WJPA News

The State Police Fire Marshal has ruled that an overheated electrical cord  on a space heater in the basement caused the fire that destroyed a home in Chartiers Township Saturday morning.  The blaze broke out around 10:30 a.m. along Arden Road.  Firefighters say they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the home when they arrived.  According to reports, Jim Southern shared the home with his daughter and her three children.  He was injured and transported to Pittsburgh’s West Penn Hospital for treatment for burns and smoke inhalation. The community is now rallying around to help the Loar family after they lost all of their belongings in the fire.

Emergency crews are on the scene of a crash involving a box truck and two cars.  Washington County 9-1-1 dispatchers say it happened just before 5 a.m in the 400-block of Brownlee Road.  We are told that crews were evaluating several people at the scene.  There are traffic restrictions in the area.  Tune to WJPA 95.3FM/1450AM for the very latest.

A 7-year-old boy died after he was struck by a vehicle in Greene County over the weekend. State Police say the crash occurred around 4:30 p.m. Saturday on South Eighty Eight Road in Monongahela Township. According to Police, the boy was walking westbound across the road when he was hit by a Honda HRV driven by a 92-year-old man. The boy later died of his injuries. The coroner identified him as Wilson Churilla, of Greensboro. The investigation into the crash continues.

A rollover crash Sunday On I-79 northbound snarled traffic for hours. The Crafton Volunteer Fire Department said the truck rolled over in the “s” bends between exit 63 and 64 just before 7 a.m. First responders determined the driver was partially pinned under the cab. Emergency crews were able to remove him from the cab and get him into the care of medics. There is no word on his identity or condition. A lane restriction was in place until 3:30 p.m., after the truck was turned upright and towed away.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro may be the nation’s most prominent Jewish politician as antisemitism surges across America. But he insists on living his faith “out loud.” The 52-year-old Democrat is attempting to straddle an almost impossible chasm as both a Jewish progressive and a Zionist as he marches toward a dominant reelection this fall. Already, Shapiro may be one of his party’s leading 2028 presidential prospects. He’s also among the Democratic Party’s most vilified from within, almost entirely because of his faith and staunch support for Israel. Perhaps more than any other issue, Shapiro’s ability to navigate glaring personal and political risks related to his faith will ultimately determine how far he can rise in an evolving Democratic Party.

The Washington County Humane Society is investigating after two dogs were found tied to the front door of their building in Eighty Four.  In a social media post Saturday morning, the shelter said the dogs were left there early that morning in 30-degree temperatures and chewed loose from their leash and were last said to be running at large. The shelter had asked anyone in and around the Eighty Four area to be on the lookout for the animals. In an unconfirmed update – it was reported that the animals had been found.  The shelter shared photos of the dogs, the remnants of their leash and screenshots from surveillance video showing people with the dogs in the shelter parking lot.  Anyone with information about the situation is urged to call the shelter at 724-222-PETS.  (Photo:  WAHS Facebook Page)

NEW YORK (AP) — Millions of residents in parts of the northeastern U.S. are stuck at home under road travel bans and blizzard warnings as a fierce winter storm threatens the densely populated region overnight. The National Weather Service says snow of up to 2 feet is possible in many areas into Monday, along with heavy winds and sharply reduced visibility. New York City and Rhode Island have banned nonessential road travel into Monday, with New Jersey implementing similar restrictions. Schools are set to be closed Monday in cities including New York and Boston. Emergency declarations have been issued in several states and cities.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Secret Service says an armed man was shot and killed after entering the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Although Trump often spends weekends at his resort, he was at the White House when the breach occurred early Sunday morning. Authorities say the man had a gas can and a shotgun. The FBI says investigators have identified him as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina. Investigators have not identified a motive. However, Trump has faced threats to his life before, including two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — School was canceled in several Mexican states and local and foreign governments alike warned their citizens to stay inside following the army’s killing of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” and the violence it spurred. President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm and authorities announced late Sunday they had cleared most of the more than 250 cartel roadblocks across 20 states. The White House, which confirmed U.S. intelligence support in the operation to capture Oseguera Cervantes, applauded Mexico’s army for taking down one the most wanted criminals in both countries. The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to El Mencho’s arrest.

BANGKOK (AP) — China has urged the United States to stop imposing one-sided tariffs. South Korea’s trade minister says the Supreme Court’s ruling against President Donald Trump’s tariffs has increased uncertainty for businesses. Financial markets took the news in stride, though, as most Asian share benchmarks advanced. While the court’s decision may lower tariffs on some countries’ exports to the U.S., it has raised questions about Trump’s future moves, potentially disrupting arrangements worked out in trade negotiations since he announced sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries in April 2025. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says the U.S. will stand by its trade deals and expects its partners to do the same.