August 5, 2026 7:59 am
Two people were transported from the scene of a two-vehicle crash Wednesday morning in West Brownsville. Washington County 911 says it happened just before 6 a.m. on the Route 40 ramp to Route 88 near the PennDOT shed. Dispatchers say one person was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital. The other was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. There is no word on their identities or conditions.
August 5, 2026 4:54 am
A public hearing is set for Wednesday evening in Hanover Township as supervisors consider a conditional use permit for a data center at the Starpointe Business Park. The hearing is set for 6 p.m. at the Hanover Volunteer Fire Department hall. Texas-based developer Prime Data Centers L-L-C is behind the project. Plans call for a central power station and seven small buildings on the site. They currently operate more than two dozen data center projects across the country.
August 5, 2026 2:16 am
HARRISBURG – PennDOT announced on Tuesday that Peters Township has been awarded nearly $477,000 through their Green Light-Go Program to improve safety and traffic flow along Washington Road (State Route 19), the township’s primary transportation corridor. The funding will be used to completely replace the traffic signals at the intersection of Crosswinds Drive and State Route 19. Township officials have identified the intersection as the most outdated traffic signals along the corridor and the ones most in need of replacement. PennDOT’s Green Light-Go Program provides reimbursement funding to municipalities for projects that improve the efficiency and operation of existing traffic signals. Eligible improvements include upgrades to modern signal technology, traffic signal retiming and enhanced monitoring systems that allow signals to respond to real-time traffic conditions.
August 5, 2026 5:04 am
CAIRO (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump says a deal on the Strait of Hormuz could come as early as Wednesday or Thursday. An agreement could potentially help bring an end to the war. Regional officials tell The Associated Press that an agreement emerging from talks between Iran and Oman would see ships enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through a route controlled by Oman. But the Trump administration has previously ruled out any deal that would give Iran control over the strait, which was an open international waterway before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. About one fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passed through the strait, but shipping through the waterway has been slowed to a trickle by Iran’s attacks since the start of the war.
August 5, 2026 5:05 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say they have arrested a man who was walking the grounds and appeared to be monitoring security planning at President Donald Trump’s California golf course ahead of the president’s visit. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the man was taking photos and video and had a 16-round magazine with ammunition in his pocket. They recovered a loaded pistol in his car. The sheriff’s department announced the arrest Tuesday as Trump was preparing to arrive for a fundraising dinner at his golf club outside of Los Angeles. The 38-year-old man was charged with several felonies including second-degree robbery and possessing a prohibited firearm.
August 5, 2026 5:08 am
Democrats face a significant challenge in Michigan’s Senate primary, with U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens competing against progressive Abdul El-Sayed. The tight race, still unresolved early Wednesday, tests the party’s willingness to move away from moderate candidates. Winning this seat is crucial for Democrats to regain control of the Senate. Meanwhile, Republicans chose their nominee for Michigan governor, going with Trump-endorsed John James over wealthy outsider Perry Johnson. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is trying to remain influential, spending heavily in Michigan to support Stevens. In Virginia, Democrats aim to recover seats after a failed redistricting effort. Primaries in other states will shape November’s matchups.
August 5, 2026 5:10 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and its region have killed 17 people and wounded 44 others. The attacks are part of a series of large-scale strikes exploiting Ukraine’s shortage of interceptor missiles. Zelenskyy has urged other countries to send more ammunition. Meanwhile, Ukraine has increased its drone attacks on key Russian targets to pressure President Vladimir Putin into negotiations. The Russian Defense Ministry claims its strikes targeted war-related sites, while Ukraine says civilian areas were hit. The ongoing conflict has intensified, affecting both military and civilian infrastructure.
August 5, 2026 4:59 am
The Powerball jackpot is climbing again after no one matched all five numbers and the Powerball on Monday. The estimated $786 million grand prize for Wednesday’s drawing will be the ninth-largest in the promotion’s history. The numbers drawn for Monday’s grand prize were 8-30-41-48-54 and the Powerball was 4. The next drawing on Wednesday is estimated at $786 million, with a cash value of $341.6 million. The Powerball jackpot has not been won since May 2, 2026, when two tickets sold in Florida and Texas split a $20 million jackpot, lottery officials said. The largest jackpot in Powerball history is $2.04 billion, won by a single ticket in California on Nov. 7, 2022. The current Powerball jackpot is the largest since a $1.817 billion prize was won in Arkansas on Dec. 24, 2025. That is still the second-largest jackpot in the promotion’s history.
August 4, 2026 5:20 pm
CAIRO (AP) — Iran and the Gulf Arab state of Oman have made progress toward a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a potential breakthrough that could help wind down the war in the Middle East. Two regional officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday that under the emerging agreement, ships would enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through a route controlled by Oman. Service fees would be charged. The talks are ongoing. Any agreement formalizing Iran’s control of the strait would mark a strategic victory for Tehran. U.S. President Donald Trump is under mounting pressure to end an unpopular war that has driven up gas prices.
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.
