plants always built near environmentally important waterways?
More than 8,000 gallons of hazardous material spills in a Bucks County creek near the Delaware River
(link) https://www.inquirer.com/news/toxic-spill-delaware-river-otter-creek-bucks-county-20230325.html
More than 8,000 gallons of a hazardous solution have spilled into Otter Creek near the Delaware River in Bristol Borough, Bucks County, officials said late Saturday, and the total potentially could reach 12,000 gallons.
The Coast Guard said the spill of what it described as a water-soluble “latex finishing material” was reported about 11:40 p.m. Friday. Cleanup operations are underway, and the Coast Guard was urging people to stay away from the area. It said it had received no reports of harm to wildlife.
The Coast Guard did not identify the source of the spill, but other news outlets reported that it was the Trinseo chemical plant. The Coast Guard said the source “has been secured and is under investigation.”
Agencies involved the investigation include the EPA, NOAA, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the state Fish and Boat Commission, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard said the spill of what it described as a water-soluble “latex finishing material” was reported about 11:40 p.m. Friday. Cleanup operations are underway, and the Coast Guard was urging people to stay away from the area. It said it had received no reports of harm to wildlife.
The Coast Guard did not identify the source of the spill, but other news outlets reported that it was the Trinseo chemical plant. The Coast Guard said the source “has been secured and is under investigation.”
Agencies involved the investigation include the EPA, NOAA, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the state Fish and Boat Commission, the Coast Guard said.
- short article, no more at link -
At least it's not the result of a train derailment or collision. Why are these chemical plants always built near environmentally important waterways?
March 24, 2023
(link) https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/m-night-shyamalan-kirkwood-farm-sold-chester-county-willistown-20230324.html
- more at link -
Welcome to Chester County, Shyamalan family!
M. Night Shyamalan bought a Chester County farm owned by the Rockefeller family for $24M
(link) https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/m-night-shyamalan-kirkwood-farm-sold-chester-county-willistown-20230324.html
A company traced to an address used by M. Night Shyamalan, writer and director of The Sixth Sense and Knock at the Cabin, has paid $24 million for a 210-acre Chester County property that was associated with generations of the Rockefeller family.
Public records show that Woodkirk LLC sold the Kirkwood Farm on Providence Road in Willistown Township to 944 Providence Road LLC for $24 million on March 14. The registered address for 944 Providence LLC is on Campus Boulevard in Newtown Square. That is the same address used by the M. Night Shyamalan Foundation Inc., the famed director’s charitable organization.
Shyamalan, who grew up in suburban Philadelphia, could not be reached for comment. He and his family live in Willistown on an estate called Ravenwood. Conservationists who had feared hundreds of houses would be developed on the Willistown Township site known as Kirkwood Farm are relieved.
“The sale is going to have a conservation-minded outcome,” said Kate Etherington, executive director of the Willistown Conservation Trust. “Kirkwood Farm is not being sold to a developer. And we’re thrilled.”
Public records show that Woodkirk LLC sold the Kirkwood Farm on Providence Road in Willistown Township to 944 Providence Road LLC for $24 million on March 14. The registered address for 944 Providence LLC is on Campus Boulevard in Newtown Square. That is the same address used by the M. Night Shyamalan Foundation Inc., the famed director’s charitable organization.
Shyamalan, who grew up in suburban Philadelphia, could not be reached for comment. He and his family live in Willistown on an estate called Ravenwood. Conservationists who had feared hundreds of houses would be developed on the Willistown Township site known as Kirkwood Farm are relieved.
“The sale is going to have a conservation-minded outcome,” said Kate Etherington, executive director of the Willistown Conservation Trust. “Kirkwood Farm is not being sold to a developer. And we’re thrilled.”
- more at link -
Welcome to Chester County, Shyamalan family!
March 24, 2023
(link) https://www.bayjournal.com/news/wildlife_habitat/slipping-past-quarantines-spotted-lanternflies-enter-new-mid-atlantic-terrain/article_e685bea4-c45e-11ed-a274-07e1a8350be3.html
- more at link -
Late winter/early spring is the best time for finding Spotted Lanternfly eggs before hatching and while they are still dormant. Please see this DU article for more info: https://www.democraticunderground.com/107418504
Slipping past quarantines, SPOTTED LANTERNFLIES enter new Mid-Atlantic terrain
(link) https://www.bayjournal.com/news/wildlife_habitat/slipping-past-quarantines-spotted-lanternflies-enter-new-mid-atlantic-terrain/article_e685bea4-c45e-11ed-a274-07e1a8350be3.html
Authorities across the Mid-Atlantic keep expanding spotted lanternfly quarantine zones, but the tenacious bugs don’t seem to be getting the message.
In February, Pennsylvania officials added six counties — Butler, Clearfield, Clinton, Fayette, Lawrence and Somerset — to their list of counties under quarantine, bringing the total to 51 statewide. In doing so, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding sounded an optimistic note: "Through collective and intentional efforts, including instituting quarantine zones, we continue to slow the spread of this insect, and I call on all Pennsylvanians to assist.”
