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 agency says the survey is ongoing so more information on the exact strength and path length will be released at a later date.

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.

Thousands of customers remain without power after severe storms rolled through the Pittsburgh region on Saturday afternoon. West Penn Power reported over 23,000 power outages in the Western Pennsylvania area as of 11 p.m. Sunday. At the peak, 72,000 were without power. Of those outages, more than 11,000 are in Fayette County, and another 9,000 are in Washington County. West Penn Power anticipates a “multi-day restoration effort in some areas” as multiple communities have reported “widespread tree damage and equipment issues.”On Sunday night, the utility company said helicopter patrols are helping to survey damage and pinpoint issues to hasten repair efforts. Another 1,100 line workers are supporting personnel during 24/7 work and 16-hour shifts, officials say. Officials in California, Connellsville, Ellsworth and Scottdale, among others, are warning residents to be prepared to be without power for days. Many customers will have power restored sooner, depending on the level of damage. Restoration estimates will be updated on FirstEnergy’s outage map. Click here to view FirstEnergy’s outage map.

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 traded fire early Monday in retaliatory strikes that threatened to drag the wider Middle East back into a full-scale regional war, while Yemen’s Houthi rebels also fired at Israel and warned they would target Israel-affiliated ships in the Red Sea, further escalating tension. Israel launched strikes on central and western Iran early Monday in response to missile fire from Tehran, in the most serious crossfire since an April 8 ceasefire was reached in the Iran war. Tehran warned of retaliation on Sunday after Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs without warning in defiance of Washington’s request days ago to stand down.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A magnitude 7.8 earthquake has rocked the southern Philippines, killing at least 16 people and injuring over 200. The quake struck Monday, causing significant damage in the Mindanao region. Officials say a 3-foot tsunami hit nearby coasts, damaging houses in at least one village. The strongest quake to hit the Philippines this year was centered at sea and the major city of General Santos was among the hardest hit places. Building collapses were reported and a key access bridge was damaged. Search-and-rescue efforts were ongoing.

MADRID (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has challenged Europe to acknowledge Christianity’s contributions to its cultural identity. Leo celebrated Spain’s Christian roots and culture with a massive morning Mass in downtown Madrid and an evening spectacle that featured flamenco dancers and a moving monologue by Spanish actor Antonio Banderas about his own faith journey. Leo arrived in Spain on Saturday at the start of his weeklong visit. He has been keen to highlight the long tradition of Christian devotion here to encourage especially young generations to find their faith. It’s a tall order in a once-staunchly Catholic country where religious observance has largely been on the wane.

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.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A Palestinian man with Israeli citizenship has opened fire in central Israel. Israeli authorities said that the attack killed a reservist and wounded five other people. The shooter was killed by police on Sunday. The attack came as tensions run high following Israeli settler attacks and the deadly shooting of a Palestinian baby in the West Bank. Police identified the attacker as a resident of Taybeh. But his motives were unclear. Authorities initially feared coordinated attacks but later determined a gunman and an accomplice were involved. The accomplice was arrested after attempting to stab police.