WJPA News

South Strabane Township wrapped up 2025 with a packed agenda and a meeting that lasted two and a half hours. Supervisors approved the hiring of Peter Stefansky as the township’s new township manager. He is a Monessen native married to a South Strabane Township native. Stefansky says he has worked in several capacities in municipal government over the years and is looking forward to working in South Strabane Township. Stefansky begins work on January 5. Supervisors also held two public hearings on projects concerning power. In the first hearing supervisors were considering a draft ordinance for solar energy systems. Linda Rumbaugh voiced her concerns about property setbacks and how chemicals used in solar farms can be harmful. She also was concerned about other environmental issues such as noise. In a second public hearing supervisors were considering a draft ordinance governing battery storage systems. Jorgan and Jocelyn Liberatore raised similar concerns about setbacks and questioned whether the light industrial zone is appropriate for such a project. They live near the light industrial zone and feel the industrial zone is better suited for the use. They also are concerned about fire safety in case any of the lithium ion batteries were to catch fire. Both meetings were continued to an undetermined date so supervisors may review and possibly incorporate some of the issues raised at the meeting. Despite announcements regarding a data center ordinance not being on the agenda, approximately a dozen residents spoke for 50 minutes about that ordinance. A public hearing about data centers could be held in January.

Washington County Commissioners will vote on a measure directing the County Solicitor to draft an amended Hotel Tax Ordinance that would change fees and distributions of tax monies collected from hotels and motels in Washington County. The initial ordinance from 2001 called for the County Treasurer to receive a 2% administration fee, The Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency (TPA) to receive 25% for salaries and administration, and the remainder to be deposited in a joint account controlled by the TPA and County Commissioners.  In 2017 the ordinance was amended to read that the County Treasurer would receive a 4% administrative fee and the remaining 96% would go to the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency. In a statement released by the county, The County Treasurer stated that a joint account was never established to comply with the original agreement. Commissioner Chairman Nick Sherman stated that they just want to go back to the original agreement allowing input from the county on how hotel taxes are spent. One of the things that Sherman would like to see is a sports complex built in Washington County. He feels that people attending sporting events in a sports complex would spur additional spending in area restaurants, stores, and the casinos. Commissioner Larry Maggi says that he is not sure that the county has the legal authority to amend the ordinance. He wants Commissioners Sherman and Janis to be transparent on what plans they have for the tax revenue. Commissioners will vote on the measure on Thursday.

The Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency (WCTPA) is advising the Washington County Board of Commissioners that their proposed change to strip funding from the WCTPA by amending the county ordinance will violate Pennsylvania County Code if enacted. “We were disappointed that the commissioners did not contact us to discuss their intention to modify the ordinance before they presented it today at their Public Agenda Meeting.  We would have advised them that the changes they are seeking will violate state law and could end up in litigation against the county,” stated Jeff Kotula, President of the WCTPA. Mr. Kotula pointed to Pennsylvania County Code Title 16, Section 17507 which permits counties to enact a hotel tax and provides the manner it is used.  “Our legal counsel informed us that the County Code is clear on how the hotel tax is to be collected, distributed, and used.  The code states that the hotel tax is collected by the County Treasurer-who retains four percent in an administrative fee-and the remaining amount goes directly to the county tourism promotion agency to market the county to leisure and business visitors. The County Code does not permit the county commissioners to retain, redirect, or allocate those funds for other purposes.  The commissioners do not have the authority to change state law by county ordinance,” Kotula said.  “We are certain that when the county solicitor performs his legal due diligence, he will advise the commissioners that their proposed ordinance violates state law and enacting it may result in legal action,” Kotula stated.

