November 14, 2026 3:25 am
It is approaching 30 months since Washington and Green County Hospitals merged with the UPMC Hospital System. In those months, both organizations got to know each other and the last 12 months have been focused on growth and expansion of services. UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene President Brook Ward introduced three members of the staff to talk about that expansion. Dr. Steven Mandish is a Radiation Oncologist that spoke of the addition of a second radiation linear accelerator. He says that they can now treat more patients locally and specialty radiation treatments will be expanded. He spoke of upgrades to the medical oncology offices that will better serve patients for preop and postop consultations. Dr. Stephanie Nicholas is an Obstetrician/Gynecologist at UPMC Magee Women’s at UPMC Washington. She spoke of staff expansion going from two doctors to five. She spoke of expansion in women’s surgery and greater access to specialized care. Dr. John Six is the CEO of UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene. He spoke about expanded heart, lung and kidney transplant consultation care along with programs in specialty sports medicine services and baseline concussion testing services. Ward wrapped up the program driving home the point that the merger provides patient benefits by providing care close to home and not having to drive to Pittsburgh to get that care. One person asked a question about the expansion of WVU Medicine into the area. Ward said that UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene is concentrating on providing the best care and services for the community. WVU and the other competition can do what they need to, but in the end they all want to provide the best care possible, and that is what UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene intend to do.
November 14, 2026 3:24 am
A former youth football director who pleaded guilty to stealing nearly a quarter of a million dollars from the organization has received his sentence. William Spencer, 57, of Washington, was sentenced to a decade on probation and was ordered to pay the Washington/Greene Youth Football League at least $1,500 a month. His first six months of probation will be served on house arrest. Spencer was charged with defrauding the organization of more than $230,000 while he served as the director between 2020 and 2025.
November 13, 2026 4:52 pm
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop on all departing flights Friday afternoon. According to reports from NBC News, the FAA says the order happened because of “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy added that a “communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers.” The order was lifted at approximately 8:15 pm ET on Friday after systems were tested and confirmed stable, though lingering delays and cancellations continued. Pittsburgh International Airport listed delays for at least 43 flights with at least four flights canceled.
November 13, 2026 3:56 pm
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — All passengers accounted for and over 30 people hospitalized after tanker ‘lost control’ and hit cruise ship, mayor says. A tanker struck a New Orleans river cruise with 129 passengers on board on Friday, partially submerging the boat. Rescues were underway on the Mississippi River, officials say. Video from the scene showed the much larger Atlantic Asphalt tanker hit the paddlewheel cruise boat while it appeared to be docked. People were seen in the river in life jackets or standing near the railing as the other side of the American Heritage listed further into the water. The cruise ship is operated by American Cruise Lines. Lt. Stephanie C. Norwood with New Orleans Emergency Medical Services said all agencies are responding to rescue efforts.
November 13, 2026 4:48 am
A fire that destroyed a California Borough business is under investigation. It broke out just before 10:30 p.m. at Maund Industries along Wood Street. The massive fire collapsed the roof of the building and destroyed all of the concrete company’s trucks and mixers. Officials say personal vehicles parked inside the building were also destroyed. Fire officials say there were also tires and propane tanks inside. The fire reportedly began in a storage area and the State Police Fire Marshal is looking for the exact cause. No injuries were reported. (PHOTO; Socki-Sun Photography)
November 13, 2026 2:15 am
A multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 79, north, around the Marianna, Amity/Lone Pine exits, left at least two people injured, one in critical condition. A 911 Supervisor says it happened around eight o’clock, Thursday night, when a tractor-trailer lost its load of metal beams or pipes, causing at least a four to five-car pile-up. The supervisor says no medical helicopters were able to fly because of the weather. As a result, one person was taken by ambulance, in critical condition, to a Pittsburgh hospital. The second person was transported by ground to a local hospital. The northbound lanes were closed for some six-hours because of the crash.
November 13, 2026 2:58 am
Work on the lower part of the concrete arch bridge, between Boyce Road and Upper St Clair High School, will be completed this weekend, with a 2 day closure (11/14 & 11/15) so crews can safely remove scaffolding and concrete forms.
November 13, 2026 4:40 am
During the final meeting of the Washington County Local Emergency Planning Committee for 2026, The Washington County Department of Public Safety spoke of their recognition by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for their efforts to address flooding concerns and coordinate local agencies to help those who sustained flood damage during floods on September 12 and 20. Dustyn Montgomery, Emergency Planning Officer for WCPDS organized efforts to combine the two events into one event to have the county qualify for SBA loan opportunities and PEMA DRAP grants. He guided the county in arranging several events for residents to apply for programs. His leadership has been described as a model for similar future Pennsylvania events. Residents may still apply for SBA loans until December 22, 2026 and for PEMA DRAP grants until January 26, 2027. Deputy Director of the WCPDS Dan Harvey reviewed two hazmat incidents that occurred over the last month. The New Eagle Municipal Sewer Authority is working through an underground thermos-reaction. A parking lot is currently emitting temperature readings of 170-180 degrees. It is unknown what is causing the reaction but it is being monitored daily. The second incident is the accumulation of what has been determined as waste oil in a pond at Forest Lawn Gardens Cemetery in Peters Township. The DEP is working on determining where the oil is coming from. They seem to have it narrowed down to an automobile repair facility or a dealership repair facility on Rt. 19. The WCDPS is also updating their Hazard Mitigation Plan. (Photo: WCDPS Facebook Page)
November 12, 2026 4:43 am
Conditional use hearings for a proposed data center in Hanover Township continued Wednesday night. Attorneys representing residents who oppose the development spent three hours cross-examining a return witness for Prime Data Centers. The witness, a Project Manager with Gateway Engineers, testified about the site layout and surrounding environment. Residents who oppose the development believe that there is not enough information provided in Prime’s conditional use application. These residents still share concerns about environmental impacts and their own health, safety, and welfare. Prime has repeatedly stated that more information will be available at a later stage of the project. The hearing will continue November 18 at 6:00 PM at the Hanover Township Fire Department Hall.
November 12, 2026 4:49 am
HONG KONG (AP) — Microsoft is dealing with a major outage affecting services like Outlook and Teams. The issue has impacted users, companies, and some government operations globally. On Friday, Microsoft said it was working to identify and fix the problem, while adding that there were no indications that the outage is caused by malicious activity. Authorities and officials in Singapore, Japan and Australia say they have seen impacts from the outage, while businesses in Hong Kong and India say some operations have been affected. Over 130,000 users reported issues on Thursday. While reports have since decreased, many users globally are still reporting problems.
