WJPA News

A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 10 a.m. New Year’s Day for Washington County and surrounding areas in Western Pennsylvania, according to the National Weather Service. Additional snowfall of 1-3 inches is expected Thursday for total snowfall accumulations of 3-5 inches. A snow squall was expected to track through the region this morning, the Weather Service said, which warned that bridges and overpasses would become slick and hazardous. The speed limit has been reduced from 55 mph to 45 on interstates 79 and 70 in Washington, Greene and Westmoreland counties, according to PennDOT. Crews are treating roads with salt, but motorists are urged to avoid unnecessary travel and use caution.

About two dozen accidents were reported between 7 p.m. New Year’s Eve and 3 a.m. this morning as Washington County ran in the New Year with additional snowfall. A Washington County 911 supervisor said no serious injuries were reported, but that the challenging conditions wreaked havoc on motorists. There were reports of overturned cars, he added.

Firefighters from multiple departments spent several hours battling a blaze that engulfed a trailer home Thursday night in Canton Township, Washington County 911 reported. No one was home when the fire started, and no injuries were reported. Firefighters responded from Canton Township, Chartiers Township and the City of Washington at 7:49 p.m. Thursday, according to a 911 supervisor. The homeowner arrived at the scene shortly thereafter.

NEW YORK (AP) — From Sydney to Paris to New York City, crowds have rung in the new year with exuberant celebrations filled with thunderous fireworks, while others have taken a more subdued approach. A countdown to midnight was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and Russians celebrated in snowy Moscow. A light show with somersaulting jet skis twinkled in Dubai and in Japan, temple bells rang. Events were more subdued in Hong Kong, Australia and Indonesia after recent mass shootings or disasters. Palestinians wished for an end to war. There was disaster in the Swiss resort town of Crans-Montana, where a fire at a bar in the early hours of the new year killed multiple people.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers that the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol “does not happen” without President Donald Trump. That’s according to a transcript released Wednesday of Smith’s closed-door interview with the House Judiciary Committee. Smith also described the Republican president as the “most culpable and most responsible person” in the criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The Dec. 17 deposition was held privately despite Smith’s request to testify publicly. The release of the transcript and video of the interview adds to the public understanding of the decision-making behind two of the most consequential Justice Department investigations in recent history.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts says that the Constitution remains a sturdy pillar for the country, a message that comes after a tumultuous year in the nation’s judicial system with pivotal Supreme Court decisions on the horizon. Roberts released his annual letter to the judiciary on Wednesday and said the nation’s founding documents remain firm and unshaken, a reference to a century-old quote from President Calvin Coolidge. It comes after a year in which some raised fears of a possible constitutional crisis amid legal pushback to President Donald Trump’s agenda. The Republican administration has scored wins at the Supreme Court, though major rulings on birthright citizenship and tariffs are yet to come.

The Trump administration has frozen child care funds to all states after allegations of fraud at Minnesota day care centers run by Somali residents. A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said states will have to provide more verification for the child care centers that receive funds from the Child Care and Development Fund. In addition, Minnesota will have to provide additional verification on top of the new requirements for centers that are suspected of fraud. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has accused President Donald Trump of weaponizing the allegations for political gains. Trump has targeted the Somali diaspora in the state.