The Washington County Agricultural Fair begins Saturday August 15 at 9:00 AM and ends Saturday August 22. The fair offers fun for all ages. In addition to animal shows, rides, and games, the fair will have events including a school bus demolition derby, a monster truck show, and senior high band performances. The full fair schedule can be found here. Admission is $15. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online.
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM) hosted community leaders, partners, members, and volunteers at a ceremony inside their new outdoor pavilion. The Pavilion will allow an expansion of event capabilities. It also offers a great place for picnics and reunions. Executive Director Jeanine DeBor says that the pavilion was “built by the community for the community.” PTM is also excited to continue the tradition of offering trolley rides to the Washington County Agricultural Fair. Guests will be shuttled to the Fairgrounds from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Trolleys will depart every 10-15 minutes. Rides to the fair are $5 per person round trip and children aged two and under are free.
Rep. Bud Cook (R-Greene/Washington) announced that several schools in the 50th Legislative District will receive more than a combined $1.5 million. The grants were approved through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s School Safety and Security Committee. The money will be used to make the schools safer and to provide behavioral health support to students and staff.
Duquesne University broke ground on a Health Sciences Facility along Forbes Avenue. The $68 million facility will bring multiple academic programs together, and it will be designed for hands-on learning and collaboration. The new facility is a five-story, 82,000-square-foot development.
A shooting involving multiple suspects and five people shot at Virginia State University prompted a campus lockdown early Saturday. The shooting happened near the university’s Quad Annexes, and both campus and Chesterfield County police are actively investigating. County police said officers discovered five people wounded from gunshots outside campus dormitories when they arrived. County police say the five were transported to hospitals, and one initially listed as having life-threatening injuries has been upgraded to critical condition. Police say the other injuries were not life-threatening. They say officers responded just before 1:30 a.m. and the lockdown was lifted at about 9 a.m.
(AP) — The U.S. Army temporarily halted all Apache helicopter training missions after a fatal crash in Texas earlier this week killed two soldiers. The Army said the stand-down announced Friday will remain in effect until investigators have a better understanding of the cause of the accident. The Army is investigating the crash that happened Wednesday outside of Salado, Texas, which is not far from Fort Hood. The Apache attack helicopter had been a core part of the Army’s fleet ever since the first one was delivered in 1984. More than 5,000 Apaches have been deployed by the U.S. military and its allies over the decades.
HONOLULU (AP) — Tropical Storm Lala is expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches Hawaii’s Big Island. The National Hurricane Center predicts that it could be at hurricane status by early Saturday. If it makes landfall as a hurricane, it would be the first to do so since 1871. Forecasters issued a hurricane warning for the island on Friday. Officials and residents prepared for potential impacts including heavy rain and strong winds. Some areas could see up to 25 inches of rain. Shelters have been opened, and various events canceled.
MAUMERE, Indonesia (AP) — A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake has struck off the coast of Indonesia, damaging buildings and homes, killing at least 20 people and causing panic in a region prone to deadly quakes. Authorities say six people were injured and two are missing after a landslide triggered by the quake. Authorities earlier issued a tsunami warning for parts of eastern Indonesia, prompting residents to flee coastal areas, but the alert was lifted after no significant sea-level changes were detected. Patients were evacuated from several hospitals as a precaution, while strong shaking caused panic across Flores island. Witnesses reported collapsed buildings, including structures at a port terminal and a Catholic seminary. Indonesia is highly prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity.
BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon have killed at least 11 people, marking the deadliest attacks since a truce with Hezbollah began in June. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that one airstrike on the village of Ansar killed seven people, including three children. Another strike on Deir al-Zahrani killed four. On June 26, Israel and Lebanon announced a framework agreement for Israeli forces to withdraw in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam criticized the new airstrikes, calling for an end to the escalation. Israel’s military said the strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure.
