WJPA News

An Ohio man is in the Washington County Jail after police say he robbed an employee at the Rodeway Inn Motel in South Strabane Township at knifepoint.  According to reports, police were called to the motel along North Avenue Wednesday afternoon.   Police say 40 year old Daryle Forman Jr. went into the motel with the knife and demanded money from the employee while threatening to kill him and holding the knife to his throat.  Reports say a woman in the lobby called 911 and the man fled.  Police say Forman got into an SUV driven by 26 year old Denver Findley of Canonsburg.  The vehicle was spotted a short time later at Strabane Square and officers pursued the vehicle and stopped them along Berry Road.  Both men were arrested. Police say they found a knife, syringes and stamp bags in the vehicle.  Forman faces charges that include; felony attempted robbery and aggravated assault.  He was arraigned and is last reported in the Washington County Jail on $500,000 bond.  He is to face a preliminary hearing October 20.  Findley reportedly was also taken to jail on an earlier arrest warrant on drug charges filed by State Police.  He also faces additional charges of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Diana Irey-Vaughan, President and CEO of the City Mission is taking part in a 24 hour marathon program called “Conversations On A Bench”. The event was facilitated by Citygate network, a nationwide faith-based association of rescue missions and life-transformation ministries across North America.  She is sitting on a bench covered by a canopy and spoke with community leaders in business and medicine, elected officials, donors and volunteers. At 2:00 AM, Irey-Vaughan sat on the bench with the President and CEO of the Charlotte, North Carolina Rescue Mission. The aim of the event is to find methods to improve the lives of those in need. For 85 years the City Mission has been aiding individuals with needs. City Mission serves four homeless populations through its shelters for men, women, women with children, and veterans. (Photo; Jim Johtnston, Director of Development City Mission, Diana Irey-Vaughan, President and CEO City Mission)

PennDOT is reminding drivers to watch for deer this fall. As autumn settles in, deer become more active. Fall is the time of year when deer activity increases, particularly as breeding season approaches. The increased movement coincides with shorter days, meaning more drivers are traveling during the hours when deer are most active. Pennsylvania consistently ranks among the states with the highest number of crashes involving deer. According to PennDOT data, there were 6,310 deer-related crashes statewide in 2025, resulting in 90 serious injuries and 11 fatalities. “We can’t control when or where a deer will cross the road, but we can control how we drive,” said PennDOT Safety Press Officer Emily Stambaugh. “Slowing down, staying alert, and knowing what to do when you see a deer can play a big role in keeping you safe.”

A Maryland man reported missing after attending the Steelers-Browns game in Cleveland was found dead.  NBC affiliate WKYC reports  that the body of Phoenix Philips, 24, was pulled from the Cuyahoga River Tuesday afternoon.  Philips was reported missing to Cleveland police last Friday.  Police had previously called Philips’ disappearance “concerning,” WKYC reports. In a social media post, Cleveland Missing said Philips was in Cleveland for last Thursday’s game. WEWS spoke with Philips’ mother, Amanda Philips, who said he was a Steelers fan and father of a 2-year-old boy.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has publicized the arrest of a Nigerian man for indecent exposure, including a political attack that’s drawing complaints. The department’s press release alleges the man worked for a Democratic congressional candidate in Pennsylvania. The candidate, Janelle Stelson, denies he was a campaign employee. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint, calling the department’s attack a violation of the Hatch Act. The act prohibits government officials from using their positions to influence elections. Stelson’s campaign says they never heard of the man before his arrest. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to questions about the connection.

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Isaias is packing swift winds and expected to bring a storm surge with devastating floods to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Residents on Thursday boarded up windows and stacked sandbags, vehicles clogged a highway leading away from the coast and thousands of National Guard soldiers were deploying in anticipation of Isaias. The National Hurricane Center say the storm’s maximum sustained winds have increased to 105 mph. Isaias is expected to make landfall along the northern Gulf Coast late Friday. It is most likely to strike along the Alabama-Florida state line and bring life-threatening storm surge across Pensacola Bay.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the execution would be “public.” Hegseth, speaking to the conservative TV outlet Real America’s Voice News on Wednesday, said, “We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public.” Officials in the Pentagon clarified Thursday that the execution will be livestreamed and that more details would follow. The Army has said the execution of Hasan will take place at Fort Hood on Dec. 3. Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others in a shooting at the military base in 2009.

BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi aviation authorities say three Saudi citizens including a pilot were killed and several other people wounded in two attacks Thursday that were claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The attacks targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and a Saudia Airlines aircraft. It marked the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia since the kingdom and allied forces in Yemen launched a major offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis last weekend. The Houthis said they targeted the airport with a ballistic missile. The Saudi statements said activities at the airport in Riyadh have returned to normal, but some airlines have suspended flights there.

CORONADO, Calif. (AP) — The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has returned home to San Diego Bay after a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea supporting the Iran war. The carrier’s extended deployment drew the nation’s attention following reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products. The Navy initially downplayed any problems, and President Donald Trump commented that the Lincoln’s lengthy deployment was “not nearly long enough.” The carrier left San Diego in November, arrived in the Middle East in January to support Iran operations, and spent 265 days at sea, a record for uninterrupted time at sea.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lawyers for Christa Pike say the Tennessee woman has begun walking and eating again at a hospital, a week after surviving the state’s attempt to execute her with lethal drugs. The 50-year-old inmate survived two doses of pentobarbital on Sept. 30. She was convicted of the 1995 beating and stabbing death of a classmate. For the first few days after the failed execution, she was unconscious and on a ventilator at a hospital. Her lawyers said Thursday that she took some limited first steps at midweek and was being helped as she walked. They also said she was eating again and regaining some mobility in her arms.