WJPA News

The former Washington Crown Center Mall is being redeveloped into Franklin Crossroads Park, a mixed-use business and commercial campus. PREP Funds and IRG are behind the transformation of the property. There will be 100,000 square feet of retail space and 350,000 square feet of business park space. Chris Salata, a partner with PREP Funds, says that the location and structure of the former mall made it a great spot for this development. Salata expects that once the project is fully stabilized, total tax revenues to the state, county, township, and school district will be north of $190 million. The project will also create over 400 new jobs. Keith Brandt, a partner with PREP Funds, explains that the goal is to have a well-balanced retail mix that services the demographics of the area and corporate users that will bring jobs and stability to the county.

Authorities are investigating the cause of a deadly two vehicle crash in Fayette County.  Authorities say the accident happened on Route 119 in South Union Township around four o’clock Thursday morning.  The Fayette County Coroner has identified the victim as 23-year-old Lee Black.  There has been no further information released.

Two people were flown from the scene of a one-vehicle crash Thursday morning on the ramp to Interstate 70 Eastbound at Jefferson Avenue.   Washington County 911 says it happened just before 6:30 a.m.  Dispatchers told WJPA News that the vehicle went into an embankment and ended up on its side.  Both individuals in the vehicle were trapped and had to be extricated.  Two helicopters were called to the scene and both were flown to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.  The identities and conditions of those injured is currently unavailable.

The case involving a Canton Township couple who lived for several months with the corpse of a relative has come to a close. James Bebout pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of abuse of a corpse. A felony theft charge was dropped by prosecutors. Michael Bebout died while under the care of Bebout and his wife Debbie in August of 2024. Debbie pretended to care for the deceased Michael and continued to cash his social security checks for several months after his death. She pleaded guilty to theft and abuse of a corpse charges in February. She served 55 days in jail and is serving nearly 2 years of probation and paying nearly $6000 in restitution. James Bebout was sentenced to 12 months probation for his guilty plea. Bebout claimed that he was unaware of his brother’s death until he called 9-1-1 back in January of 2025.

The League of Women Voters, Zonta, and the Washington County Bar Association joined forces on Main Street in front of the Washington County Courthouse to rally for the Equal Rights Amendment. Although it has been ratified and recognized as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution, it has not been duly certified and published. Cheryl Hopper, a member of Zonta, says that so much work has gone into this amendment, and she wants people to realize that, despite this work, it is still not part of the Constitution. The Equal Rights Amendment states that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” Melanie Rinchetti, the Vice President of the Zonta Chapter of Washington, says that she wants her daughter, and all young women, to have the same rights that she has. Antoinette Fitch, the President of the League of Women Voters of Washington County, says that there are many ways to help these efforts, including signing petitions, being informed before voting, and spreading the word.

Do you ever wonder what happens to personal items that are left at the Pittsburgh International Airport? Many times, if the items have identification, they are reunited with their owners. In the cases where that does not happen, the items are collected and then auctioned off. Bob Kerlik, Director of Public Relations for the Pittsburgh International Airport says that the Pittsburgh International Airport Auction for 2026 is open now. Personal items include laptops, sunglasses, drinking glasses and infant strollers. Big ticket items include a Windone folding E-bike, a Seiko watch and Sabika jewelry. Kerlik says that about 20 abandoned cars and pick-up trucks will be available for bid. Additionally, the airport will be auctioning off maintenance equipment and vehicles that have outlived their use for the airport. These items are popular for contractors looking to add to their equipment inventory. The auction is conducted entirely on line and is live right now. The website is www.joerpyleauctions.com. People may place their bids now through the end of the auction on September 8. If anyone would like to view the items in person, they may do so on September 7 at the Joe R. Pyle Auctions Warehouse at 1490 W. Chestnut Street in Washington.  Proceeds from the sale of personal items will support the ACAA Charitable Foundation to fund initiatives for the next generation of aviation professionals.

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Dolly has formed in the Atlantic Ocean far from land. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Thursday the storm could bring heavy rain to portions of the Caribbean in the coming days. The storm’s name had no connection to Dolly Parton’s death. Storm systems are named by procedures set by the World Meteorological Organization, and the lists of names are reused every six years. There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect, but the Leeward Islands could get heavy rain Saturday and Sunday. The Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola could see heavy rain Sunday and Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military faces a “beyond critical” shortage of advanced missile interceptors in Europe largely driven by President Donald Trump’s war with Iran. That’s according to a U.S. defense official in Europe and a NATO official. They spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press to discuss sensitive military matters. The most concerning shortfall involves the Patriot missile interceptors crucial for defending against Russian ballistic missiles. That’s raised concerns about NATO’s vulnerability to a potential Russian attack after U.S. missile stocks were moved to the Middle East and as other countries also are experiencing shortages.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people filing for U.S. unemployment benefits fell last week, remaining at historic lows as layoffs are rare and most Americans enjoy job security. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims slipped to 203,000 last week from a revised 207,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week ups and downs, ticked up slightly to 205,500. Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them because they can provide early clues of where the job market is headed. For the past year, claims have mostly been at a historically low range of around 200,000 to 230,000 a week.

DEVIGHAT, Nepal (AP) — Rescue teams are searching for hundreds of missing people along the Nepal-China border. A catastrophic and deadly torrent of floods and mud swept through several communities on Wednesday following a glacier collapse. The disaster left at least 273 people dead and more than 1,300 missing including foreigners and pilgrims. Hundreds of people across the Himalayan region were displaced. Videos of the tragedy showed the flood swallowing up people as they tried to escape. Drone footage from Nepal on Thursday showed the scale of the destruction.

WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump launched the war with Iran in late February, he initially said he expected the war to last four to five weeks. But despite Trump’s repeated assertions that the war has been won or a deal to resolve it was nearly complete, there’s no off-ramp in sight as the war reaches the six-month mark. As the shape of the war has morphed over the last half year, so have the goals for the conflict. The U.S. has had tactical success on its goals to degrade Iran’s military capabilities. But some of the other key objectives Trump laid out at the start of the conflict remain unfulfilled.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kids under 18 will soon see a host of changes to their Instagram and Facebook experiences thanks to a historic $18 billion settlement Meta Platforms reached Wednesday with 48 U.S. states. Besides the money, which will be paid out over a decade, Meta has agreed to strengthen its age estimates to keep kids under 13 off its platforms and teens in age-appropriate accounts, enact a hard limit of two hours a day for users under 18, block kids from the apps from midnight to 6 a.m. and hide like counts, among other changes. But critics and children’s advocates cautioned it will not solve its myriad problems overnight.

(AP) – Tim Curry has died at 80. The beloved character actor created a gallery of delicious, loony villains for stage and screen. Curry gained fame as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” an iconic role that became a cultural touchstone, and as the smug concierge in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” His longtime friend and manager Marcia Hurwitz said he died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. No cause was disclosed. He had suffered a stroke in 2012 that put him in a wheelchair.