WJPA News

During the agenda meeting for Washington County Commissioners, County Solicitor Gary Sweat alerted officials of closer monitoring of county data information. Sweat stated that pension office staff were able to access pension information from another county. Immediately, the organization responsible for county pension information, Pension Technology Group was notified. They are currently monitoring and working on the internal issue. In a second instance, the county C-Track system was compromised. The C-Track system monitors all of the information regarding the court system, not only in Washington County but throughout the Commonwealth. Thompson-Reuters is the organization that performs that service and they alerted the county to a data breach within their system. According to Sweat, both companies have been notified to keep the county informed of any changes in status. He says that he has been assured by both companies that no sensitive information for employees or citizens has been accessed. Sweat credits the county information technology staff for their efforts in these instances. Sweat says IT security has been significantly improved since a 2024 data breach to the county that held them hostage for several weeks.

North Strabane Township Supervisors will be finalizing a project that will hopefully keep car speeds down on two area roads and increase public safety. The DeMar Avenue and McDowell Lane Safety Device project will be voted on next week. The project is a traffic calming effort using flashing speed signs and pavement rumble strips to alert drivers that are travelling too fast on the roads. Supervisors are also developing a data center ordinance. Supervisors will look to alert the public on its availability to be reviewed and a public hearing will be scheduled. Supervisors will vote on the issues on September 22 at 7:00 pm in the municipal building.

Buffalo Township Supervisors are embarking on a project that has not been addressed in over 50 years. Supervisors are updating their Comprehensive Plan. The purpose of the plan is to guide township leaders in what the residents feel are priorities for the township over the next 10-20 years. Residents were mailed a survey with questions about the township’s future development. The survey is also available on line at the township’s website. Township Supervisor Randall Mounts says that feedback from the community will help them keep what residents want and make the improvements that they want. It will be a tool to guide governmental decisions and a demonstration to Pennsylvania officials to generate grant funding for possible infrastructure improvements. Terri Carroll is an engineer with Harshman, CE Group. They are assisting with developing the plan. She says that community input is vital to the process in proving to Pennsylvania officials that a project is a community priority, not a pet project for an individual. The township held a public meeting. Residents were asked for their input in several interactive displays. One asked if there were particular problems with a location and they were asked to mark the location with an adhesive dot. The most intriguing display was the Buffalo Bucks display. Residents were given $100,000 in Buffalo Bucks and were asked to divide the money among three priority projects from a list of 12 by inserting their “Bucks” into slots for projects such as roads, water and sewage, parks and recreation, business development and others. For those wishing to take the survey, the opportunity is still there. The plan will be developed and hopefully be ready for adoption in about 12 months.

NEW YORK (AP) — Pennsylvania officials are reporting a fourth measles-associated death. An 18-year-old from Mifflin County died from a severe neurological complication of the virus. None of the four who died were vaccinated. The U.S. is experiencing its worst measles year since 1991, with seven deaths in two years. Pennsylvania’s outbreak includes nearly 700 illnesses across 38 counties. These are the first measles-associated deaths in the state in 35 years. Health officials emphasize the importance of the MMR vaccine to prevent outbreaks. International health officials will meet in November to assess the U.S. and Mexico’s measles-free status.

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Western Pennsylvania man accused of buying a gun and ammunition with intent to commit terrorism was arrested outside of a local hotel over the weekend.  Federal agents arrested Jonathan Kramer, 21, of Valencia, Butler County, on Saturday in Cranberry Township. After Kramer was released from a juvenile detention facility in March of this year, someone submitted an anonymous online tip to the FBI, saying Kramer was ordering “mysterious” packages and “talking to his friends from before” his juvenile adjudication. Authorities said they confirmed he had been using an online persona who claimed affiliation with ISIS. He allegedly offered to share explosive manuals with others and expressed his intent to prepare for his “mission” and that he was just missing a “weapon.”   The FBI executed search warrants on Kramer’s person, his hotel room and his home.  According to court documents, agents seized a semiautomatic rifle, five rifle magazines (two loaded and the other three each offering a 30-round capacity), a rifle bipod and scope, a total of 190 rounds of rifle ammunition, an entrenchment tool, a prayer rug, pepper spray, and approximately 30 knives, along with a handwritten note stating “DoNt look For me[.] IDK what I did buT I cant live In constant Fear[.]”

The Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Local Share Account (LSA) Program has awarded nearly eight-million-dollars in state grants to communities across the 46th Senatorial District.  The funding will support 26 projects across Beaver, Greene and Washington counties, including improvements to public safety, infrastructure, recreation, municipal services, stormwater management, transportation, broadband access and community facilities.  The LSA Program uses gaming revenue to support projects that advance community improvement, public interest, and economic development.  In Washington County, many communities will receive financial assistance:

