WJPA News

 Two people are wanted by police in Canton Township after a decomposed body was found last year in the home where they were living.  Authorities say the couple was living with the body of 64-year-old Michael Bebout for some six months. On Wednesday, police filed charges against James and Debbie Bebout.  Authorities say the couple was continuing to cash his Social Security checks, and  deposited more than $20,000 from Michael Bebout’s government benefits into their accounts while his body lay in his bed.  Police were called to the home in January, after James Bebout reported he thought his brother was dead. According to the criminal complaint, James told officers he found Michael “stiff as a board” when he went to give him breakfast. When officers checked the bedroom, they found only skeletal remains.  James and Debbie Bebout are now charged with theft, conspiracy and abuse of a corpse. The two are wanted and believed to be in the Washington County area.

In a press release issued by North Strabane police on their Facebook page Wednesday, officials said multiple stamp bags of suspected drugs, including some 1,000 glassine stamp bags filled with suspected heroin, fentanyl, and xylazine were found following a traffic stop on Tuesday along McClelland Road.  The release said charges have since been filed against two individuals, who have not been identified. Police say both have been charged with possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance and related offenses.  Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and more charges may be filed.  North Strabane Police say they were assisted by the state district attorney’s office  Anyone with information related to illegal drug activity is asked to call the department at 724-746-4090 or submit tips via email at tips@nstpd.com.

The jury is now deliberating the case against Jose Zaragoza. Zaragoza is accused of strangling and attempting to kidnap the mother of their child. The incident occurred in the parking lot of the Giant Eagle in South Strabane Township. Prosecutors wound up testimony with police accounts of their interaction with the victim Liliana Escobar both at the scene and in subsequent interviews during the investigation. Zaragoza took the stand in his own defense. His account was 180 degrees opposite of the victim. He says that he reached into the car to try and hug Escobar. Her reaction caused him to put his hand over her mouth and nose and her throat as he tried to back away from her reaction to his hug. When asked why he drove off after he offered to call police for help from his cell phone and strangers arrived to the victim’s cries for help, he said that he did not want to get into trouble. WJPA will have the result of this case when the jury delivers its verdict.

North Franklin Township Supervisors ratified their budget for 2026. The budget is balanced and contains no tax raise. The spending plan comes in at $3.6 million according to Supervisor Chairman Bob Sabot. Sabot says that the process of putting the budgets together has gotten easier over the last several years and the township actually has a savings fund, something that was lacking when he was elected to office his second time around. Sabot says that residents will see a lot of exciting things for them to do. Pickleball courts and a boat launch area are planned for next year. In other township business, supervisors will consider amendments to the burning ordinance at their January meeting.

Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania got an early Holiday present from county officials. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at their new location in the Washington County Courthouse. Commissioner Nick Sherman was proud to bring to life the new office that he says will make the filing of Protection From Abuse Orders easier and safer. He pointed to the new children’s area that will shield the children from the sometimes angry atmosphere that exists in these situations. Megan Hegedus, CEO of Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania was extremely appreciative of the new space and thanked all of the judges and commissioners that worked for years to bring this new space into existence. Commissioner Sherman offered words of caution. He said that the holiday season is when cases of domestic violence see a large spike. It is often caused by overindulgence of alcohol or drugs.

(AP) – Federal health officials have expanded an outbreak of infant botulism tied to ByHeart baby formula to include any illnesses reported since the company began production in 2022. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that at least 51 babies in 19 states have been sickened since 2023. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said new cases include any infants with botulism who consumed ByHeart formula since the product’s release. The outbreak was announced on Nov. 8. ByHeart recalled all of its products sold in the U.S. and around the world on Nov. 11th.  (Photo:  AP)

(AP) – The Federal Reserve reduced its key interest rate for the third time in a row Wednesday but signaled that it may leave rates unchanged in the coming months, a move that could attract ire from President Donald Trump, who has demanded steep reductions to borrowing costs. In a set of quarterly economic projections, Fed officials signaled they expect to lower rates just once next year. Wednesday’s cut reduced the rate to about 3.6%, the lowest it has been in nearly three years. Lower rates from the Fed can bring down borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards over time, though market forces can also affect those rates.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Opponents of Missouri’s new congressional map have submitted thousands of petition signatures calling for a statewide vote on the plan backed by President Donald Trump. Organizers of the petition drive said they turned in more than 300,000 signatures Tuesday to the secretary of state’s office. That’s well more than the roughly 110,000 signatures needed to suspend the U.S. House districts from taking effect until a public vote can be held next year. But the signatures still must be formally verified by election authorities. Republicans hope the new voting districts could help their party win additional seats in Congress in next year’s midterm elections.

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has ruled that secret grand jury transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case can be made public. The judge Wednesday joined two other judges in granting the Justice Department’s requests to unseal material from investigations into the late financier’s sexual abuse. U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman in New York reversed his earlier decision to keep the material under wraps, citing a new law that requires the government to open its files on Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell. The judge previously cautioned that the 70 or so pages of grand jury materials slated for release are hardly revelatory. On Tuesday, another Manhattan federal judge ordered the release of records from Maxwell’s 2021 case.  (Photo:  AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says he’s still weighing whether to release the full video of an attack on an alleged drug boat that killed two survivors. Hegseth provided a classified briefing Tuesday to congressional leaders alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top national security officials. Hegseth is facing demands from Congress that he release the video amid a deepening investigation into the strikes. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the briefing “very unsatisfying” and said every lawmaker has a right to see the video. Congress is threatening to withhold travel funding for Hegseth unless the Pentagon provides the unedited video.