November 6, 2026 5:19 am
Two people were transported to UPMC Washington Hospital after an early morning crash in North Franklin Township. Washington County 911 says it happened just after 4 a.m. near mile-marker 13 between Chestnut Street and Taylorstown. One vehicle was involved and ended up on its roof. No word on the identity or condition of those injured. Both westbound lanes were closed following the crash but have since reopened and traffic is back to normal.
November 6, 2026 2:47 am
The 2026 Washington County Veterans Day Parade will be held in downtown Washington Saturday morning. Local veteran Melissa Six and Anastasia Barr-Whiteman were elected to serve as Chair and Co-Chair, respectively. Barr-Whiteman explains that Washington is the perfect place to hold the parade, especially with the added significance of the country celebrating America’s 250th. Barr-Whiteman says every veteran deserves to be honored. There are more than 15,000 veterans who call Washington County home. Six says she is grateful for everyone who has helped make this parade happen, including volunteers, sponsors, and veteran organizations. A veterans resource fair will be held under the Main Street pavilion starting at 8:30 AM, and the parade kicks off at 10:00 AM.
November 6, 2026 2:13 am
Washington County Commissioners have passed on responsibility of the Washington County Real Estate Expo to the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Washington. The county will however, retain the responsibilities of marketing, graphic design and set up for the event. Commissioner Chairman Nick Sherman said that it was time to let go of the program and called the Redevelopment Authority the best organization to advance the program. He said that by doing this, the program may qualify for additional funding. The vote however was 2-1. Commissioner Larry Maggi asked that the measure be tabled because of a recently received audit of last year’s expo that levels what he calls, severe questions in the administration of the event. He said that the county should address the concerns in the audit before passing it along to the RACW. Sherman said that the calendar dictates that the transfer be done now for planning purposes. Maggi, who states that he is not in favor of the event, calls the expo a waste of taxpayer money. Sherman says that a recent meeting with the Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development indicates that the event falls in line with state efforts in providing housing and business support.
November 6, 2026 4:49 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from breaking ground on a towering memorial arch for 14 days. The temporary restraining order by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan halting the work represents a major setback for one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent projects in his vision to remake Washington. The decision followed a series of steps taken earlier Thursday by the government, including the final approval of the arch by the National Capital Planning Commission in an 8-4 vote after a nine-hour hearing where dozens of witnesses opposed the construction.
November 6, 2026 4:50 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Opposition to data centers was part of midterm races across the U.S., with campaigns featuring them in hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of TV ads and many winners pledging to clamp down on the energy-hungry behemoths. A tougher regulatory environment for tech giants and data center developers is expected to follow, even if President Donald Trump — perhaps the industry’s biggest champion — stalls any federal crackdown. Data center regulation itself was not on most midterm ballots, but hardline stances against the server warehouses were woven into the platforms of Democrats who upended longtime Republican control of the governorships in Texas, Ohio and Georgia — all data center hotspots.
November 6, 2026 4:52 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. job market likely bounced back last month from a disappointing September. Layoffs are low, and most Americans enjoy unusual job security. But hiring was probably too modest to deliver much relief to those still looking for work. And wage gains haven’t been keeping up with persistently high inflation. When the Labor Department releases numbers on October job creation and unemployment Friday, they’re expected to show that employers added 65,000 jobs last month and that the unemployment rate remained low at 4.2%, according to a survey of forecasters by the data firm FactSet.
November 6, 2026 4:53 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A brutal sell-off swept through Wall Street, led by stocks tied to the buildout of AI data centers. The S&P 500 fell 4.4% Thursday for its worst drop since President Donald Trump shook markets worldwide in April 2025 with his “Liberation Day” tariffs. The wipeout more than erased the market’s gain from the day before, which was its best in three months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 1,800 points, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 5.5%. AI stocks worldwide felt pressure as worries rise about possible moratoriums on data centers following Democratic victories in the U.S. midterm elections.
November 6, 2026 4:55 am
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced he will change all 548 death sentences in the state to life in prison without parole. The state Supreme Court will have the final say in hundreds of these cases. The announcement Thursday comes as Newsom prepares to leave office after eight years and considers a run for president. The Democrat, who’s long been opposed to the death penalty, placed a moratorium on executions in California in 2019. The California District Attorneys Association has expressed concerns, warning it could cause anguish for victims’ families. The ACLU applauded the move, citing racial bias in the death penalty’s implementation.
November 6, 2026 2:44 am
We are quickly closing in on Thanksgiving. It’s just three weeks away and 2000 Turkeys needs your help. The annual fundraiser, sponsored by WJPA Radio and the Observer Reporter, raises much needed funding to provide a complete Thanksgiving dinner to thousands of families who might not otherwise enjoy the day. This year, as food and fuel costs continue to climb, the need is great. A special thanks goes out today to Washington Financial Bank. CEO Michael Chaido stopped in the WJPA studios to present a fifteen-thousand-dollar check from the bank and another five-thousand-dollar check from the bank’s charitable foundation. Our 2000 Turkeys goal this year is 165-thousand-dollars, and to date, we have raised 100-thousand-dollars. We are also hitting the streets again this year. Range Resource’s Day is set for Wednesday, November 18th from eight a.m. until two p.m. in downtown Washington and Canonsburg. Employees and volunteers will be out asking for your help to reach our goal. If you would like to help, you can send a check to P.O. Box 2000, Washington, Pennsylvania, 15301, or bring your donation to WJPA Radio at 98 South Main Street or the Observer Reporter at 122 South Main Street, both in Washington. We are also, for the first time this year, accepting on-line donations using Zeffy. You can find the link on the WJPA and Observer Reporter websites. Thank you!
November 6, 2026 4:44 am
The Department of Justice has filed a complaint against Penn State University challenging its policy of offering in-state tuition rates to some immigrants in the country illegally, part of a sweeping crackdown by President Donald Trump’s administration. Two dozen states once offered the tuition breaks, which often had bipartisan support. But as the Trump administration began suing last year, the policies ended in places including Kentucky, Illinois, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Florida. More recent challenges have focused on individual schools, including a lawsuit filed last month against the University of Delaware.
