September 24, 2026 2:26 pm
The Houston Pumpkin Festival Committee and Houston Fire Company Board of Governors have decided to cancel the 2026 Houston Pumpkin Festival due to conditions at the festival grounds as a result of recent weather events like heavy rainfall and continued flooding. The Pumpkin Parade, however, will still take place on Saturday morning, October 10 at ten o’clock and The Firefighters Kitchen will be open throughout the day. Organizers say they understand how much this event means to the community and those who participate, but, they say safety is their top priority. They say their decision was not made lightly, in fact, they had made plans to utilize areas of the field that were still useable, however, with even more rain falling, that made it impossible. The Pumpkin Festival is the main fundraiser for the fire department to maintain its services to the community. (File photo of Pumpkin Festival)
September 24, 2026 2:36 pm
A Moon Township man who was shot twice at President Donald Trump’s Butler rally in 2024 has died. The House Republicans confirmed on X the death of James Copenhaver. They released the following statement: We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jim Copenhaver, who was gravely wounded in the horrific shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. Jim endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance. We join his family and loved ones in mourning his loss and praying for them. Copenhaver was one of two people injured during the shooting. David Dutch, 57, a Marine veteran from New Kensington, was shot once. Corey Comperatore, 50, a former fire chief, was killed in the assassination attempt. In June of this year, Copenhaver and Dutch sued the United States. An attorney representing both men said a “cascade” of failures by the Secret Service led to their injuries Copenhaver’s cause of death has not yet been released.
September 24, 2026 2:20 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — Reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico returned to the White House hours after a federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s ban of the three news outlets. The judge said early Thursday that the news outlets must have their access restored. But reporters from all three outlets said they were still blocked early Thursday. The news outlets soon asked in a new court filing for an immediate hearing to address their continued ban from White House grounds. The back-and-forth was the latest in an extraordinary showdown between Trump and media outlets whose coverage he dislikes. Trump announced he was banning the outlets Friday, assailing what he called “fake news.” The outlets argued they were singled out over the content of their coverage.
September 24, 2026 2:17 am
Flooding is the topic of conversation these days, after multiple residents and businesses in the Washington County area were flooded – again – after heavy rains over the past few weeks continued to flood the same areas. A meeting was held today with Republican State Senator Camera Bartolotta and Washington Mayor JoJo Burgess, along with an engineer and other local leaders, to address those concerns. All who attended say they want to find solutions to the issues and are working toward taking action sooner, rather than later. Bart0lotta says many times, their plans must be dictated by studies, then reviewed and then, hopefully, approved. She says this could take a long time and they are trying to make small improvements now, that don’t require state approval, to help alleviate some of the issues now.
September 24, 2026 2:37 am
The Mariana Outdoorsmen Association (a non-profit) has initiated a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and PennDOT, in an effort to protect and preserve recreational opportunities in the state. The suit alleges that PennDOT’S roadway stabilization project along the streambank of Ten Mile Creek was ill-conceived and unpermitted. The suit claims their actions resulted in a significant redirection of streamflow and decimation of the streambank, resulting in a portion of the water that supported recreational activities being useable.
September 23, 2026 4:38 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s move to ban three news outlets from the White House grounds and said CNN, MS NOW and Politico must have their access restored. The ruling released early Thursday is the latest development in an escalating showdown between President Donald Trump and media outlets whose coverage he dislikes. Trump announced he was banning the outlets Friday, assailing what he called “fake news.” The outlets argued they were singled out because of the content of their coverage and called the ban a “blatant violation” of the First Amendment. The judge’s temporary restraining order is to be in effect for 14 days.
September 24, 2026 4:39 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is hailing the “truly great friendship” he’s forged with Xi Jinping as the Chinese leader began his highly anticipated state visit at the White House. Xi is pressing for the world’s two biggest economies to work more closely together to avoid friction as they compete. Xi also announced Thursday that China will invite 100,000 American youth to come to his country for studies and exchanges in the next five years and that China will send two pandas to the zoo in Atlanta in the coming days. Xi spoke about artificial intelligence and said China and the U.S. had a responsibility to ensure that humans always operate AI.
September 24, 2026 4:41 am
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Southwestern Mexico is bracing for heavy rain and mudslides after Polo became a major hurricane in the Pacific. Forecasters also warned Wednesday that another system heading toward Hawaii could cause catastrophic flooding later in the week. Hurricane Polo is expected to skirt Mexico’s Guerrero state, submerging coastal areas with up to 6 inches of rain through Thursday. Guerrero has been repeatedly pummeled by hurricanes in recent years. Tropical Storm Nolo was expected to approach the Big Island as early as Friday. Nolo is projected to drop up to 20 inches of rain, raising the possibility of flooding and mudslides.
September 24, 2026 3:13 am
An attorney for former NFL star wide receiver Antonio Brown says he plans to accept a plea deal on an attempted murder charge in Miami that avoids prison. Brown is scheduled to appear in court next Wednesday to make the deal final. He could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the current attempted murder charge. Brown is accused of grabbing a handgun from a security staffer after a celebrity boxing match in Miami in May 2025 and firing two shots at a man he had gotten into a fistfight with earlier, according to an arrest warrant. Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu told investigators that one of the bullets grazed his neck.
September 23, 2026 4:43 am
South Strabane Township Supervisors were not surprised by the standing room only crowd or the subject that was on their minds. For two hours supervisors fielded questions about past plans for flooding and heard heart wrenching stories from flood victims. One resident spoke of how flood waters came up to her chest in the basement of her home. Another resident told of 5 floods in three years and how that is causing his mother-in-law to move out of their house because her living quarters are constantly being flooded. He said his children are now afraid any time rain falls. State Senator Camera Bartolotta worked diligently to contact the Secretary of Transportation and the Director of the DEP to come up with solutions to more quickly address the needs of South Strabane Township residents. She is also lobbying colleagues in Harrisburg and the Army Corps. of Engineers to develop a plan to address flooding issues along Chartiers Creek and Catfish Creek. Supervisor Jeff Bull said that in older areas of the township, state and federal regulations regulating storm water did not exist when those developments were built. That has a great effect on current flooding. Supervisors agreed to begin looking into solutions for those issues and to keep working on making sure that future developments have all of the adequate storm water management in place before accepting developments as complete.
