Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Local News

Missing Teens Located

WASHINGTON, Pa. — City of Washington Police say two missing teenage girls have been located.   Kimea Lowry,13, and Alia Matthews, 14 were reported missing Monday and had not been seen since Friday morning.  Police announced early Tuesday morning that Lowry had been found.   Matthews was located Monday evening in Canonsburg.  No other information was released.

 

Canonsburg Police Search For 2 Juvenile Suspects

CANONSBURG, Pa. — Canonsburg Police are asking for the public’s help to identify two suspects who threw items at moving vehicles on Sunday evening. It between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. as the suspects were driving through town. Investigators believe the individuals are likely juveniles who wore hoodies and covered their faces to hide their identities.  The department postd on Facebook that “We received multiple police reports of these two driving through town throwing items at moving cars that potentially could have caused a serious accident”. Chief Alexander Coghill told our news partners at WPXI that police believe the two teenage boys are between the ages of 14 and 16, so there’s a very strong possibility they don’t even have their driver’s licenses and are riding this type of e-bike illegally in more ways than one.  Coghill said the teens threw eggs, cans, iced tea containers, and more at passing cars. He said at least one of those cars reported damage.  Neighbors who live on several streets, including West College, North Jefferson, Arlington Drive, and East Pitt, reported seeing the pair.  “We know these same two individuals, at least by their clothing and the type of bike, are responsible for a lot of antagonizing,” Coghill said. “They’ve gone to different festivals, they’ve been on Interstate 79, they’ve been wreaking havoc throughout our area.”  Police are encouraging anyone with information to call the Canonsburg Police Department.

Peters Township Rejects Comprehensive Plan

In what may be considered a surprise action, Peters Township Council firmly defeated adoption of their comprehensive plan. Township officials and HRG Engineering, serving as consultants for the plan, spent nearly 18 months crafting the document that is meant to guide township officials on the development of Peters Township for the next 10 years. The vote was 5-2 to deny adoption. Council members Frank Arcuri and Robert Lewis voted for adoption. Council members John Binsse, Frank Kosir, Allison Shanafelt, Gary Stiegel and Jonathan Waldinger all voted against the plan. The main issue driving the defeat was how a parcel of land referred to as Venetia Hills could be developed. The plan identifies the property as a special land use area that council needs to study to accurately determine what should be built there. The land has several terrain issues. Currently, it is zoned mixed residential with a strip of it zoned small community commercial. Mixed residential allows for high density housing, something that community feedback about the comprehensive plan state that the community is vehemently against. Council Chairman Frank Kosir says that until the issue of high density housing is eliminated, he could not vote for the plan. Councilman Frank Arcuri says that he voted to adopt the plan so that council could take action to close that high density housing issue more rapidly. Township Manager Paul Lauer says that now they will meet with the consultants to make that alteration in the plan. The Planning Commission will need to hold a public hearing before adoption. Council will need 45 days to advertise the change before it could hold its public hearing before adoption. No final timetable is available for final adoption.

Measles Cases In Pennsylvania Continue To Rise

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) today announced that 903 measles cases have been confirmed across 39 counties in Pennsylvania so far in 2026.  While daily numbers fluctuate, tracking these trends provides Pennsylvanians and health care providers with visibility into community transmission across the Commonwealth and helps inform the Department’s ongoing response.  New Positive Cases (since September 25, 2026): 13/Total Counties: 39/Total Cumulative Cases: 903/Total Hospitalizations: 176/Total Confirmed Measles-Associated Deaths:  4/Measles cases among vaccinated individuals: 4 (less than 1% of cases)  Pennsylvanians can stay up to date on confirmed measles cases, hospitalizations, deaths, community transmission, and vaccination efforts on DOH’s dashboard: pa.gov/measles.

Small Drop In Local Gas Prices

Gas prices are three cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.700 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.  The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is stable this week at $4.47 per gallon. This is still the highest the national average has ever been for this time of year. Typically, the start of autumn brings lower gas prices, but lingering volatility in the Strait of Hormuz and the high cost of crude oil are driving up pump prices. This month is on track to set a new September record. So far, the average for this month is $4.30, higher than the previous September record of $3.83 set in 2023.  According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand increased last week from 8.79 million barrels per day to 8.84 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 207.7 million barrels to 206 million. Gasoline production decreased slightly from 9.64 million barrels to 9.59 million.