Washington County Commissioners will be voting to adopt a resolution to establish an Opioid Advisory Committee to evaluate and recommend programs to receive funding from the nationwide Opioid Settlement Funds. Recently, Washington County was criticized by the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust and the county had 17 programs either denied funding or placed under further review for questions on the nominee’s compliance. According to Commissioner Chairman Nick Sherman, the idea of a formation of a review committee has been in place for several months. He blames the rejection of the programs on “Moving Goalposts” by the state. He said that originally the Human Services Department was sufficient to make decisions. As the fund monies grew, he said the state wanted to see a review committee to be formed. He said that some of the programs in question were approved in earlier rounds of distribution. Sherman says that they are considering a 7 member board whose make up is still to be determined. Commissioner Larry Maggi is in support of the committee’s formation saying that it will bring more transparency to the review process.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The proposed $85 billion merger of the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads has lost the support of two unions that represent more than half their workers. The unions representing engineers and maintenance workers worry the deal will jeopardize safety and jobs, and lead to higher shipping rates and consumer prices. They are now among the most prominent critics of this deal. But the deal does have the support of the nation’s largest rail union that represents conductors and hundreds of individual shippers. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board will weigh the opinions of all stakeholders to determine if the merger is in the public interest.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republican leaders are determined to push ahead with a health care bill that excludes efforts to address the soaring monthly premiums for Affordable Care Act recipients. The enhanced tax credits for people who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act are set to expire at year’s end. Speaker Mike Johnson had discussed allowing more politically vulnerable Republicans lawmakers a chance to vote on their plan that would temporarily extend the pandemic-era subsidies. But leadership ultimately sided with conservatives who assailed the subsidies as propping up Obamacare. The outcome all but guarantees that many Americans will see substantially higher insurance costs in 2026.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has announced an expansion of travel restrictions to include 20 more countries. This move doubles the number of nations affected by previous limits on travel and immigration to the U.S. The administration cites national security concerns, including the arrest of an Afghan national suspect, as reasons for the expansion, among others. Critics argue it unfairly targets a broad range of countries. The restrictions exempt those with visas, lawful permanent residents and certain visa categories. It’s unclear when these new restrictions will take effect. The expansion includes full bans and partial restrictions on various countries.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro. The moves comes after U.S. forces last week seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region. In a post on social media Tuesday night announcing the blockade, Trump alleged Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes. Venezuela’s government accused Trump of “violating international law, free trade, and the principle of free navigation” with “a reckless and grave threat.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States gained a decent 64,000 jobs in November but lost 105,000 in October as federal workers departed after cutbacks by the Trump administration, the government said in delayed reports. The unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, highest since 2021. Both the October and November job creation numbers, released Tuesday by the Labor Department, came in late because of the 43-day federal government shutdown. Hiring has clearly lost momentum, hobbled by uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the lingering effects of the high interest rates the Federal Reserve engineered in 2022 and 2023 to rein in an outburst of inflation.

NEW YORK (AP) — Many U.S. consumers say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for holiday gifts in recent months, according to a a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A contributing factor is the unusually high import taxes the Trump administration put on foreign goods. While the worst-case consumer impact that many economists foresaw from the administration’s trade policies hasn’t materialized, some popular gift items have been affected more than others. Most toys and electronics sold in the U.S. come from China. So do most holiday decorations. Jewelry prices have risen due to the cost of gold.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rob Reiner’s son Nick Reiner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges against 32-year-old Nick Reiner at a news conference on Tuesday. The announcement of the charges comes two days after the famed actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their Los Angeles home. Their son Nick Reiner was arrested hours later. Nick Reiner’s attorney Alan Jackson says medical reasons kept his client from making his first court appearance Tuesday and it’s been postponed to Wednesday.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Authorities have released a new video timeline and a slightly clearer image of the man suspected in the Brown University shooting. They provided no indication Tuesday that they were any closer to zeroing in on his identity. Investigators have been canvassing Providence homes, yards and dumpsters in search of videos or other clues. Saturday’s campus shooting killed two students and wounded nine others. In all of the videos made public, the suspect’s face was masked or turned away. Authorities have only been able to give a vague description of him. In the new video timeline, footage shows the man running along quiet streets before the attack.