WJPA News

A Jefferson, PA man has been charged in connection with a hit and run accident at the McDowell Shops in Peters Township in November. Keith Shearer, 47 is accused of striking 79 year old Sally Sherfinski and then driving away. Court documents said Shearer told police he went to Applebee’s that day after work and had one beer and two shots before driving away. Police say Shearer denied knowing he hit Sherfinski but said there was a chance he blacked out. Police say Sherfinski was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in critical condition. She spent two days in the ICU with multiple broken bones and a brain bleed and is now recovering at home. Shearer faces accidents involving death or injury and aggravated assault by vehicle felonies and a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment.

Governor Josh Shapiro announced that 54 transportation projects that total more than $47 million have received funding from the Multimodal Transportation Fund. The awards were made in 34 counties across Pennsylvania to enhance safety, connect communities and grow local economies. Local projects that were awarded funds were the Clark Road Bridge in Buffalo Township with $101,850, and Miller Road culvert replacements in Canton Township for $165,050. In Greene County, culvert reinforcement under Goslin Road in Jefferson Township received $176,056.

CLAIRTON, Pa.—(WPXI)-In August, two employees died and several others were injured during a battery explosion at Clairton Coke Works. Now, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board issued two safety recommendations for US Steel. They are to be implemented immediately. The CSB is recommending that U.S. Steel evaluate all buildings that could be occupied and assess any potential danger to workers based on where the buildings are located. The CSB said the occupied buildings in the area where the explosion happened were not capable of protecting workers from the blast. The agency also said that while US Steel has relocated the control rooms for battery 13/14 to another building 100 feet away, it’s not clear that it is a safe location for workers. The second recommendation is calling on U.S. Steel to address and reduce safety risks for its employees. The CSB is continuing its investigation.

BRISTOL, Pa. (AP) — Crews are using construction equipment to clear the rubble of a Pennsylvania nursing home after a powerful explosion killed two people and hospitalized 20 others. The blast happened Tuesday at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center, northeast of Philadelphia. Bristol Police Chief Charles Winik said Wednesday that searchers accounted for everyone who had been thought to be missing. Authorities say a utility crew was responding to reports of a gas odor when the explosion occurred. Investigators are examining whether a gas leak caused the blast. Emergency responders evacuated residents amid flames, a strong gas odor and a second explosion. On Wednesday, workers were clearing sections of collapsed roof and walls to help investigators gain better access.

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — After two years of subdued Christmas celebrations due to war in Gaza, thousands of people have flocked to Bethlehem’s Manger Square on Christmas Eve. The giant Christmas tree returned, and scouts groups marched and played festive music. Bethlehem canceled celebrations the past two years due to the Israel-Hamas war. The city where Christians believe Jesus was born relies heavily on tourism that has been severely impacted. Residents are hopeful as domestic tourism slowly returns. Christmas has always been crucial for Bethlehem’s economy. Many are thrilled to celebrate Christmas again, hoping for a brighter future and lasting peace.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has released tens of thousands more documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, a tranche that included multiple mentions of President Donald Trump but added little new revelatory information to the long-anticipated public file on the disgraced late financier. The documents also contain apparent correspondence between an Epstein co-conspirator and the U.K.’s former Prince Andrew. Many of the mentions of Trump come from news clippings. There is also an email from a prosecutor pointing out flights Trump took on Epstein’s private jet. The Justice Department said one of the letters in the file was fake, but had been included for reasons of transparency.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new Department of Health and Human Services report reveals Medicaid programs made over $200 million in improper payments to health care providers between 2021 and 2022 for people who had already died. The inspector general report, released Tuesday, suggests that a new mandate in Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill could help reduce these kind of payments. The bill requires states to audit Medicaid beneficiary lists against the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File. Privacy laws currently restrict access to this file. The report recommends states comply with the new mandate to conduct quarterly death checks to prevent further improper payments.

The Powerball jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.7 billion and is one of the largest lottery prizes in U.S. history. The lottery group will be drawing the 4th-largest jackpot ever on Christmas Eve. The record U.S. jackpot is $2.04 billion from back in 2022. The odds of winning Wednesday’s jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. One math professor says those odds are equivalent to selecting one marked dollar bill from a stack 19 miles high. Those unfavorable odds are by design to help the lottery create billion-dollar jackpots. There are still other million-dollar prizes that players can win.