WJPA News

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has declared a statewide Code Red Air Quality Action Day for particulate matter (PM2.5) for Thursday, July 16th.  Wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota will be entering Pennsylvania’s northernmost counties and pushing into southern counties Wednesday afternoon into Thursday, creating Code Red concentrations of PM2.5.  Residents are strongly encouraged to check www.airnow.gov for current conditions in their area.  During Code Red Air Quality Alerts all residents should consider limiting their outdoor activities, and sensitive groups such as children, elderly residents, and those with respiratory illnesses should avoid long or intense outdoor activities and consider moving activities indoors.  (Photo:  AP)

Residents of Washington and Allegheny Counties filled the council chambers room of Canonsburg to view early considerations of a feasibility study being conducted by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to control repeated flooding along Chartiers Creek. The Open House is one of six being held to gather feedback concerning flooding along the 48 mile long creek that is a tributary to the Ohio River. The 277 square mile watershed area has more than 250,000 residents living in the watershed. The study is looking at the main stem of the creek and its tributaries. It is also examining existing remedies that have already been put in place by the state and federal government to make sure those are still functioning properly. Some of the remedies that will be considered are the change of the flow of water, adaptations to the water flow such as the broadcast of advanced flood warnings from emergency service agencies, non structural elevations and retention ponds. The study, which will include a 35% design completion plan is expected to be ready in early 2028. The USACOE is holding four more open houses, two at the Carnegie Borough Building on Wednesday and two at the McKees Rocks Borough Building on Thursday. More information about the project may be found here.

Authorities are investigating the death of an elderly man in Cecil Township Tuesday morning.  Washington County Coroner Tim Warco says 86-year-old Robert Coen was crossing the street around nine-thirty when he was struck by a vehicle traveling southeast near the 180 block of Cecil Henderson Road.  No further information was made available.

Uniontown, PA -PennDOT says nightly ramp closures on Interstate 79 at Exit 14 (Masontown/Waynesburg) in Franklin Township, Greene County have been postponed, as have ramp closures that were scheduled to occur nightly from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. beginning Wednesday, July 15th, and continuing through Saturday, July 25th. Revised days and times will be announced at a future date.  No reason was given for the delay.  Current I-79 single-lane restrictions between Exit 14 (Masontown/Waynesburg) and Exit 23 (Marianna/Prosperity) that began on June 18th, will continue until late August.  The work is part of the I-79 Waynesburg to Marianna Project, which will make improvements to approximately 11 miles of I-79, extending through Franklin and Washington townships in Greene County and Amwell Township in Washington County a $45.9 million infrastructure investment.

Two people were shot inside a Kroger grocery store in Harris County, Texas. Harris County Constable Precinct Four Captain Juan Flores says the shooting happened just before 3pm, local time. He says one of the injured parties was found outside the store and the other was inside. One of those people had to be life-flighted to the hospital. Flores wouldn’t confirm any details about the investigation but says police are not searching for any suspects.

President Donald Trump says Immigration and Customs Enforcement should continue traffic stops after two deadly shootings within a week, seeming to contradict a new policy to halt them. In Florida on Tuesday, a third man in roughly a week died during an encounter with immigration officers. Authorities say the 28-year-old was killed after he was hit by a tractor-trailer while running from immigration and other federal officers.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military has reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. This comes as Washington tries to stop Iran’s attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Days of retaliatory strikes across the Middle East by Iran and the U.S. attacks threaten to push the region back to all-out war. One Iranian government official said more than 30 people have been killed over “recent days.” That likely included seven troops killed in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province. Meanwhile, the Iranian Health Ministry said over 260 people had been wounded just in Wednesday’s strikes alone.

CARLISLE, Pa. (AP) — President Donald Trump has addressed a defense summit at the U.S. Army War College, but he focused more on political themes than battlefield issues. The summit, held Wednesday, included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Republican Pennsylvania Sen. David McCormick. Trump said the gathering will generate $10 billion in promised investments from defense and tech companies, but didn’t provide many details. He briefly mentioned the war in Iran and the military operation in January in Venezuela. Trump also discussed topics like windmills and ship catapults. The event featured prominent business leaders, including JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon. Concerns about missile shortages and defense spending weren’t mentioned.

WASHINGTON (AP) — There will be no turning back the clock if the House has its way. The House passed a bill Tuesday that would make daylight saving time permanent. Proponents argue the bill would provide more daylight during the times that Americans are most active. Daylight saving time is that period between spring and fall when clocks in most of the United States are set one hour ahead of standard time. States could opt out if their respective legislatures do so before the bill’s enactment. The Senate would also have to pass the bill before it could become law, but it’s unclear if it will do so.

Authorities say a man running from an encounter with immigration and other federal agents in Florida was struck and killed by a tractor trailer. The 28-year-old was among four occupants of a vehicle that stopped in the parking lot of a gas station and convenience store in St. Augustine before 7 a.m. on Tuesday. Police say during the encounter with agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as Homeland Security Investigations, the four fled on foot. Police say one darted across a busy road into the path of the semi. It marks the third death in a week involving encounters with ICE agents.