August 4, 2026 5:10 am
PETERS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A third person has now been charged in connection to what investigators describe as a high school sextortion and catfishing scheme centered around former Peters Township High School student Zachariah Meyers. According to court documents, investigators allege 24-year-old Charles Ezekiel Usner, or Zeke, sexually assaulted a 15-year-old boy at Peters Lake Park in July 2025 after Meyers directed the teen to meet Usner there. Court records state the meeting was part of what investigators describe as the larger sextortion scheme. According to our news partners at Channel 11, Usner was previously employed in Louisiana by Manson Construction Company. According to police, Usner recorded the alleged sexual encounter using the teen’s cellphone, which belonged to the victim’s late grandmother. Investigators allege the victim later sent the video to Meyers through the messaging app Telegram. Meyers was arrested in February after Peters Township police accused him of orchestrating an online sextortion operation. Investigators allege he used fake online identities to target at least 25 minors and manipulated them into sending sexually explicit images and videos. Usner remains in the Washington County Jail. Court records show Usner was unable to post bail and is scheduled to appear before another judge for a preliminary hearing on August 18, 2026, at 1 p.m. He is facing several charges, including statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, and corruption of minors. Meyers also faces multiple charges connected to the alleged sextortion investigation. Police have said the investigation remains ongoing.
August 4, 2026 2:50 am
Rumors have been circulating for a few weeks that the Donnell House in Washington was going to close. Those rumors have turned out to be true. Officials with Concordia Hospice, who operates services there, have confirmed that they are no longer providing those services and the facility has closed its doors. They say they have had no patients since early July. As for why the facility is closing, officials say it’s a change in the way people care for one another. They say there is a decline in the need for inpatient hospice services as more individuals and families choose in-home care. Concordia says they will continue to provide in-home care and support to those in the region who need it. The Donnell House has been operating in the area for nearly twenty-five-years. (Photo courtesy of Concordia)
August 4, 2026 4:54 am
The Conditional Use Public Hearing for the Cool Valley Illustrative Site Plan continued Monday night in Cecil Township. The proposed development is 216 acres along Interstate I-79, Lewicki Rd., and Morganza Rd. It will be used for retail, town homes, and an apartment complex. During the hearing, supervisors reviewed a list of conditions that the applicant must comply with. These conditions mention traffic patterns, construction regulations, and maintenance of streams and wetlands around the development. Supervisors and residents had the opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns, but there was not much discussion. The hearing lasted less than fifteen minutes. Supervisors voted to approve the plan, and the applicant can move forward with the development. Supervisor Cindy Fisher explains that the board is happy to balance residential and commercial properties in the township. Fisher also says that the board is pleased with how the applicant addressed prior concerns without any issues. Chairman Frank Egizio says that the board has been waiting on this for several years, and they are excited to see it move forward.
August 4, 2026 2:41 am
Gas prices are five cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.258 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has dropped two cents over the past week to $4.09. Crude oil prices remain in the $80 per barrel range as instability lingers along the Strait of Hormuz. Gas prices are nearly a dollar higher than they were this time last year. Typically, August brings some relief at the pump as road trips wind down and fall routines get underway for many families. But elevated crude oil prices could have an impact on that seasonal shift. According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand increased last week from 8.94 million to 9.04 million. Total domestic gasoline supply remained flat at 211.3 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.9 million barrels per day. At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate rose $5.20 to settle at $84.46 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories decreased by 7.2 million barrels from the previous week. At 404.5 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 7% below the five-year average for this time of year.
August 4, 2026 2:10 am
Word has been received of the death of long-time local sports broadcaster, Bill DiFabio. DiFabio’s voice was a familiar one to area residents, having broadcast his sports reports on WJPA Radio and other local outlets, plus doing a column for the Observer Reporter Newspaper. DiFabio’s sports broadcasts went out, at one time, to more than sixty-station outlets. He also served as the Public Address Announcer for the Washington Wild Things since their inception. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
August 4, 2026 5:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says new talks with Iran are the “last chance” for Tehran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of U.S. strikes on the country. Trump said in the Oval Office on Monday he expects to have an idea relatively soon about how negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address the United States’ concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. The Republican president says, “The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be the denuclearization.” Trump says that ”will take a little while.”
August 4, 2026 5:01 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February. The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor. The new tariffs took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs President Donald Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat. “After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.
August 4, 2026 5:11 am
DETROIT (AP) — State health officials say two people have died in the cyclospora outbreak in Michigan. They are the first confirmed deaths in the U.S. related to the microscopic parasite. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that both had underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by the intestinal illness and dehydration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” The parasite spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to contaminated irrigation water.
August 4, 2026 5:01 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Republican senators who threatened to block acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s bid to lead the Justice Department say they will vote to advance his nomination. The announcement Monday ends an impasse over plans to create a fund to compensate allies of President Donald Trump. The statement from Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis came after Blanche issued an order late Sunday formally rescinding the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department. Cornyn and Tillis had said they would not support Blanche’s nomination without written confirmation that the fund is dead.
August 4, 2026 4:58 am
Federal officials say a man from El Salvador has died at an immigration jail in New Jersey. The jail has been the target of months of protests over living conditions for people detained there. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Monday that 41-year-old Edwin Lopez-Cornejo had been held at Delaney Hall in Newark after being arrested in June. The agency says he died Saturday. The government accused Lopez-Cornejo of entering the U.S. illegally. His official cause of death has not been released. His death has prompted immediate and fierce condemnation from officials and community members. They say this showcases the inhumane conditions at the 1,000-bed facility. President Donald Trump and his deputies have defended the center’s operations.
