WJPA News

State Police have charged a Bentleyville man with sexually assaulting a 15 year girl in Butler County.  According to police, 22 year old William Leach took an Uber to the girl’s home and engaged in sexual acts inside the home. He then hid inside when family members returned but took the girl for a walk.  Police say the girl’s mother realized she was missing around 1 a.m. and called police. Police say he provided the victim with alcohol and marijuana.  An initial search failed to locate Leach but officers returned later and were able to take him into custody.  The criminal complaint says Leach faces charges that include; two-counts each of Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse and Statutory Sexual Assault.  Police say they found items including knives, razor blades and drug paraphernalia and that Leach told the girl he would kill  her and her entire family if she told anyone.

The Washington County Coroner’s Office has been searched again, this time, by the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office.  They say they assisted Monessen Police in executing the search warrant to obtain documents needed for an investigation.  “This is uncharted territory for our office. As a law enforcement agency, the Monessen Police Department is entitled to material pursuant to a criminal investigation and prosecution. Pursuing justice and accountability shouldn’t come at a cost to the victim, the victim’s family, or public safety,” Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli said.  In a statement provided to WJPA News, the coroner’s office offered this response;  “This matter involves a Westmoreland County criminal investigation into a drug-related death in which the victim died at Mon Valley Hospital in Washington County, after which the Washington County Coroner performed an autopsy.  Some weeks ago, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office requested the autopsy report and toxicology reports for its investigation.  The Coroner’s Statute provides that the Coroner has the authority to assess fees when services or reports are requested from another county.  The established fees for the requested reports amounted to $600, which would operate to offset our approximate out-of-pocket costs of $2,500.00. The Westmoreland District Attorney took the position that it did not have to pay these fees, and that they would not pay these fees.  So, they raided the Coroner’s Office and took them through the force of a search warrant. It is the position of Washington County Coroner Tim Warco that the taxpayers of Washington County should not be responsible for the funding of matters in other counties when there is a mechanism for the recovery of those funds”.  This is the second time the office was searched.  Last November, a search warrant was executed amid a dispute over access to autopsy reports.  The Washington County District Attorney’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Washington City Police and Canonsburg Police all searched for autopsy reports connected to five cases.  Officials said investigators and the DA’s office had repeatedly requested the documents and were denied.  The DA’s office said it was told three reports were available but would only be released for a fee of about $700 each. District Attorney Jason Walsh said those reports were essential to prosecuting crimes and serving victims.  Coroner Tim Warco at the time, said he had decided to charge fees because his office wasn’t receiving police reports needed to complete autopsies and related records.

South Strabane Township is in the market for a new fire chief. Jordan Cramer, Chief of Fire and Emergency Services and Emergency Management Coordinator tells WJPA News that he tendered his resignation on Wednesday to take on a new position as the Director of Fire Services in Ross Township. Cramer said that his final day will be September 11. He will be at the annual September 11 memorial. He said he looks forward to working through the transition period and serving South Strabane residents. Cramer came to South Strabane Township in 2022 from Peters Township. Ross Township commissioners voted to hire Cramer at their meeting Monday.  According to reports, his salary will start at $108,000.  Ross does have a residency requirement meaning that he will have to move to the Township. Ross has eight volunteer fire companies. (PHOTO: Jordan Cramer)

PennDOT announced on Wednesday that landslide repairs are scheduled to begin on Locust Avenue between Hudack Hill and the Interstate 79 Interchange in South Strabane Township,  on Monday, July 13th.  On March 27th, the roadway was closed to traffic due to a landslide.  There was no word on how long the repairs will take, but officials say the existing detour utilizing Country Club Road and Locust Avenue will remain in place until mid-October.

