WJPA News

An adult has been arrested in connection with a high school sextortion ring that was discovered earlier this year in Peters Township.  Authorities say they arrested Aaron White because  he was allegedly exchanging sexually explicit text messages, videos and pictures with a teenage boy who was already a victim of a sex trafficking and sextortion operation that focused on Peters High School students — and was allegedly run by their senior class president, Zachariah Meyers.  Detectives say they found White’s messages when they searched the victim’s phone – and saw White was communicating with the boy through Snapchat, under the username “Whitey_1896.”  Police say they were able to trace the account to a PCT.edu email address, which is the email domain for Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport.  White is free on bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in August.

Pittsburgh, PA –The Commercial Street Bridge is officially reopened and drivers are currently traveling on the span.  On Monday, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Lt. Governor Austin Davis, and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll joined local officials and community leaders at the new Commercial Street Bridge in Allegheny County to announce that the Parkway East will reopen to traffic – a full week ahead of schedule. The $95 million project is one of the largest of its kind ever performed in Pennsylvania.  The eastbound lane of the Parkway opened at eight o’clock Monday night.  To accomplish this replacement in such a short timeframe, PennDOT constructed the new Commercial Street Bridge next to the existing structure. Crews then demolished the old bridge and utilized Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques to slide the new structure into place.  The original bridge closed to traffic on July 10th and demolition took place on July 16th. Lateral slide operations on the new bridge began on Sunday, July 19, and continued into Monday, July 20. Crews moved the structure 96 feet in seven hours on the first day and completed the remaining six feet and set the bridge back down the following morning. 1-376 was planned to be closed until August 3, however, thanks to favorable conditions and the hard work of dedicated crews, The Parkway East will open after only 17 days.  The Commercial Street Bridge Replacement Project is located between the Edgewood/Swissvale (Exit 77) interchange and Squirrel Hill Tunnel in Swissvale Borough and the City of Pittsburgh. Approximately 100,000 vehicles a day travel on I-376 over Commercial Street, on average.

Gas prices are six cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.207 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.  The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped 11 cents from last week to $4.11. Twenty-eight states are now averaging $4 per gallon or higher. Rising crude oil prices are behind the spike at the pump. Volatility along the Strait of Hormuz and instability in the region have pushed crude oil prices above $80 per barrel. Today’s national average is 24 cents more than a month ago and 97 cents more than a year ago.  According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand increased last week from 8.84 million to 8.94 million. Total domestic gasoline supply increased from 210.5 million barrels to 211.3 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.7 million barrels per day.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to clear the way for an executive order from President Donald Trump that could dramatically change mail-in voting ahead of November’s midterm elections.  The Justice Department asked the justices to halt for now lower court decisions blocking the sweeping changes in nearly half the country.  The request comes shortly after Trump delivered a primetime address elevating his yearslong push to raise doubts about the legitimacy of elections, and could be one of several voting-related challenges before the court ahead of the high-stakes midterm contest.  Trump ordered the government in March to create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters and deliver mail ballots only to people on that list.  Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia sued, saying the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, not the president. Their attorneys have said Trump’s proposed changes are ripe for abuse and could cause chaos.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The office of Senator Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., released an update on his health Monday, this time with a statement from the congressional Office of Attending Physician stating the senator has not yet been medically cleared to leave a rehabilitation facility where he is undergoing physical therapy.  The update comes shortly before his home state’s annual Fancy Farm picnic, which features speeches from politicians throughout the state seeking elected office. McConnell said in a written statement that he won’t be able to attend the event.  “There’s no place I’d rather be on the first Saturday in August than with the good people of western Kentucky, feasting on pork and mutton,” McConnell said.  He said that when he first attended the event 42 years ago, Fancy Farm was a lonely place for Republicans, but times have changed.

CAIRO (AP) — Mediators have made progress in efforts to bring the United States and Iran back to negotiations and prevent an all-out war in the Middle East. That’s according to two regional officials who spoke to The Associated Press. But scattered attacks by armed groups across the region underscored the lingering tensions. Neither the U.S. nor Iran have claimed any strikes for three days. Mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan are working to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran. The U.S. has paused attacks after targeting Iranian areas in response to Iran firing at ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

LEGE-CAP FERRET, France (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron calls a crisis meeting to address uncontrolled wildfires forcing over 250,000 people to flee their homes. In the Gironde region of southwest France, flames have burned an area four times the size of Paris. The prefecture says the situation remained “globally stable” overnight, a change from previous days. No new evacuations have been announced. With France entering its peak tourist season, authorities have banned holiday camps for children and people with disabilities. Macron pledges long-term support for affected communities, saying, “We will rebuild, we will repair.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Carly Simon, the singer known for “Nobody Does It Better” and other hits, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In a statement to The Associated Press on Monday, the eighty-three-year-old Simon shared her journey of learning to live with the condition. She had experienced arthritis and underwent joint replacement surgeries, but her mobility continued to decline. After an evaluation at the Mayo Clinic, she received the Parkinson’s diagnosis. Simon also revealed she was treated for basal cell carcinoma on her face. Despite health challenges, music has been a solace. She will release “Comes in Waves,” her first album of original songs since 2008, in August.