WJPA News

Gas prices are stable in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.733 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.  Spring Break season is here as the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped nearly 24 cents since last week to $3.71. The last time the national average was in the $3.70 range was October of 2023. Gasoline demand increases this time of year as the weather warms up and more drivers hit the road. Gas prices are also rising due to the conflict in Iran. The national average has gone up 73 cents since the conflict began on February 28^th.  Crude oil prices play a major role in what drivers pay at the pump, and prices have surpassed the $100/barrel mark multiple times in recent days. To help offset rising prices, the U.S. announced it will release 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves over four months. The move is part of a broader effort by the International Energy Agency to release a total of 400 million barrels of oil, the largest emergency release in its history.

The McDonald Police Department is sending a warning to parents after seizing several BB guns that were modified to look real. Police said they found two of these guns this month that were reportedly modified with metal parts and fake gun manufacturer stampings in order to look real. “In past incidents across the country, suspects have been shot by police and citizens brandishing these facsimile guns. We would advise parents to educate their children on the danger that these items can present,” the McDonald Police Department said in a statement. Police said one gun was found in a case involving a fight and another was found in a suspicious activity case that involved marijuana, gummies, a THC vape, wax and spray paint. They added that both of the juveniles said they had the guns “for protection.” Both juveniles are facing charges, police say.  (Photo:  McDonald Police Department Facebook page)

DAWSON, Pa. — A man was found dead in the Youghiogheny River on Sunday. State Police confirms that troopers were called to the river in Dawson, Fayette County,for reports of a person found dead in a river. Troopers said the man was found by two fishermen. Fayette County Coroner Dr. Bob Baker says his office needs help identifying the man. Baker said the victim is a middle-aged white man. He is bald and has an athletic build. He appears to have a tattoo on his right shoulder blade of a mountain range. His cause and manner of death are still pending an autopsy. Anyone with information is asked to call the Fayette County Coroner’s Office at 724-430-1270.

PITTSBURGH — The head clergyman at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Downtown Pittsburgh has resigned amid allegations of retail theft. Ketlen Solak, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, issued a letter to the Trinity Cathedral community over the weekend. In the letter, Solak said she’d accepted the resignation of Dean Aidan Smith. He was charged with theft and receiving stolen property charges after police say he tried to steal $1,000 worth of baseball cards from the Walmart in Economy. Smith had been on administrative leave since January. In Saturday’s letter, Bishop Solak said Smith’s leave was “prompted by an ongoing investigation into questions we received at the end of December and beginning of January suggesting that he may have failed to safeguard the property of the church.” Procedures within the Episcopal Church for handling clergy misconduct began soon after his leave began, Solak said.

(WPXI) – The University of Pittsburgh announced that Pitt Football’s 2026 Blue-Gold Spring Game at Acrisure Stadium is closed to the public this year. A university spokesperson added its necessary because of the ongoing preparations for the 2026 NFL Draft taking place in and around the stadium on the North Shore.  Fans will instead have the opportunity to celebrate the team during the Pitt Block Party at Arts Landing. The free three-day fan event will take place in Downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District from April 23-25 to coincide with the draft.  The three-day celebration will feature an immersive Pitt Football museum and a dedicated draft showcase. Attendees will have access to live entertainment, food trucks and interactive activities at Arts Landing. The event is designed to highlight the program’s history and its NFL legacy.  Highlights and updates from the Blue-Gold Spring Game will be shared across the official Pitt Football digital platforms and social media channels.  The Pitt Block Party is scheduled to run from April 23-25. Highlights from the spring game will be released on official team platforms as they become available.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Extreme weather conditions from coast to coast are putting over 100 million people across the U.S. in the path of rough conditions on Monday. Storms across the nation’s eastern half forced airlines to cancel more than 3,000 flights nationwide Monday, and many schools closed early in the mid-Atlantic states where high winds and tornadoes were in the forecast. Blizzards buried parts of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota while torrential rains flooded homes and washed out roads in Hawaii. California is dealing with unusually high temperatures for this time of year. Areas near San Francisco could see temperatures in the high 80s.  (Photo:  AP)

(AP) – Storms sweeping across the eastern half of the country are disrupting air travel across the United States. FlightAware reported more than 3,500 flights canceled Monday and about 6,300 others delayed. The storms already dumped heavy snow across parts of the Midwest and were moving toward the East Coast with strong winds and the threat of tornadoes. The travel disruptions come during a busy period for airports, with spring break vacations and fans traveling for March Madness games. Meanwhile, a partial government shutdown affecting the Transportation Security Administration has stretched staffing at some airport security checkpoints, leading to longer lines in some places.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump relied on his gut and largely side-stepped diplomatic coordination as he made the decision to launch strikes on Iran with Israel. But now with the Iran war’s economic and geopolitical consequences unfurling rapidly, the Republican president is cajoling allies and other global powers to help mop up the mess. Trump says he’s asked roughly a half-dozen other countries to send warships to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz to oil traffic. So far, none has committed. Trump even indicated he’d use his long-planned trip to China to pressure Beijing to help with the coalition — a notion his Treasury secretary later downplayed.  (Photo:  AP)

(AP) – A federal judge in Boston has blocked federal health officials from cutting the number of vaccines recommended for every child, and says U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likely violated federal procedures in revamping a key vaccine advisory committee. The decision Monday halts an order by Kennedy to end broad recommendations for all children to be vaccinated against flu, rota-virus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV. The judge also says Kennedy’s reconstitution of the vaccine advisory panel likely violated federal law. He ordered the appointments — and all decisions made by the reformed committee — put on hold.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” has been crowned best picture at the 98th Academy Awards. Jessie Buckley won best actress and Michael B. Jordan won best actor at the 98th Academy Awards. After a lionized career stretching back three decades, Paul Thomas Anderson won his first Oscar for best director, a long-in-coming coronation for the “One Battle After Another” filmmaker. “Sinners” cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw has made Oscar history, becoming the first female director of photography to win the award in the 98 year history of the Academy Awards. Paul Thomas Anderson and Ryan Coogler won their first Oscars and moving tributes were paid to Robert Redford, Diane Keaton and Rob Reiner at the 98th Academy Awards.  (Photo:  AP)