WJPA News

SOUTH STRABANE, Pa. — South Strabane Township leaders are reportedly considering budget cuts that would impact funding for police and fire services. Our news partners at Channel 11 obtained the proposal through a Right-to-Know request. The documents show nearly $157,000 in proposed cuts to the police department and about $173,000 in proposed cuts to fire, emergency services and public safety — a total of about $330,000. The proposal comes after the township approved its budget in November. Some residents are expressing concern. Heidi McConnell said she also filed a Right-to-Know request and obtained the proposal before a recent supervisors meeting. McConnell said Supervisor Jeff Bull stated at the meeting that “nobody was supposed to have their hands on these,” and she is questioning how the proposed changes were created. Bull told Channel 11 that past financial decisions left the township with limited options and called the current budget “unsustainable.” He said township taxes have increased 90% over the past seven years, including a 67% increase in 2023, and warned another increase could be possible next year. Bull also pointed to the cost of a $2 million fire truck, saying the township was promised grants and low-interest loans that did not materialize. He said taxpayers will pay about $500,000 in interest and still owe about $700,000. South Strabane Fire Chief Jordan Cramer said in a statement: “I look forward to working transparently and collaboratively with the South Strabane Township Board of Supervisors on a 2026 budget that maintains the current level of fire and emergency services for all who live, work, and visit our growing community. It is critical that any budget decisions continue to prioritize public safety, ensure uninterrupted emergency response, and protect the health and safety of our career and volunteer first responders who serve this community every day.” South Strabane Police Chief Drew Hilk said in a statement: “We look forward to working with the 2026 Township Board of Supervisors to create a fiscally responsible budget for 2026 that does not reduce or cut any police services to the South Strabane Township community.” Two more meetings are scheduled next week in South Strabane Township to discuss the budget, before it is due in mid-February.

A Charleroi man has been sentenced in an unusual trial for drug possession charges. John Beebe, 51 of Charleroi requested a Stipulated Trial.  According to his defense attorney Patrick Fitch, the method is used to bring a case to close, administer sentence and, most importantly, begin the process of appeal. Beebe was found guilty of 10 assorted drug and controlled substance possession charges and was sentenced to 10.5 to 22 years in prison. Fitch feels that decisions made in the Court of Common Pleas violate Beebe’s constitutional rights against illegal search and seizure as described in both the Pennsylvania and United States Constitutions. In 2022 police executed a search warrant on Beebe’s home after Beebe’s employer turned packages delivered to his work place over to police. Inside the packages were caffeine powder, sweetener and 26,000 stamp bags. When the house was searched, police confiscated suspected heroin and fentanyl, firearms and $40,000 in cash. Now that the sentence is in place, Fitch says he will first appeal in Common Pleas Court for acquittal or a new trial. If denied, he will appeal to Pennsylvania Superior Court.

Pennsylvania’s attorney general wants utility customers to be alert for a scam that is circulating in the Commonwealth. AG Dave Sunday said his office is receiving an increase in calls about impersonation scams involving utility providers. He highlighted false websites that mirror websites that legitimately belong to utility providers, which are showing up in Google searches. Sunday added that people who click these links often encounter claims that say their payment is past due. The websites also try to frighten victims into making a rushed payment or giving up their personal information. Anyone who is unsure if they are communicating with someone who is a representative of their utility company is encouraged to try calling the number on their bill. People who fall victim to a scam or believe they are a victim should contact the Bureau of Consumer Protection by clicking here to file a complaint.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal officer has shot a man in the leg in Minneapolis after being attacked with a shovel and broom handle. The shooting is further heightening the sense of fear and anger radiating across the city a week after an immigration agent fatally shot a woman. Smoke filled the street Wednesday night near the site of the latest shooting as federal officers wearing gas masks and helmets fired tear gas into a small crowd while protesters threw rocks and shot fireworks. Such protest scenes have become common on the streets of Minneapolis since the shooting of Renee Good on Jan. 7 amid a massive immigration crackdown.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department says it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries whose nationals are deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States. The department said Wednesday it had instructed consular officers to halt immigrant visa applications from the countries affected in accordance with a broader order issued in November that tightened rules around potential immigrants who might become “public charges” in the U.S. The suspension will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant, or temporary tourist or business, visas. The department says it’s “bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system.” The suspension begins Jan. 21.

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Troops from NATO countries, including France and Germany, are arriving in Greenland to boost security. This follows talks in Washington on Wednesday between Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. that highlighted disagreements over Greenland’s future. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the deployment of French troops, with Germany sending a reconnaissance team on Thursday. Denmark is also increasing its military presence. The talks focused on U.S. intentions to take over Greenland for its mineral resources amid rising Russian and Chinese interest. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen expressed concerns over Trump’s intentions. Greenlanders remain uncertain about the future.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for hours without explanation as tensions remained high with the United States over Tehran’s crackdown on protests. International carriers diverted flights north and south around Iran, but the closure appeared to expire and several domestic flights were in the air after 7 a.m. Thursday. Iran previously shut its airspace during its June war with Israel and during some exchanges of fire in the Israel-Hamas war. There were no signs of current hostilities. The airspace closure came as some personnel at a U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate. U.S. President Donald Trump has left unclear what American action, if any, would take place against Iran.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi says the search of a Washington Post reporter’s home was done at the Pentagon’s request as part of a leak investigation. The Post says journalist Hannah Natanson had a phone, two laptops and a watch seized by agents at her Virginia home. An FBI affidavit says the search was related to an investigation into a system administrator in Maryland who authorities believe took home classified reports. Natanson covers the Trump administration’s transformation of the federal government. A colleague has called her “the federal government whisperer.” The White House says leaking classified information puts America’s national security at risk.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An ailing astronaut is back on Earth. The crew of four have returned Thursday, ending their space station mission more than a month early in NASA’s first medical evacuation. SpaceX guided the capsule to a middle-of-the-night splashdown splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego. The trip home took less than 11 hours after the astronauts exited the International Space Station. It was an unexpected end to a mission that began in August and left the orbiting lab with only three on board. NASA and SpaceX have said they will try to move up the launch of the next crew, currently targeted for mid-February.