WJPA News

The National Weather Service says it has confirmed the first tornado of the  year in Pennsylvania and it was in Washington County.  Officials say their first survey team has confirmed that a tornado touched down just southeast of Ellsworth from Saturday’s line of storms.  The first team will begin in Ellsworth, Washington County, before traveling east toward south-central Westmoreland County.  The second and third teams will be examining a damage path from south of Washington County Airport to just east of Connellsville.  Early afternoon storms on Saturday ripped through Southwestern Pennsylvania, leaving behind a swath of damage in Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties.  The NWS has also confirmed a second tornado touchdown in Westmoreland County near a Boy Scout Camp.  The agency says the survey is ongoing so more information on the exact strength and path length will be released at a later date.  Power outages remain as well.  West Penn Power officials say they’re hoping to have power restored by late Monday night, but some repairs may take longer.

A tractor trailer pulled several lines off of a utility pole  in Donegal Township early Monday morning. According to Washington County 9-1-1 supervisors, the truck was travelling on Dry Ridge Road just after 3:00 am. When emergency crews arrived they found the truck with what they described as cable lines on the truck. No injuries occurred.

PennDot is alerting Washington County motorists of nightly single lane restrictions that will occur on Interstate 70 between exit 25 (519/Eighty Four/Glyde) and Exit 32B (917/Bentleyville). The restrictions will begin on Tuesday June 9 at 6:00 PM. They will be in place nightly, Sundays through Thursdays from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM. Lane restrictions will be active in both directions. The restrictons will last until early November. Drivers are asked to exercise caution driving through the workzone.

The ongoing PennDot bridge replacement on Rt. 18 (Park Avenue) and South Main Street will see Rt.18 come to a complete close on Monday June 8. The closure is expected to last until June 29. A five mile detour is posted. That detour can be found here .

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel and Iran appear to be backing away from further strikes, just hours after they traded fire for the first time since the U.S. and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire two months ago. However, both countries warned Monday that they remain ready to launch retaliatory attacks if provoked. The renewed fighting raised concerns that the Middle East could be plunged back into a full-scale war. Iran’s military says it has halted offensive strikes but will respond to aggression by Israel or its allies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also hinted the latest round of fighting is over. But he said Israel will respond with force if attacked further by Iran.

DAVAO, Philippines (AP) — A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake has rocked the southern Philippines, killing at least 35 people. Most of the deaths occurred in Sarangani province due to a landslide. The quake struck Monday, causing buildings to collapse and triggering small tsunamis. Waves were detected as far away as Japan. Officials report more than 200 injuries and significant damage in General Santos city. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered disaster-response efforts. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center lifted its alert hours after the quake. The Philippines frequently experiences earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”

Police in Ohio are still searching for suspects who opened fire near a busy street festival in Toledo and wounded 12 people over the weekend. The Toledo Police Department said Sunday that each of the dozen victims were in stable condition. The gunfire erupted Saturday near the Old West End Festival, a popular annual gathering along streets dotted with Victorian homes. Videos posted to social media showed people running at the sound of gunfire and medics tending to the wounded in a park filled with event tents and food trucks. No arrests have been made and authorities have not identified any potential suspects.

NEW YORK (AP) — The new host at the Tonys, Pink, pretended at the beginning that she didn’t know what she was doing. Then former host Neil Patrick Harris told her to just be herself, and it turned out that was just fine. Pink scored big with the opening number, an extravaganza featuring some 170 performers from casts of current shows. The song also name-checked many actors in the audience. Other highlights included the first Tony win by Joshua Henry, a beloved four-time nominee, for his role in “Ragtime.” And the Tonys showered love on “Schmigadoon!” — a Broadway musical that pays homage to, well, Broadway musicals.