WJPA News

The America 250 PA “kick-off” event at the Washington County Courthouse planned for this afternoon has been cancelled due to the weather. County officials announced Friday afternoon that the event would not take place due to the frigid temperatures. It is not known if the event will be rescheduled. Fayette and Greene Counties were also scheduled to host similar events on Saturday. WJPA News has not learned if those activities are still going off as scheduled.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that all driver license and photo centers, including its full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed Monday, January 26, 2026, through Tuesday, January 27, 2026, due to the predicted snow event this weekend. Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; REAL ID pre-verification; and driver exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services.

Governor Josh Shapiro signed a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency to make resources available to prepare for and support response efforts for the upcoming winter storm which will impact Pennsylvania this weekend.  “Our teams at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) have been working to prepare to support Pennsylvanians as this winter storm impacts our Commonwealth,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Today, I signed a disaster declaration for the entire Commonwealth to ensure our agencies have all necessary resources ready to go. Stay off the roads if you can, be safe, and follow instructions from PEMA and your local authorities.” The Governor’s disaster declaration will allow the Commonwealth to quickly draw down funding and provide state agencies with the resources needed to assist counties and municipalities with winter storm response efforts. The 2025-26 budget, signed into law by Governor Shapiro, doubled the amount of state funding available from $20 million to $40 million to enable state agencies to respond to disasters in the Commonwealth to keep visitors and residents safe.

Washington County Emergency Management officials say they are prepared for a massive winter storm that is expected to bring at least eight to twelve inches of snow to the area.  A Winter Storm Warning is in effect through Monday afternoon at one, with the most snow expected on Sunday.  Director Gerry Coleman says they are bringing in extra bodies to staff the 911 Center through the storm and are monitoring the situation very closely.  Local governments are also taking measures to ensure residents are safe and roads get cleared.  Washington Mayor JoJo Burgess says crews are ready to hit the roads as soon as it begins to snow and will work as needed to keep them clear.  He says they have a plan to attack the snowfall, starting with the well-traveled roads and working their way down to side streets and alleyways.  Burgess is asking residents who lived on “tight” streets or alleys where parking is allowed on both sides of the road, to please park off the street or on one side so plows and trucks can get through and clear the roadways.

In Canonsburg, Mayor David Rhome says they are also fully prepared and ready to hit the streets as the snow falls.  In addition, Rhome is also asking residents to park off the streets entirely, if possible.  Rhome is also warning that authorities will be monitoring the shoveling of snow.  He says people tend to shovel their driveways and sidewalks and throw the snow onto the road.

Charleroi Borough Manager Joe Manning released their safety plans as well.  He says Public Works personnel will be on mandatory overtime until the worst of the event is over; the fire department will be manned around the clock for the same time period;  three private contractors are being contacted to supplement the Public Works Department if need be; crews will close and barricade both 10^th and 11^th Streets for the duration of the event and until such time as those streets can be made safely passable and the borough will inform the public through the  Savvy Citizen app, social media and legacy media.

Once the storm has moved through, a stretch of bitter cold weather lies ahead, and warming shelters will be open and available to those who may need them.  For a complete listing, Click Here.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s governor says federal officers have shot another person in Minneapolis amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said in a social media post that he had been in contact with the White House after the shooting. He called on the President Donald Trump to end the crackdown in his state. The details surrounding the shooting weren’t immediately clear. Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told The Associated Press in a text messages that person had a firearm with two magazines. The shooting came amid widespread daily protests in the Twin Cities since the Jan. 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good.

DALLAS (AP) — Almost 10,000 flights have been canceled for the weekend across the U.S. as a monsterstorm expected to wreak havoc across much of the country bears down. The storm threatens to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways. Roughly 140 million people were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast warns of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina. The edge of the storm was sending freezing rain and sleet into parts of Texas on Friday night into Saturday, while snow and sleet were falling in Oklahoma.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has warned that his forces are “more ready than ever” as U.S. warships move toward the Middle East. Tensions between Iran and the U.S. remain high following a crackdown on protests that began in December. Activists report over 40,000 arrests and a rising death toll. President Donald Trump has warned Iran against executing protesters and has moved warships “just in case.” The situation has led some European airlines to suspend flights to the region. The U.N. has expressed concern over potential executions of detained protesters.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The scale of nationwide protests in Iran and the bloody crackdown that has followed is slowly coming into focus, even though authorities have cut off the country from the internet. Activists warn it shows Iran is engaging in the same tactics it has used for decades, just at an unprecedented scale. That includes firing down from rooftops on demonstrators, shooting birdshot into crowds and sending motorcycle-riding volunteer members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in to beat and detain those who can’t escape. Meanwhile, a crackdown targeting protesters continues, with state media reporting dozens to hundreds of people detained daily.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian attacks on Ukraine have killed one person and wounded 23 overnight, as negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States were set to met in Abu Dhabi for a second day of talks aimed at ending Moscow’s nearly four-year invasion. Officials said one person died and four were wounded in Kyiv, while 19 were wounded in Kharkiv on Saturday. The talks, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, mark the first known instance of Trump administration officials meeting with both countries. The White House called the first day productive. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a peace deal was “nearly ready,” though territorial disputes remain unresolved.

NEW YORK (AP) — Officials say firefighters are battling a blaze on the top two floors of a high-rise apartment in New York City. The New York City Fire Department said the 4-alarm fire in the Bronx started shortly after midnight on Saturday and spread to multiple apartments in the 17-story building. There was no immediate word on what caused the fire. Fire officials said more than 200 fire and emergency crew were working at the scene. It was not immediately clear if anyone had been injured.