WJPA News

The Washington School District is considering a major, multi-million dollar upgrade to its football stadium. According to the Observer-Reporter, a representative from HHSDR Architects Engineers’ Pittsburgh presented three options that range from $7.1 million to $8.9 million. The first option would renovate and expand the current field house along Tyler Avenue. The second would replace the current building, and the third would construct a new field house on the opposite side of the football field from the current structure. The first option would cost approximately $7.1 million, the second is $8.1 million and the third would be just over $8.9 million. There are also options to replace the track at the stadium and add more than 120 new parking spaces. Track replacement would add another $3.5 million and parking expansion another $1 million. The entire project would reportedly take about one year to complete. School District Business Manager Emily DiNardo says funding would come from capital reserves and would not affect taxpayers in the district. The school board is further discuss the project when they meet again on June 15.

PITTSBURGH — Members of law enforcement joined community members and advocates for a forum on Downtown Pittsburgh safety on Tuesday. The forum was pre-planned, but it came just a day after a 19-year-old was shot and killed near the Chipotle in Market Square. Market Square itself has been the topic of controversy. Since reopening following a $15 million renovation, a new chaperone policy has been in place. Teens under 18 are required to have an adult over 21 with them Thursday through Sunday. That policy was the subject of criticism by some at the forum. “Where are they supposed to go? What fun activities do we have throughout Pittsburgh where my kid can leave my home and feel comfortable?” a mother of teenagers said. Leaders spoke about the need for it. “It’s a known fact that we have increased activity in and around Market Square,” Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Sheldon Williams said. “Because some of the behavior we see is with juveniles, there is an added level of complexity.” They also asked for clarity regarding the chaperone policy and argued that Pittsburgh is criminalizing all youth for the actions of some.

EAST HUNTINGDON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A man is dead after a crash involving a motorcycle in East Huntingdon Township. Westmoreland County Coroner John A. Ackerman said his office was called to the intersection of Porter Avenue and Cedar Drive at 2:41 p.m. on Tuesday. Ackerman said Mark F. Hixon, of Scottsdale, was traveling north on Porter Avenue on a Honda motorcycle when he crashed into the back of a Volkswagen SUV. Hixon was pronounced dead at 3:32 p.m. Ackerman said Hixon was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Pennsylvania State Police are continuing to investigate.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale inflation came in hot last month. Producer prices rose 6% from a year earlier, most since December 2022, as the 10-week Iran war pushed up energy prices and put pressure on companies to pass along higher costs to consumers. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that its producer price index — which tracks inflation before it hits consumers — shot up 1.4% in April, biggest monthly gain since March 2022. The numbers were much higher than economists had forecast.

BEIJING (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing for a hotly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The talks are expected to focus on the Iran war, trade and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The meat of the summit won’t happen until Thursday, when the leaders hold bilateral talks and a formal banquet. But the Chinese offered Trump a pomp-filled welcome. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, China’s ambassador to Washington, China’s executive vice minister of foreign affairs and the U.S. envoy to Beijing were on hand for a Wednesday welcoming ceremony that included some 300 Chinese youth, a military honor guard and military band.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Kuwait has accused Iran of launching a failed attack earlier this month on an island where China is helping build a port in the Gulf Arab nation. Tuesday’s accusation came just before U.S. President Donald Trump was to depart for Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a high-stakes visit over the war and other issues. Kuwait said a team of six armed members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard tried to infiltrate Bubiyan Island to carry out “hostile acts.” Kuwait said that it detained four of the men while two escaped. Iran didn’t immediately acknowledge the allegation by Kuwait. With ceasefire negotiations between Iran and the U.S. at a standstill, ongoing attacks threaten to reignite open warfare.

President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape U.S. House districts have seen mixed outcomes. South Carolina senators defied his push Tuesday, while Missouri’s top court upheld a new map backed by Trump that could benefit Republicans in the midterm elections. The national redistricting battle has been raging for 10 months. But it became more intense after the U.S. Supreme Court recently weakened the federal Voting Rights Act. The ruling has led Republicans in states such as Louisiana, Tennessee and Alabama to push for new districts. South Carolina senators expressed concerns that redistricting could backfire, resulting in losses to Democrats.