Maryland officials enlarged their quarantine in March to cover nearly the entire state. They added seven counties: Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, Talbot and Wicomico. That raised the number of counties in the quarantine to 17; Baltimore city is also included.
And in Virginia, the quarantine now covers 22 jurisdictions, up from four from the beginning of 2022. The latest additions rein in the Shenandoah Valley region as well as pockets in the southwest and near Washington, DC. The quarantines restrict the transport of items known to enable the spread of lanternflies during any stage of life. Regulated items include plants, construction waste, firewood, packing materials and vehicles.
In February, Pennsylvania officials added six counties — Butler, Clearfield, Clinton, Fayette, Lawrence and Somerset — to their list of counties under quarantine, bringing the total to 51 statewide. In doing so, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding sounded an optimistic note: "Through collective and intentional efforts, including instituting quarantine zones, we continue to slow the spread of this insect, and I call on all Pennsylvanians to assist.”
Maryland officials enlarged their quarantine in March to cover nearly the entire state. They added seven counties: Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, Talbot and Wicomico. That raised the number of counties in the quarantine to 17; Baltimore city is also included.
And in Virginia, the quarantine now covers 22 jurisdictions, up from four from the beginning of 2022. The latest additions rein in the Shenandoah Valley region as well as pockets in the southwest and near Washington, DC. The quarantines restrict the transport of items known to enable the spread of lanternflies during any stage of life. Regulated items include plants, construction waste, firewood, packing materials and vehicles.
- more at link -
Late winter/early spring is the best time for finding Spotted Lanternfly eggs before hatching and while they are still dormant. Please see this DU article for more info: https://www.democraticunderground.com/107418504
March 24, 2023
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/03/23/riley-june-williams-prison-jan-6-riot/stories/202303230113
- more at link -
Ahem ... she DID take the laptop because she tried to sell it later. I'm pretty sure that's how she got caught.
A PA woman who allegedly took Nancy Pelosi's laptop gets 3 years in prison in U.S. Capitol riots
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/03/23/riley-june-williams-prison-jan-6-riot/stories/202303230113
WASHINGTON — A Pennsylvania woman who was accused — but not convicted — of aiding in the theft of a computer from then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office suite during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison for a half-dozen other crimes after a prosecutor described her as “among the worst” of the rioters that day.
Riley June Williams, 24, who was found guilty of six offenses Nov. 21 in U.S. District Court in Washington, apologized at her sentencing for being “disrespectful, hateful and angry at innocent people” during the Jan. 6 mayhem. Back then, she said, she was “a young and stupid girl” who “was addicted to the internet” and believed lies by President Donald Trump and his supporters about Mr. Trump being denied reelection because of massive fraud.
“There’s no justification or excuse for my behavior,” she told Judge Amy Berman Jackson. Echoing a defense attorney, who said Williams had been “manipulated” by Mr. Trump and others into storming the Capitol, Williams said in court, “I stand before you as a responsible woman who admits she made a mistake.”
Jurors in her trial said they could not unanimously agree on whether Williams was culpable in the theft of a laptop computer from a conference room in Ms. Pelosi’s suite or for obstructing an official proceeding of Congress. Those two charges have since been dismissed at the request of prosecutors, meaning Williams will not face a second trial. She was convicted of civil disorder, impeding police officers, trespassing on restricted grounds, illegally demonstrating in the Capitol and two counts of disorderly conduct.
Riley June Williams, 24, who was found guilty of six offenses Nov. 21 in U.S. District Court in Washington, apologized at her sentencing for being “disrespectful, hateful and angry at innocent people” during the Jan. 6 mayhem. Back then, she said, she was “a young and stupid girl” who “was addicted to the internet” and believed lies by President Donald Trump and his supporters about Mr. Trump being denied reelection because of massive fraud.
“There’s no justification or excuse for my behavior,” she told Judge Amy Berman Jackson. Echoing a defense attorney, who said Williams had been “manipulated” by Mr. Trump and others into storming the Capitol, Williams said in court, “I stand before you as a responsible woman who admits she made a mistake.”
Jurors in her trial said they could not unanimously agree on whether Williams was culpable in the theft of a laptop computer from a conference room in Ms. Pelosi’s suite or for obstructing an official proceeding of Congress. Those two charges have since been dismissed at the request of prosecutors, meaning Williams will not face a second trial. She was convicted of civil disorder, impeding police officers, trespassing on restricted grounds, illegally demonstrating in the Capitol and two counts of disorderly conduct.
- more at link -
Ahem ... she DID take the laptop because she tried to sell it later. I'm pretty sure that's how she got caught.
Profile Information
Name: Kathy HinsmanGender: Female
Hometown: Pittsburgh PA
Home country: USA
Current location: Pittsburgh
Member since: Sat Feb 18, 2017, 02:16 PM
Number of posts: 32,634