World News

Americans’ View Of The Economy Sinks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ confidence in the economy sank to the lowest level in more than a decade this month as prices remain elevated and wages stagnate amid the ongoing Iran war. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index tumbled 6.7 points to 81.9 in September, down from 88.6 in August. That’s the lowest reading in the board’s survey since April 2014 and below the lowest level reached during the pandemic. Respondents’ views of their present situation fell by 7.9 points to 109.3. Their short-term outlook also slid, falling 5.9 points to 63.6.

US Ban On $1 Billion Of Canadian Imports Now In Effect

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S.-Canada relations, already tense, are likely to deteriorate further after the United States went ahead early Tuesday with a decision to ban nearly $1 billion worth of Canadian imports, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles. The ban amounts to barely a ripple in $880 billion worth of a two-way annual trade between the two northern neighbors. But it marks another escalation in President Donald Trump’s second-term trade war with America’s longtime ally and trading partner.

Trump Disputes His Ambassador

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has disputed that he asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping if he wanted to buy weapons from the United States. That contradicts an account from the U.S. ambassador to China. Trump on Monday acted confused when a reporter asked him about Ambassador David Perdue’s remarks over the weekend. Trump suggested that his ambassador was confusing China with Taiwan but then said “maybe it’s a good idea” to make such an offer to China. The whiplash over the prospect of arms sales from the U.S. to its ascendant geopolitical rival underlines the Trump administration’s uncoordinated and contradictory approach to China.

GOP Doubts In Georgia & North Carolina Shifts Focus

ATLANTA (AP) — Republican hopes of winning Senate races in Georgia and North Carolina have been fading, and the GOP is increasingly focused on playing defense elsewhere with five weeks until the midterm elections. Republicans haven’t abandoned the Southern battlegrounds, which President Donald Trump carried narrowly in 2024, though they are shifting greater resources to states they see as more competitive. The party now is spending heavily to defend GOP-heavy Texas, and Trump is planning to campaign for the Republican incumbent in Ohio, both places the president won easily in 2024. The shift comes as Republicans are becoming more vocal in their public criticism that Trump has squandered an opportunity to more comfortably hold off Democrats this fall.

5 Men Arrested Near US Base Released On Bail

FAIRFORD, England (AP) — British police say that five men arrested under counterterrorism laws near a U.S.-run air base in England will be released on bail but are still under investigation. The head of U.K. Counter Terrorism Policing said Monday that the men face stringent conditions and “absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of inquiry.” Investigators haven’t concluded whether the incident was state-backed. They are investigating a possible link to Iran, Russia or non-state-backed militant groups. RAF Fairford is home to long-range U.S. bombers that have been used in the Iran conflict and has also been the focus of protests by anti-war campaigners.

Possible New Ransom Note In Guthrie Disappearance

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities are looking into the possibility of a new ransom note related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. The news Monday came nearly eight months after she went missing from her home outside Tucson. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Monday and the FBI Guthrie Task Force had been recently made aware of the possible ransom note as well as social media comments related to it. Investigators are working to determine its credibility. Officials did not immediately release details on how they found the note or what was in it. In July, authorities released two ransom notes after the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie went missing on Feb. 1.

Pope Leo Says AI Safety Concerns Not ‘Fake News’

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Leo XIV says concerns about artificial intelligence going rogue are not “fake news” and should be taken seriously. He is insisting that safety issues raised by AI experts should be discussed and acted on.Leo dedicated his first encyclical to AI and protecting humanity in its wake. He was asked during a press conference about what the United States and China especially should be doing to prevent AI from posing catastrophic risks to humanity. President Donald Trump has called concerns about AI going rogue a “hoax.” “This is a problem that I think we need to sit down and talk about,” Leo told reporters returning home from France. “We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen.”

Hurricane Polo Makes Landfall In Baja California, Mexico

PUERTO SAN CARLOS, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Polo has made landfall in Baja California, Mexico, with powerful winds and flash flooding. The Category 2 hurricane struck early Tuesday near Las Barrancas, bringing maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. The U.S. National Hurricane Center reports Polo is crossing the Gulf of California and could bring heavy rain to parts of the U.S. Southwest later this week. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Rachel is moving parallel to Mexico’s coast. The Pacific storm activity is above average this season, consistent with El Niño patterns. Hurricane Nolo, still a Category 3, is moving away from Hawaii, where it caused flooding over the weekend.