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Senate confirms Hamilton to lead FEMA

The Senate on Friday confirmed Cameron Hamilton as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, returning the former Navy SEAL to the embattled agency he led temporarily last year only to be fired after he publicly opposed eliminating it. Hamilton was among a group of 74 nominations approved by the Senate, including President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Transportation Security Administration, David Cummins, and his choice for ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Perez. Upon his swearing in, Hamilton will take over an agency whose future has been uncertain since Trump threatened to ...

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy arrives for first visit to Russia-friendly Serbia

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday arrived for his first official visit to Serbia, one of the few European countries that have maintained friendly relations with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy confirmed the arrival on Friday on his official Telegram channel. The office of Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic had previously announced the visit late Thursday. “Important talks are scheduled for today and tomorrow,” Zelenskyy said. He added that he will meet with Vucic and Serbia’s Prime Minister Djuro ...

Remains of 56 people found improperly stored at Chicago funeral home

CHICAGO (AP) — The remains of 56 people were found improperly stored and decomposing Thursday at a Chicago funeral home run by a couple who previously operated a crematory that was similarly shut down because of mishandled remains, authorities said. Illinois state officials, meanwhile, suspended the license of one of the funeral home’s directors, alleging bodies were being kept in an unrefrigerated area in “deplorable conditions.” The discovery came months after neighborhood residents began noticing a “stench” emanating from the funeral home, which led some to complain to ...

3 tricky decisions for every retirement plan

Many aspects of retirement planning are the subject of hot debate, even among experts. Here are three tricky decisions that confront people planning retirement today. Decision 1: How much to withdraw each year in retirement It’s impossible to say at the outset of retirement what the “right” withdrawal rate is. You don’t know what the major asset classes will return or how high (or low) inflation will run during your retirement. Nor do you know how long you’ll live. But you have to use something, and this is where the disagreements come in. A 4% starting withdrawal rate, ...

New road closures in effect for I-76/80

The Ohio Department of Transportation has announced new road adjustments related to the Interstate 76/80 pavement rehabilitation in Austintown and Jackson townships. • The ramp from Interstate 80 west to state Route11 south is now open. • I-80 westbound between Salt Springs Road and state Route 46 will be reduced to one lane through mid-August. • The ramp from I-80 west to Route 46 will be closed through mid-August. The detour will be I-80 westbound to I-76 westbound to Bailey Road to I-76 eastbound to I-80 eastbound to Route 46. ODOT also is reminding motorists of the ...

Boardman couple weathering the storm

BOARDMAN — Greg Steffey and his realtor were standing in the kitchen of his Mill Trace Drive home, discussing the open house. Eight prospective buyers had just left as the July 5 thunderstorms moved in. His wife, Hope, decided to bring the dogs down to the basement. Then. … “It sounded like a bomb,” he said. One oak tree at the back of his property was toppled by straightline winds, which reached more than 100 mph that day. It crashed into another oak tree about 30 feet up the backyard. That tree crashed into the roof right above the kitchen where Greg and his realtor were ...