WJPA News

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission says the bodies of all three missing boaters from a crash on the Monongahela River Sunday night have now been recovered, bringing the death toll to four.  The incident occurred when a boat and a barge collided near Rices Landing in Greene County.  On the night of the crash, two people (a man and a woman) were pulled from the river by barge crew members.  The woman later died at a hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, while the male remains hospitalized.  He was listed in critical condition earlier this week, but there have been no further updates.  Authorities have not yet released their identities.  The Greene County Coroner though, has released the identities of those who were pulled from the river over the past two days.  They are 57-year-old Brian Selvoski of Bentleyville, 56-year-old Racquelle Rockwell of Scenery Hill and 58-year-old Erick Rockwell, also of Scenery Hill.  On Wednesday morning, the commission said someone called 911 from Rices Landing after seeing something floating in the river. Emergency crews responded, and the third body, a male, was recovered.

PA American Water says crews are dealing with two smaller water main breaks one day after a 24-inch main ruptured and left nearly 100 customers in the City of Washington without water.  Officials say the breaks occurred Wednesday morning at Morgan and North Wade Avenues in East Washington.  Some 34 customers are impacted by that break.  There is also a break at Woodland and Summerlea Avenues in the City.  27 customers are affected by that break.  The company says they expect repairs to take two-to-three hours.  Crews were still working to make repairs to the roadway along North College Street following Tuesday’s break.  At last report, that road was still closed in that area.

One person was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital following a one-vehicle crash Wednesday morning in Fallowfield Township.  Washington County 911 says it happened just before 5 a.m. in the 300-block of Freemont Road.  The vehicle reportedly struck a pole.  The identity and condition of the person injured was not disclosed.

State Police are investigating a crash that killed a Canonsburg man early Tuesday morning along the Turnpike.  Troopers say 55 year old Christopher Ruane was traveling at a high rate of speed near mile marker 195.5 in Franklin County when his vehicle veered off the roadway, traveled down an embankment and struck a tree.   It happened just before 5:30 a.m.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.  Police are asking anyone with information about the crash to contact them.

It was a two hour preliminary hearing that produced a decision by a judge to hold all charges for court against a North Strabane Township teen and his mother for the killing of Karoline Heintz, a Peters Township teen heading off to PennWest California to play soccer and begin her college career. Royce Moser, 18 of North Strabane Township, will face homicide and other related charges. Rachel Moser, 56 of Beallsville, will face hindering apprehension, evidence tampering and related charges. The hearing centered on detective evidence from countywide license plate reader cameras, and video evidence from California Borough that traced the Mosers bringing Heintz’s SUV with her body inside and dumping it near the California Public Library. Phone extraction evidence corroborated the video evidence. Detectives were able to extract internet search evidence from Royce’s phone looking for information on how to remove fingerprints, how long Ring video is stored and information about the death penalty. A Pennsylvania State Police detective that conducted interviews with the pair, hours after the killing, testified that Rachel Moser received a call from Royce asking for help and how she helped him transport the body and gather belongings from his home to have Royce stay at her home after the incident. In her interview with Royce, he said that Karoline and he were talking in his father’s driveway. She said something that got him upset. He told her to wait, he went into the house, retrieved a knife and returned and stabbed her. Karoline’s mother was seen in court, sobbing often as evidence was presented. The family was whisked away from reporters at the end of the hearing. Royce and Rachel Moser will be formally arraigned on October 13.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian attacks targeted U.S. allies across the Gulf early Wednesday as renewed fighting with the United States ended a monthlong lull. An Iranian drone sparked a fire at a residential complex in Kuwait City without causing casualties, while Bahrain intercepted incoming drones. Other attacks targeted Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq’s Kurdish region. The escalation followed U.S. strikes on Iran, including one that Iranian officials say hit a wedding party, killing at least five people and wounding 68. The renewed conflict raises new questions about how to end a war that has led to a spike in oil prices, roiled the global economy and is posing increasing political problems for President Donald Trump’s Republican Party ahead of November midterm elections.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Oil giant Chevron is expected to soon announce it will expand operations in Venezuela, a U.S. official said. The official, who briefed reporters Tuesday on the expected announcement, said that the company’s officials and Energy Secretary Chris Wright are expected to visit Venezuela on Wednesday where the new investment will be formally unveiled. The official spoke under condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House for the call. Chevron is the second-largest U.S. oil company and the only one with a major presence in Venezuela. The official also defended the administration’s partnership with North American Blue Energy Partners in an agreement to tap Venezuela’s reserves, saying the company was vetted.

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says the Trump administration needs to “stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough.” He was pushing back against a fresh wave of attacks from Washington. Carney says Tuesday that U.S.-Canada trade talks could resume if Washington became serious about negotiations. But he also accused the United States of pursuing terms that could leave Canadian industries “gradually wound down in Canada and wiped out.” Carney commented after a new barrage of attacks from Washington since trade talks collapsed, including Trump’s move to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” and his social media posts taunting Canada and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s social media post mocking female Canadian cadets.

In a strategic retreat, the United Nations concedes that Earth has lost its chance to prevent some of the worst impacts of global warming. A report released Wednesday by the United Nations Environment Programme reveals that the planet will soon exceed the temperature threshold set by the 2015 Paris climate accord. Instead of giving up, scientists and U.N. officials recommend limiting excessive warming and then bringing temperatures back down. It’s called overshoot. This involves slashing fossil fuel use and finding ways to remove carbon dioxide from the air. In the meantime, the world will face decades of increased disasters, rising seas and extinctions.

PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — If a Massachusetts jury can’t reach a verdict on whether Lindsay Clancy was criminally responsible when she strangled her three children in 2023, a mistrial will be declared and then prosecutors will have to decide whether to retry Clancy on murder charges. Legal experts say there also are other options, including offering Clancy a plea deal or deciding not to put her on trial again. The closely watched trial has featured conflicting testimony about her mental health and what role it played in the killings. Clancy doesn’t deny strangling her children at their home, but says postpartum psychosis led to her actions. Prosecutors argue she knew what she was doing.