WJPA News

California Borough Police are set to address the public later today following a fatal dirt bike last night. According to 911 Dispatchers, a 16-year-old male was driving a dirt bike in the vicinity of Highland Drive and Hill Street around 8:30 last night when he reportedly struck a tree. He was first transported to Mon Valley Hospital and then taken to a hospital in Pittsburgh. He was later pronounced dead. The California Borough School District posted a letter on social media offering condolences to the victim’s friends and family and they are offering professional counseling to any student who may need it. Police have scheduled an announcement at 5:30 p.m. this afternoon to provide more information.

Residents are continuing to deal with the aftermath of Friday’s high winds. Washington County Dispatchers report there were many high wind-related issues Friday afternoon into the evening; however, conditions have calmed down. Route 40 in the 3000 Block of East Maiden Street was closed for a while and crews dealt downed trees and poles in the area of Interstate 79 North and Kopper Kettle Road. According to the National Weather Service, gusts of 55-60 mph were expected throughout western Pennsylvania. West Penn Power reports that the wind reached 60-70 miles per hour in some areas and it caused significant damage. Crews encouraged broken poles, fallen trees, downed wires and more. In Pittsburgh, roofs were blown off of at least three homes during the weather incident. As of mid morning, First Energy is reporting fewer than 100,000 customers are still without power this morning. Duquesne Light reports that 117,000 are still without electricity today, with about 105,000 of those in Allegheny County. Cross Creek Township, Green Hills Borough, Independence Borough, Mt. Pleasant, West Middletown and West Brownsville were among the hardest hit during the high winds. As of this morning, about 1,200 Washington City customers were without power. First Energy reported that they were ready for the winds.

Jefferson Hills, PA [WPXI] One A person is dead after a house fire in Jefferson Hills. Members of the Pleasant Hills Volunteer Fire Company said the fire broke out at 3:10 a.m. on the 100 block of Frontier Avenue. They confirmed a person died during that fire. Firefighters said they struggled with water supply issues while fighting the flames. Flames burned a large hole through the roof of the house. The Allegheny County Fire Marshall is investigating.

Get out your green pants, the City of Pittsburgh is preparing for its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which takes place this morning. The event, recognized as the third-largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the country, begins at 10 o’clock in the Strip District. The Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety will deploy a full complement first responders to ensure the safety of thousands of spectators. Public Safety Director Sheldon Williams says personnel will be stationed throughout various neighborhoods to monitor the festivities and show support for local businesses. [WPXI photo]

Authorities say one person has been jailed for allegedly robbing the Marathon Convenience store on Racetrack Road in North Strabane Township early Friday morning.  According to reports, police arrested 33-year-old Randall Bell.  They say he brandished pepper spray and demanded money from the clerk, but the clerk refused and Bell reportedly fled the scene in a vehicle.  Authorities say the vehicle turned out to have been stolen from the city of Washington.  He was later apprehended at the BP Gas Station on West Chestnut Street in North Franklin Township.  Bell has not yet been charged, but is being held in the Washington County Jail on a  probation violation. Court records show he pleaded guilty in December to a retail theft charge and was given two years probation.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian missile and drone strike hit the Kyiv region and killed at least four people, Ukrainian officials said. Regional chief Mykola Kalashnyk said at least 15 people were hurt, of whom three are in critical condition. He said the attack hit four districts and damaged homes, schools, businesses and critical infrastructure. Overnight into Saturday, Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery and port in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, local Russian officials reported. The U.S. postponed planned peace talks this week, citing the war in the Middle East, and announced a 30-day waiver on Russian oil sanctions.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump says the U.S. destroyed military sites on an island vital to Iran’s oil network and warned that the island’s oil infrastructure could be next if Iran continues to interfere with the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said U.S. forces on Friday “obliterated” targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, which is home to the primary terminal that handles the country’s oil exports. Meanwhile, an American official said 2,500 more Marines and an amphibious assault ship are being sent to the Middle East nearly two weeks into the war with the Islamic Republic.

The U.S. is temporarily easing part of its sanctions measures on Russian oil, a reflection of global worries about sharply higher oil prices due to the Iran war. U.S Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the U.S. will lift sanctions for 30 days on Russian oil that is already aboard tankers. That means customers in other countries can buy it without worrying about sanctions punishment. The move, intended to soothe jittery markets over the disruption of Middle Eastern oil and gas supplies, underlines how the Iran war has boosted Moscow’s ability to profit from its energy exports, a pillar of the Kremlin’s budget as it presses its invasion of Ukraine.

NEW YORK (AP) — The man who opened fire in a classroom at Virginia’s Old Dominion University completed a drug treatment program that allowed him early release from federal prison, even though he was convicted of a terrorism charge that should have disqualified him from that benefit. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2017 to providing material support to the Islamic State group. Prison records show he was released about 2½ years early. The federal Bureau of Prisons said Friday that Jalloh was released in 2024 because of a loophole in a legal provision that allows some inmates to shave time off their sentences by completing a substance abuse treatment program.