WJPA News

Due to persistent inclement weather and unsafe playing conditions, the championship game of the 2026 PONY League World Series at Lew Hays PONY Field in Washington has been cancelled.  The championship game between Taichung City, Taiwan and Washington County, Pennsylvania, has been cancelled and will not be rescheduled.  Organizers say they determined that the field was unplayable and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of the players and all involved, the game was called off.  Abraham Key, President and CEO of PONY Baseball said that this is the first time in the seventy-five-year history of the league that they have had to make this decision.  He offered apologies to all involved and said, “Sometimes Mother Nature does not cooperate.”

Nicole Lane says sheriff’s deputies kept her shackled to a hospital bed throughout six hours of unmedicated labor back in 2024, when she gave birth to her daughter. According to our news partners at WPXI, she is speaking out about what happened while she was pregnant and in labor after she was rushed from the Washington County Jail to Magee-Womens Hospital during what she says was a high-risk pregnancy.  Lane is now suing Washington County, the Washington County Prison Board, several sheriff’s deputies and others.  At the time, Lane was pregnant and incarcerated on a misdemeanor drug charge. She was released from jail, then rearrested for what she says was a probation violation involving an address discrepancy.  She alleges deputies shackled one wrist and her opposite leg to the hospital bed. She says the restraints were removed only so she could receive an epidural, then put back on after she gave birth. Lane says the handcuffs remained on for the five days she spent in the hospital postpartum.  Pennsylvania law says incarcerated women shall not be restrained during any stage of labor or any period of postpartum, unless there is a substantial risk of flight or security concerns.  Jackie Perlow, an attorney with the Women’s Law Project, is representing Lane. She says those exceptions did not apply in this case. Washington County leaders told Channel 11 they cannot comment due to pending litigation.

A new law in Pennsylvania aims to resolve a long-standing legal battle over natural gas rights, but it might have sparked more complications. The dispute involves mineral rights beneath state game lands. The Proctor family trust claims ownership based on rights acquired over a century ago. The state Supreme Court sided with the Proctors in 2025, but the legislature reversed this decision last year. The law, Act 27, has drawn support from the natural gas industry, citing clarity concerns. The Proctors argue the law is unconstitutional and continue to fight in court. The outcome could impact large landowners and state funding.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale inflation dropped last month as gas prices reversed some of their Iran war spike and other costs also cooled, a sign that consumer inflation could grind lower in the months ahead. The Labor Department’s producer price index — which captures inflation before it reaches consumers — rose 4.7% in July from a year ago, down from a much larger 5.5% increase in June. On a monthly basis, wholesale prices were unchanged from June to July, after they ticked down 0.1% the previous month.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. applications for unemployment benefits rose last week, but layoffs remain at historically healthy levels. The Labor Department reported that 209,000 people filed jobless claims last week, up from a revised 200,000 the week before and higher than the 205,000 forecasters had expected. The four-week average of applications, which smooths out week-to-week-volatitlity, was unchanged at 199,000. Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and they’ve been at a historically low range of around 200,000 to 230,000 a week for the past year, suggesting that Americans who have jobs enjoy unusual job security. The U.S. unemployment rate is low at 4.1%.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent flew out of last month’s NATO summit in Turkey on what was effectively a decoy plane, while President Donald Trump was secreted onto another plane following an Iranian threat. That’s according to a senior U.S. official briefed on the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss presidential security. The official says Rubio was aware of the switch and details of the threat behind it but could or would not say why he had stayed on the plane. The switch was kept secret from reporters on the plane ride back.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Kennedy Center’s board is set to meet to discuss future plans after a federal judge blocked a two-year closure for renovations. Management on Thursday will present three options: complete closure, partial closure with limited access, or phased closures addressing urgent needs while maintaining programming. Judge Christopher Cooper criticized the board’s previous decision as “ill-informed.” The board, mostly allies of President Donald Trump, faces pressure to consider options thoroughly. Trump’s influence on the Kennedy Center has been controversial, with legal battles over renaming and renovations. The institution argues it needs significant repairs, highlighting severe water damage and outdated equipment.

PEREIRA, Colombia (AP) — The search for life in the rubble of Colombia’s powerful earthquake is growing more desperate as search teams push up against a key time threshold to locate survivors before it’s too late. The devastation is testing Colombia’s new president as his government scrambles to respond to the natural disaster and ensure aid makes to the vulnerable communities most affected by Monday’s quake and more than 100 aftershocks. At least 265 people died, and hundreds have been reported missing. Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours crucial for retrieving people alive, though that limit can be extended if those trapped have access to food and water.