• Canonsburg Borough:  $104,025 to install three ADA-compliant concrete restroom facilities at Canonsburg Town Park, replacing temporary portable restrooms.
• Carroll Township:  $140,735 to stabilize the slope along Columbia Road following significant landslide damage and restore the affected roadway.
• East Finley Township:  $270,872 to purchase a new mower for maintaining rural road shoulders, drainage ditches and steep embankments.
• Fallowfield Township:  $122,000 to expand and improve its Veterans and Fire Fighters Honor Roll, including new memorials, walkways, lighting, landscaping, benches and flagpoles.
• Greene County Industrial Developments, Inc.:  $90,993 for the Blueprints Foster Transportation Initiative to purchase two vehicles providing reliable transportation for children and youth in foster care and independent living programs.
• Houston Borough:  $983,665 to construct a new municipal building, replacing its flood-prone facility and allowing borough operations to continue during future flooding.
• Houston Borough:  $120,691 to replace an aging work truck used for borough maintenance and public services.
• Independence Township:  $147,000 to replace the failing #408 Bridge with a permanent prefabricated aluminum box culvert, improving safety and access for vehicular traffic.
• Morris Township:  $116,450 to construct a new sports court with pickleball and basketball amenities, expanding recreational opportunities for residents of all ages.
• Mount Pleasant Township, on behalf of the Northern Washington County Regional Police Department:  $399,569 to purchase and equip six new police vehicles to support 24/7 regional patrol services.
• North Franklin Township:  $200,000 for stormwater improvements along Hazelwood Drive, including a detention pond to help address recurring flooding.
• North Franklin Township:  $38,000 to purchase a utility vehicle for its 90-acre Waterside Park, assisting with trail maintenance, debris removal and snow and ice clearing.
• North Strabane Township:  $300,000 for the first phase of Alexander Park improvements, including ADA-accessible parking and walking surfaces, a renovated basketball court, three pickleball courts, new fencing and updated playground equipment.
• Peters Creek Sanitary Authority:   $450,000 to extend public sewer service to 43 properties along Church Hill Road and eliminate the Old Trail Lift Station.
• Peters Township:  $1 million to replace the existing soccer field at Peterswood Park with a high-performance turf system supporting soccer, football and lacrosse.
• Redevelopment Authority of the County of Fayette, on behalf of Food Helpers:  $92,000 to pave the receiving area and parking lot at the Greater Washington County Food Bank in Centerville Borough, improving access for food deliveries.
• Smith Township:  $200,000 for Phase I of a new community park, including parking, a pavilion, recreational amenities, utilities and landscaping.
• Somerset Township:  $600,000 to extend public water service along Hixon Road and surrounding roads, providing reliable water to residents, agricultural operations and a business currently relying on wells, cisterns and hauled water.
• Union Township:  $200,000 to purchase equipment for its Public Works Department, improving efficiency and reducing the need to rent equipment for township projects.
• Washington City:   $254,875 for the Tyler Avenue Drainage Project, including new stormwater infrastructure to address recurring flooding and erosion affecting residential properties.
• Washington County Redevelopment Authority:  $37,100 to reseal the Century Plaza parking lot and replace deteriorated sidewalks, improving safety and accessibility for its residents age 62 and older.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Officials say a news helicopter for NBC and Telemundo 52 crashed in Los Angeles and killed at least three people. NBC4 Los Angeles anchor Colleen Williams confirmed during live broadcasts Tuesday that the station’s chopper went down just before 7 p.m. She identified two people on the helicopter who were killed as reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. An official says one person outside in a parking lot was killed. The helicopter was covering a fatal bus accident. Officials say two people were killed and six others were injured after an SUV crashed into a city bus. Photos and videos online showed around half an SUV lodged into the side of an MTA bus.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The board of the Kennedy Center has voted to close the facility over financial issues and a dispute over putting President Donald Trump’s name on the iconic performing arts venue. That’s according to people familiar with the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting. Prior to Tuesday’s board meeting, a federal judge blocked the Kennedy Center board from adding Trump’s name to the structure or grounds, saying it would violate an earlier ruling that his name was illegally added to the building. Trump says the Justice Department will appeal the judge’s ruling.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barely four months into the job, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh is stuck between two strong but opposing forces: Financial markets that anticipate the central bank will raise interest rates, and President Donald Trump, who wants the Fed to cut them or leave them unchanged. Economists expect that on Wednesday, Warsh and his fellow policymakers will side with the markets. Warsh, many Fed-watchers say, has largely boxed himself into a rate hike after delivering a high-profile speech last month warning that inflation remains too far above the Fed’s 2% target and might require higher borrowing costs to bring it down.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is planning to deliver powerful 2,000-pound bombs to Israel as part of an upcoming arms deal. The $2.8 billion package includes 40,000 of the bombs, made up of 20,000 Mk84s and 20,000 BLU-117s. That’s according to two U.S. officials and a person familiar with the plan who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss the package, which is not yet final. Such weapons prompted such concerns about the possibility of mass casualties in Gaza that the Biden administration paused their delivery two years ago. Congress has been informally notified about the pending deal.

NEW YORK (AP) — Small business owners in the United States and Canada say a trade war between their countries is hurting sales while they are also dealing with rising expenses from higher fuel costs. Canada imposed reciprocal tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods last week after President Donald Trump placed import taxes on Canadian goods worth the same amount. Trump said the U.S. also would ban imports of wine, whiskey, selected motorcycles and the cheese-derived protein additive whey from Canada. The conflict between the economically entwined neighbors affects only about 5% of total exports and imports, but it is having a big impact on small businesses that depend on cross-border sales.

Leading voices in AI, including Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, agree that AI development needs to slow down. This consensus follows a former researcher’s warning about AI’s threats to humanity. But implementing a slowdown faces challenges like global competition, profit motives and pushback from the Trump administration. Amodei suggests independent evaluators for safety monitoring and calls for government regulation. Critics question the feasibility of these measures. President Donald Trump opposes limiting AI, viewing regulation as an obstacle for progress and beating China in the AI race. Industry experts are hopeful but uncertain about achieving a more safety-focused approach.