WJPA News

An unidentified male is hospitalized following a police shooting Friday morning in the City of Washington.  Officers were called to a home along Oak Street near E. Hallam Avenue just after 6:30 a.m.  According to reports, a computer crime unit was serving a warrant on the male.  The mother of the male let officers in but once inside the male brandished a firearm.  State Police then fired at the male. Washington Mayor JoJo Burgess tells WJPA Radio that the man shot is his cousin. The man, is 22 years old, is deaf and has had dealings with police in the past, Burgess said. Burgess did not specify the nature of those encounters, but said they never ended in gunfire. Burgess said Washington police were not aware of today’s warrant service, adding that something very wrong happened and the family needs answers. The suspect was transported to a Pittsburgh hospital but there is no word on his identity or condition.  State Police are handling the investigation.

An Ohio man is in the Washington County Jail after police say he robbed an employee at the Rodeway Inn Motel in South Strabane Township at knifepoint.  According to reports, police were called to the motel along North Avenue Wednesday afternoon.   Police say 40 year old Daryle Forman Jr. went into the motel with the knife and demanded money from the employee while threatening to kill him and holding the knife to his throat.  Reports say a woman in the lobby called 911 and the man fled.  Police say Forman got into an SUV driven by 26 year old Denver Findley of Canonsburg.  The vehicle was spotted a short time later at Strabane Square and officers pursued the vehicle and stopped them along Berry Road.  Both men were arrested. Police say they found a knife, syringes and stamp bags in the vehicle.  Forman faces charges that include; felony attempted robbery and aggravated assault.  He was arraigned and is last reported in the Washington County Jail on $500,000 bond.  He is to face a preliminary hearing October 20.  Findley reportedly was also taken to jail on an earlier arrest warrant on drug charges filed by State Police.  He also faces additional charges of possession of drug paraphernalia.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health released an update on the measles outbreak in the state on Friday afternoon. According to the DOH there have been 58 new positive cases since October 7. That brings the total number of cases to 1,136 across 41 counties. There have been 219 hospitalizations and 5 confirmed measles associated deaths. The DOH says that being vaccinated is the best protection against the measles virus.

Diana Irey-Vaughan, President and CEO of the City Mission is taking part in a 24 hour marathon program called “Conversations On A Bench”. The event was facilitated by Citygate network, a nationwide faith-based association of rescue missions and life-transformation ministries across North America.  She is sitting on a bench covered by a canopy and spoke with community leaders in business and medicine, elected officials, donors and volunteers. At 2:00 AM, Irey-Vaughan sat on the bench with the President and CEO of the Charlotte, North Carolina Rescue Mission. The aim of the event is to find methods to improve the lives of those in need. For 85 years the City Mission has been aiding individuals with needs. City Mission serves four homeless populations through its shelters for men, women, women with children, and veterans. (Photo; Jim Johtnston, Director of Development City Mission, Diana Irey-Vaughan, President and CEO City Mission)

PennDOT is reminding drivers to watch for deer this fall. As autumn settles in, deer become more active. Fall is the time of year when deer activity increases, particularly as breeding season approaches. The increased movement coincides with shorter days, meaning more drivers are traveling during the hours when deer are most active. Pennsylvania consistently ranks among the states with the highest number of crashes involving deer. According to PennDOT data, there were 6,310 deer-related crashes statewide in 2025, resulting in 90 serious injuries and 11 fatalities. “We can’t control when or where a deer will cross the road, but we can control how we drive,” said PennDOT Safety Press Officer Emily Stambaugh. “Slowing down, staying alert, and knowing what to do when you see a deer can play a big role in keeping you safe.”

