PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh: Chemical spill in Coraopolis
Officials closed off a portion of 5th Avenue in Coraopolis on Monday when fuel with a kerosene additive started leaking from a tanker truck. The leak was contained and no evacuations were made. The road has since reopened.
Pittsburgh: Zoo loses playground rights
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium can no longer care for sea turtles or build a playground because they dropped their accreditation with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums last week. The zoo originally quit the association because of a disagreement on how their elephant herd should be handled.
Pittsburgh: CMU receives largest extra-national grant
Tata Consultancy Services, an IT service provider in India, donated $35 million to Carnegie Mellon University in Oakland. The donation, which is the school’s largest from outside the country, will be used to fund a new facility and student scholarships.
Pittsburgh: EPA offers grant to assess ‘brownfield’ sites
On Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted North Side Industrial Development Company $400,000 to assess potentially contaminated “brownfield” sites in western PA. If found suitable, the properties could develop into new businesses and homes.
Norristown: AG Kane to stand trial
Attorney General Kathleen Kane will stand trial after being charged with a felony count of perjury, and misdemeanor counts of official oppression, obstruction and false swearing. Kane continues to state she’s done nothing wrong.
Lancaster: PETA’s porcine gravestone
The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is demanding that the state erect a tombstone on Route 30 where a tractor-trailer turnover killed several pigs onboard. The truck carried about 80 pigs, and several were euthanized because of the accident.
NATIONAL
Settlement purchasing companies target the poisoned poor
In Baltimore, Access Funding is one company that purchases structured settlements off of poor, lead-poisoned blacks. Victims of lead poisoning, who can be developmentally delayed, are tricked by salesmen who offer them quick cash for their settlements — an immediate $63,000 rather than $1,000 a month over 35 years, which leaves them in worse situations than before.
Stock market chaos ahead
The Dow Jones oscillated sharply on Tuesday after it lost nearly 1,100 points on Monday in the first six minutes. It climbed for a bit, but a large-scale sell off at the end of Tuesday plunged the Dow further. Chinese stocks are also slumping, at 8.5 percent Monday and 8 percent Tuesday.
Ferguson police try new approach
The Municipal Court Judge Donald McCullin will withdraw all arrest warrants issued before Dec. 31, 2014. Additionally, McCullin will change the conditions for pretrial release. Defendants will receive new court dates and be penalized with community service or fines rather than jail time.
IN OTHER NEWS
Heinz ‘tomato seasoning’
In Israel, Heinz ketchup is no more. Competitors tested the product in a European laboratory and found it only contained 21 percent tomato concentrate, while Israeli food standards dictate that ketchup needs to be 41 percent. Heinz will now be rebranded as “tomato seasoning.”
The daily report was compiled by Elaina Zachos and Stephanie Roman, PublicSource interns. You can reach them with questions or suggestions at ezachos@publicsource.org and sroman@publicsource.org.
