WJPA News

Three people charged in connection with the murder of an 18-year-old girl in South Franklin Township are heading to jail. Annalaya Wilkerson’s mom says her daughter thought she was going to a party the night she was murdered. Monday, 3 of the 4 charged in the 18-year-old’s death took a plea deal, but Annalaya’s mother Billie Jo Dawson says she still doesn’t know why it happened “It’s not enough time, I feel like they should’ve got a lot more time; life. I mean, they took her life, it’s not fair”. State Police say Wilkerson and a 17-year-old girl were shot along Jolly School Road back in April of 2024. Police say the girls were both shot when they got out of the car. The 17-year-old was shot in the chest and survived. Wilkerson was found dead in the middle of the road. Windale “Winnie” Barfield Junior will serve 22-44 years and his brother Anthony Barfield will serve 15-30 years in a state prison as part of the plea deal. Jeheili Cochran, who is a relative of the Barfield’s also took a plea deal for tampering with evidence after reportedly getting rid of the murder weapon. “They’re still not taking accountability. I still don’t know why. I still don’t know what really happened. I’ll never know because they got to take a plea deal,” Dawson said. Another man, Karon Whitlock, was also charged, but the DA says his case will be dealt with separately because he’s been cooperating.

Officials with Washington and Jefferson College sent out a “Welcome Back to Campus” email on Monday. The email contained an update on measures the school has taken with the Washington Police Department and the mayor’s office to ensure they are all working together to maximize safety on and around campus, in the wake of three incidents involving firearms on North Main Street over the past several months. As a result, the group has worked together to create a new system for the city to notify campus and public safety of any incidents and their proximity to campus in a more timely manner. The city has also committed to informing the school when arrests are made. The city is also working with business owners in that area to improve security and safety. The school, though, is still encouraging students and other to be cautious about being on or near North Main Street after dark, until a final arrest is made.

In an uncommon move, Canonsburg Borough approved modifications to their contract with their Borough Manager Angela Senay. During the voting meeting, council met in executive session to make changes, none of them financially based. Council President Eric Chandler said that the modifications were minor and affected scheduling, allowing Senay the opportunity to do some work remotely. Senay took over the position in September after previous manager Billie Bilko died in July. In other city business, council is moving on with their plans to broadcast council meetings live. Former councilman John Severine is looking to broadcast the meetings on Facebook and YouTube. He says that he hopes that residents will be able to see the meetings and get rid of the idea that borough business is all done behind closed doors. Borough Manager Angela Senay says that broadcasting the meetings will be a great way for residents that cannot come to the meetings to keep up to date on borough affairs. Council also approved a measure removing Dogwood Alley as a road that has prohibited parking at all times.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are refusing to testify to Congress about Jeffrey Epstein. The Clintons in a letter Tuesday said they will not comply with a House subpoena to testify. The Democrats slam a Republican-controlled committee’s efforts as “legally invalid.” Republican lawmakers in response say they will launch contempt of Congress proceedings against the Clintons next week. In a letter released on social media, the Clintons denounce the contempt push as being “literally designed to result in” their imprisonment. The Republican push to hold the Clintons in contempt could result in prosecution from the Justice Department.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Days of demonstrations against immigration agents and a new lawsuit have left Minnesota tense. Federal authorities used tear gas on Monday to break up crowds of whistle-blowing activists. The state, joined by Minneapolis and St. Paul, sued the Trump administration Monday to try to halt or limit the enforcement surge that led to the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman. The Department of Homeland Security has pledged to send more than 2,000 immigration officers into Minnesota in what Immigration and Customs Enforcement has called its largest enforcement operation ever. Homeland Security says it has made more than 2,000 arrests in the state since December.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield turned himself in Tuesday to authorities in New Mexico to face child sex abuse charges. This comes after Albuquerque police issued an arrest warrant on counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and child abuse. The acts allegedly occurred on the set of “The Cleaning Lady,” a TV series Busfield directed and acted in. Busfield denied the allegations when interviewed by authorities during the investigation. He suggested the boy’s mother was seeking revenge for her children being replaced on the series. He is known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething,” the latter of which won him an Emmy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation likely remained elevated last month as the cost of electricity, groceries, and clothing may have jumped and continued to pressure consumers’ wallets. The Labor Department is expected to report that consumer prices rose 2.6% in December compared with a year earlier, according to economists’ estimates compiled by data provider FactSet. The figures are harder to predict this month, however, because the six-week government shutdown last fall suspended the collection of price data used to compile the inflation rate. Some economists expect the December figures will show a bigger jump in inflation as the data collection process gets back to normal.