The U.S. Postal Service is once again raising postage rates. The price of a Forever stamp will go up from 78 cents to 82 cents, or an increase of 4 cents, on July 12, USA Today reported. The USPS announced its intent to raise raites in April, with the Postal Regulatory Commission approving the increase in May. The USPS said the increase was needed to offset rising costs and other challenges.  “In the midst of the severe financial crisis facing the Postal Service and continued rising operational costs, the Postal Service is using all available tools, including available regulatory pricing authority, to ensure we can continue to fulfill our universal service obligation and serve the American public,” the agency said.   The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, passed by Congress, also required the post office to prepay retirees’ health care benefits, according to reports.  The Postal Regulatory Commission found that the post office incurred a $2.7 billion net loss for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025, and that it has operated at a loss for the past decade, according to the report.  The last time the USPS increased the price of a Forever stamp was in July 2025, when it went from 73 cents to its current rate.  Forever stamps were introduced in 2007 and cost 41 cents each. They were good as their name indicates, forever, no matter what a person paid for them at the time of purchase The stamps are not the only rates that are changing this weekend. Here is the breakdown:

• Domestic postcards – 65 cents, up from 61 cents
• Letters (metered 1 ounce) – 78 cents, up from 74 cents
• Letters (1 ounce) – 82 cents, up from 78 cents
• International postcards – $1.75, up from $1.70
• International letter (1 ounce) – $1.75, up from $1.70

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in crossfire that again threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war. The strikes came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said recent Iranian attacks on ships signaled the end of the ceasefire. Thursday’s attacks appeared bigger all around than Wednesday’s strikes, though there has been no word on damage in the three Gulf Arab countries. Iran said the two days of strikes had killed at least 14 people, the majority members of Iran’s armed forces, and wounded 78 others.

NEW YORK (AP) — The potential unraveling of a fragile truce between Iran and the United States has renewed anxiety over fuel prices. It’s raising concern that gasoline prices could go up again if sustained fighting keeps oil tankers from traveling through the Persian Gulf. Oil prices rose to their highest point in weeks after President Donald Trump declared the U.S. ceasefire with Iran over on Wednesday. Trump spoke after Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and on American military sites in other Gulf nations. Costlier crude oil could lead to costlier gas station fill-ups. That could happen as drivers in many countries were getting a break from elevated prices brought on by the war.

SCARBOROUGH, Maine (AP) — The Maine Democratic Party has voted to hold a convention now that Graham Platner has announced he’ll drop out of the U.S. Senate race. Platner, accused of sexual assault by a former girlfriend, denies the allegation but faced pressure to quit. The party plans to select a replacement, with potential contenders already showing interest. Platner had until July 13 for a new candidate to be considered. Ahead of his announcement, his campaign denied trying to influence the selection process. Meanwhile, voters expressed disappointment and called for Platner to withdraw.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan has been spared from prison for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents waited in the hallway. A federal judge fined her $5,000 and cited her otherwise law-abiding life in issuing the sentence. Hannah Dugan resigned as a Milwaukee County judge after her obstruction conviction and had to move amid threats against her family. Her lawyers argued that President Donald Trump’s administration sought to crush her to ensure judicial compliance with courthouse arrests. She faced up to five years in prison Wednesday, but the judge cited her lifetime of public service.

LONDON (AP) — Bonnie Tyler, the gravelly voiced Welsh pop star known for “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” has died at 75. She was hospitalized in Portugal in May 2026 for emergency surgery and placed in an induced coma. Tyler earned three Grammy nominations and represented Britain at Eurovision in 2013. Her iconic song, boosted by real eclipses, has over 1 billion streams. Born Gaynor Hopkins, she grew up in Wales and was inspired by artists like Janis Joplin. Her career took off with hits like “It’s a Heartache.” Tyler was married to Robert Sullivan, a former Olympic judo competitor.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “The Pitt” led all nominees with 25 in a dominant sophomore season, while “Hacks” led all comedies with a record-breaking 24 for its final season as the Emmy nominations were announced. HBO Max’s emergency room series “The Pitt” owned this year’s acting categories. Previous winners Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasa were nominated again. Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif and Sepideh Moafi also got nominations, with “The Pitt” taking four of the seven supporting actress spots. “Hacks” star Jean Smart was nominated again, having won best actress in a comedy for all four previous seasons. Her sidekick, Hannah Einbinder, got a fifth nomination.