April 9, 2026 4:57 pm
As demand for new data centers surges across Pennsylvania, lawmakers are responding to concerns about rising utility costs. A bill is now being considered by a Senate committee in which data centers would have to contribute to an enhancement fund for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. In Pennsylvania, about 300,000 households rely on the program each year to help cover heating costs. Jennifer Quinn, legislative and political director for the Pennsylvania chapter of the Sierra Club, said oversight is overdue. She says data centers use large amounts of electricity, water and land, and communities are worried. She stressed the measure would shield consumers from the extra costs associated with new proposals.
April 9, 2026 5:48 pm
A recent alleged sextortion case involving a Peters Township High School student prompted the Pastor of St. John XXIII to look into educating his parish about child safety on the internet. Father Bob Miller says that “digital technology is part of everything today” and he felt that it was necessary to help parents, grandparents and caregivers understand the dangers of the internet and what can be done if someone they love has been victimized. They contacted the U. S. Department of Homeland Security. Their Homeland Security Investigations unit put on a 90 minute presentation that covered human trafficking, catfishing and sextortion. Agents explained the grooming process that could lead into slave labor and sex trafficking. They described how predators may gain access to children and teens through online games, social media sites and communications apps. Agents outlined steps to protect young children from being taken advantage of while playing games or posting on social media. They also went into how to deal with an issue if someone falls victim to a predator. The most important step is to make sure law enforcement is notified immediately so that no further exploitation occurs. Additionally, care is taken to not make the victim feel guilty and not come forward with information. The discussion on artificial intelligence drove home the point that one just does not know who they may be communicating with while playing online games or partaking in social media. The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations unit says that if you or a loved one suspects that you have been victimized, call their tipline at 1-866-347-2423.
April 9, 2026 4:44 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Melania Trump has delivered a statement at White House denying ties to Jeffrey Epstein and knowledge of his crimes. In an extraordinary statement on Thursday, the first lady denied any association with Epstein and called the online accusations that she was involved in Epstein’s crimes “baseless lies.” The extraordinary and seemingly out-of-the-blue message came as her husband, President Donald Trump, and his administration had finally seemed to move past more than a year of controversy surrounding Epstein, especially as the Iran war had become all-consuming in Washington. The first lady asserted that she was not friends with Epstein or his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, but that they were in overlapping social circles. (Photo: AP)
April 9, 2026 2:36 pm
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbors. The two countries have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948. The announcement Thursday offered a potential boost to ceasefire efforts in the region. There was no immediate response from Lebanese authorities. The tentative ceasefire in the Iran war has staggered under the weight of Israel’s bombardment of Beirut and Tehran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Netanyahu made the announcement amid disagreement over whether the ceasefire deal included a pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
April 9, 2026 2:37 pm
(AP) – Air travelers are facing a new reality of higher fees, fewer flights and tough choices about whether a trip is worth the cost. The culprit is volatile oil and jet fuel prices that have been swinging since the war in the Middle East started and fighting near the Strait of Hormuz disrupted global oil shipments. Airlines around the world are responding by trimming schedules and raising fees and fares. Experts say budget carriers and the customers who rely on them will feel the pinch first, but even business travelers and front-cabin passengers won’t escape higher costs. Relief may not come quickly even if oil prices start to drop, experts warn, because airlines can take months to adjust fares while they wait for energy markets to stabilize. (Photo: AP)
April 9, 2026 9:27 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A key measure of inflation stayed high in February, before the war in Iran spiked gas prices, a sign that everyday costs were elevated even before the conflict began. Thursday’s report is largely a warm-up for the more important inflation data to be released Friday, when the government will publish the higher-profile consumer price index for March. The Friday report will be the first to reflect the impact of the gas price spike from the Iran war. Economists forecast it will show a big increase of 0.9% just in March from February, and a 3.4% gain from a year earlier.
April 9, 2026 5:33 am
Two people were transported to area hospitals after separate crashes early Thursday morning. Washington County 911 dispatchers say one person was transported by ambulance to UPMC Washington Hospital after a rollover crash on the Interstate 79 flyover to Interstate 70 westbound just after 4 a.m. No other vehicles were involved. Earlier, dispatchers say a motorcyclist was injured in a crash along Interstate 70 eastbound just after midnight. The unidentified victim was flown by medical helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. There is no word on their condition.
April 8, 2026 4:51 am
State Police made hundreds of DUI Arrests over the Easter holiday weekend. Troopers responded to 532 vehicle crashes. Six of those crashes were deadly and 42 were caused by impaired driving. Two of the deadly crashes were DUI-related. 268 people were arrested for DUI this year. Injuries caused by crashes were down this year. Last year, 95 people were hurt during the Easter holiday. This year, 91 people were hurt. Troopers handed out thousands of citations including 3,230 for speeding, 335 for failing to wear a seat belt and 40 for not securing children in safety seats.
April 9, 2026 3:14 pm
Harrisburg, PA – The Shapiro Administration announced today that Pennsylvania is investing more than $10.2 million to purchase development rights for 2,645 acres on 31 farms in 20 counties, including Washington County, protecting them from future residential or commercial development and continuing the Administration’s support of one of Pennsylvania’s key industries. In February, Shapiro announced an investment of nearly $7.1 million to preserve 25 new farms and 1,905 acres. In 2025, Pennsylvania preserved 167 farms and 14,147 prime acres of farmland across the state, investing more than $50.1 million. These joint investments by state and local governments ensure that Pennsylvania farmers will have the prime-quality land they need to continue supporting families, communities, and jobs. Shapiro says this is possible through Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program, in which the state partners with local governments and nonprofits to purchase development rights to preserve farmland, ensuring a strong future for farming and food security. By selling development rights, farm owners ensure their farms remain in agricultural production and are never sold to developers. In Washington County, the total investment – $300,251; state – $199,284; county – $100,967 – will go to Brownsheepfarm, a 95-acre sheep and goat farm in South Franklin Township.
April 8, 2026 2:55 am
HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a pair of western Pennsylvania-based amusement companies pleaded guilty to felony corrupt organizations regarding the widespread distribution of hundreds of illegal video gaming devices. The companies — Buffalo Skills Games, Inc. and J.J. Amusement, Inc. — agreed to dissolution and the forfeiture of $5 million in assets, as part of the plea resolution. Investigators seized nearly 400 illegal gambling devices from more than 60 locations in several western Pennsylvania counties, including Washington County. ”This resolution secures a multi-million-dollar forfeiture for the Commonwealth, while assuring the companies will cease to exist,” Attorney General Sunday said. “I commend our partners at the Pennsylvania State Police for helping disband a large-scale operation that involved slot machines essentially dressed up as skill games.” The Pennsylvania State Police assisted the Office of Attorney General’s Gaming Enforcement and Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Sections in a series of 2024 seizures at bars, gas stations, and convenience stores in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Crawford, Indiana, Somerset, Venango, Erie, Washington, Armstrong, and Westmoreland counties.
