WJPA News

INSTITUTE, W.Va. (AP) — A chemical leak at a West Virginia plant killed two people and sent 19 others to the hospital, authorities said.  The leak occurred at the Catalyst Refiners plant, a silver recovery business in Institute, as workers were preparing to shut down at least part of the facility, Kanawha County Commission Emergency Management Director C.W. Sigman said.  A chemical gas reaction occurred at the plant involving nitric acid and another substance, Sigman said.  The reaction caused “a violent reaction of the chemicals and it instantaneously overreacted,” Sigman added.  Among the injured were seven ambulance workers responding to the leak, officials said.

Last week, Washington County received a letter from the Republican Party of Pennsylvania requesting that the Washington County Board of Elections remove Al Buchtan from the ballot in the race for Republican State Committee.  The request follows a ruling by a Commonwealth Court judge and was later affirmed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that determined Buchtan’s residency is in Greene County, not Washington County. Candidates for Republican State Committeeman must reside in the county they seek to represent.  In light of that decision, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania is asking the Washington County Board of Elections to vote on removing Buchtan from the primary ballot for the position.  The Board of Elections will convene for a hearing on Thursday, April 23, at 11 a.m. in the public meeting room.  “This hearing will only determine whether he is removed as Republican State Committeeman and has no bearing on the Pennsylvania State Senate race,” said Washington County Board of Elections Chairman Nick Sherman.  If the motion passes, Buchtan will be removed from the race for Republican State Committeeman in Washington County and will not appear on the May 19th ballot for the State Committee race.

There have been some administrative changes in the Peters Township School District. At their regular meeting this month, school board members named Dr. Michael Fisher as the new Deputy Superintendent for the school district, to replace Dr. Jennifer Murphy, who will be moving into her new role as the superintendent, following the retirement of Dr. Jeannine French.  Dr. Fisher will continue his role focusing on curriculum for grades K-5, overseeing assessments and the District’s safety and security efforts.  Dr. Fisher has been a member of the District’s central leadership team since 2016, and was previously the Principal at Pleasant Valley Elementary School.  Also at Monday’s meeting, Mr. Adam Sikorski was named Assistant to the Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, with a focus on the secondary level. Sikorski makes the move to District’s central administration team following 12 years as the Principal at Peters Township Middle School. In addition to his role in Peters Township, Sikorski is currently an Adjunct Professor at Point Park University.

A Washington County man accused of stealing loyalty program points settled his case. Paul Kostanich, 19 of Peters Township pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of theft by unlawful taking. Fifty seven other counts of unauthorized use of an access device, identity theft and receiving stolen property were dropped by the District Attorney. Kostanich will serve three years of probation and pay restitution of $677 to Giant Eagle. Additionally, he will be prohibited from using a computer outside of school and for his job as a delivery driver. Police accused Kostanich in February of 2025 of accessing victim’s Get Go Fuel Perks loyalty point information by purchasing it on the dark web. He then used the information to purchase fuel for his car and gift cards. In all, there were 19 victims in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Uniontown, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT’s) Engineering District 12, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), invites the public to participate in a Virtual Plans Display to review and provide feedback on the Route 40 and Route 3005 Intersection Improvement Project in Donegal Township, Washington County. This project involves minor tree trimming to enhance the visibility at the intersection, installation of two poles and wires to support a flashing beacon, installation of signage, and other minor construction activities. The purpose of this Virtual Plans Display is to provide information on the Route 40 and Route 3005 Intersection Improvement Project covering the improvements, impacts, traffic control, and anticipated schedule. To participate in the Virtual Plans Display visit PennDOT’s District 12 website under the Projects Near You and select Route 40 and Route 3005 Intersection Improvement Project. The materials will be on the website for the duration of the project. The public comment period is April 21 through May 5.

