WJPA News

Washington County Coroner Tim Warco  says one person was killed and two others injured in a head-on collision Saturday evening just after six o’clock near the intersection of Route 40 and Lake Road in Donegal Township.  Warco says the victim, 41-year-old Daniel Pasqualucci of Donegal Township was seen traveling the wrong way in the westbound lane of Route 40 at a high rate of speed when his sedan slammed head-on into an SUV.  The driver of the SUV and a passenger in that vehicle were flown to Pittsburgh area hospitals.  Warco says Pasqualucci was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.  A cause and manner of death are pending.  State Police are handling the investigation.

PITTSBURGH — An Ohio man is facing a misdemeanor after police say he brought a gun to the Pittsburgh International Airport early Saturday morning.  The Allegheny County Police Department says TSA officers saw the gun within a passenger’s carry-on bag at the airport’s main security checkpoint soon after 3 a.m. Saturday.  ACPD responded and identified the man as Joshua Seese, 49, of Lowellville, OH. They later determined he did not have a valid concealed carry permit, so he was charged with one count of carrying a firearm without a license.  The FBI was also notified of the incident.  Anyone who brings a gun to an airport’s checkpoint can face federal civil fines up to $10,000, depending on the specific weapon and other circumstances. Repeat offenders can be fined up to nearly $14,000.  Passengers can travel with guns only in checked baggage if it’s unloaded and packed in a hard-sided, locked case. Then, the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared.

RICHMOND TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — Two firefighters have died in a head-on vehicle collision in Pennsylvania. The crash happened Saturday evening when their utility vehicle collided with a Toyota Camry on Route 222. Fire Chief Jeff Buck and Assistant Fire Chief Robert Shick Jr. were traveling north when the sedan reportedly swerved off the road. NBC Philadelphia reported that the utility vehicle was riding on the shoulder. Police said the Camry’s occupants fled but were later arrested. The fire company expressed condolences to the families on Facebook.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an expletive-filled threat to escalate strikes on Iran if it doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday deadline. It follows the U.S. rescue of an aviator whose plane was downed by Iran. Trump on Sunday promised strikes on Iran’s power plants and bridges. Iran shows no sign of backing down and has hit targets in Gulf Arab countries. Both sides threaten civilian targets. War crime concerns have been raised. Diplomatic efforts continue with countries like Oman and Pakistan trying to mediate. The war, now in its sixth week, has already caused significant casualties and economic disruption.

Finance ministers from five European Union member states are urging the bloc to introduce a windfall tax on energy companies as surging oil and gas prices raise inflation fears. Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Austria warned of market distortions linked to the Iran conflict that are driving up costs for households and businesses. The proposal would revive profit caps used during the 2022 energy crisis after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Inflation in the eurozone has already risen to 2.5% in March. With Iran disrupting tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, officials warn fuel prices may stay elevated.

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge has halted efforts by the Trump administration to collect data that proves higher education institutions aren’t considering race in admissions. The ruling granting the preliminary injunction follows a lawsuit filed last month by a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general. President Donald Trump ordered the new policy in August after he raised concerns that colleges and universities were using personal statements and other proxies to consider race. The states argue the data collection effort threats student privacy and could lead to baseless investigations of colleges and universities. The federal judge said the federal government likely has the authority to collect the data, but the demand was rolled out to universities in a “rushed and chaotic” manner.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has celebrated his first Easter Mass as pontiff, urging peace through dialogue and calling for an end to conflicts worldwide. He departed from tradition by not listing global woes in his Urbi et Orbi blessing. Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, emphasized Easter’s message of hope and transformation. With ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, he acknowledges indifference to the suffering caused by wars. Leo announced a prayer vigil for peace on April 11. In the Holy Land, Easter celebrations are subdued due to restrictions on public gatherings, while Gazan Christians celebrated the first Easter since a ceasefire. Armenian Christians gathered in the Iranian capital during the fifth week of war.

HOUSTON (AP) — The Artemis II astronauts are more than halfway to the moon. The three Americans and one Canadian will reach their destination Monday, performing a lunar flyby and then coming straight back home. They are the first moonbound crew in more than half a century, picking up where NASA’s Apollo program left off. On the downside, their toilet is on the blink again. Until it is fixed, Mission Control has instructed the astronauts to break out more of the backup urine collection bags. The toilet malfunctioned following Wednesday’s liftoff and has been hit and miss ever since.