WJPA News

The owner of the San Francisco 49ers was arrested in Ohio and has already pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors.  John “Jed” York was arrested in East Palestine, Ohio, on Aug. 24 and posted a $5,000 bond.  The arrest occurred at a mobile home community.  The police department said further information would have to come from the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force  Authorities say he was arrested on suspicion of engaging in prostitution. That charge was eventually dropped and he pleaded no contest Monday morning to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools.  York was sentenced to two days in the Columbiana County Jail to be served concurrently with credit for a day served, and a $1,150 fine.  The fines have already been paid, and his cellphone, which had been seized, was ordered returned, but he would have to forfeit the $160 seized, with the money going to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force

Gas prices are 18 cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.349 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.  The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is up 3 cents from last week to $4.09, which marks the highest it’s ever been on this date. This August is shaping up to be the highest on record. So far, the monthly average is $4.06, currently surpassing 2022 when the monthly average for August was $3.97. Even though gasoline demand is down, which is typical for this time of year, crude oil is pushing up the national average. Crude oil prices remain in the $80 per barrel range amid continued instability in the Strait of Hormuz.  According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased last week from 8.96 million barrels per day to 8.68 million. Total domestic gasoline supply increased from 208.7 million barrels to 209.4 million. Gasoline production also increased last week, averaging 9.7 million barrels per day.

PETERS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Hundreds turned out Sunday at Trinity United Methodist Church in McMurray for a candlelight vigil honoring 18-year-old Karoline Heintz.  The Peters Township graduate, who was preparing to begin her freshman year at PennWest California,  was killed Wednesday night.  People leaving the church described the service as somber but fitting.  “Karoline had a lot of support from the community,” said Alexandra Brooks, who works for Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern PA. “It was really clear that there were a lot of people who knew her, but it was also very clear that there were a lot of people who were here to support the family and support her.”  State police say Heintz’s boyfriend, Royce Moser, stabbed and killed her following an argument. Authorities allege he then recruited his mother, Rachel Moser, to help move Heintz’s body and clean up the crime scene.  In a statement released last week, Heintz’s family said “This is a parent’s worst nightmare. Karoline was loved by all. She was a kind, smart, beautiful girl. We want justice for our ‘sweet’ Karoline.”  Sunday’s gathering was one of two vigils held in Heintz’s memory.  A church in Elizabeth Township also hosted a vigil Sunday evening.

Health issues have forced musician Bret Michaels off the road for now.  The former Poison frontman and Butler native took a break from touring late last month after surgery for a kidney stone.   He returned to performing this weekend in Atlanta, but immediately ran into more problems.  According to a Saturday social media post, doctors and paramedics determined right after the show that Michaels needed more rest and recovery time from his “recent surgeries.”  Michaels will reportedly take the next several months to heal.  “We will be pulling Bret off the road for the time being,” his doctors, Dr. Abby Borhan and Dr. Patel, said. “He wanted to attempt this show, but we feel there is a much-needed period of rest and slow recovery ahead, especially considering the heat and humidity during the summer months and the effect it can have on his blood sugar levels.” Michaels, who has type 1 diabetes, said Sunday that he didn’t factor in the effect a coast-to-coast flight would have on his blood sugar and pressure, after switching to a new medication.  The remainder of Michaels’ 2026 tour dates have been canceled.

(AP) – The U.S. has reopened a border crossing in Arizona to cattle from Mexico as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce near-record-high beef prices. But economists doubt the move will mean much to prices shoppers see at grocery stores. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said concerns about the New World screwworm’s spread lessened enough to allow Mexican cattle to cross the border at Douglas, Arizona, starting Monday. While Mexico has traditionally exported 1.1 million head of cattle a year to the U.S., economists say the biggest problem is that the U.S. cattle herd is the smallest in 75 years.

NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have long warned that the world will experience more intense extreme weather events like heat waves, storms, floods and droughts as long as we continue to use gas, oil and coal at our current pace. Those fossil fuels release greenhouse gases, which go up into the atmosphere and heat the planet, which scrambles ecosystems and weather patterns. Still, massive climate events, extremes beyond anything we have seen in modern history, have mostly been thought of as fiction, often been the plots of action movies. Today, such extremes of extremes are discussed as a possibility, even an inevitability, that should be taken seriously and prepared for.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has announced a new round of sanctions aimed at Iran. At a news conference Monday, he also warned every country that does business with the Islamic Republic to sever those financial ties or face retaliation from the United States. The sanctions aim to further cut off Iran from the rest of the world economy after President Donald Trump pledged last week to unleash an “economic D-Day” against Tehran. Washington has promised the new sanctions would put even more pressure on an Iranian economy already battered by previous sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade.  Meanwhile, The head of Iran’s top security body says Tehran will see any country’s support for new U.S. economic measures against the Islamic Republic as an “act of war.” Iran’s president, meanwhile, said Sunday that the memorandum of understanding signed in June with the United States is the best way out of the stalled conflict.

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney drew international attention earlier this year by warning that middle powers such as Canada must resist economic coercion. Now President Donald Trump is putting that to the test in a deepening trade war. The United States has imposed 50% duties on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Carney said Canada’s dollar-for-dollar retaliation will begin Sept. 8. Carney’s strategy is to accept economic pain rather than yield to pressure from a larger power. Whether Canada can withstand the cost could shape how Carney is viewed at home and abroad. And it could influence how other U.S. allies respond to Trump.

RENO, Nevada (AP) — A wildfire that exploded in size in Reno, Nevada, over the weekend has forced authorities to urge more than 90,000 residents to leave their neighborhoods. Videos show some homes have already been destroyed. But there’s concern that shifting winds could push the flames into densely packed neighborhoods on the edge of the city. Schools across the Reno area are closed Monday because of the evacuations and to keep roads clear for emergency crews. Authorities said late Sunday that the Hawk Fire had stayed in its footprint and that firefighters were extinguishing hotspots. Those crews are working to keep the fire from jumping a main highway and reaching more homes.