WJPA News

HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Hempfield Township Fire Department says it is monitoring an underground fire near the former Westmoreland Glass property.  In a social media post Saturday, the department said it’s aware of an ongoing fire near Chambers Avenue Extension.  The department has engaged the property owner, Westmoreland County Public Safety, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and elected officials after initial reports of the fire.  The cause of the fire wasn’t clear, based on the post.  While the DEP is overseeing the incident as the lead agency, Hempfield firefighters will respond to any secondary fires or other emergencies that threaten people or property, the department says.  People are warned not to enter the former Westmoreland Glass property and surrounding area, which are privately owned. There may be potential hazards, and keeping the area clear helps emergency crews safely respond, the department says.  “Hempfield Township and the Hempfield Township Fire Department recognize the concerns of residents regarding this ongoing situation. Additional information will be provided to the public as verified information becomes available from the appropriate agencies,” the post reads.

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh City Councilperson and several South Side businesses are asking the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office to seek a court-ordered closure of Capo’s on East Carson Street after a person was stabbed inside the bar Friday night.  Public safety officials say the stabbing happened during a fight just before midnight.  The victim was in critical condition. A police officer on patrol found the person outside the bar.  “The bar took the victim and threw them out the back door and basically said, ‘Good luck, best of luck to you,’” Bob Charland, a councilperson representing the South Side.   The district attorney’s office has cited more than 40 incidents at Capo’s since it opened two years ago.  In August, the district attorney’s office issued nearly two dozen demands for the bar to follow, warning it could be shut down if it did not comply.  The latest incident came after repeated concerns about fights, assaults and underage drinking.  Capo’s remained closed Saturday night.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Iran’s strikes on more than two dozen U.S. bases in the Middle East focused on early warning systems before hitting aircraft and buildings. That caused billions of dollars in equipment damage. The Associated Press independently verified damage using satellite imagery and spoke to four regional officials who were briefed or have firsthand knowledge of what was hit. Through August, more than 115 drone or missile strikes claimed by Iran or Iranian-backed militias damaged or destroyed structures on 26 military bases and other sites with U.S. equipment. Iran primarily focused its attacks on systems that detect incoming strikes as well as aircraft hangars, clearing the way for further strikes on warehouses, troop housing and more.

(AP) – A federal judge has dismissed President Donald Trump’s multibillion-dollar lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch over a story reporting on his ties to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami dismissed the suit with prejudice. He ruled that the president did not prove the defendants made defamatory statements with actual malice. The ruling said the lawsuit was “grasping at straws” as it attempted to “manufacture” flaws in the Journal’s investigative reporting. When a case is thrown out “with prejudice,” it cannot be refiled again and the dismissal is permanent and incontrovertible.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s proposed memorial arch are mounting. The District of Columbia and Virginia sued in federal court Saturday as the administration says construction could begin as early as next week. There are now three lawsuits calling for a halt to potential work on a monument that would rise 250 feet on a patch of grass off the bridge that spans the Potomac River, connecting the city with Arlington National Cemetery. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is already considering issuing an order to halt the project until the original lawsuit is resolved. She held a hearing Friday but didn’t immediately act. Trump said Saturday night that the arch “is very important militarily for Washington D.C. and our country.”