US rig count up 10 this week to 491, Texas up 8

Philadelphia officials warn of growing fentanyl crisis

Good afternoon! Here's a look at AP's general news coverage today in Pennsylvania. For questions about the state report, contact the Philadelphia bureau at 215-561-1133. Kristen de Groot is on the desk. Editor Larry Rosenthal can be reached at 215-446-6631 or lrosenthal@ap.org. A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change. Expected stories may not develop, or late-breaking and more newsworthy events may take precedence. Advisories, digests and digest advisories will keep you up to date. Some TV and radio stations will receive shorter APNewsNow versions of the stories below, along with updates. TOP STORIES: MISSING TWINS PITTSBURGH — The brother of Pennsylvania twins that welfare caseworkers haven't been able to locate for 10 years has been charged with lying to police by pretending to be one of them. By Joe Mandak. MOVED: 593 words. PHILADELPHIA PROSECUTOR-GIFTS PHILADELPHIA — A spokesman for Philadelphia's top prosecutor says the FBI has questioned staffers after the prosecutor belatedly filed government reports showing he's received $160,000 in gifts. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: 300 words by 3 p.m. HOSPITAL-IRS IDENTITY THEFT PITTSBURGH — A Cuban national has pleaded not guilty to charges he conspired to file 900 phony federal tax returns seeking $2.2 million in refunds by using employee information stolen from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Yoandy Perez Llanes (YAWN'-es) was indicted last summer but was extradited only last week from Venezuela. His attorney has agreed with prosecutors that the 32-year-old will remain jailed until trial. By Joe Mandak. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: 400 words by 3 p.m. AIRLINE PASSENGER FONDLING CHARGE PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh-area man has been charged by federal authorities with fondling a sleeping woman who sat next to him on a flight from Las Vegas to Pittsburgh International Airport. By Joe Mandak. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: 350 words to be updated following 1:30 p.m. EDT court appearance. PHILADELPHIA-FENTANYL PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia health officials say drug overdoses outpaced murders in the city last year and more treatment and outreach are needed to respond to the growing opioid crisis. MOVED: 130 words. UPCOMING: 300 words by 4 p.m. ELSEWHERE: SELF DRIVING VEHICLES-TESTING TOLEDO, Ohio — Ohio's toll road, a heavily traveled connector between the East Coast and Chicago, is moving closer to allowing the testing of self-driving vehicles. Testing is likely to begin within 12 months, and possibly before the end of the year, the Ohio Turnpike's executive director told The Associated Press. By John Seewer. MOVED: 593 words. AP Photos OHPX201-0819161511. SEPT 11-LAST MOTORCYCLE RIDE CUMBERLAND, Md. — About 1,200 motorcycles are rumbling across wester Maryland and northern Virginia in what organizers are calling their last ride honoring victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. BANK ACQUISITION CHARLESTON, W.Va. — United Bankshares Inc. is expanding its footprint in the Mid-Atlantic region with the acquisition of Cardinal Financial Corp. in a deal valued at $912 million. SENT: 127 words. EXCHANGE: MARINE SEEKS FALLEN COMRADES PITTSTON — Ed "Zimmo" Zimmerman Thursday returned from Vietnam for the third — and hopefully — last time. By Bill O'Boyle, (Wilkes-Barre) Times Leader. SENT: 674 words. IN BRIEF: —SUPERMARKET-WINE — A grocery store in western Pennsylvania is selling wine for the first time since Prohibition. —SEVERE STORMS-PENNSYLVANIA-TREE — An 11-year-old girl remains in critical condition after she and three family members were hit by a large tree branch that fell on their picnic table at a Pennsylvania amusement park campground. —UNEMPLOYMENT RATE-PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvania's unemployment stopped rising in July, although it remains well above the national rate. —THREATENED WITH GHOSTS — Police say a Pennsylvania bound a misbehaving 7-year-old boy in her basement, then told him "the ghosts will come soon." —DEAD IN BASEMENT — Police say a western Pennsylvania man "went off the deep end" when he found out his ex-wife was planning to date again and fatally shot her before killing himself. —PIZZA AND PUNCHES — A man has been jailed on charges he threw punches and pizza at a northeastern Pennsylvania police station because he was upset that his vehicle was still impounded vehicle after a drunken driving arrest last week. —SEX SLAVERY CHARGES — A Philadelphia man has been jailed on charges he forced female drug addicts into sexual slavery in the city and its suburbs. —DRUGGING HORSES-RACES — A groom at the Parx Casino and Racing facility in suburban Philadelphia is accused of giving performance-enhancing drugs to racehorses. —AUXILIARY BISHOP-PHILADELPHIA — The former pastor of a Pennsylvania church is taking on a new role in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. —TEACHER-CEMETERY SEX — A substitute teacher has admitted to having sex with a 17-year-old student in a car parked in a Pennsylvania cemetery earlier this year. —FATAL CRASH-PENNSYLVANIA — Authorities say two people have died following a multi-vehicle crash in central Pennsylvania. —PEDESTRIANS STRUCK-PIRATES — Officials say one of two pedestrians struck by a car while leaving a Pittsburgh Pirates game at PNC Park last week has died. —CHILD LEFT IN CAR-DEATH — A Pennsylvania woman who left a 4-year-old girl in a hot, locked car for hours last month is facing charges in the child's death. SPORTS: MLB-HOWARD-ZIMMERMAN NEW YORK — Philadelphia's Ryan Howard and Washington's Ryan Zimmerman have been cleared by Major League Baseball of allegations they used human growth hormone. Pharmacist Charlie Sly claimed in an Al-Jazeera America documentary "The Dark Side: Secrets of Sports Doping," which was broadcast Dec. 27, that the two used HGH. Sly, who worked as an intern at an anti-aging clinic, later recanted his claims. By Ronald Blum. AP Photos NY170-0819161657. CARDINALS-PHILLIES PHILADELPHIA — Adam Wainwright (9-7) and the Cardinals open a three-game series in Philadelphia. UPCOMING: 650 words. Starts 7:05 p.m. MARLINS-PIRATES PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins open a three-game series at PNC Park on Friday. Gerrit Cole (7-8, 3.25 ERA) starts for Pittsburgh against Tom Koehler (9-8, 3.86). Game begins at 7:05 p.m. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. INDYCAR-POCONO LONG POND, Pa. — Juan Pablo Montoya finds himself in an unusual place as the IndyCar Series returns to Pocono Raceway. With four races left in the season, he's not the man to beat and plans to be a team player as Penske teammates Simon Pagenaud and Will Power try to make it a two-man race. By John Kekis. UPCOMNG: 600 words, photos. STEELERS-JONES PITTSBURGH — Landry Jones isn't exactly making a strong case to be kept around as the backup quarterback in Pittsburgh. The latest setback? Four interceptions in a preseason loss to Philadelphia on Thursday. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. HKN-PENGUINS-DIPAULI PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed college free agent forward Thomas DiPauli to a two-year, entry-level contract. SENT: 132 words. ___ If you have stories of regional or statewide interest, please email them to phillyap@ap.org. If you have photos of regional or statewide interest, please send them to the AP state photo center in New York, 888-273-6867. For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport@ap.org or 877-836-9477. MARKETPLACE: Calling your attention to the Marketplace in AP Exchange, where you can find member-contributed content from Pennsylvania and other states. The Marketplace is accessible on the left navigational pane of the AP Exchange home page, near the bottom. For both national and state, you can click "All" or search for content by topics such as education, politics and business.

BC-PA--Pennsylvania News Digest, PA