WJPA News

NOTTINGHAM TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A motorcyclist was killed Wednesday when he collided with a commercial van in Washington County.  Coroner Tim Warco says the crash happened just before 11 a.m. in Nottingham Township.  A motorcyclist was heading west in the 2300 block of State Route 136. Rounding a turn, he collided with a commercial van turning left across the westbound lane.  The rider was identified as Edward C. DeRosa, 56, of Finleyville.  Warco says DeRosa was not wearing a helmet.  State Police and the coroner’s office continue to investigate.

Another Peters Township teen will face trial for child sexual abuse material. Alexander Scott, 18 of Venetia had four felony charges held for court without a hearing. Scott is accused by City of Washington Police of communicating with a minor and exchanging nude photos with that minor.  Police were contacted about harassment and possible sextortion on June 29. A forensic examination of the victim’s phone revealed child sexual abuse material. Police were able to identify two males involved with the minor, one of them being Scott. Police contacted Peters Township detectives and they confirmed that Scott was the subject of a similar investigation previously there. The second male was identified as a Peters Township High School graduate. Scott is facing felony charges of dissemination of photos or film depicting child sex acts, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with minors and criminal use of a communications device. Scott will be formally arraigned on October 27.

The Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency (WCTPA) has announced a third round of tourism grant investments for 2026 totaling $110,300.  These projects will support tourism and marketing initiatives throughout Washington County as well as assist local organizations, municipalities, and businesses in enhancing visitor experiences, promoting attractions and events, and investing in tourism infrastructure.  To date, the WCTPA has awarded $504,850 in tourism program grants in 2026.  This latest funding round includes eight projects representing a diverse range of tourism initiatives, including the rehabilitation of a historic covered bridge, improvements to an accessible walking trail, and marketing campaigns designed to attract visitors to Washington County events, attractions, and facilities.  According to Jeff Kotula, President of the WCTPA, these strategic investments in local tourism assets and attractions are essential in strengthening the county’s economy and quality of life.  The summary below includes all grants approved by the WCTPA Board of Directors:

Capital Grants

• Amwell Township: $35,000 for rehabilitation of the Hughes Covered Bridge
• Donegal Township: $30,000 for paving and accessibility improvements to the walking trail at historical park
• Pennsylvania Trolley Museum: $4,300 for hardware and software upgrades to Trolley Simulator Exhibit

Marketing Projects

• County Home Shows: $14,000 to promote the 2027 Washington County Home Show through television and radio advertising
• Donora Borough: $10,000 to promote the inaugural Mon Valley Fall Festival & Carnival at Palmer Park through multimedia advertising
• DoubleTree by Hilton: $4,000 to promote the American Contract Bridge League Regional Championship through multimedia advertising
• Meadowcroft Rockshelter & Historic Village: $8,000 to promote 2027 visitation via print and digital advertising
• Sarris Candies: $5,000 to promote factory tours during special events held at the Sarris Candies Production Facility

NEW YORK (AP) — A Pennsylvania coroner confirms that the two measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania last month involved infants, and the virus itself caused one of the deaths. Lancaster County’s coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, said Wednesday that he told the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of his conclusions. CDC officials, however, haven’t said whether they will count either death as measles-associated. The coroner says a boy died on Aug. 14 shortly after his birth of a ruptured spleen and tested positive for measles. A 6-week-old girl died Aug. 18 at her home. She was born with a genetic birth defect that left her highly vulnerable to an infection, and a measles infection killed her.

DALLAS (AP) — President Donald Trump has pledged $5,000 to every American if Republicans hold onto Congress in the midterms while slamming Democrats as extremists during night one of the Republican midterm convention. He also defended the war in Iran and did not provide details on how his cash pledge would work. Trump on Wednesday in Dallas emphasized making the elections about himself, despite low approval ratings. Many Republicans skipped the event in Dallas, while others aimed to rally Trump supporters. Trump pledged to visit key states and hold rallies. He also defended tariffs and promised a “Trump dividend” if Republicans win. The convention aimed to boost enthusiasm despite economic concerns and dissatisfaction with the Iran war.

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman has addressed the Republican midterm convention, escalating tensions with his party. His appearance is stirring fears among Democrats that he might switch parties after the midterms. Fetterman introduced Republican Sen. Dave McCormick in a video, calling him “a great American.” He criticized Democrats as extremists and expressed support for working with President Donald Trump. Fetterman said in a statement later Wednesday that he will not switch parties. He has been increasingly isolated from his party, supporting Israel’s war in Gaza and voting with Republicans on key issues. Democrats worry about his influence if they secure a narrow majority in the Senate.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says oil prices that spiked because of the Iran war likely won’t come down until after the U.S. midterm elections. Oil prices jumped more than 3% Wednesday, pushing international Brent crude past the $100 threshold for the first time since July as salvos between the U.S. and Iran escalated. Trump, in an exchange with reporters before traveling to Dallas for the midterm Republican convention, added that he believes Iran will finally relent after the pivotal elections are held in the U.S.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Canada for talks with Prime Minister Mark Carney. He aims to secure further support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Ukraine faces pressure from Russia’s air war, which is targeting its power grid ahead of winter. Recent U.S. efforts to end the conflict have shown little progress, but talks between delegations from Moscow and Kyiv are expected to continue. Zelenskyy arrived in Calgary on Wednesday night. His flight from Moldova to Norway was delayed due to a drone incursion. The aerial drone battle between Russia and Ukraine has intensified since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

An Anthropic researcher is resigning over concerns about irresponsible development of artificial intelligence. Jacob Coxon, who worked at Anthropic and OpenAI, shared his worries about unsafe development practices and underestimating AI’s capabilities on the social platform X on Tuesday. His posts reached nearly 100 million people overnight, sparking widespread online discussion. He warned that AI models could soon become superhuman systems and threaten human life. Both Anthropic and OpenAI faced scrutiny this summer when their models accessed real computer systems without authorization. The companies paused some evaluations to implement more monitoring measures, but are locked in a race to compete with each other and international AI firms.