WJPA News

Washington County Commissioners and the Redevelopment Authority of Washington County have been grappling with an appointment to the LSA Review Committee. The Tri-County Borough Association decided to change their elected representative in March. The person elected to take that place was deemed ineligible to serve because they did not live in Washington County. In what commissioners describe as a bureaucratic mix up, The Tri-County Borough Association held a second election in October, to appoint Jim Plugh as the Association’s representative. Prior to that election, county officials appointed Bill Nutt to the committee because he finished second in the initial election. The Association made their displeasure known at the commissioner’s agenda meeting that they want Plugh to represent their interests. In an effort to compromise, Commissioner Larry Maggi suggested that both Nutt and Plugh serve on the committee for one year. After legal research and discussions with the Redevelopment Authority, it was decided that both men will serve on the committee for one year only and then the committee will then revert back to its original 10 person committee format next year. That item was approved unanimously by commissioners at their voting meeting on Thursday.

It was an evening of pomp, circumstance and celebration that had Washington
Common Pleas Court Judge Brandon Neuman sworn in as a Superior Court Justice. After seven years in Washington County, Neuman will move on to the appellate court level. He will be listening to appeals from common pleas courts to make sure that individuals, as he says, receive justice. Neuman is the first justice elected to an appellate position from Washington County. Members of the Supreme Court, Commonwealth Court, local Common Pleas Courts and his new colleagues on the Superior Court listened as his former boss Robert Pierce, his colleague Judge Gary Gilman, his former colleague in the State House Ryan Bizzaro and close friend Attorney Joseph Messa congratulated him and recalled their associations with him. All of them spoke of his qualities of patience, preparedness and compassion. Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd administered the oath of office as Neuman’s four children held the bible while his wife Carrie looked on and robed Judge Neuman. In his remarks, Neuman said that in the opening paragraph of the Preamble to the Constitution, justice is the first quality mentioned. He said he hopes to continue to bring justice to the residents of Pennsylvania.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will run for a second term in the pivotal battleground state after a first term that put him on the Democratic Party’s radar as a potential presidential contender in 2028. Shapiro will formally announced his reelection bid Thursday at events in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Shapiro hasn’t disclosed any future plans and insists he’s focused on Pennsylvania issues. But his reelection effort will be watched as another test of whether he’s White House material. Shapiro has enjoyed robust public approval ratings and carries a reputation as a disciplined messenger and powerhouse fundraiser. For 2026, Pennsylvania’s Republican Party endorsed Stacy Garrity, the twice-elected state treasurer, to challenge Shapiro.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show – the country’s largest indoor agricultural exposition under one roof – kicks off this Saturday, Jan. 10th, in Harrisburg.  This year’s theme is “Growing a Nation,” a nod to the Commonwealth’s role – and Pennsylvania agriculture’s role – in building our country as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America this year. To highlight that celebration, America250PA will have its interactive mobile unit on-site at the center of the Giant Expo Hall. Be sure to check it out!  The 2026 Farm Show also features fan-favorites like the 1,000-pound butter sculpture, delicious Farm Show Food Court, thousands of competitive agricultural events, homegrown celebrity cooking demonstrations at the PA Preferred® Culinary Connection, and more than 1 million square feet of hands-on agriculture education opportunities and chances to engage with the people who are growing Pennsylvania and our nation through agriculture.  Admission to the show is free, but parking is $15 per vehicle. Shuttle service is provided.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed legislation that extends expired health care subsidies for those who get coverage through the Affordable Care Act. It’s a remarkable rebuke of House Speaker Mike Johnson, who tried to stop it. But renegade Republican lawmakers joined with Democrats on a so-called “discharge petition” to force action. The health care tax breaks have lowered health insurance costs for roughly 22 million people, but expired last month. The Congressional Budget Office said the proposed three-year extension would increase the nation’s deficit by about $80.6 billion over the decade, and increase the number of people with health insurance by millions. Members of the Senate are working on an alternative bill.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minneapolis is on edge following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer taking part in the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown. The governor called for people to remain calm and the city’s school district canceled all classes and activities as a safety precaution Thursday and Friday. State and local officials have demanded ICE leave the state after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good was shot in the head. But Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they are not going anywhere. Federal officials called the killing Wednesday an act of self-defense. But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey dismissed that characterization as “garbage.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The woman shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis was a U.S. citizen and mother of a 6-year-old. In social media accounts, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good described herself as a poet, writer, wife and mom. Trump administration officials painted Macklin Good as a domestic terrorist who had attempted to ram federal agents with her car. Her mother told a Minnesota newspaper that her daughter was not involved in protests against the administration’s immigration crackdown. She said her daughter was compassionate and took care of others all her life.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Police say a shooting outside a church building in Salt Lake City has killed two people and injured six others. The shooting took place Wednesday in the parking lot of a house of worship for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church. Dozens of people were attending a funeral inside at the time. All the victims were adults. Salt Lake City police do not believe the shooting was targeting a religion. They also say they think it was not random. Authorities say no suspect is in custody. About 100 law enforcement vehicles were at the scene in the aftermath, and helicopters flew overhead.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has advanced a resolution that would limit President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela. The vote Thursday was a disapproval of Trump’s expanding ambitions in the Western Hemisphere. Trump says the five Republicans who voted in favor of the resolution “should never be elected to office again.” The 52-47 vote to advance the war powers resolution ensures a vote next week on final passage. The measure has virtually no chance of becoming law because Trump would have to sign it if it were to pass the Republican-controlled House. Trump says the Senate vote impedes his authority as commander in chief under the Constitution.

State lawmakers and governors will have decisions to make in 2026 about the budgets for their biggest social safety net programs. It comes in response to the tax cut and policy law that President Donald Trump signed last year. The measure imposes new work requirements for some people with Medicaid health coverage. It also raises the states’ share of costs for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries. Many states could also decide whether to fall in line with tax cuts, including eliminating income taxes on tips and overtime.