WJPA News

East Washington saw extensive police action Friday afternoon. According to 9-1-1 Supervisors, Pennsylvania State Police called City of Washington and Washington County Sheriffs to assist in the apprehension of a person that has outstanding arrest warrants in Ohio. License plate readers located the woman, and she was pulled over at the intersection of North Avenue and Central Avenue in East Washington. No details on the identity of the woman or the what is contained in the outstanding warrants are available.

A man was transported to a local hospital after an incident Thursday night in North Franklin Township.  Washington County 911 says two men were apparently moving a metal ladder when it came into contact with an overhead power line.   It happened around 9 p.m. in the 13-hundred block of Gabby Avenue.  There is no word on the identity or condition of the man injured.

August is around the corner and that means the Printscape PONY League World Series is about to begin. According to Abe Key, President and CEO of PONY Baseball and Softball, the PONY League organization is celebrating its 75th anniversary, from its humble beginnings of 6 teams in 1951, to now more than 30,000 teams in 50 countries with 500,000 players participating from ages 3 through 21. The World Series will have up to 18 games between the 10 teams before a champion is crowned on the final day of the tournament. Teams from Paderborn, Germany; Guaynabo, Puerto Rico; Navojoa, Mexico and Taichung, Chinese Taipei hold the four international slots. Bay County, Michigan will represent the US North Zone. The South Zone, East Zone and West Zone representatives will be decided over the next two weekends along with the Host Area champion coming out of that qualifying tournament this weekend. Finally, the host Washington County team hails from the Founders League, comprised of players from nearly every PONY program in Washington County. Activities begin August 1 with the Observer-Reporter Summer Concert Series presented by CNX at the downtown Washington community pavillion. The Washington County team and PONY Princess contestants will be on hand. August 6 will be the Fan Fest at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Washington. Baseball action gets underway Friday, August 7 with a skills competition at 11 am, and the first game is set for 4:30 pm that afternoon. The championship game is scheduled for Wednesday, August 12 at 7 pm between the two division winners. Tickets may be purchased at the door or online here.

Washington City Police have announced that W. Beau Street between Main Street and Franklin Street has officially reopened to traffic.  It had been closed for nearly three months to allow for demolition work on the old Courthouse Square building.  Police say they “appreciate the patience and cooperation of our residents, businesses and visitors throughout the duration of this project. We know the closure created challenges and we thank everyone for their understanding”.  As traffic returns, Police are asking motorists to use caution, watch for pedestrians and be mindful of any remaining work crews or equipment that may still be present.

Pennsylvania lawmakers have changed the rules for reporting lead in school drinking water. Schools are not required to test for lead as long as the topic is discussed at a public meeting. Previously, any lead detection had to be reported, but now only levels above five parts per billion need to be reported. This change came after school associations argued the previous requirements were unrealistic. Environmental groups criticize the move, saying it keeps parents uninformed about potential lead exposure. Critics also highlight flaws in the original law, such as the lack of mandatory testing and accountability for reporting elevated lead levels.

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — At least seven explosions were heard near a military base hosting U.S. forces in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil. The city is in the country’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region. The explosions began at around 9:30 a.m. local time on Friday, according to an Associated Press journalist in the area who heard the blasts. The journalist observed at least four plumes of black smoke rising into the sky from areas near or inside the base at the city’s airport. There was no immediate information on casualties or the cause of the explosions, and Iraqi and U.S. officials did not immediately comment.

BANGKOK (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest set of tariff hikes has provoked heated objections from America’s trading partners. The administration late Thursday announced extra tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on 60 countries. Trump says they failed to adequately enforce a ban on goods made with forced labor. Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell has slammed them as unjustified. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the U.S. has not given meaningful evidence to support the allegations against dozens of countries accounting for 99% of products imported into the U.S. Japan’s chief government spokesperson says the move was regrettable. The new tariffs took effect just as Trump’s temporary 10% worldwide tariffs expired at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

NEW YORK (AP) — The government has withdrawn subpoenas that would have compelled three New York Times reporters to testify about their sources for articles about President Donald Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet. The withdrawals in U.S. District Court followed a remarkable back and forth between a visibly irritated Judge Arun Subramanian and government attorneys. They come at a time when the Trump administration is vigorously going after news organizations whose reporting and coverage it doesn’t like — and also trying to crack down on leaks inside the government.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are expected to recommend the states that will hold the first presidential nominating contests in 2028, likely cementing a calendar that moves away from Iowa and New Hampshire in favor of more racially diverse states. The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee is weighing competing bids led by South Carolina and Nevada for the first spot, with one Midwest and Northeast state also expected to make the early window. The decision, expected Friday, comes ahead of what is expected to be a wide-open Democratic presidential primary and could shape where candidates campaign first and build momentum in the race for the White House.

As officials review widely circulated bystander videos of the fatal police shooting of a homeless man in Madison, Wisconsin, one key perspective won’t be emerging: footage from the officers’ body-worn cameras. That is because unlike nearly every other similarly sized city, Madison doesn’t require police to wear them. The absence of that footage has left residents in the dark about key moments leading up to the shooting, when police say Corey Ruiz pulled a knife during a struggle with four officers, injuring one of them. That officer then fired the shots, according to police. All four officers have been placed on administrative leave pending a state investigation.