July 21, 2026 6:32 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. war against Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far. Hegseth is facing questions and protests at a Senate hearing Tuesday over the U.S. war against Iran. Hegseth and other officials are appearing as Republicans push a $95 billion budget package to fund the military, along with aid to farmers and voting law changes that are top White House priorities. Their appearance comes after it was announced that three more American service members have died in the conflict, bringing the death toll to 17. The Pentagon also disclosed that more than 100 have been injured.
July 21, 2026 6:30 pm
Severe storms moved through the Washington County area Tuesday afternoon. The storms, for the most part, did not cause a lot of damage, but there were reports of some flooded roadways. Emergency responders though, did have a busy late afternoon, responding to accident calls. In South Strabane township, multiple fire departments and the Washington County Department of Public Safety were called out after a tractor-trailer crash in the southbound lanes near the Racetrack Road exit. Authorities say the truck went over a hillside and two of tires traveled into the northbound lanes. Both lanes were shutdown for a short time. There was no word on whether anyone was hurt. Crews were also called out for reports of an an accident on Murtland Avenue near Budd Baer. No details were available on that crash. As for power outages, West Penn reported just a few, mostly in Amwell Township and service was expected to be back on before the end of the day. Things are getting better though. The remainder of the week promises to be sunny and pleasant with highs in the mid to upper 70’s. (Photo courtesy of South Strabane)
July 21, 2026 5:27 pm
Charleroi, PA – GA Group Real Estate (“GA Group”) announced on Tuesday that the former Corelle Glass facility in Charleroi is now for sale. The waterfront property once served as an economic engine of Charleroi for over 130 years. Following its closure in 2025, several efforts were made by borough officials to work with the owners to keep it open or sell the property, but the plant closed, putting hundreds of people out of work. The Corelle Brand is known globally for making Pyrex and the parent company of Anchor Hocking, a previous competitor, acquired the Charleroi plant. and then announced plans to move all glassmaking operations from Charleroi to its plant in Lancaster, Ohio. Chris Draper, Senior Vice President at GA Group, says the offering represents a formal call for offers on a premier heavy industrial riverfront property which features extensive glassmaking infrastructure, including glass melting furnaces, and a substantial 110,000 sq. ft. warehouse equipped with cold-storage capabilities and 25-foot clear heights. Draper highlighted the facilities location, approximately thirty miles south of Pittsburgh with direct access to I-70, as an ideal logistics link to major eastern U.S. markets. Draper says the deadline for all formal purchase offers is August 13th, 2026. Charleroi Borough Manager Joe Manning says the borough is thrilled with the news that the plant is now for sale. He say it could offer a new beginning for Charleroi with the addition of new jobs.
July 21, 2026 6:17 pm
The former director of the Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League is due to be sentenced in October in Washington County Court after pleading guilty to charges related to the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars from the organization over the past few years. Fifty-seven-year-old William Spencer of Canton Township was charged with embezzling nearly a quarter-of-a-million dollars in league assets to personal accounts. spencer was director of the Washington/Greene Youth Football League — now known as the Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League (WPYFL) — from 2013 until he resigned in March 2025. During that time, Spencer diverted league funds to his accounts to fund credit cards, bolster a retirement account, and make various purchases at Amazon, restaurants, and other retailers. The Office of Attorney General’s Financial Crimes Section charged Spencer with felony and misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, and two misdemeanor counts of misapplication of entrusted property. In total, Spencer is accused of fraudulently writing 187 checks payable to himself from WPYFL’s accounts, totaling about $230,000, from January 4, 2020, through February 18, 2025. Additionally, Spencer made direct payments totaling over $3,000 from WPYFL’s accounts to accounts in his and/or his wife’s name, without the knowledge or consent of WPYFL.
July 21, 2026 3:30 pm
PennDOT has announced a scheduled closure of Brush Run Road (PA-331) between Oak Ridge Road (Rt. 4061) and PA-231 in Hopewell Township, Washington County beginning Monday, July 27 at 7 am. A posted detour will be in place until late October utilizing Oak Ridge Road, Buffalo Creek Road and PA-231. PennDOT Force Crews will perform slide repair work, dependent on weather and operational conditions.
July 21, 2026 4:52 am
After deciding to move forward with a plan to upgrade their football stadium in June, the Washington School Board heard a presentation from HHSDR Architects & Engineers Monday night. Representatives discussed where the new field house would be located, additional parking, and security lighting for the area. Board members looked at blueprints for the field house and made a decision on the design they prefer. Director Rhonda Barnes says that it is still early in the process, so they do not know exactly what the building will look like. President Amy Roberts explains that the board will receive estimates on that design, and they will ensure that it fits into their nearly $10-million budget for the project. Barnes says that there is definitely a need for the new field house, but the board will be mindful of taxpayer money.
July 20, 2026 2:13 am
Washington Mayor JoJo Burgess announced that city officials are searching for individuals attempting to write on the exterior walls of the office of State Representative Guy Reschenthaler Saturday during the John Lewis Good Trouble Rally in front of the Washington County Courthouse. Burgess said he immediately advised them that this type of behavior was unacceptable and did not reflect the message or purpose of the rally organized by the Washington-Greene Central Labor Council and the Washington Democratic Party. “After returning to the area later, I discovered that these same individuals had come back after the rally had dispersed and had written on the walls of Reschenthaler’s office” Burgess said. The mayor emphasized that this type of vandalism is unacceptable and does not represent the values or intentions of those who organized the event. He said the city will review surveillance footage from the area to identify those responsible, and the matter will be referred to the appropriate law enforcement authorities for investigation and prosecution, and stated that those responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.. Burgess also encouraged everyone who participates in demonstrations, rallies, or public events in the city to respect both public and private property.
July 20, 2026 2:08 am
Uniontown, PA – PennDOT has announced that nightly ramp closures on Interstate 79 at Exit 14 (Masontown/Waynesburg) in Franklin Township, Greene County will begin now and all ramp closures will occur nightly from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. and continue through Thursday, July 23rd. Detours will be in place. The ramp closures will allow crews to perform concrete patching and overlay entrance and exit ramps with asphalt. The work is part of the I-79 Waynesburg to Marianna Project, which will make improvements to approximately eleven miles of I-79, extending through Franklin and Washington townships in Greene County and Amwell Township in Washington County a $45.9 million infrastructure investment. The ramp closures will be coordinated so detour routes do not conflict with one another. All work is weather-dependent.
July 20, 2026 2:43 am
Gas prices are 25 cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.260 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has gone up 13 cents over the past week and is now at $4.00 per gallon. Instability along the Strait of Hormuz is contributing to the increase at the pump and pushing crude oil prices over $80 per barrel. Earlier this year, the national average remained in the $4 range all of April and May and most of June. Last time the national average was $4 or above was on June 17 when it was $4.02. Today’s national average is five cents more than a month ago but 86 cents more than a year ago. According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand remained flat last week at 8.84 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 212.1 million barrels to 210.5 million. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.6 million barrels per day.
July 21, 2026 5:00 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing its crew to abandon the ship. That came early Tuesday even as the United States conducted yet-another round of airstrikes targeting the Islamic Republic over control of the key waterway. The 10 nights of U.S. airstrikes haven’t compelled Tehran to ease its grip on the strait. A fifth of all crude oil and natural gas traded once passed through the strait in peacetime. Iran’s interior minister traveled to Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict, for talks. However, it remains unclear just what new deal could be reached to end the fighting.
