WJPA News

Flooding is the topic of conversation these days, after multiple residents and businesses in the Washington County area were flooded – again – after heavy rains over the past few weeks continued to flood the same areas.  A meeting was held today with Republican State Senator Camera Bartolotta and Washington Mayor JoJo Burgess, along with an engineer and other local leaders, to address those concerns.  All who attended say they want to find solutions to the issues and are working toward taking action sooner, rather than later.  Bart0lotta says many times, their plans must be dictated by studies, then reviewed and then, hopefully, approved.  She says this could take a long time and they are trying to make small improvements now, that don’t require state approval, to help alleviate some of the issues now.

South Strabane Township Supervisors were not surprised by the standing room only crowd or the subject that was on their minds. For two hours supervisors fielded questions about past plans for flooding and heard heart wrenching stories from flood victims. One resident spoke of how flood waters came up to her chest in the basement of her home. Another resident told of 5 floods in three years and how that is causing his mother-in-law to move out of their house because her living quarters are constantly being flooded. He said his children are now afraid any time rain falls. State Senator Camera Bartolotta worked diligently to contact the Secretary of Transportation and the Director of the DEP to come up with solutions to more quickly address the needs of South Strabane Township residents. She is also lobbying colleagues in Harrisburg and the Army Corps. of Engineers to develop a plan to address flooding issues along Chartiers Creek and Catfish Creek. Supervisor Jeff Bull said that in older areas of the township, state and federal regulations regulating storm water did not exist when those developments were built. That has a great effect on current flooding. Supervisors agreed to begin looking into solutions for those issues and to keep working on making sure that future developments have all of the adequate storm water management in place before accepting developments as complete.

After being canceled last week due to muddy field conditions, Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour stop in the Pittsburgh area will not be rescheduled.  “After exploring every possible option to bring Farm Tour back, we’re saddened to share that due to Luke Bryan’s schedule, the Pennsylvania and Michigan shows will unfortunately not be able to be rescheduled,” 1846 Farms posted on its Facebook page Wednesday.1846 Farms in Westmoreland County was where Bryan’s show was scheduled to take place on Thursday last week.  Over the weekend, Bryan’s Farm Tour stop in Allegan, Mich., was also called off because of field conditions.  According to the farm, refunds will be issued, and it says ticket holders should monitor the email associated with their ticket purchase, as well as Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour webpage.

The Mariana Outdoorsmen Association (a non-profit) has initiated a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and PennDOT, in an effort to protect and preserve recreational opportunities in the state.   The suit alleges that PennDOT’S roadway stabilization project along the streambank of Ten Mile Creek was ill-conceived and unpermitted.  The suit claims their actions resulted in a significant redirection of streamflow and decimation of the streambank, resulting in a portion of the water that supported recreational activities being useable.

PennDOT has announced upcoming traffic pattern changes and single-lane restrictions on Interstate 70 between Exit 43 (Route 201 Fayette City) and Exit 46 (Route 51/I-70 Interchange), in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County.  Monday, September 28th – there will be single-lane restrictions in both directions of I-70 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and then Monday, September 28th through Friday, October 2nd, there will be  single-lane restrictions in both directions of I-70 from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and finally, Monday, September 28th through mid-December, drivers will encounter a lane shift in both directions of I-70 at the start and end of the project limits.  The current lane shift near Crawford Lane Bridge will be eliminated.  During this time, crews will remove existing permanent median barriers, place subbase and temporary asphalt and implement a traffic pattern shift.

A 20-year-old Washington County woman and her mother are warning others after they say scammers posing as Steelers personnel gained her trust and stole $2,000.   Meredith Bongiorni is a big Steelers fan and has a nonverbal learning disability.  Her mother Penny Bongiorni says she began exchanging messages on TikTok and believed she was communicating with her favorite player Eli Heidenreich.   At one point, Meredith was instructed to email another person who claimed to be Steelers General Manager Omar Khan.  She was told she could receive an all-access pass and sent the scammers $2,000.  The family says Meredith worked hard for the money and is still processing the betrayal.  State Police are now investigating.

