WJPA News

Borrowing a line from former Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin and “jumping on a moving train” when he became the first black Mayor in the city of Washington’s history, JoJo Burgess, 55, announced Saturday that he is running for re-election. Burgess said that the city had been moving in a positive direction when he took office but he wants that momentum to continue. He says he’s  looking forward to bringing new businesses infrastructure improvements to the city. Burgess made the announcement with four other black Mayors in attendance (two remotely) at the “State of ‘Our Communities’ town hall meeting in downtown Washington. He says he hopes to continue to bring a unique voice to the Mayor’s office. Burgess is up for re-election in 2027.

A small, but engaged and enthusiastic group attended the PA Black Mayor’s Coalition “State of ‘Our’ Communities event in downtown Washington Saturday afternoon. The interactive town hall meeting became a discussion as about 20 residents talked about a variety of subjects, from the role of a town or city’s mayor, school funding, drugs use, and youth mentorship. Activist Carmina Taylor of Philadelphia hosted the event, and several mayors from throughout Pennsylvania were either in attendance or participated via Zoom. City of Washington Mayor JoJo Burgess was among those in person, as were leaders from Aliquippa and Lewisburg in Union County. One of the highlights of the event was when two Washington high school students talked about how they used their civics class activities to approach the school board and make changes to the dress code. In addition to the mayors from there were Democratic candidates for U.S. Congress and the Pennsylvania State House. Taylor said the meeting was needed to “get a pulse” of the area and he hopes to build on this meeting and have more in the future. [Photo Thomas Leturgey, WJPA News]

Residents that are in the Washington School District received some good news when the district released their preliminary budget for the 2026-2027 school year. There is going to be a tax decrease. According to the Observer-Reporter, the district has a spending plan of $36,851,554 and anticipated revenues of $$35,707,124. The budget gap will be made up by using reserve funds. The tax decrease for residents comes by way of the funding formula used by the Pennsylvania Tax Code that governs the homestead and and farmstead exclusion. According to Businesss Manager Emily DiNardo, residents will see a tax decrease of about $32. The budget is available for inspection at the district office. Earlier this week, the district revealed that there are plans under consideration to upgrade their football stadium. Renovations could cost anywhere from $7.1 million to $8.9 million depending on the complexity of the project.

The Pennsylvania American Water Company announced that 16 of their water treatment plants have been recognized with national awards by the American Water Works Association. The Partnership for Safe Water awarded the company’s Coatesville plant a 10 year Directors Award. The Stoney Garden plant earned the 15 Year Directors Award. The Brownsville, Kane, Lake Scranton, Norristown, Punxsutawney, Susquehanna, Watres and White Deer Creek plants all won 25 year Directors Awards. The company’s Bangor, Brownell, Crystal Lake, Hershey, Indiana and Nesbitt water treatment plants earned 10 year Presidents Awards. Pennsylvania American Water also participates in the Partnership for Clean Water that recognizes waste water treatment plants. The company has 10 participating systems and 5 entered the program this year.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming have advanced to a runoff in Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary. Letlow capitalized on the power of President Donald Trump’s endorsement in another attempt to purge his party of people he views as disloyal. Trump supported Letlow over incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of the few Republican senators who voted to convict him during his second impeachment trial over the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Cassidy has also clashed with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. By receiving less than 50% of the vote, Letlow and Fleming were unable to avoid a runoff. It takes place June 27.

MIAMI (AP) — Venezuela’s government says it has deported a close ally of Nicolás Maduro to face judicial proceedings in the U.S. less than three years after the business owner was pardoned by President Joe Biden as part of a prisoner swap. The Venezuelan government in a statement Saturday did not explicitly say where it had deported Alex Saab but said its decision was based on several ongoing criminal investigations in the U.S. The Associated Press reported in February that federal prosecutors have been digging for month into Saab’s role in an alleged bribery conspiracy involving Venezuelan government contracts to import food.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Israeli airstrike in Gaza has killed Hamas military wing leader Izz al-Din al-Haddad. The Israeli military said Saturday that al-Haddad was one of the last surviving architects of the Hamas-led militant attacks on southern Israel that triggered the war on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas confirmed his death. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile with accusations of violations from both sides. Violence has flared in the West Bank meanwhile. Israeli troops shot and killed a 34-year-old Palestinian in the Jenin refugee camp. The Israeli military said that the man was shot after failing to comply with warning shots.

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The USS Gerald R. Ford has returned home to Virginia. The world’s largest aircraft carrier is back in port at Naval Station Norfolk after an 11-month deployment. That’s the longest since the Vietnam War. The Ford supported the U.S. war with Iran and the capture of Nicolás Maduro when he was Venezuela’s president. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was on hand for the arrival Saturday of the warships, which included the destroyers USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Thousands of people gathered in Montgomery, Alabama, to mobilize support for voting rights amid concerns about redistricting efforts. Organizers say states are moving to dismantle congressional districts that expanded representation opportunities. The rally began in Selma and moved to the Alabama Capitol. Participants and veterans of past struggles warn that recent legal decisions threaten decades of progress. Leaders and activists say the moment requires renewed commitment to protecting voting rights and preserving representation gains.

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The World Health Organization has declared an Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern. More than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths have been reported. The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved treatments or vaccines. A laboratory-confirmed case also has been reported in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa. The WHO’s emergency declaration aims to prompt international action, but the response to past declarations has been mixed. Conflict and migration in the region complicate containment efforts. The outbreak started in April, but slow detection delayed the response.