WJPA News

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — A 39-year-old woman died Saturday, Oct. 10, in Chambersburg, Pa., following a past diagnosis of measles. The death meets the criteria established by the Pennsylvania Department of Health for a measles-associated fatality, marking the first such death in Franklin County in many years.  The case marks the sixth measles-related death recorded in Pennsylvania. The loss comes as the United States endures its highest annual number of measles cases and related complications since 1991.  The woman had several underlying medical conditions, including a past diagnosis of measles for which she had received treatment, according to the coroner’s office.  The Franklin County Coroner’s Office stated that no further identifying details about the woman would be made public.

State Police say they are investigating an officer-involved shooting on Friday that left a deaf Washington man dead.  Police issued a statement via email on Monday, saying that they are looking into the death of 26-year-old Darion Thompson, who was shot once by police inside his home at 18 Oak Street in Washington.  Police say they were there to serve a search warrant as part of an investigation into Thompson’s alleged possession of child pornography.  Troopers say they were let into the home around six-thirty a.m. by the woman who answered the door.  While inside, troopers say they found Thompson in an upstairs bedroom where he refused verbal commands to drop the firearm he was brandishing, so an officer discharged one round – striking him.  Thompson was flown to UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he later died.  Washington Mayor Jo Jo Burgess says Thompson was his cousin.  According to Burgess, the man was deaf and that police had been to the home before. Burgess is questioning why this encounter ended in gunfire.  It is unclear if troopers knew Thompson was deaf.  The mayor wants body camera video released.  He says we need to know where the lack of communication and the breakdown was.  Police say they will turn the results of their investigation over to the Washington County District Attorney

The Washington High School Student Life Group is finding out early about politics as it exists today. The group teamed with the Washington County League of Women Voters and the Washington Branch of the NAACP, to put on a debate among candidates for state representative, state senator and the US House of Representatives, to gain more information about their views on subjects important to voters, especially young votes in Washington County. To their disappointment, their debate has turned into a “Meet the Candidates” gathering. WJPA Radio sat down with two leaders in the Student Life Group to discuss their experience so far. Eliza Boyd is the founder of the group. She says that multiple efforts were made; from emails, phone calls and even certified mail, to try and convince Republican party candidates to sit down and discuss their views. All of those efforts were ignored. She is upset. She feels that candidates are ignoring what young voters views. She says that it is a HUGE mistake for Republicans not to attend. Blaise Naraskivitch says that, he too, is disappointed in the Republican Party no show. He wants to know how Republicans expect young people to accurately assess community concerns when the candidates who are elected to address those concerns do not care to show up. Naraskivitch says that there is still time, show up to the event and present your views. Boyd says that if Republicans were to lose in Washington County, that is all their responsibility for not wanting to be involved with the community. The meet and greet is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, at 6:30 pm at the Washington High School Gymnasium on Allison Avenue in the City of Washington.

One person was transported to a Pittsburgh hospital following a police chase and crash Monday morning.  Washington County 911 says it happened just after 5 a.m. at the intersection of E. Maiden and Waynesburg Road in Pancake.   According to dispatchers,  South Strabane Police were alerted to a stolen vehicle out of Rostraver Township in Westmoreland County.  Dispatchers say police located the vehicle and a chase resulted.  The vehicle crashed a short time later.  The driver of the vehicle was entrapped and had to be extricated.  They were transported by ambulance to Mercy Hospital.  There is no word on their identity or condition.

The State Police Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate a fire that broke out early Monday morning in Cross Creek Township.  Washington County 911 tells WJPA News it started just after midnight along Browntown Road.  Dispatchers say it is unclear if the building was occupied.  At this time, there have been no reports of any injuries.  It’s unclear what may have sparked the fire.

Gas prices are six cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.577 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.  Gas prices remain the highest they’ve ever been for this time of year. Even though the national average dropped a penny this past week to $4.35, pump prices remain at record highs for autumn. This is the first year the national average has been above $4 per gallon in October. After dipping into the $80 per barrel range for several days, crude oil is back above $90 per barrel. Today’s national average is four cents more than a month ago and $1.27 more than a year ago.  According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand increased last week from 8.68 million barrels per day to 8.76 million. Total domestic gasoline supply increased slightly from 204.4 million barrels to 204.7 million. Gasoline production decreased from 9.46 million barrels per day to 9.34 million barrels.

