WJPA News

Another found of heavy rain hit the region Sunday, causing major problems for residents and events scheduled around the area.  Late last week, the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency opted to cancel the Covered Bridge Festival events at the Henry and Ebenezer Bridges at Mingo Creek County Park due to heavy rains that made the area unsafe for the public and vendors, and because of  more rain that was anticipated on Sunday.  Officials with the Pittsburgh Renaissance Fair in Westmoreland County also decided to cancel Sunday’s activities for the same reason. Organizers say ongoing rain has “compromised” most of the festival site and parking lot and it just wasn’t safe.  Festivities are scheduled to resume next weekend and through the first weekend of October, which will mark the end of this season.  In addition to multiple events being cancelled, emergency responders were out, rescuing people from cars stuck in flood waters.  Many of the usual places were flooded once again, including Park Avenue by the W&J Football Field, parts of Country Club Road, Jefferson Avenue was shut down at Wylie Avenue, and there were also reports of a retaining wall collapsing on Arch Street in Canonsburg.

CANTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Canton Township has declared a state of emergency as it deals with flooding.  A post shared by Canton Township Emergency Management said first responders, road crews and public works employees are working to manage severe flooding throughout the community.  “People have had to evacuate and be pulled from cars. Areas that don’t usually flood are flooding,” that post said in part. “Our area is still saturated from the rain over the last week. This has caused the current rain falling to have nowhere to absorb and to accumulate quickly. The more rain that comes, the worse these situations will become. If you are near sources of water or areas that usually flood, try to get somewhere else before it worsens.”  Residents are asked to stay in place and avoid traveling unless absolutely necessary.

A Canonsburg man who was convicted of third degree murder in a June jury trial will be heading to prison. Kristopher Moorehouse, 21 was sentenced to 12-24 years in state prison. Moorhouse shot Brady Paul in September of 2025 during a fight in a Canonsburg house. Moorehouse claimed that he acted in self defense after Paul made unwanted sexual advances to his girlfriend and a fight broke out. During a second fistfight, Moorehouse grabbed a gun and shot Paul three times. He struck Paul with two shots. Paul stumbled to the front porch of the home and died. In addition to the third degree murder conviction, Moorehouse was also convicted of aggravated assault and four counts of reckless endangerment.

Authorities are investigating a one car vehicle accident occurred in Fallowfield Township, leaving one person dead. Emergency responders were sent to the 1300 block of State Route 481 in Fallowfield township just after eight-thirty Friday night,  where a car struck a tree. One person was injured and flown to a Pittsburgh hospital. A second person was taken to Penn Highlands Mon Valley Hospital where they later died. The names and identity of the victims are unknown at this time.

A Washington County man was hit by a train in Allenport on Friday. Washington County dispatchers say the incident happened on the 1800 block of Main Street in Allenport at 5:13 p.m. In a release, Washington County Coroner Tim Warco said the victim was crossing the railway in a motorized wheelchair at the Bridge Street crossing when he was struck by a Norfolk Southern train. That man has been identified as Anthony Michael Chilzer, 43, of Allenport. Warco said it is unclear why Chilzer was trying to cross, but added that video shows the warning signals and crossing gates were working at the time of the incident. Chilzer’s cause and manner of death are still under investigation.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health released a statement that announced that 767 measles cases have been confirmed across 38 counties in Pennsylvania so far this year. Since September 16 there have been 36 new positive cases detected. There have been a total of 150 hospitalizations and 4 confirmed measles associated deaths. On September 16, the Department of Health began the formal process of requesting an Epi-Aid from the CDC to assist in the Department’s measles outbreak response. State health officials have administered nearly 4800 MMR vaccinations at 148 pop-up vaccination clinics in affected communities since the outbreak began in April. Dozens of additional vaccine clinics are scheduled for opening based on need in the next several weeks. State health officials have administered over 6900 MMR vaccines to Pennsylvania residents in 2026.

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department has approved its rates for the 2027 Affordable Care Act insurance premiums. The rate approvals cover both the individual and small group health insurance markets. According to the PID, Pennsylvanians that buy their own insurance will see an average increase of 15.97%. Small businesses will see an average increase of 10.28%. Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphries cites health care cuts by the federal government as the main driver of the spike in premiums. Contributing to the rise in rates are rising costs, the use of prescription drugs, and medical care. PID says that consumers should shop around on Pennie, the state’s official health insurance marketplace. They say that no two circumstances are alike. Premiums are decided on several factors such as age, location, household income, family size and market competition. Pennie also offers financial assistance to help lower monthly premiums and out of pocket costs. Open enrollment on Pennie is approaching. The enrollment period is November 1 through December 15 for coverage that will start on January 1, 2027. For information visit pennie.com or call 1-844-844-8040.

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Donald Trump ran for office a decade ago, he called China a menace to the U.S. economy. Today, the Republican president had changed his tune. He’s playing down the impact that Beijing has on trade, artificial intelligence and other issues. His new strategy of currying favor with China’s Xi Jinping has helped undermine traditional U.S. economic and national security alliances. Xi will be in Washington for a state dinner Thursday. Meanwhile, other Western leaders have found themselves trying to shore up their economic ties with China, too. Trump’s focus on having a good relationship with Xi has left experts questioning whether the U.S. is adequately positioning itself to compete against China.

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are set to meet to deepen economic and security ties on the North Atlantic archipelago of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Macron arrived in the French territory on Saturday. He emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral ties. Carney recently embraced the idea of Canada becoming the European Union’s first associate member. This move comes as Canada seeks to reduce dependence on the U.S. Macron also aims to secure oil and gas supplies amid global market disruptions. The leaders will discuss partnerships in aerospace, energy, and advanced technologies on Sunday.

Russian officials say Ukrainian forces launched over 1,000 drones at Russia, including hundreds targeting Moscow. Moscow’s mayor described Sunday’s attack as the largest drone attack on the Russian capital. The attack killed two people and wounded 20, while also damaging a Moscow oil refinery and a residential building. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack aimed to hit oil and logistics facilities to pressure Russia’s economy. This occurred during Russia’s parliamentary elections, which lack opposition to President Vladimir Putin. Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed to have shot down 1,110 Ukrainian drones across Russia and Crimea on Sunday.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the sea, according to South Korea’s military. The launch on Sunday came two days after North Korea threatened to bolster its nuclear capabilities in response to U.S. hostilities. The missile flew about 450 kilometers toward the North’s eastern waters. Hours later, another projectile was launched, but details are unclear. South Korea has boosted its surveillance and is exchanging information with the U.S. and Japan. The launches follow a series of weapons tests by North Korea, even after the U.S. scaled back a military exercise with South Korea. North Korea’s actions continue to heighten tensions in the region.

NEW YORK (AP) — Reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico have been denied access to the White House. Reporters from the two cable networks both went live to report they’d been barred following a ban imposed by President Donald Trump. The actions escalated Trump’s long-running efforts to restrict news coverage by journalists he finds objectionable. It’s the latest test of First Amendment protections in the United States. Trump said Friday he would ban both organizations and also Politico, because of their coverage — which he called “fake news.” Politico said its White House reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also denied entry to the White House and had her badge confiscated.