WJPA News

South Strabane Township Supervisors have tabled their fossil fuel power generation ordinance.  Supervisor Zach Morgan tells WJPA News they want to make some changes to the measure and will consider it again when they meet next month.  It is part of the township’s overall data center ordinance which was approved in June.   Supervisors also voted unanimously to change their emergency notification service.  Cancelling the use of Code Red after seven years.  Fire Chief Jordan Cramer says  Code Red was costing the township $4,200 annually and they did not use it once last year. They will now use the ‘Regroup Mass Notification’ System.

A woman from Ohio wanted on homicide charges is last reported in the Washington County jail awaiting extradition.  38 year old Karenda Hutsenpiller was charged in connection with a police chase Friday here in the City of Washington as well as East Washington Borough.  Police stopped her vehicle along North Avenue and she was apprehended by an East Washington police officer after she tried to flee on foot.  Police say she is wanted on an active warrant in connection with a homicide in Ohio and was on supervised release after pleading guilty to manslaughter 15-years ago in Warren, Ohio.  She has been charged with fleeing police, evading arrest, resisting arrest and other offenses.

City of Washington Police have filed charges against a West Virginia man in connection with an alleged fraud scheme involving Stewart Snacks, LLC, an independent distributor of Little Debbie snack products.  The investigation began after reports of fraudulent business records and missing product associated with deliveries made throughout Washington County at stores including Shop-N’-Save, Giant Eagle and WalMart.  James Powell, of Valley Grove, was employed as a distributor and allegedly created fraudulent delivery invoices indicating that the products had been delivered to several retail stores.  Powell allegedly forged signatures on delivery invoices and received commission payments for deliveries that never occurred.  Police have charged him with three counts of Forgery, two counts of Theft by Deception, two counts Theft by Unlawful Taking and other charges.  Police say they are seeking more than $17-thousand dollars restitution. Powell was taken into custody in West Virginia and is last reported awaiting extradition to Washington County.

Uniontown, PA – PennDOT has announced that a portion of Route 88 between Hidden Hollow Road and Beach Drive/Cardox Road in Union Township, Washington County, will close to traffic beginning Monday, August 3 at 6:00 a.m.  A posted detour will remain in place through mid-August utilizing Route 3038 (Connor Road), Route 3009 (South Park Road), Route 1002 (McMurray Road), Route 1019 (Bebout Road), Route 1010 (Valley Brook Road), Route 1006 (Venetia Road) and Route 88.  Local traffic and deliveries will have access to Hidden Hollow Road from the south and Beach Drive from the north. There will be no through access on Route 88 between those locations because of the open excavation.   Crews from Plum Contracting Inc. will replace a pipe. An infrastructure investment of $150,000.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. scientist who helped lead the nation’s COVID-19 pandemic response, is facing off with a Republican senator probing the origins of the coronavirus. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky subpoenaed Fauci to appear Wednesday before a Senate committee, part of Paul’s yearslong accusations that the now-retired infectious disease expert had lied about the pandemic. Fauci has called that “preposterous” in prior hearings and his lawyers likewise call the allegations “absolutely baseless.” Many scientists believe the coronavirus likely jumped from animals to people in nature. Paul champions a theory that it may have leaked from a laboratory.

CAIRO (AP) — Jordan’s military says the country’s air defenses intercepted five missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday. The interceptions come hours after the U.S. military said it had knocked down an Iranian missile barrage launched against American forces in the Middle East, shattering a brief pause in fighting. The U.S. military also said it worked with Saudi Arabia’s forces to strike sites in Iraq that Tehran-backed militias have used to launch attacks in recent days. All Iranian missiles launched against American forces in the Middle East were intercepted, U.S. Central Command said.

NEW YORK (AP) — More progressive Americans are swearing off traditional media. They’re turning to independent podcasts, social media and digital news for information. This shift could impact Democratic primaries by promoting progressive candidates. The rise of alternative media has been fueled in part by declining trust in institutions. Ryan Grim, a co-founder of Drop Site News and a veteran of online political debates, said progressive politicians have sought out his platform to reach voters. In Michigan, a Senate primary is testing its influence, with progressive Abdul El-Sayed challenging establishment-backed Haley Stevens. In New York City, a slate of progressive congressional candidates endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani defeated establishment-backed candidates.

HONG KONG (AP) — The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has announced a ban on new foreign-made humanoid robots, citing national security concerns. The move mainly targets China, which dominates the global market for humanoid robots with an estimated market share of roughly 85%. The FCC also banned foreign-made power inverters. That reflects concerns over potential risks for American electricity grids and a push to fortify U.S. supply chains. China’s Foreign Ministry protested the move. The FCC’s bans follow a slew of U.S. restrictions on imports of Chinese products, including drones, and on exports of U.S. advanced technology to China. Such measures are likely to test relations with Beijing ahead of a planned U.S. visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in September.

KUMAMOTO, Japan (AP) — Soldiers and emergency workers are combing through a badly damaged shopping mall and collapsed houses looking for trapped survivors Wednesday after a powerful earthquake that killed at least 18 people in southwestern Japan. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit a day earlier in the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu. The prefectural government said it also left at least 62 people injured, six of them seriously. The tally has been steadily growing, fanning fears it may continue to rise. It remains unclear how many people might still be missing. One of the most seriously damaged places was a shopping mall, where four people died and three people are still missing.