Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Local News

Two Injured In West Brownsville Crash

Two people were transported from the scene of a two-vehicle crash Wednesday morning in West Brownsville.  Washington County 911 says it happened just before six o’clock on the Route 40 ramp to Route 88 near the PennDOT shed.   Dispatchers say one person was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital.  The other was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.  There is no word on their identities or conditions.

Data Center Hearing Set In Hanover Township

A public hearing is set for Wednesday evening in Hanover Township as supervisors consider a conditional use permit for a data center at the Starpointe Business Park.  The hearing is set for 6 p.m. at the Hanover Volunteer Fire Department hall.   Texas-based developer Prime Data Centers L-L-C is behind the project.  Plans call for a central power station and seven small buildings on the site.   They currently operate more than two dozen data center projects across the country.

Peters Township Receives PennDOT Grant

HARRISBURG – PennDOT announced on Tuesday that Peters Township has been awarded nearly $477,000 through their Green Light-Go Program to improve safety and traffic flow along Washington Road (State Route 19), the township’s primary transportation corridor.  The funding will be used to completely replace the traffic signals at the intersection of Crosswinds Drive and State Route 19. Township officials have identified the intersection as the most outdated traffic signals along the corridor and the ones most in need of replacement.  PennDOT’s Green Light-Go Program provides reimbursement funding to municipalities for projects that improve the efficiency and operation of existing traffic signals. Eligible improvements include upgrades to modern signal technology, traffic signal retiming and enhanced monitoring systems that allow signals to respond to real-time traffic conditions.

DiFabio Funeral Arrangements Announced

Funeral arrangements have been announced for long-time local sports broadcaster, Bill DiFabio.  DiFabio’s voice was a familiar one to area residents, having broadcast his sports reports here on WJPA Radio and other local outlets, in addition to writing a column for the Observer Reporter Newspaper for many years.  DiFabio also had his own sports network, with broadcasts that went out, at one time, to more than sixty-station outlets.  He also served as the Public Address Announcer for the Washington Wild Things since their inception.  Visitation will be held from five p.m. until eight p.m. on Tuesday, August 11th, at the Beinhauer Family Funeral Home at 2828 Washington Road in McMurray, Pennsylvania.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday morning at ten, at Immaculate Conception Church at 119 West Chestnut Street in Washington.  Burial will be in Washington Cemetery.

World News

Trump; Deal To Reopen Strait Could Come Soon

CAIRO (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump says a deal on the Strait of Hormuz could come as early as Wednesday or Thursday. An agreement could potentially help bring an end to the war. Regional officials tell The Associated Press that an agreement emerging from talks between Iran and Oman would see ships enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through a route controlled by Oman. But the Trump administration has previously ruled out any deal that would give Iran control over the strait, which was an open international waterway before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. About one fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passed through the strait, but shipping through the waterway has been slowed to a trickle by Iran’s attacks since the start of the war.

Man With Ammo Arrested At Trump Golf Course

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say they have arrested a man who was walking the grounds and appeared to be monitoring security planning at President Donald Trump’s California golf course ahead of the president’s visit. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the man was taking photos and video and had a 16-round magazine with ammunition in his pocket. They recovered a loaded pistol in his car. The sheriff’s department announced the arrest Tuesday as Trump was preparing to arrive for a fundraising dinner at his golf club outside of Los Angeles. The 38-year-old man was charged with several felonies including second-degree robbery and possessing a prohibited firearm.

Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Democratic Senate Race

DETROIT (AP) — Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in a victory for the party’s progressive wing in a battleground state. El-Sayed narrowly defeated U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and will face Republican Mike Rogers in November. The seat is pivotal to Democrats’ chances of flipping the Senate and El-Sayed will face the challenge of uniting a divided Democratic base after a bruising primary. El-Sayed, a former health official, campaigned on “Medicare for All,” halting military aid to Israel and campaign finance reform. He had support from progressive leaders including Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Russian Barrage Kills 17 In Ukrainian Capital

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and its region have killed 17 people and wounded 44 others. The attacks are part of a series of large-scale strikes exploiting Ukraine’s shortage of interceptor missiles. Zelenskyy has urged other countries to send more ammunition. Meanwhile, Ukraine has increased its drone attacks on key Russian targets to pressure President Vladimir Putin into negotiations. The Russian Defense Ministry claims its strikes targeted war-related sites, while Ukraine says civilian areas were hit. The ongoing conflict has intensified, affecting both military and civilian infrastructure.

Powerball Jackpot At $786 Million

(AP) – The Powerball jackpot is climbing again after no one matched all five numbers and the Powerball on Monday. The estimated $786 million grand prize for Wednesday’s drawing will be the ninth-largest in the promotion’s history. The numbers drawn for Monday’s grand prize were 8-30-41-48-54 and the Powerball was 4.  The next drawing on Wednesday is estimated at $786 million, with a cash value of $341.6 million.  The Powerball jackpot has not been won since May 2, 2026, when two tickets sold in Florida and Texas split a $20 million jackpot, lottery officials said.  The largest jackpot in Powerball history is $2.04 billion, won by a single ticket in California on Nov. 7, 2022.  The current Powerball jackpot is the largest since a $1.817 billion prize was won in Arkansas on Dec. 24, 2025. That is still the second-largest jackpot in the promotion’s history.