WJPA News

The education period for Paul Miller’s Law, which bans hand-held cell phone use while driving, is coming to an end this week. State police are warning motorists to prepare for enforcement of the handsfree law. Trooper Rocco Gagliardi explains that this includes checking your phone when stopped at a red light or stuck in traffic. Motorists can expect a $50 fine for the citation as well as court costs and fees. Jim Garrity, the Director of Public & Legislative Affairs for AAA East Central recommends that drivers investigate functions that will cut back on distracted driving, including a phone’s “Do Not Disturb” feature. While there are mixed opinions about this law, it is important for drivers to educate themselves and do their part to make driving safer. The law goes into effect on Friday, June 5th.

NORTH STRABANE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A person was injured after a vehicle rolled off I-79 and onto Route 519 in North Strabane Monday night. Washington County 911 dispatchers say it happened on I-79 northbound just before 8 p.m.  Dispatchers confirmed the vehicle rolled off of the interstate and ended up on Route 519.  It’s unclear exactly what happened. A person had to be removed from the vehicle by first responders and was flown to an area hospital.  No other details are currently available. State Police are leading the investigation.

A Houston man died Monday afternoon after a tree fell on him at a home in Canton Township. The Washington County Coroners Office has identified the man as 42 year old Ryan Jenny.  According to the Coroner, Jenny was a contractor hired to cut down a tree at a home in the 1000-block of Lynn Portal Road.  The tree fell in an unintended direction and onto the man.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.  The Coroners office and Greene-Washington Regional Police continue to investigate.

Garbage collection, or the lack thereof,  in the City of Washington has been an ongoing issue for residents for over a year now. Bigs Sanitation is in a multi year contract with the city till 2028 and people are not happy to be paying close to 300 dollars a year for the service. Mayor JoJo Burgess called for a meeting
for residents to voice their complaints and ask questions about the issue. This is the second meeting where not a lot of residents showed up regarding this topic. Hundreds of people have been reporting that their trash has not been picked up in over three weeks and with the warmer weather now means wildlife will be attracted to the trash. At the meeting, it was addressed that the 6th and 7th wards are having the most difficulty with getting trash picked up, but did not elaborate as to why there is a challenge with collecting the trash. Bigs Sanitation said that they added an extra helper for the Monday pick up and stated that the company is committed to keeping the same schedule as the previous haulers. The
meeting concluded with Bigs looking into possibly adjusting its contract with the city
to change the schedule to help fix the trash issue.

The newly formed Opioid Settlement Review Committee for Washington County concluded its first meeting on Monday morning. Chairman of the committee Dr. John Tamiggi was pleased with how the meeting went and credited the group members for working together to do what is best for the community. During Monday’s meeting, eight submissions were reviewed. Of these eight submissions, two of them were tabled. These included programs affiliated with UPMC Washington’s Opioid Use Support & Mitigation program and Serenity Farms Inc. and Scaffold Builders Coaching & Consulting Accountability Recovery and Workforce Pathway project. Tamiggi explained that these submissions required further review, and they will be the first projects to be considered for funding next year. Only five members voted on the submissions. Dan Buzzard, the court administrator for the Washington County courts, and Joe Glover, the police chief of Peters Township, did not participate. After the meeting was adjourned, Tamiggi explained the absence of the two committee members. Although they originally agreed to serve on the committee, their governing offices would not allow their participation. According to Tamiggi, these positions should be filled later in the summer. A special meeting will be held this Thursday where the Board of Commissioners will review, and potentially approve, the applications.

Gas prices are retreating in Western Pennsylvania. According to AAA, prices fell 10 cents this week. The average price per gallon is $4.59 per gallon. Nationally, the average price for regular gas is down 18 cents at $4.32. Today’s national average is $1.18 more than a year ago. Prices in Washington County are a little higher, they come in at $4.68 per gallon. The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at public EV charging stations remained level at 41 cents.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says the Trump administration is scrapping plans to create a $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate allies of the Republican president after widespread political backlash and setbacks in the courts. “We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” Blanche said. Blanche’s comments during a House committee hearing came in response to mounting pressure from Republicans for reassurances that the Justice Department’s plans were off the table before they would move forward with legislation funding President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has tapped federal housing finance Director Bill Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence to replace Tulsi Gabbard. Trump made the surprise announcement Tuesday on Truth Social regarding Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chair of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Trump says Pulte “has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets, and over 10 Trillion Dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, a substantial increase from where it was just 12 months ago.” Trump says Pulte will keep his other positions even as he fills in for Gabbard, who resigned last month after revealing her husband’s cancer diagnosis.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States says it has bombed radar and drone sites in Iran after Tehran shot down an American drone over the weekend. Iran then said it targeted American soldiers in Kuwait with missiles, which the U.S. says it shot down on Monday. The nominal ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. has been repeatedly tested with such back-and-forth attacks, even as officials from both countries try to negotiate an end to the war. It’s not clear how close they are to a deal. There is always the risk that an attack could derail those talks. Meantime, Iran has maintained its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global energy supplies. Fighting has also escalated between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to face a litany of questions about the Trump administration’s fragile and stalling diplomatic efforts around the world when he appears for back-to-back hearings on Capitol Hill for the first time since the Iran war began. The former Republican senator will sit before House and Senate committees on Tuesday to make the State Department’s annual budget request. But the focus is likely to shift quickly to the already unsteady ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, which has been further tested in recent days by back-and-forth attacks.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Defense Department has declared its press office a classified space, barring journalists from entry. It was yet another move restricting journalists’ access to Pentagon officials. Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez confirmed the move on X, stating it was due to speechwriters handling classified material in the space. Valdez emphasized there was “nothing controversial” about the decision. This change comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. media and the second Trump administration. Last October, many reporters turned in access badges over new restrictions. The New York Times has sued the Defense Department twice, arguing these restrictions violate the First Amendment.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces have launched a massive aerial attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, killing at least 14 civilians and wounding over 100. The assault, which began at night and continued into the day, involved hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles. Authorities report that some people were trapped under rubble, including a 3-year-old child killed in Dnipro. Kyiv residents had been on edge after Russia warned of the attack. President Putin has intensified Moscow’s aerial campaign, exploiting Ukraine’s shortage of air defense missiles. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is urging more support from the U.S. and Europe.

WASHINGTON (AP) — California’s governor race is lacking star power this year. Big names like Kamala Harris and Alex Padilla have opted out, leaving a crowded field of about 60 candidates. Democrats are looking to Iowa for one of their best chances to pick up a governor’s seat in a state that has repeatedly disappointed them. Republicans, meanwhile, are grappling with a congressman whose unexplained absence could put their already slim majority at risk. And Los Angeles is deciding who will lead the nation’s second-largest city as it prepares to host the Olympics. Here’s what to know as voters cast ballots on Tuesday.