The Canonsburg Senior Center along E. Pike Street is closed. Officials tell WJPA News that they walked in Monday morning and found water in the building. A Coordinator says the break was in a water line in the building. There is no word on the amount of damage that resulted. An assessment is currently underway and it’s unclear how long the center may be closed.
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Punxsutawney Phil’s handlers say he’s seen his shadow and is therefore predicting six more weeks of winter weather. Phil’s annual prediction occurred shortly after dawn Monday outside his tree stump in Gobbler’s Knob. The Pennsylvania festivities are among the many Groundhog Day rituals around the U.S. and beyond. Groundhog Day on Feb. 2 comes at the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The tradition has roots in European agricultural folklore. Despite its silliness, the event remains a beloved tradition. Phil’s accuracy is debated, with federal weather officials saying he’s been right only about 40% of the time.
MORGAN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Firefighters battled the extreme cold to put out a massive apartment fire that left several people injured in Greene County. The fire broke out around 3 a.m. Saturday in Mather Apartments along 3rd Street in Morgan Township. State Police say the fire involved the entire building which included 10 apartment units. Greene County 911 officials reported three people were injured in the fire. The Jefferson Volunteer Fire Company says multiple companies worked in extreme temperatures of -14 degrees. Photos posted by the fire department showed flames shooting out of multiple windows throughout the apartment complex. The Jefferson Volunteer Fire Company asked the public to avoid the area since severe icing conditions could pose a significant safety hazard. The State Police Fire Marshal is investigating.
Two people were taken into custody during a drug trafficking investigation spanning Pennsylvania and Ohio. In a social media post Saturday, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said the four-month investigation concluded on Thursday, with multiple agencies from both states involved. The investigation focused on the distribution of heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine in various municipalities, the office said. Numerous people are alleged to have taken part. On Thursday, authorities initiated a traffic stop on State Route 18 in Burgettstown. During the stop, 53-year-old Archie Orison of McDonald/Burgettstown was arrested and found to have an unspecified amount of crack cocaine on him, according to the sheriff’s office. Orison was lodged at the Washington County Correctional Facility on a bench warrant and an arrest warrant out of Mount Pleasant Township, the office said. Additional charges are pending. After Orison’s arrest, the Jefferson County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at a home in Steubenville, Ohio. A person was taken into custody after authorities found cocaine, crack cocaine and more than $15,000 in cash, the office said. More arrests may come as a result of the investigation, the office said.
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson faces tough days ahead trying to pass a federal funding package and prevent a prolonged partial government shutdown. Democrats are demanding changes to rein in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations after the deaths in Minneapolis. But Republicans are making their own demands in support of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. A partial shutdown started over the weekend when funding lapsed for several agencies. Trump struck a deal with senators, who approved new funding, but only temporarily for Homeland Security until Feb. 13. That would give Congress time to consider new restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Johnson now needs Trump to help push that deal through the House.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he will move to close Washington’s Kennedy Center performing arts venue for two years starting in July for construction. Trump’s announcement on social media Sunday night follows a wave of cancellations by artists since Trump ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building. Trump announced his plan days after the premiere of “Melania,” a documentary of the first lady, was shown at the storied venue. He says the proposal is subject to approval by the board of the Kennedy Center, which has been stocked with his hand-picked allies.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Forecasters warned that dangerous extra-cold conditions will persist for a huge swath of the U.S. from the Gulf Coast into New England. There were hundreds of weekend flight cancellations to North Carolina, snow flurries and falling iguanas in Florida, and more misery for thousands who are still without power from last month’s ice storm in the South. About 150 million people were under cold weather advisories and extreme cold warnings in the eastern portion of the U.S. on Sunday. Florida experienced its coldest air mass since 1989. Windchills near zero are expected in many states again Monday.
When Amazon announced it was cutting 16,000 corporate jobs, many assumed it was the latest phase of CEO Andy Jassy’s push to reduce the corporate workforce as AI brings more efficiency gains. But like other companies that have tied layoffs to AI — including Pinterest and Dow — it can be hard for economists, or individual employees, to know if AI is the real reason or the message a company wants to tell Wall Street.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 68th annual Grammy Awards took placed Sunday in Los Angeles. Bad Bunny has won album of the year, the first time a Spanish-language album has taken the Grammys’ top honor. Ms. Lauryn Hill returned to the Grammys stage to pay tribute to the late D’Angelo and Roberta Flack. Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, Jelly Roll and Lady Gaga were among the night’s winners. Olivia Dean won best new artist. Kendrick Lamar won the first televised award for best rap album and record of the year. That brings him to a total of 27 career Grammys, the most of any rapper. Many artists used their time on stage to spread a pro-immigration and anti-ICE message.