A Maryland man reported missing after attending the Steelers-Browns game in Cleveland was found dead.  NBC affiliate WKYC reports  that the body of Phoenix Philips, 24, was pulled from the Cuyahoga River Tuesday afternoon.  Philips was reported missing to Cleveland police last Friday.  Police had previously called Philips’ disappearance “concerning,” WKYC reports. In a social media post, Cleveland Missing said Philips was in Cleveland for last Thursday’s game. WEWS spoke with Philips’ mother, Amanda Philips, who said he was a Steelers fan and father of a 2-year-old boy.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has publicized the arrest of a Nigerian man for indecent exposure, including a political attack that’s drawing complaints. The department’s press release alleges the man worked for a Democratic congressional candidate in Pennsylvania. The candidate, Janelle Stelson, denies he was a campaign employee. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint, calling the department’s attack a violation of the Hatch Act. The act prohibits government officials from using their positions to influence elections. Stelson’s campaign says they never heard of the man before his arrest. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to questions about the connection.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump says the U.S. will obtain diesel from Russia, relaxing years of US pressure on Moscow to combat prices ahead of midterms. Trump said on social media on Friday that he struck the deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call. Trump announced that Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by 500,000 tons more in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.” Russia will deliver another 3 million tons “within a short period of time” after that, he wrote. The announcement comes after Trump signed a sweeping sanctions law against Russia last month to clamp down on Russia’s energy economy.

GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) — Isaias has strengthened into a powerful Category 3 hurricane as it surges toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center says Isaias’ maximum sustained winds have increased to 120 mph. That classifies it as a major hurricane. The first hurricane of the Atlantic season is expected to make landfall near the Alabama-Florida state line Friday night. It threatens to bring strong winds, heavy rains and potentially life-threatening storm surges to the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi. Heavy rain and flooding are possible into the weekend as far north as Tennessee and North Carolina.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the execution would be “public.” Hegseth, speaking to the conservative TV outlet Real America’s Voice News on Wednesday, said, “We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public.” Officials in the Pentagon clarified Thursday that the execution will be livestreamed and that more details would follow. The Army has said the execution of Hasan will take place at Fort Hood on Dec. 3. Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others in a shooting at the military base in 2009.

HEBRON, Ky. (AP) — Vice President JD Vance has expressed doubts about the Pentagon’s plan to livestream the Fort Hood shooter’s execution. The Republican vice president said Friday “I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen,” when asked about the plans that the Pentagon confirmed on Thursday. If it happens, Vance says he would not watch. But Vance then tried to set aside the controversy over the plans for a public execution and said Nidal Malik Hasan’s crimes should not be forgotten.

HONG KONG (AP) — China and the European Union have reached a broad initial agreement to ease trade tensions. The EU trade commissioner announced Friday that the deal includes lower tariffs for some European goods and measures to stabilize rare earth supply chains. The agreement could cut up to 50% of Chinese electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle imports to the EU. The talks, which concluded Friday, aimed to address growing trade imbalances. Both sides plan to meet again in January by video and in person in March. The EU has been limiting imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles and other products, while China has launched investigations into EU imports.

BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi aviation authorities say three Saudi citizens including a pilot were killed and several other people wounded in two attacks Thursday that were claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The attacks targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and a Saudia Airlines aircraft. It marked the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia since the kingdom and allied forces in Yemen launched a major offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis last weekend. The Houthis said they targeted the airport with a ballistic missile. The Saudi statements said activities at the airport in Riyadh have returned to normal, but some airlines have suspended flights there.

CORONADO, Calif. (AP) — The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has returned home to San Diego Bay after a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea supporting the Iran war. The carrier’s extended deployment drew the nation’s attention following reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products. The Navy initially downplayed any problems, and President Donald Trump commented that the Lincoln’s lengthy deployment was “not nearly long enough.” The carrier left San Diego in November, arrived in the Middle East in January to support Iran operations, and spent 265 days at sea, a record for uninterrupted time at sea.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lawyers for Christa Pike say the Tennessee woman has begun walking and eating again at a hospital, a week after surviving the state’s attempt to execute her with lethal drugs. The 50-year-old inmate survived two doses of pentobarbital on Sept. 30. She was convicted of the 1995 beating and stabbing death of a classmate. For the first few days after the failed execution, she was unconscious and on a ventilator at a hospital. Her lawyers said Thursday that she took some limited first steps at midweek and was being helped as she walked. They also said she was eating again and regaining some mobility in her arms.