WJPA News

A man entered a guilty plea after trying to bring a stun grenade onto a plane at Pittsburgh International Airport, according to the Department of Justice. Zachary Velling, 27, of Morgantown, W.Va., pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possessing an unregistered firearm Wednesday. Prosecutors say Velling put his carry-on luggage through the x-ray machine at Pittsburgh International Airport Nov. 12, 2024. TSA agents reportedly saw something suspicious inside. Allegheny County police ultimately found it to be a MK24 MOD 0,6 Bang/Flash diversionary hand grenade, also called a flashbang. The DOJ says the grenade is a firearm and destructive device that was not registered to Velling. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7. Velling could face up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.

The Washington County Community Foundation (WCCF) is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. To celebrate, there is a record-breaking $200,000 available in WCCF Gives prize incentives. On WCCF Gives Day, the community comes together to raise money for charities and organizations around Washington County. In the past, the foundation offered $100,000 in prizes to encourage charities of all sizes to secure donors and contributions. Aliesha Walz, the president and CEO of WCCF, says that with the help of generous sponsors, the foundation can offer more incentives and maximize outcomes for participating charities. With an extra $100,000 on the table, charities must secure 20 donors and/or $1,500 in contributions to earn a monetary prize. In a newly released statement, the WCCF says a recently announced contribution from an anonymous donor has enabled the Washington County Community Foundation to offset all credit card processing fees for its annual WCCF Gives campaign. WCCF Gives Day is September 10, with an online giving portal running from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. For those who want to donate by check, the giving window is open. Walz says that Gives Day provides an opportunity for people to participate in philanthropy and know that they are making an impact with their contributions in their own backyard.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Water Authority is alerting customers of system upgrades that will be happening next week. On September 9, water will be shut off on Morey Road from the intersection of Wickerham Road to Leonard Road. The shut off will include all of Hastings Road, Huffman Road, Crawford Road and Mowery Lane. House numbers 357-499 on Buckingham Road will be affected as well as Wickerham Road to Hill Road. The time of the shut off will be 3:30-7:00 pm. Customers may experience low water pressure or no water, They are advised to keep containers of water to minimize the outage.

A Charleroi couple avoided prosecution on child endangerment charges. Lucner Joseph, and Navilia Norazier each had four counts of endangering the welfare of children charges dropped when prosecutors opted not to pursue charges against them. They are the second couple facing similar charges that had their charges dismissed. In June, Jackson Alexis and Roldy Noel had their charges dismissed when a judge concluded that the prosecution did not present a prima facie against the couple on the charges. According to court records, in February, both couples were found to be living in a recently condemned home at 515 McKean Avenue that had no running water and buckets were being used as toilets. A kitchen was being shared between the two families. Charleroi officials state that the building had been formally condemned.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin. The talks on Saturday were aimed at reviving a stalled push to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin has ordered a three-day halt on strikes against Kyiv that starts at midnight Saturday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is prepared to halt strikes on Moscow until Monday. The U.S. envoys’ visit came amid escalating aerial attacks. Recent Russian attacks have killed eight people in Ukraine. Ukrainian air defenses have shot down or suppressed 128 drones launched by Russia. The two U.S. envoys will visit Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Sunday.

CAIRO (AP) — Iran says it struck an unmanned U.S. vessel trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz, the latest salvo in a new flare-up of fighting between the two countries. The U.S. did not immediately confirm the purported attack on Sunday, which came a day after the U.S. military said forces struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to a missile attack on Navy warships. Since a ceasefire agreement was announced in June, on-and-off fighting has persisted with both sides trying to inflict military and economic pain as negotiations have collapsed. At least five people were killed last week during a U.S. bombardment of southern Iran.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has been promising an economic boom, but Friday’s positive jobs report left him frustrated. He vented about inflation and interest rates, blaming financial markets, the Federal Reserve, and trade partners. Trump dismissed the idea that job gains could lead to inflation, saying, “Success does not cause inflation. Stupidity causes inflation.” His inability to deliver stronger growth has hurt his credibility. Trump blames high interest rates and tariffs for economic challenges. Despite this, his aides remain optimistic about AI, tariffs, and tax cuts boosting growth. However, experts warn that growth alone won’t fix budget deficits.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center is blaming “decades of neglect” for causing part of the ceiling to collapse in the performing arts venue’s grand foyer. Spokesperson Roma Daravi said no one was injured when a chunk of the ceiling fell Friday evening. She said the damage underscores “the urgent need to close for renovation and revitalization” called for by President Donald Trump. Members of the Kennedy Center’s Trump-aligned board are fighting in court over its plans to add Trump’s name to the building and to close the center for two years while performing renovations.

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Rescuers in Nepal have pulled out a Chinese man and a woman in separate operations, 10 days after devastating floods hit the country. The man was rescued from a hydropower tunnel, bringing the total to three workers pulled alive from the Trishuli hydropower project. Nepal’s army said a joint rescue team of Nepalese military personnel and South Korean disaster experts rescued the man from a nearly 740-foot tunnel. In flood-hit Nuwakot town, a woman was rescued alive from a house. At least 1,300 people were killed in the Aug. 26 floods, and more than 5,000 remain missing.