WJPA News

HARRISBURG – Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a former Western Pennsylvania-based Ukrainian Catholic priest is charged with theft and financial exploitation regarding more than $740,000 stolen from three churches, church affiliates, and the priest’s own mother.  Gregory Allen Madeya, 69, is charged with felony dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, theft by unlawful taking, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person, and access device fraud.  Madeya, now residing in Florida, was arrested Friday in Vero Beach, and is awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania.  According to the investigation, Madeya is charged with thefts dating back to 2018. He stole from churches and the Knights of Columbus, and nearly $250,000 from his mother, who was of the age when she could not manage her own finances.  “It is unconscionable to see a supposed man of God exploiting not only the churches he served, but his own mother,” Attorney General Sunday said. “This defendant abused the trust of those around him, and left them to recover from mammoth financial losses.”  These charges stem from a multi-year, exhaustive investigation into Madeya’s conduct.  On Madeya’s electronic devices, investigators found messages and photos related to narcotics as well as photographs of debit cards and bank documents related to his church, St. John the Baptist. In Madeya’s trash, agents found several church-offering collection envelopes.

Gas prices are three cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.160 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.  The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is back on the rise after a week of falling prices. Today’s national average of $4.06 is five cents more than last week. Crude oil prices are once again in the $80 per barrel range amid continued uncertainty along the Strait of Hormuz. While gasoline demand is down, crude oil prices are keeping pump prices higher than normal for this time of year. So far, this is the highest August on record when it comes to the national gasoline average.  According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased last week from 9.03 million barrels per day to 8.96 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 209.7 million barrels to 208.7 million. Gasoline production also decreased, averaging 9.6 million barrels per day.

Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand reopening of its Washington County College Center. It is now located at the Western Area Career and Technology Center (WACTC).  Jeff Kotula, the president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, believes that having CCBC connected with WACTC will give students more options for education. CCBC is committed to making higher education and workforce training accessible to residents in Washington, Greene, and Fayette counties. Anitre Bell, the Assistant Director of Enrollment Management, says that people in the community can now take classes and feel like they have a space without having to travel far.  Fall 2026 classes begin at the new facility on August 24. Dr. Roger W. Davis, the president of CCBC, says that the best is yet to come, and he wants students to know that the college will help them get through their educational journey.

LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy’s first training camp with the team ended a day early after storms disrupted the practice schedule. Bumpy weather in western Pennsylvania over the last few weeks forced the Steelers to modify their practice plans, but McCarthy says he doesn’t intend to suggest the team stop making its annual trek to the small college about an hour east of Pittsburgh. McCarthy said the intimate environment at Saint Vincent is an invaluable part of the team-building process.

Washington County 9-1-1 Dispatchers report that a fire occurred in Midway Borough overnight. They say a fire in a home broke out just after midnight. It happened in the 100 block of South Main Street in Midway. According to the Midway Fire Chief, a domestic situation may have occurred prior to the fire. As crews arrived, an occupant that lived with their family in the home ran off. Smith Township Police posted on their Facebook page that prior to the fire, they were dispatched to the home for a domestic incident. It states that Michael Higgins was seen by a witness intentionally setting fire to the home. After a brief chase, he was apprehended.  He has been charged with causing or risking a catastrophe and terroristic threats, among other charges. Higgins is now in the Washington County Jail awaiting arraignment. The Fire Marshal is investigating.

(AP) – Two weeks before classes, Darryl Canady learned students at the all-boys charter school he founded near Pittsburgh would not receive traditional bus rides. The Woodland Hills School District decided to provide Pittsburgh Regional Transit cards instead. The district’s decision aligns with a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling allowing districts to end bus service for charter students if alternative free transportation is provided. This move has sparked concerns about safety and reliability among parents and charter school advocates. The court ruling provided clarity, but the issue isn’t settled. Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg are backing measures that would effectively undo pieces of the ruling, and charter school advocates are considering further court action.

HONOLULU (AP) — Tropical Storm Lala has left behind a muddy mess from intense rainfall and flooding as it moved past Hawaii’s main islands. The storm weakened from a hurricane on Sunday without making landfall. Cleanup efforts are expected to begin Monday. But, the National Hurricane Center says life-threatening surf and rip currents remain. Heavy rainfall could still cause landslides, though winds are no longer a threat. Laupahoehoe on the Big Island recorded the heaviest rainfall at 43.54 inches. The storm caused serious flooding that swept about 100 homes from their foundations.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates have declined again, with exemptions reaching a record high. Federal data released Monday shows 4.2% of children are exempted from vaccine requirements, up from 3.6% the previous year. This marks the fourth consecutive year of rising exemption rates, mostly due to nonmedical reasons. Experts blame confusion in vaccination recommendations. The CDC reports a slight drop in measles-mumps-rubella shots, and that vaccination rates for polio and other diseases also are falling. The U.S. is experiencing its worst measles year since 1991. Some state health officials are urging parents to vaccinate their children as schools can be hot spots for outbreaks.

(AP) – The 60-day deadline for an agreement to end the Iran war and resolve the dispute over its nuclear program is expiring. An interim agreement reached in June has collapsed, and Washington and Tehran are even further apart than they were then. Talks appear to be mostly indirect through mediators and have focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The crucial waterway for global energy has been largely closed by Iranian attacks on shipping. Iran has issued far-reaching demands for opening it, while the U.S. appears to be banking on economic pressure to get Tehran to back down. Fighting flared in July and could resume at any time.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back annual joint military exercises with South Korea. He explained the decision by saying South Korea had declined to help with the “denuclearization” of Iran and he cited his good relationship with North Korea’s leader. Trump said in a social media post on Sunday that the exercises are costly and “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful” during his time in the White House. The 11 days of exercises involving 18,000 South Korean soldiers began Monday and were designed to beef up readiness against North Korean threats.

ETTRICK, Va. (AP) — Authorities are seeking additional people who fired weapons during a weekend shooting at Virginia State University that left five people wounded. A 19-year-old suspect remained in custody on Sunday. Investigators are trying to determine if others who fired weapons did so in self-defense or if they were aggressors. The shooting just after 1:30 a.m. Saturday came as students were getting ready for the new school year. The suspect is not a student but was found hiding in a dormitory closet Saturday afternoon. He faces four counts of malicious wounding and four counts of using a firearm during a felony. Only one of the victims is a student.

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella has asked U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend tariffs to help Colombia recover from a devastating earthquake. The 7.4 magnitude quake struck Monday, killing at least 289 people and injuring nearly 4,000. De la Espriella, who took office earlier this month, emphasized his connections with Trump, thanking him for $26.5 million in U.S. aid. The quake destroyed thousands of homes, including in western cities like Pereira and Cali. The government declared it a natural disaster, with at least143 people missing and extensive damage reported. Rescue efforts continue despite the challenging conditions.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hayden Panettiere has died at age 36. She starred in television series including “Heroes” and “Nashville.” Panettiere’s father, Skip, announced the actor’s death in a statement provided to ABC News Sunday. No cause of death was announced, and a publicist did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press. Panettiere had a prolific career dating to 1996, and her credits included the voice of Dot in “A Bug’s Life,” “Remember the Titans” and “Scream VI.” Her role as a cheerleader with superpowers in “Heroes” propelled her to fame, with the series revolving around the mantra “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”