WJPA News

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) announced that 1,078 measles cases have been confirmed across 41 counties in Pennsylvania so far in 2026. Of the 74 cases added today, more than 40 represent individuals who were sick more than two weeks ago and are no longer contagious, but their cases were only recently reported and subsequently confirmed by DOH. Today’s update does not reflect a current surge in new infections.  The Department continues to lead Pennsylvania’s robust response to the ongoing measles outbreak and is making the most up-to-date information on cases, hospitalizations, and deaths available on our measles dashboard. While daily numbers fluctuate, tracking these trends provides Pennsylvanians and health care providers with visibility into community transmission across the Commonwealth and helps inform the Department’s ongoing response.

Two people were hurt in a crash in Washington County on Wednesday.  A Washington County 911 supervisor says first responders were sent to the 40 block of Primrose Road in Mount Pleasant Township around 3:30 p.m.  Two vehicles were reported to have crashed head-on, leaving one person trapped, the supervisor says.  Two people were taken to the hospital, including one by medical helicopter.

Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt is reminding eligible Pennsylvanians that the October 19th deadline to register to vote in the November  third midterm election is less than two weeks away.  “Registering to vote can be done online at vote.pa.gov, in person at your county elections office, or by paper application delivered to your county elections office,” Sec. Schmidt said. “It only takes a few minutes to ensure that you can make your voice heard in this election.”  Online voter registration applications can be submitted up to 11:59 pm October 19th. Mailed and in-person voter registration applications must be received at county elections offices by close of business October 19th.  Pennsylvanians are encouraged to use the Department’s online voter registration site, which is fast, secure, and convenient. Current registered voters can also use that site to update their name, address, or party affiliation.  In the November election, Pennsylvania voters will have the opportunity to cast a ballot for governor/lieutenant governor, their representative in Congress, even-numbered state Senate districts, and all state House districts. The Department’s candidate database lists candidates who are running for office.  (Photo:  AP)

PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll announced Tuesday that a second daily roundtrip Pennsylvanian train service will begin service on November 18th. This collaboration with Amtrak and Norfolk Southern means service on the 444-mile trip between Pittsburgh and New York via Harrisburg, Philadelphia and other stops will double. It’s all part of the Shapiro Administration’s and federal investment in rail expansion. Officials say the expansion of service will give more Pennsylvanians access to modern, safe and reliable passenger rail service. They say the service will also provide economic development, jobs and infrastructure investment to the Commonwealth.  According to officials, Pennsylvania has sixty-five operating railroads – the most of any state in the country – and ranks third in total track mileage with more than 5,500 miles. Riders of the Pennsylvanian can enjoy coach and business-class seating, onboard wi-fi, and café service featuring Pennsylvania-inspired menu items. Tickets for the second daily Pennsylvanian will be available this week on Amtrak’s website and mobile app.

(AP) – Tropical Storm Isaias has formed off eastern Mexico. Forecasters say it’s expected to strengthen into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season before hitting the U.S. Gulf Coast later in the week. The storm is on track to tie or break a 121-year-old record as the latest first Atlantic hurricane of the season. Isaias was centered Wednesday morning about 255 miles northwest of Progreso, Mexico. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said the storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. Forecasters predict the storm will become a hurricane on Thursday as it turns northward toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. Landfall is expected late Friday or early Saturday between the Mississippi coast and the Florida Panhandle.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The FBI says it thwarted an attack on the Mall of America by a teenager after agents supplied him with an assault rifle. Authorities announced Wednesday that the 18-year-old had been under investigation for nearly two years, trading messages with a confidential informant. A federal complaint says Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud was arrested Tuesday in a public park after he paid $600 to an undercover FBI employee posing as a member of ISIS for an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammunition. It accuses Mohamud of repeatedly telling the informant that he wanted to kill non-Muslims. It was not immediately known if he has a lawyer to speak for him.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Christa Pike is “angry and confused” after surviving an attempt to execute her in Tennessee. One of Pike’s attorneys, Randy Spivey, said Wednesday that she aware of what happened. Executioners tried twice to administer lethal doses of pentobarbital to Pike on Sept. 30. Witnesses were able to hear her breathing heavily before she was removed from the death chamber. On Wednesday, a judge said she would issue an order to the state to preserve anything that was in the execution chamber and all communication records. Pike was sentenced to death for the beating and stabbing death of Colleen Slemmer in 1995.  (Photo:  AP)

ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — Cornell University trustees have announced that former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates will review how the university handles sexual misconduct complaints. Tuesday’s announcement comes after days of outrage over allegations of a 2024 gang rape at a fraternity house. The review will cover how the university investigates reports of sexual assault and sexual harassment, how the disciplinary process works and more. Cornell officials have been heavily criticized for their response to a complaint from a woman who told campus police in 2024 that she had been sexually assaulted by multiple Chi Phi fraternity brothers. New York’s attorney general is conducting a criminal investigation, and the governor called for an independent review.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oscar winner Eva Marie Saint has died at the age of 102. Saint’s family announced that she died Tuesday at her home in Los Angeles. The pale, willowy blonde who won an Academy Award as supporting actress for her first movie, “On the Waterfront,” and appeared opposite Cary Grant, Bob Hope, Paul Newman, Gregory Peck, Warren Beatty and other stars of the 1950s and 1960s. Her credits included the Alfred Hitchcock thriller “North by Northwest,” but she was also known for the films she declined: “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit” with Gregory Peck, “Summer and Smoke” with Laurence Harvey and “The Rainmaker” with Burt Lancaster.  (Photo:  AP)