WJPA News

Washington and Jefferson College and the Borough of East Washington hosted a town hall meeting to unveil the college’s plans to build a new dormitory on campus. Josh Guiser, Vice President of Business and Finance and CFO of W&J led the discussion of the building that is designed by Kimmel Architecture. Not all details are in, but the building is a four story structure that is designed to hold up to 112 double occupancy units. The layout will include study and gathering lounges with community kitchen spaces. It is designed to be totally accessible for any type of disability. The building will be surrounded by East Pine Avenue, Forrest Avenue and Penn Street, right behind the Phi Gamma Delta and Delta Gamma houses on East Chestnut Street. The Church of the Covenant will be at the rear entrance to the building. Guiser says that the need was driven by the $50 million Anica Donnan Rawnsley Endowment that funds scholarships for Washington County students. Guiser characterized the project as a “fast paced’ project with construction to begin in 2026 and the building to be ready for occupancy in the fall of 2027. The building is yet to be named. No cost details are currently available. W&J hopes to continue other housing partnerships such as the one that it has with the George Washington Hotel that is reserved for upper classmen. Guiser says that they want to be a good neighbor and the building will allow students to take advantage of campus activities and be convenient to allow students to explore activities in the City of Washington. (Photo Credit: Washington and Jefferson College and Kimmel Architecture)

MONONGAHELA, Pa. — An off-duty police lieutenant is facing charges after a high-speed chase. Greene Washington Regional Police Lieutenant Nathanael Ferree, 43, of McKeesport, was arrested in Monongahela last month. Monongahela police say they tried to pull Ferree over around noon, after witnesses said he sped through an intersection. Officers say he was going more than 90 miles per hour along Route 837 in New Eagle, where the speed limit is 35. According to the criminal complaint, two marked police vehicles chased him for about two miles, with lights and sirens, as hr weaved in and out of traffic, even crossing the double line. Officers say he eventually pulled over and told them he was not paying attention and didn’t see or hear them behind him. Ferree reportedly resigned the day after his arrest to pursue his own security business outside of law enforcement.

WASHINGTON, Pa. – Washington City Police say two previously missing and endangered juveniles have been safely located within the City of Washington.  Fifteen-year-old Stephany Frazier  and fifteen-year-old Martell Jones, were reported missing on April 12th and police were particularly concerned because Frazier left behind a note indicating possible intent to harm herself and her safety was of immediate concern.  Police say both juveniles were returned to their parents, and they appear to be safe.  The City of Washington Police Department would like to thank the public for their assistance, vigilance, and cooperation in helping to locate these juveniles. The support and attention from the community played a valuable role in bringing this incident to a safe resolution.  We are grateful for the positive outcome and are pleased that both individuals have been found and are being safely reunited with their families.

ELRAMA, Pa. – Pennsylvania American Water says it is completing more than $11 million in upgrades at its E.H. Aldrich Water Treatment Plant in Elrama, Washington County, improving drinking water reliability, efficiency, and safety for approximately 527,000 customers in Allegheny and Washington counties.  Officials say the majority of the investment, approximately $8 million, is allocated to essential upgrades for the facility’s raw water intake and pump station. These improvements became necessary after water levels in the Monongahela River dropped by 3-5 feet when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removed the nearby Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 in 2024.  Lower-than-expected river levels increased silt and debris at the plant’s intake, causing wear and reducing the efficiency of intake screens and pumps. To maintain water service, the company is upgrading intake equipment and pumps to meet customer demand, especially during changing river conditions.  Construction on the intake project started in September 2025, with crews working from a barge and divers replacing intake bar screens and two 35-foot traveling screens. The project includes installing temporary pumps and reconstructing raw-water pumps to prevent disruptions to drinking water service during construction.   Built in 1960, the plant is a critical regional facility, treating an average of 32 million gallons of water per day and capable of producing up to 50 million gallons daily to serve communities across southwestern Pennsylvania.

BEIRUT (AP) — A 10-day truce in Lebanon appears to be holding as U.S. President Donald Trump calls it a “historic day for Lebanon.” Trump expressed optimism about the war with Iran, despite ongoing challenges. He said the ceasefire with Hezbollah could be a significant moment for Lebanon. The pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah might help extend the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. and Israel. Pakistan’s army chief met with Iran’s parliament speaker to push for an extension. It’s unclear if the ceasefire will lead to a lasting deal, but diplomacy continues.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has approved a short-term renewal until April 30 of a controversial surveillance program used by U.S. spy agencies. The action came in a post-midnight session Friday after Republicans revolted and refused President Donald Trump’s push for a longer extension. Republican leaders late Thursday had rushed out last-minute changes and called lawmakers back for a middle-of-the-night vote. Their proposal would have extended the program for five years with revisions. But the effort collapsed. At the center of the standoff is Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which permits the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and other agencies to collect and analyze vast amounts of overseas communications without a warrant.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director Todd Lyons, a key executor of President Donald Trump’s mass deportations agenda, will resign at the end of May, federal officials announced Thursday. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin described Lyons as a great leader of ICE. “We wish him luck on his next opportunity in the private sector,” Mullin said in a statement. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson described Lyons in a post on X as “an American patriot who made our country safer.” The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press asking why he is resigning.

Some new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers started working before passing background checks and had problems in their past. ICE announced in January that it completed an unprecedented hiring spree, adding 12,000 officers and agents to double its force. Their mission is to help carry out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. But the speed with which they were brought on to the payroll, to jobs considered important for national security, has raised alarm. The Associated Press found one new ICE hire had filed for bankruptcy twice and worked for six law enforcement agencies in three years. Another was accused of lying in a police report to justify a felony charge against an innocent woman. A third quit his only prior policing job after three weeks.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is more overtly leaning into some of the spoils of his office in his second term, drawing comparisons to French Queen Marie Antoinette from political opponents. He has celebrated renderings of his $400 million White House ballroom even during the war in Iran and a partial government shutdown. His administration is pushing ahead with plans to build a 250-foot Triumphal Arch near the Lincoln Memorial. Democrats say Trump is more interested in the gilded trappings of the presidency than in everyday Americans’ concerns about affordability. The White House says the projects “will benefit generations of future presidents and American visitors.”

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Pope Leo XIV is marking the halfway point in his four-nation tour of Africa with a day focused on encouraging Cameroon’s young people. Leo was travelling Friday to Douala, Cameroon’s main port city, to celebrate Mass. The Vatican predicted some 600,000 people would turn out for the liturgy, the biggest crowd Leo is expected to draw on his 11-day, four-nation trip through Africa. Later Friday back in the capital Youande, Leo had an appointment with students, professors and administrators at the Catholic University of Central Africa. Popes have often used such encounters, especially in the developing world, to rally young people to persevere in the face of poverty, corruption and other challenges.