AVON, OHIO – The Frontier League, a Professional Partner League of Major League Baseball, which includes the Washington Wild Things, and the longest-running independent baseball organization in North America, announced on Wednesday a comprehensive brand transformation. Beginning in the 2027 baseball season, the league will compete as the National Association of Professional Baseball (NAPB).  Officials say the re-branding process began in the fall of 2024 when the Frontier League’s Board of Directors formed a Strategic Planning Committee to evaluate their current position and future opportunities in the professional baseball structure.  “With the tremendous growth over the past five years, highlighted by our expansion into Canada along with the Northeast and Southeast in the United States, our Board felt that it was the appropriate time for a detailed study of both our current role and future opportunities,” commented league commissioner Steve Tahsler. “Working with an outside facilitator, the committee determined that we had outgrown the Frontier League brand, and that National Association of Professional Baseball better identified our current structure and future goals.”  The transition follows a landmark 2025 season where the league set its fourth consecutive attendance record and led the four Partner Leagues in player contracts transferred to MLB organizations. The league’s 34-year history, statistics, and records, along with those of the individual teams, will still remain.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them. The intensification of Iran’s assault on shipping in a waterway crucial to global energy supplies comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire but pressed on with an American blockade of Iranian ports. The White House says the seizures didn’t violate ceasefire terms but the latest salvos complicate efforts to bring the United States and Iran together for talks to end the war. The effective closure of the strait has already sent gas prices skyrocketing worldwide and raised the cost of food and a wide array of other products.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Iran war’s most tangible and immediate effect for many people outside the Middle East has been spiking gasoline prices. But crude oil isn’t just refined as fuel. Petrochemicals derived from oil and natural gas go into making more than 6,000 consumer products. A list produced by the U.S. Department of Energy includes everyday items ranging from computer keyboards, lipstick, tennis rackets and chewing gum to aspirin, umbrellas and nylon guitar strings. Petroleum derivatives also are used in a lot of product packaging. Shoe and apparel trade groups and companies that sell stuffed animals, home products and medical supplies are looking at price increases or other ways to offset higher materials costs.

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s Democratic congressman David Scott has died at age 80. Scott was the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and was seeking his 13th term in Congress despite challenges from within his party. Scott was the Democrats’ ranking member on the Agriculture Committee, despite most recently representing a metro Atlanta district. The congressman was once a leading voice for Democrats on farm aid policy and food aid for consumers and a prominent Black member of the moderate Blue Dog caucus. But Scott faced criticism and concerns in recent years because of declining health. Scott was born in South Carolina and graduated from Florida A&M University and the University of Pennsylvania.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new AP-NORC poll finds that President Donald Trump’s approval rating on the economy has slumped over the past month as the Iran war drives prices higher. Trump’s approval rating on the economy dropped to 30% in April from 38% in a March AP-NORC poll. A similarly low share of U.S. adults, 32%, approve of the president’s leadership on Iran, which is unchanged since last month. Even Republicans are showing less faith in his leadership, according to the poll, which shows a president who is struggling with unfulfilled promises to tame inflation and testing Americans’ patience with a conflict in the Middle East that has dragged on longer than expected.

(AP) – Virginia voters have approved a congressional redistricting plan that could help Democrats win up to four additional U.S. House seats in this year’s midterm elections. Voters passed a constitutional amendment authorizing the unusual mid-decade redistricting. But their vote may not be the final say because the question still faces legal challenges, including before the state Supreme Court. The Virginia referendum is the latest development in a national redistricting battle that began after President Donald Trump urged Texas Republicans to pass a map more favorable to the GOP. Virginia is the second Democratic-led state to back redistricting, after California voters approved a new map last November.

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the most comprehensive studies ever of flood risk has determined that more than 17 million people in eight cities along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are at the highest risk of being affected by flooding. Using machine learning, historic flood data and 16 factors representing hazards, exposure and vulnerability, the study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances has come up with what is likely the most comprehensive model of coastal cities’ risk of flood damage. Researchers are alarmed by the findings, including that more than 4 million people are at risk in New York City, alone, and that 99% of people and buildings in New Orleans are vulnerable.

NEW YORK (AP) — Dave Mason, co-founder of the psychedelic British band Traffic and songwriter behind “Feelin’ Alright” and “Hole in My Shoe,” died Sunday at his home in Gardnerville, Nevada. He was 79. A cause was not immediately revealed. Mason canceled his remaining tour dates last summer, citing health issues stemming from an infection. Mason was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 for classics including “Feelin’ Alright?” which he co-wrote with Traffic frontman Steve Winwood. It wasn’t an immediate hit, but became one after it was covered by the likes of Joe Cocker, the Jackson 5, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Grand Funk Railroad.