WJPA News

PITTSBURGH — Heat and humidity will continue to push the heat index near 100 degrees again on Wednesday. An Extreme Heat Warning continues for Washington, Allegheny, Butler, Beaver, and portions of Westmoreland and Fayette counties through Wednesday evening as heat indices up to 105 are possible in these locations. A few isolated showers or storms may develop later in the day on Wednesday. Be aware of potential heavy downpours and the threat for damaging winds with any storm that develops.

Washington County 911 tells WJPA News that firefighters were called out just before four-thirty on Tuesday afternoon for reports of a residential structure fire at 284 North Franklin Township in Washington.  Dispatchers say emergency crews saw heavy smoke showing from the second floor when they arrived.  There were no injuries and no word on the cause of the blaze.

Washington and Greene Counties will be the beneficiaries of impact fee disbursements from Marcellus Shale gas well drilling. Washington County will receive $5 million. Washington County municipalities will be eligible for $8.6 million. Greene County will receive $3.4 million and Greene County municipalities will be eligible for $6.1 million. The disbursements are made through Act 13 of 2012. to ensure that communities affected by drilling recieve their fair share of funding for projects such as road and bridge repair, housing and other infrastructure needs.

UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene are welcoming a new Vice-President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer. Jeff Alvarez, MSN, RN has been appointed to those positions. He transitioned from UPMC East and UPMC McKeesport where he held the same two positions. According to a news release from the hospital, Alvarez has goals of strengthening the entire patient and team experience by enhancing care delivery, access and operational excellence. Alvarez is a Donora native and lives in Monongahela. He earned his bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Pittsburgh and his master’s degree in nursing from Carlow University. Alvarez has been with UPMC in various nursing leadership positions over the last 20 years.

(WPXI) People are telling the Federal Trade Commission that scammers are pretending to be the DMV or another government agency. The FTC said this is how the scam works: You will get an unexpected text or email from someone who says they’re from the DMV or the Department of Homeland Security. They say you can skip the line and expedite your application for a REAL ID by clicking a link to share your information and paying them. According to the FTC, this is a phishing scam to steal your money and personal information. The only way to get a REAL ID is by visiting your state DMV in person. You can’t submit an application online or in the mail. And nobody can expedite the process for you. If you spot a scam, you can report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

(WPXI) PITTSBURGH — The Children’s Institute, the Squirrel Hill-based nonprofit that serves thousands of families and children in the region with behavioral health, family support services, outpatient therapy and more, is teeing up a new project. On Monday, the organization announced that it is planning what it described as a “multimillion-dollar transformation” of its outdoor playground facility. The Children’s Institute said that with the upgrades, children and families beyond those enrolled in its Day School program will be able to use the outdoor space, and that it will be fully accessible and provide “therapeutic sensory and physical experiences” for individuals between the ages of 2 and 21. Community partners and other organizations will also be able to utilize the space.

MENALLEN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – A man has died from injuries he sustained when an air compressor exploded in a detached garage in Fayette County. The fire broke out around 9 p.m. Sunday in the 400 block of Pleasant View Road in Menallen Township. A Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson tells Channel 11 that troopers found a man, identified as William Jesko, 69, severely injured from an air compressor exploding. He was taken to an area hospital, where he died of his injuries. The spokesperson says the investigation suggests that Jesko was working near the air compressor when it ruptured for unknown reasons. The explosion blew out the back of the garage.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump says a ceasefire between Iran and Israel is in effect after the deal initially faltered and the American leader expressed deep frustration with both sides. Israel had earlier accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace after the truce was supposed to take effect and the Israeli finance minister vowed “Tehran will tremble.” State media reported that Iran’s military denied firing on Israel. But explosions boomed and sirens sounded across northern Israel midmorning, and an Israeli military official said two Iranian missiles were intercepted.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Officials say Russian drones and missiles have killed at least 14 civilians in Ukraine, with nine deaths reported in the capital, Kyiv. Ukraine’s air force said Monday that Russia fired 352 drones and decoys overnight, as well as 11 ballistic missiles and five cruise missiles. Officials said a Russian ballistic missile strike also destroyed a high school later in the day in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, killing two staff. No children were at the school due to the summer vacation. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was on a visit to the U.K. in search of further military support for the fight against Russia’s invasion.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge says a deportation fight originally bound for South Sudan won’t be completing the trip right away even after a divided Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to start swiftly deporting immigrants to countries they aren’t from. Judge Brian Murphy found Monday that an order remains in force for those immigrants because the Supreme Court only halted his previous, broader order. The Department of Homeland Security, though, suggested other deportations to third countries could begin again soon. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority halted a decision from Murphy that requires immigrants get a chance to challenge any deportations to third countries where they might be in serious danger.

(AP) – A new report finds that the number of abortions in the U.S. grew in 2024 as more women obtained pills through telehealth. The latest WeCount project for the Society of Family Planning finds that 1 in 4 abortions uses medications prescribed by a provider who does not see the patient in person. That is up from 1 in 20 in the months before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. The number may explain why another recent study found that fewer women crossed state lines for abortion in 2024 than the year before.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve governor Michelle Bowman on Monday said the central bank should consider cutting its key interest rate as soon as its next meeting in July, underscoring deep divisions among Fed officials as they endure sharp criticism from the White House. Bowman, who was appointed to the Fed’s board of governors by Donald Trump in 2018, is the second high-profile official to express support for a potential July cut in as many days. On Friday, Christopher Waller, also a Trump appointee to the Fed’s board, said in a television interview that the Fed should consider cutting borrowing costs next month.

(AP) – Former teen idol Bobby Sherman has died at 81. His winsome smile and fashionable shaggy mop top helped make him into a star in the 1960s and ’70s with bubblegum pop like “Little Woman” and “Julie, Do Ya Love Me.” His wife, Brigitte Poublon, announced the death Tuesday and family friend John Stamos posted her message on Instagram. Sherman revealed he had Stage 4 cancer earlier this year. After the limelight moved on, Sherman became a certified medical emergency technician and instructor for the Los Angeles Police Department, teaching police recruits first aid and CPR. He donated his salary.  (Photo:  AP)