There was a vacant house fire in Chartiers Township early Saturday morning. The blaze was reported just after midnight along the 100 block of Pike Street. According to 911 dispatchers, no one was inside the building. Crews from Chartiers, Canonsburg, North Strabane and South Strabane were on the scene. No one was reportedly injured and the fire marshal is investigating.
The Canonsburg Educational and Cultural Institute (CECI) has been working all year to renovate and revive the former Canonsburg Middle School. The hard work paid off Friday morning as Canonsburg celebrated the grand opening of the Canon Theatre. Paul Scarmazzi, the vice president of CECI, believes the theatre will bring vitality to Canonsburg throughout the year. Tony Colaizzo, the president of CECI, says they expect to have 150 performances a year, which will include Broadway shows, stand-up comedy, and movie screenings. Blair Trunzo, the managing director of the Canon Theatre, is excited to have people from Canonsburg and the surrounding communities coming together to enjoy performing arts. Upcoming performances include a special showing of Ghostbusters, an inaugural concert headlined by The Clarks, and a ’60s Gold concert. More information can be found here.
Even though we are moving away from the hottest days of the year, that doesn’t mean that the air quality warnings are over. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has declared Saturday a Code Orange Air Quality Day for fine particulate matter in both the Pittsburgh and Susquehanna Valley Region. Strong temperature inversions in southwest and south-central Pennsylvania will increase fine particle pollution concentrations into the Code Orange range Saturday morning. Sensitive groups of the population including children, older adults, and those with respiratory conditions should avoid heavy outdoor activity during this time. Residents are encouraged to reduce or eliminate the use of fireplaces, avoid the open burning of leaves, trash and other materials, and avoid using gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.
GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) — Isaias has crashed into the U.S. Gulf Coast as a Category 2 hurricane, bringing damaging winds and heavy rain to Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The storm made landfall near Destin, Florida, with 105 mph winds. By early Saturday, it was no longer considered a hurricane as its wind speeds continued to decrease. Officials warned of life-threatening storm surges and flash flooding. Many residents lost power, and roads were flooded or blocked by debris. The National Guard deployed soldiers to assist, while several counties announced mandatory evacuations. The storm is expected to bring heavy rain and potential flooding to the Southeast over the weekend.
PANAMA CITY (AP) — A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake has struck Panama, collapsing buildings and prompting evacuations. The quake occurred Friday morning near Pitaloza Arriba in the Herrera province. Residents in Panama City felt the tremors, and aftershocks have continued, including a 6.6 magnitude quake Friday afternoon. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has called for calm. Damage is concentrated in the central provinces, with no reports of casualties. The National Weather Service has issued a tsunami warning for several countries, including Panama and Colombia. Nearby countries have expressed support, and the U.S. Embassy is monitoring the situation.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian aerial bombs hit residential buildings in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, killing eight people, including three children, and wounding at least 16, officials said Saturday. The attack came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to buy Russian diesel, a stunning reversal of years of U.S. pressure on Moscow over its war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned the deal would allow Russia to kill more and wage war for longer. It also contrasts with a sweeping sanctions law Trump signed last month targeting Russia’s energy revenues. Escalating Russian bombardments have killed more than 55 people in Ukraine over the past four days.
