WJPA News

The Washington County Board of Elections has filed a petition with the Court of Common Pleas seeking approval to make changes to several election districts in response to population shifts, challenges in recruiting poll workers, and increasing costs to the county.  “It is important to evaluate these changes as we see some polling locations struggling to handle voter traffic while others are barely used,” said Chair Nick Sherman. “The Mon Valley was once one of the most populated and active areas, but now there are too many polling locations that are difficult to staff. This allows
us to save county resources yet still provide people physical locations to vote in their neighborhoods.”  Following careful planning and evaluation, the county is proposing the consolidation of 24 voting precincts, reducing the total number of polling places from 180 to 156 ahead of the May 19 primary election.  “We are also seeing increasing difficulty finding actual polling locations that are accessible,” said Washington County Elections Director Melanie Ostrander. “Many churches that previously hosted polling places have closed, and other buildings in these communities are not ADA-compliant. In several cases, the precincts we are proposing to consolidate already share the same physical location, so combining them will improve efficiency by reducing the amount of equipment and the number of poll workers required.”  The proposed changes would affect the following municipalities: California Borough, Charleroi Borough,  Cross Creek Township, Donora Borough,  Fallowfield Township, Independence Township, Monongahela City,  Mount Pleasant Township, Peters Township, Robinson Township, Smith Township, Union Township, the City of Washington, and West Finley Township.  A judge will hear the arguments and decide on the proposed changes in a hearing set for next Thursday, March 26th in Courtroom 6 at 1:15pm. You can find the specifics on the proposed changes for each precinct at https://www.washingtoncopa.gov/elections or posted in the communities.

North Strabane Township Supervisors could be adding a new method of transportation in township neighborhoods, golf carts. Supervisors will consider directing their solicitor to draft an ordinance that would allow golf carts in neighborhoods governed by home owners associations. Supervisor Harold Close is behind the effort. He says that the ordinance would be strict if it is written at all. Golf carts would need to be “street legal”, possessing lights, and turn signals and be insured. Drivers would have to be 16 years of age and licensed to operate the vehicles. They would only be allowed in the specific neighborhoods and not on main roads. Golf carts could not even cross a township road to travel from one HOA community to another. Supervisors will also look to award their paving contract. Portions of six roads will be paved. Linley Road from Lily Ridge to S. Johnson, Taylor Drive from Thomas Road to Nancy Drive, Coachside from Meadowbrook to Meadow Ridge, Lakeview Drive from Coachside to the cul-de-sac, Nancy Drive and Lenore Way from Nancy Drive to Taylor Drive. The bid from Redstone Excavating is for $782,225. Township Engineer Vince Seyko says that may not be a firm total. He says that because of the war in Iran, he anticipates asphalt costs to increase. If those increases come about, liquid fuels funds cannot be used to cover them. Those increases must come out of the general budget. Supervisors will vote on these items on September 24.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) — A 7-ton meteor that sped across the Cleveland sky at 45,000 miles per hour on Tuesday broke apart in a thunderous boom that startled residents who feared an explosion. People several states away reported seeing the bright fireball even though it was 9 a.m. The American Meteor Society said it received reports from Wisconsin to Maryland. NASA later confirmed that it was a meteor nearly 6 feet in diameter. Astronomer Carl Hergenrother says meteors typically fall about once a day in the U.S. The meteor was first seen about 50 miles above Lake Erie.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has lashed out with multiple attacks on its Persian Gulf neighbors and Israel following the killing of one of its top leaders in an airstrike, using some of its latest missiles to evade air defenses. Two people were killed near Tel Aviv. Israel, on Wednesday. Israel has kept up the intense pressure on Lebanon with strikes it said targeted Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, hitting multiple apartment buildings in Beirut and killing at least six people as the war in the Middle East showed no signs of slowing. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant complex had been hit by a projectile but suffered no damage.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Trump national security officials will face tough questions in Congress about the war in Iran and the FBI’s ability to stop attacks at home. On Wednesday, intelligence chiefs testify before a Senate committee, and they face a House panel on Thursday. Hearings are likely to focus on the revelation that outdated intelligence likely led to the U.S. carrying out a deadly missile strike on an elementary school in Iran. The White House says it is investigating. Lawmakers also are expected to press FBI Director Kash Patel at a time when the U.S. is confronting an elevated terrorism threat.

HONG KONG (AP) — About 90 ships including oil tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the war with Iran. Maritime and trade data platforms report it is still exporting millions of barrels of oil at a time when it said it closed the key waterway for vessels of the U.S. and its allies. Analysts say Iranian oil export volumes remain resilient. Many of the vessels that have passed through the Strait are so-called “dark” transits evading Western sanctions that likely have ties with Iran. More recently, vessels with ties to India and Pakistan have also successfully crossed the strait as governments stepped up negotiations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s a growing body of data showing that the tariffs President Donald Trump said would help American factories are, in fact, squashing many of them. Take, for example, Allen Engineering, which makes industrial equipment in northeast Arkansas. Jay Allen says his costs for the parts for his power trowels have all been hiked by import taxes. He said he lost money last year, even though he cut his payroll and increased prices. Data shows manufacturing jobs dropped during Trump’s first year back in office. The White House says Trump’s policies will take time to make a difference. But economists say the uncertainty caused by the tariffs has set back the sector.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have launched an unprecedented effort to hold the Senate floor and talk for days about a bill that they know won’t pass — an attempt to capture public attention on legislation requiring stricter voter registration rules as President Donald Trump pressures Congress to act before November’s midterm elections. The talkathon began Tuesday and could last a week or longer as Senate Majority Leader John Thune tries to navigate Trump’s insistence on the issue and Democrats’ united opposition. The legislation would require Americans to prove they are U.S. citizens before they register to vote and to show identification at the polls, among other new voting requirements.