WJPA News

Bentleyville Borough residents are now looking at a tax increase. Council this week voted unanimously to approve a more than $1.2 million spending plan that resulted after they reopened a budget adopted in December. According to the Observer-Reporter, it includes a one-mill tax increase that would be the first in the borough since 2018. Officials say the borough has operated at a deficit for four of the past five years and a review of that previous budget showed that it would have resulted in a large shortfall. The new budget includes higher wages for borough personnel, including the secretary, police chief and street supervisor. A special meeting will be held January 26 to vote on the new budget, which must be approved by Feb. 15. Newly elected Mayor Adrian Gordon can veto the budget if approved.

SOUTH STRABANE, Pa. — South Strabane Township leaders are reportedly considering budget cuts that would impact funding for police and fire services. Our news partners at Channel 11 obtained the proposal through a Right-to-Know request. The documents show nearly $157,000 in proposed cuts to the police department and about $173,000 in proposed cuts to fire, emergency services and public safety — a total of about $330,000. The proposal comes after the township approved its budget in November. Some residents are expressing concern. Heidi McConnell said she also filed a Right-to-Know request and obtained the proposal before a recent supervisors meeting. McConnell said Supervisor Jeff Bull stated at the meeting that “nobody was supposed to have their hands on these,” and she is questioning how the proposed changes were created. Bull told Channel 11 that past financial decisions left the township with limited options and called the current budget “unsustainable.” He said township taxes have increased 90% over the past seven years, including a 67% increase in 2023, and warned another increase could be possible next year. Bull also pointed to the cost of a $2 million fire truck, saying the township was promised grants and low-interest loans that did not materialize. He said taxpayers will pay about $500,000 in interest and still owe about $700,000. South Strabane Fire Chief Jordan Cramer said in a statement: “I look forward to working transparently and collaboratively with the South Strabane Township Board of Supervisors on a 2026 budget that maintains the current level of fire and emergency services for all who live, work, and visit our growing community. It is critical that any budget decisions continue to prioritize public safety, ensure uninterrupted emergency response, and protect the health and safety of our career and volunteer first responders who serve this community every day.” South Strabane Police Chief Drew Hilk said in a statement: “We look forward to working with the 2026 Township Board of Supervisors to create a fiscally responsible budget for 2026 that does not reduce or cut any police services to the South Strabane Township community.” Two more meetings are scheduled next week in South Strabane Township to discuss the budget, before it is due in mid-February.

Pennsylvania’s attorney general wants utility customers to be alert for a scam that is circulating in the Commonwealth. AG Dave Sunday said his office is receiving an increase in calls about impersonation scams involving utility providers. He highlighted false websites that mirror websites that legitimately belong to utility providers, which are showing up in Google searches. Sunday added that people who click these links often encounter claims that say their payment is past due. The websites also try to frighten victims into making a rushed payment or giving up their personal information. Anyone who is unsure if they are communicating with someone who is a representative of their utility company is encouraged to try calling the number on their bill. People who fall victim to a scam or believe they are a victim should contact the Bureau of Consumer Protection by clicking here to file a complaint.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado says she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump. She described it as a recognition of his commitment to Venezuela’s freedom. Trump confirmed later on social media that she had left the medal for him. Machado met with Trump on Thursday to discuss Venezuela’s future, despite his doubts about her leadership. She greeted supporters after the meeting, expressing confidence in Trump’s support. The meeting comes amid U.S. efforts to control Venezuela’s oil following the capture of Nicolás Maduro. Machado has been a key figure in opposing Venezuela’s ruling party since 2004.

Federal immigration agents deployed to Minneapolis have used aggressive crowd-control tactics — including pointing rifles at demonstrators and deploying chemical irritants — actions the government says are necessary to protect officers from violent attacks and growing protests. But law enforcement experts warn these measures are escalating risk and being carried out by agents without extensive crowd-management training. Videos and witness accounts reviewed by The Associated Press show federal agents breaking vehicle windows, pulling occupants from cars and deploying chemical agents such as tear gas and pepper spray during confrontations with protesters. Experts say such tactics, while sometimes justified in targeted arrests, carry heightened risks when used for crowd control.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.S. and Iranian officials faced each other at the U.N. Security Council, where America’s envoy renewed threats against the Islamic Republic despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to lower the temperature between the two adversaries. The U.S. was joined Thursday by Iranian dissidents to rebuke the government’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests that activists say has killed at least 2,637 people. Mike Waltz is the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. He said Trump has made it clear that all options are still on the table to stop the slaughter. Iranian ambassador Hossein Darzi blasted the U.S. for what it claimed was America’s “direct involvement in steering unrest in Iran to violence.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as U.S. layoffs remain low despite growing concern about a weakening job market. U.S. filings for jobless aid for the week ending Jan. 10 fell by 9,000 to 198,000, down from 207,000 the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The figure was significantly less than the 215,000 that analysts polled by the data firm FactSet were expecting. Applications for unemployment benefits are viewed as a proxy for layoffs. The total number of Americans filing for jobless benefits for the previous week ending Jan. 3 declined by 19,000 to 1.89 million, the government said.

BEIJING (AP) — China and Canada have pledged to improve relations after years of tension. Chinese leader Xi Jinping told visiting Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday that he is willing to work on better ties. Talks have been underway since their initial meeting in October. Carney is the first Canadian prime minister to visit China in eight years. He says better relations could improve global governance. He has called for cooperation in agriculture, energy, and finance. No announcement has been made on tariffs, which is a sticking point in the relationship. China hopes U.S. pressure will lead Canada to pursue a foreign policy less aligned with the United States.