WJPA News

North Strabane Township residents will need to wait a little bit longer for a hearing on a proposed data center ordinance. Supervisors voted to cancel a public hearing scheduled for November 24. Township Manager Patrick Karnash said details in the new ordinance were not complete and that the Planning Commission would need time to review the ordinance before it could be presented to the public. Karnash said that the ordinance is near completion. He anticipates that the public hearing will be scheduled in the first quarter of 2027. In other township business, supervisors approved a measure to use general fund budget monies to make emergency repairs along Blue Jay Drive, Dicio Street and Meadowlands Boulevard. Those repairs are for sink holes created from extensive rainfall last summer.

The South Strabane Township Board of Supervisors meeting scheduled for Tuesday night was cancelled earlier in the day. According to the township’s website, there would not be enough supervisors present to legally vote on agenda items. Some of those agenda items included an ordinance regarding the use of fossil fuels for power generation and grant application submissions for the Storm Sewer Improvements Project. The meeting has not yet been rescheduled.

ARC Human Services reached out to the disability community and the aging population by sponsoring an Assistive Technology Fair. The event was designed to alert citizens about the array of services available and the specialized mechanical and electronic devices that can be used to make a person’s life easier. Michael Brownlee is the Director of Communications and Development for ARC Human Services. He wants to remind people that they are available not just for people diagnosed with disabilities, but for all people. He says they are able to help senior citizens that wish to age in place in their homes. They offer simple device solutions  that can help with opening cans, turning on lights and magnifiers. They also have electronic solutions like medication dispensers, speech to text programs and programs for wearable devices that monitor health vital signs and geofence a property that can protect it from damage if a door is left unlocked and you leave the area.  Organizations such as TRIPL provided information on their access to mechanical and electronic technology. Empowerment programs led by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs, Pennsylvania Training and Assistance Network and Duquesne University’s Institute for Disability Empowerment and Advocacy were there to help the developmentally disabled. For information on these and other programs available go to archumanservices.org.

The Main Street Farmers Market in downtown Washington is giving the community one more chance to shop before the end of the season. The president, Tracee Malik, explains that shopping at the market is a great way to support local farmers. Despite some bad weather, Malik says it was still a very successful season. The market’s last day is Thursday, October 29 and there will be trick-or-treat for children. The market will be open from 3:00-6:00 PM and parking is free.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The cost of the Iran war to American taxpayers has grown to an estimated $47.1 billion. The Pentagon has provided the figure to Congress, showing a $3.5 billion bump over six weeks. The growing cost of the unpopular 8-month-old war and its economic ripple effects could hurt Republicans in next week’s midterm elections. Voters are deciding which political party will control Congress during President Donald Trump’s last two years in office. The Republican president has said new strikes on Iran are an option after the midterms and is sending more military resources to the Middle East. The war’s cost and military spending in general are already a contentious issue on Capitol Hill.

URDA, Spain (AP) — A high-speed train has collided with another train in Spain, killing at least 68 people and injuring dozens. The crash happened Wednesday in the central province of Toledo. The regional government confirmed the death toll and said 58 people are receiving medical treatment. Rescue workers continue searching the wreckage for survivors and bodies. This is the second deadly rail collision this year involving the same companies. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced three days of national mourning. He called for increased safety measures to restore confidence in the rail system. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has decried a “corruption crisis” he says is plaguing the U.S. political system. Talarico on Tuesday was competing for the spotlight with President Donald Trump in deeply conservative West Texas. Trump was in Texas for the third time in a month in a last-minute push to back Republican Ken Paxton and block Democrats from notching their first statewide election victory in more than three decades. Talarico took the stage in Lubbock an hour after Trump wrapped up his own speech across town. He cast himself as an underdog against powerful forces including Trump and Elon Musk, who is bankrolling attack ads against Talarico on Paxton’s behalf. Trump leaned into cultural issues to portray Talarico as too liberal for Texas.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israelis are closely awaiting final election results after their voting delivered a rebuke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government. Exit polls suggest no clear winner, leading to potential weeks of negotiations. Netanyahu’s opponents appear to have a majority but may struggle to form a coalition. Netanyahu remains defiant, dismissing partnerships with Arab parties. His main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, is open to such alliances. Still, the polls indicate Netanyahu’s Likud party has lost seats but remains the largest. Arab-led parties could play a crucial role in coalition-building. Final results were expected sometime on Wednesday, with potential for another election if no government is formed.

MIAMI (AP) — Defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and his family have landed in Miami after fleeing Brazil. Bolsonaro fled after he refused to concede the election to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro’s father Jair Bolsonaro also fled to Florida after losing the 2022 presidential election to Lula. The United States has granted visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his family and U.S. President Donald Trump has questioned Brazil’s election result. Bolsonaro is under investigation by Brazil’s Supreme Court, accused of corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. He has denied those allegations. The Trump ally visited the White House in May.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its key rate unchanged Wednesday at about 3.9% despite stubbornly high inflation, while providing little hint about the central bank’s next moves. The Fed’s latest policy meeting concludes less than a week before the midterm elections, which have focused heavily on concerns about the cost of living and affordability. Consumers have generally soured on an economy weighed down by more expensive gas, groceries, and clothing, among other items. The Fed wants to return inflation to the Fed’s 2% target, which it typically does by raising its short-term interest rate.