An attorney for former NFL star wide receiver Antonio Brown says he plans to accept a plea deal on an attempted murder charge in Miami that avoids prison. Brown is scheduled to appear in court next Wednesday to make the deal final. He could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the current attempted murder charge. Brown is accused of grabbing a handgun from a security staffer after a celebrity boxing match in Miami in May 2025 and firing two shots at a man he had gotten into a fistfight with earlier, according to an arrest warrant. Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu told investigators that one of the bullets grazed his neck.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge weighing President Donald Trump’s ban of three news outlets from White House grounds expressed some skepticism Wednesday in response to the government’s defense of the move. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly didn’t rule from the bench after hearing arguments in the extraordinary showdown. But the judge questioned whether the administration met its legal responsibilities and provided the news outlets with adequate due process before banning them Friday. Trump has assailed what he calls “fake news” and has said negative coverage is dangerous for the country. The news outlets called the ban a “blatant violation” of the First Amendment. Kelly says he will rule on the case as soon as possible.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Washington, where he was met with a rare planeside greeting from President Donald Trump, who was there to welcome his counterpart on the tarmac instead of waiting for him to drive up to the White House. Trump’s decision to greet Xi’s Wednesday arrival at Joint Base Andrews just outside Washington, rather than receiving him at the executive residence, shows how far the U.S. president is going to honor China’s leader as he makes his first state visit to the U.S. Capitol in more than a decade.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Iran’s president said Wednesday that his people have been ‘victims of terrorism’ by the United States. He delivered a rare wartime speech at U.N. General Assembly a day after President Donald Trump said he could “annihilate” the Islamic republic. President Masoud Pezeshkian held up photos of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the more than 150 school children killed on the first days of the war. He said that Iran’s people “have only defended themselves.” Iran’s president delivers wartime address at UN: We have been ‘victims of terrorism’

Washington (AP) — Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Greg Casar are introducing legislation that would ban artificial superintelligence, pause development of advanced AI systems and create a new Department of Artificial Intelligence. The proposal comes as prominent AI executives and researchers increasingly warn about potentially catastrophic risks from rapidly advancing systems. Congress has struggled to agree on AI safeguards as President Donald Trump has pushed back on new regulations and emphasized maintaining an advantage over China. Sanders argues the potential dangers demand immediate action and international cooperation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are growing increasingly grim about their chances in November, with aligned groups pumping money into reliably red states and candidates scrambling to distance themselves from unpopular White House policies. From Texas to Ohio and Alaska to Iowa, campaigns are grappling with a fed-up electorate that is sour on the president and angry over soaring fuel prices driven by an unpopular war. While the party is flush with unprecedented cash that could move the needle in some races, overall the mood is glum heading into the election’s final stretch as campaigns try to counter palpable Democratic enthusiasm to maintain their narrow lead in the House and Senate this November.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Southwestern Mexico is bracing for heavy rain and mudslides after Polo became a major hurricane in the Pacific. Forecasters also warned Wednesday that another system heading toward Hawaii could cause catastrophic flooding later in the week. Hurricane Polo is expected to skirt Mexico’s Guerrero state, submerging coastal areas with up to 6 inches of rain through Thursday. Guerrero has been repeatedly pummeled by hurricanes in recent years. Tropical Storm Nolo was expected to approach the Big Island as early as Friday. Nolo is projected to drop up to 20 inches of rain, raising the possibility of flooding and mudslides.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee judge has granted Dolly Parton’s estate a temporary restraining order against the late singer’s nephew Bryan Seaver and his private security company. She’s Alive, the entity founded to manage Parton’s estate, had filed the complaint against Seaver and Squadron Augmented Protection Services. The estate accused Seaver of threatening to commit violence and destroy his aunt’s legacy and business empire in court filings. As part of the order, Seaver and SAPS must refrain from talking with or being within 1,000 feet of She’s Alive employees, attorneys and business partners. The order is also meant to keep him from interfering with its business relationships. Seaver and SAPS representatives did not respond to an email Wednesday seeking comment.