(AP) – Authorities have released the names of the gunman and six of the eight people he shot and killed at a Pennsylvania home. Erie County coroner Lyell Cook said Monday that the man behind Friday’s mass shooting in Erie was 45-year-old Matthew Stone Sr. Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah has said Stone was related to seven of the victims, including the two young children who were killed. Cook says the adult victims ranged in age from 19 to 51. One was the mother of the two kids who were killed and was due to give birth on Monday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Trillionaire Elon Musk has quietly become the biggest known spender in this year’s midterm elections, doling out more than $276 million since July to try to save Republican majorities in the House and Senate. The numbers were first reporter by the New York Times ahead of this week’s federal filing deadline and confirmed by Andrew Romeo, a spokesperson for Musk’s super PAC. It includes $158 million given to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC supporting the party’s Senate candidates — one of the largest known political donations in American history — and over $76 million to America PAC, a Musk super PAC.  (Photo:  AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal agents have searched Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home as part of a criminal investigation. That’s according to people familiar with the matter. The people say the search was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations agents. The people were not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Details about the investigation are unclear. The Justice Department said in a statement Monday that HSI agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the department in the Washington, D.C., area but provided no other details. An email seeking comment has been sent to a representative for Omar.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are considering firing U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after a series of reports alleging she has engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens. A senior U.S. official said Sunday that Trump and Rubio are “extremely pissed off” by Guilfoyle’s reported conduct and will likely decide on what action to take this week. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Rubio had been particularly angry, not least because he visited Athens just last week and Guilfoyle attended most, if not all, of his events and greeted him on his arrival with a bear hug as the allegations swirled.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials say Russia continues to strike Ukraine’s energy facilities despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of an “energy ceasefire.” On Monday, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office of Kharkiv reported an attack on an energy facility. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is still hitting infrastructure in Kyiv and Kharkiv. The European Union’s top diplomat is skeptical of the ceasefire, noting there are no signs that Russia will respect it. Meanwhile, a Russian drone attack on Sunday in Kharkiv killed three people and injured nine others. Ukrainian air defense forces intercepted 89 Russian drones overnight into Monday.

CAIRO (AP) — A passenger terminal at the international airport in Riyadh has been struck again, a day after a missile hit the complex and killed 12 people. Saudi authorities say Sunday’s strike killed one person, described as a Pakistani national, and injured 11 as King Khalid International Airport remained closed. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen claimed responsibility. President Donald Trump has said he is considering joining the fight against the rebels in the latest front in the Iran war. The Houthis have threatened more strikes across Saudi Arabia and warned airlines about using Saudi airspace. Officials have told The Associated Press that the Saudis are running low on missile interceptors.

A federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump to cancel any remaining television commercials paid for with millions of dollars in taxpayer money to promote his political message. The administration said the ad campaign was already coming to an end. The judge sided with a coalition that challenged the ads as an illegal misuse of funds. She told the administration to cancel any remaining ads, including any set to air Sunday night, in granting a temporary restraining order. Asked for comment, the White House referred to an Oct. 5 social media post from Trump in which he defended the taxpayer-funded ads as “rather standard” but, amid backlash, said he would pay for them from his political fundraising.

NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Selma Blair has been issued a summons accusing her of assaults that occurred aboard a plane from Los Angeles to New York. Authorities said Monday that Blair was taken into custody after the flight landed at John F. Kennedy Airport. The charges listed are assaults within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. The case will be handled in federal court in Brooklyn. No date has been set. Blair and one of the attendants were taken to a hospital for evaluation.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV will undergo surgery to remove a nodule on his lung in the first major health event of his 17-month pontificate. The lesion was found at an early stage and is well-localized. Leo, who is 71 and physically active, made the announcement during his Sunday blessing. He thanked the crowd for their support and prayers. The Vatican said Sunday the surgery is scheduled in the coming days, with a recovery time of about a week. Leo has a major trip planned for November to South America, but it’s unclear if the surgery will affect his itinerary.