WJPA News

On August 21, Justin Lee Fusarelli, 43, of Avella, was arrested and arraigned as part of the massive communication wire theft ring. He was the last of seven suspects to be officially charged with the crime and remains in the Washington County Jail. The Pennsylvania State Police say over a five-month period beginning in January, Fusarelli and others were involved in scheme to steal, strip and sell Verizon communication wires to scrap yards in Washington, West Virginia and Ohio. According to court papers, damages are more than $5,000 and the amount of stolen property tops $60,000. In addition to Fusarelli, Ryan Scott, 37 of Avella, Dennis Kinkela, 49 of Burgettstown, Michael Hancher, 45, of Washington, Lawrence Bogo, 56, of Avella and Allen Jackson, 28 of Wellsburg, West Virginia were charged. Donald Martin III, 36 of Bulger, faces additional charges when he tried to allude officers by hiding in the rafters of a garage in Washington earlier this month. All seven men are expected to go before a Magistrate next week.

[WPXI]-One person was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital on Friday night after a crash inside the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. According to our news partners at Channel 11, smoke poured from the outbound lane shortly after 6:15. Emergency crews were on the scene, with medics reportedly caring for two patients. Some drivers left their vehicles and ran out of the tunnel to avoid the smoke. The scene was cleared shortly before 10 p.m. last night. WPXI Photo

Uniontown, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 12 is inviting the public to attend one of its upcoming open houses to learn about and apply for available maintenance positions the department has in Washington, Fayette, Greene, and Westmoreland counties. Available positions in District 12 include: Transportation Equipment Operator A (CDL required), Starting salary $23.46; Diesel Construction Equipment Mechanic, Starting salary $28.94. Full-time equipment operators perform summer maintenance on state roadways, including patching, drainage repair, seal coating, bridge repair, mowing and shoulder cutting. During the winter, both full-time and seasonal employees are responsible for snow removal, traffic control and truck unloading. Commonwealth recruitment staff will be on hand to discuss current job openings. Hiring managers will be onsite to talk with interested individuals, and onsite application and interview opportunities will be available. If you’re interested, you can apply at the Washington County Maintenance Office on Thursday, September 10 from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM. That’s located at 170 Route 519 in Eighty-Four, PA. There are also opportunities at the Maintenance Offices in Fayette County on Tuesday, September 1, Wednesday, September 2 in Westmoreland County, and Thursday, September 17 in Greene County. You can go to PennDOT’s website for more information.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Washington County Maintenance Manager Brian Malik has announced the following tentative work plan for the week of August 31. All maintenance activities are dependent on weather and operations. Drivers can anticipate detours, flaggers, moving operations, and/or single-lane restrictions. Please drive cautiously through all work areas and be alert for signed work zones requiring headlights. Safety is everyone’s responsibility. Bridge replacement work continues on Route 4015 (Waterdam Road) in Mount Pleasant Township. Crews will be Boom mowing along various routes, as workers will be sweeping, cleaning inlets, and mowing. Others will be patching, seal coating and rock lining. Slide repair continues along Route 331 (Brush Run Road) in Hopewell Township. Crews will pick litter, replace downed signs, update existing signs, and address work orders on various state routes throughout the county.

A Virginia family with four relatives missing in the flash floods along the Nepal-China border is calling for more resources to help with rescue efforts. Twenty-seven-year-old Mukti Patel said Friday she would like to bring her father, sister and two other relatives back home. They were part of a tour group that got caught up in the floods that struck Wednesday, killing hundreds of people and leaving more than 2,000 missing. Patel said in a phone interview from her parents’ Richmond, Virginia, home that her family was staying at a hotel that was swept away. She would like more countries to help the rescue and recovery efforts.