WJPA News

Gas prices are seven cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.637 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.  The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline dropped 11 cents over the past week to $4.36. This follows a record-setting September at the pump. The monthly average was $4.33, 50 cents higher than the previous September record of $3.83 set in 2023. Crude oil prices have dipped back into the $90 per barrel range, lowering the national average, but overall gas prices remain the highest they’ve ever been for this time of year.

NEW YORK (AP) — Pennsylvania has surpassed 1,000 measles cases this year, state health officials said Monday, making it the largest state outbreak in more than three decades.  The U.S. is enduring its worst year for measles since 1991, with nearly 3,900 reported cases, according to the CDC. The nation has seen eight reported measles-associated deaths in the past two years — more than the combined total of reported deaths over the previous three decades.  Since the beginning of last year, large outbreaks have been reported in several states, including Texas and Utah, as well as South Carolina, which had the largest with 997 cases reported.  Health officials say Pennsylvania’s current outbreak started in April, west of Philadelphia. There have been 1,004 cases, including 198 hospitalizations and five deaths, state officials said.  Health experts attribute such outbreaks to low vaccination rates.  (Photo:  AP)

Washington City Police have arrested a Birmingham, Alabama man on multiple charges, after they received a call of “shots fired” in the city early Monday morning.  Police say they arrived at the scene, the 300 block of Locust Avenue, where they found a woman who said she had been assaulted by a man with a handgun and it had discharged a round into the ground during the incident.  The man, later identified as Destin Johnson, had fled the scene and was found a short time later in the parking lot of the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows in North Strabane Township.  He was charged with multiple offenses, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person.  Johnson was denied bail and remains behind bars.  Police say there is no threat to the public, and even though the investigation is ongoing, there will be no further information released.

The midterm elections and the race for Governor in Pennsylvania is officially less than a month away. Leading up to election day, the two leading Gubernatorial candidates will meet for their only scheduled debate. Incumbent Democrat Josh Shapiro and Republican challenger and current Treasurer Stacy Garrity will debate issues this Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. in Harrisburg. You’ll be able to watch it on Channel 11; our news partner and anchor Lisa Sylvester is scheduled to be one of the moderators. Early in the summer, Garrity had challenged Shapiro to debates in every major market in the Commonwealth. Garrity’s campaign recently reported there are still outstanding invitations from television stations in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, which the Treasurer has agreed to, but the Governor has not responded. There will be no live audience for this week’s hour-long debate. Ken Krawchuk, who previously ran for Governor three times in 1998, 2002 and 2018 as the Libertarian candidate, was not invited to the debate.

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, or EHD, is a virus that can be fatal to deer. Throughout parts of Pennsylvania, there is concern about what this disease will do to the deer population. Jeannine Fleegle, a wildlife biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, explains that the virus is transmitted by midges, which are tiny bugs. The virus then replicates and causes more deer to get sick. Infected animals look sick, and they often have pink around their eyes and on parts of their body due to leaky blood vessels. Fleegle explains that EHD deaths usually occur in late summer and early fall. Since EHD is a vector-transmitted disease, the outbreak is over once there is a frost that kills the vectors. The public is encouraged to report animals that look sick to the Game Commission. Although there are confirmed cases of EHD in several counties, Fleegle says this year is not out of the ordinary. More information about EHD can be found here.  (Photo:  AP)

PennDot is advising motorists of a single lane restriction that is scheuled for one day this week. Beginning on Tuesday, October 6 at 10:00 PM, one lane eastbound on Interstate 70 will be closed. The affected area is between Exit 18 (I-79 North) and Exit 19 (Murtland Avenue). The lane will reopen on Wednesday, October 7 at 3:00 PM. During the single lane restriction PennDot maintenance crews will be removing a damaged slab, addressing drainage issues and repaving the section. Drivers are asked to exercise caution and obey posted signs and speed limits.

ITHACA, New York (AP) — Cornell students and others are thronging a campus plaza to protest the university’s response to allegations of sexual assault at a fraternity house. Students arrived at the demonstration wearing purple ribbons on sweaters, shirts and jackets and holdings signs with such messages as “support survivors, expel rapists.” The Ivy League school has been trying to quell a firestorm — on campus and beyond — over its handling of the alleged 2024 gang rape. The school’s main administration building was splashed with graffiti and damaged overnight.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Air Force has brought home its bombers stationed at a U.S.-run military air base in England used to strike Iran following an investigation into a planned terror attack at the RAF Fairford base. This is according to a Pentagon official who was not authorized to discuss sensitive military movements and spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity. The official said the bombers were redeployed back to their home bases in the United States. The move comes as President Donald Trump weighs options for his war on Iran — including new strikes — despite his initial promises to Americans that the campaign would last a matter of weeks.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has tapped his director of national intelligence, Jay Clayton, to lead a new government task force on artificial intelligence. Trump is calling it the “Super Intelligence Force” because he’s tried to rebrand AI as “super intelligence.” The announcement Sunday comes after Trump hosted top executives of AI companies at the White House last week. Trump says the task force will reach out to consumers, public interest groups, religious organization critical infrastructure providers and AI companies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court begins a new term Monday with significant cases on climate change, religious rights, and immigration. The court will hear an appeal from energy companies, including Suncor and ExxonMobil, trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold them liable for climate change-related damages. The Trump administration supports the companies, arguing the lawsuits aim to impose emission regulations. In December, the court will consider challenges to assault weapons bans in several states. The court will also hear two immigration cases with implications for President Donald Trump’s policies, including deportations and mandatory detention. Additionally, religious rights cases involving Catholic preschools are on the docket.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A former music pastor in Ohio who appeared briefly on “American Idol” has been sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole for the murder of his wife while he was having an affair. A judge in Miami County handed down the sentence Monday after 40-year-old Caleb Flynn was convicted by a jury last week. Prosecutors say he staged a home invasion in February after shooting his wife, Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old schoolteacher and volleyball coach. Caleb Flynn claimed a burglar killed her. Flynn did not advance to the main competition when he appeared on “American Idol” in 2013.

NEW YORK (AP) — Pope Francis’ journal entries from his time in the Vatican and years before will be published this fall. Image, an imprint of Penguin Random House, announced Monday that “The Private Diary of Pope Francis” will be released worldwide on Nov. 24. The publishing house says the book will provide insights into the late pontiff’s hopes, fears, struggles, and prayers. The personal reflections span from December 1992 to August 2024. The first Latin American pope was known for his humility and outreach to marginalized communities. He was sometimes controversial, especially regarding LGBTQ+ Catholics and comments on political issues such as immigration. He died last year at age 88.