WJPA News

Gas prices are stable in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.733 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.  Spring Break season is here as the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped nearly 24 cents since last week to $3.71. The last time the national average was in the $3.70 range was October of 2023. Gasoline demand increases this time of year as the weather warms up and more drivers hit the road. Gas prices are also rising due to the conflict in Iran. The national average has gone up 73 cents since the conflict began on February 28^th.  Crude oil prices play a major role in what drivers pay at the pump, and prices have surpassed the $100/barrel mark multiple times in recent days. To help offset rising prices, the U.S. announced it will release 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves over four months. The move is part of a broader effort by the International Energy Agency to release a total of 400 million barrels of oil, the largest emergency release in its history.

The McDonald Police Department is sending a warning to parents after seizing several BB guns that were modified to look real. Police said they found two of these guns this month that were reportedly modified with metal parts and fake gun manufacturer stampings in order to look real. “In past incidents across the country, suspects have been shot by police and citizens brandishing these facsimile guns. We would advise parents to educate their children on the danger that these items can present,” the McDonald Police Department said in a statement. Police said one gun was found in a case involving a fight and another was found in a suspicious activity case that involved marijuana, gummies, a THC vape, wax and spray paint. They added that both of the juveniles said they had the guns “for protection.” Both juveniles are facing charges, police say.  (Photo:  McDonald Police Department Facebook page)

DAWSON, Pa. — A man was found dead in the Youghiogheny River on Sunday. State Police confirms that troopers were called to the river in Dawson, Fayette County,for reports of a person found dead in a river. Troopers said the man was found by two fishermen. Fayette County Coroner Dr. Bob Baker says his office needs help identifying the man. Baker said the victim is a middle-aged white man. He is bald and has an athletic build. He appears to have a tattoo on his right shoulder blade of a mountain range. His cause and manner of death are still pending an autopsy. Anyone with information is asked to call the Fayette County Coroner’s Office at 724-430-1270.

PITTSBURGH — The head clergyman at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Downtown Pittsburgh has resigned amid allegations of retail theft. Ketlen Solak, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, issued a letter to the Trinity Cathedral community over the weekend. In the letter, Solak said she’d accepted the resignation of Dean Aidan Smith. He was charged with theft and receiving stolen property charges after police say he tried to steal $1,000 worth of baseball cards from the Walmart in Economy. Smith had been on administrative leave since January. In Saturday’s letter, Bishop Solak said Smith’s leave was “prompted by an ongoing investigation into questions we received at the end of December and beginning of January suggesting that he may have failed to safeguard the property of the church.” Procedures within the Episcopal Church for handling clergy misconduct began soon after his leave began, Solak said.

(WPXI) – The University of Pittsburgh announced that Pitt Football’s 2026 Blue-Gold Spring Game at Acrisure Stadium is closed to the public this year. A university spokesperson added its necessary because of the ongoing preparations for the 2026 NFL Draft taking place in and around the stadium on the North Shore.  Fans will instead have the opportunity to celebrate the team during the Pitt Block Party at Arts Landing. The free three-day fan event will take place in Downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District from April 23-25 to coincide with the draft.  The three-day celebration will feature an immersive Pitt Football museum and a dedicated draft showcase. Attendees will have access to live entertainment, food trucks and interactive activities at Arts Landing. The event is designed to highlight the program’s history and its NFL legacy.  Highlights and updates from the Blue-Gold Spring Game will be shared across the official Pitt Football digital platforms and social media channels.  The Pitt Block Party is scheduled to run from April 23-25. Highlights from the spring game will be released on official team platforms as they become available.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Extreme weather conditions from coast to coast are putting over 100 million people across the U.S. in the path of rough conditions on Monday. Storms across the nation’s eastern half forced airlines to cancel more than 3,000 flights nationwide Monday, and many schools closed early in the mid-Atlantic states where high winds and tornadoes were in the forecast. Blizzards buried parts of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota while torrential rains flooded homes and washed out roads in Hawaii. California is dealing with unusually high temperatures for this time of year. Areas near San Francisco could see temperatures in the high 80s.  (Photo:  AP)

President Donald Trump says he has demanded about seven countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Iranian strikes have continued to rain down on Gulf countries Monday. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest, gradually restarted operations after a drone struck a fuel tank and started a fire. Authorities said it was quickly contained and no injuries were reported. Tehran has accused the United States without evidence of using “ports, docks and hideouts” in the United Arab Emirates to launch strikes on Kharg Island. The island is home to the main terminal handling Iran’s oil exports. Brent crude oil is trading near $105 per barrel on Monday.

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Israel has launched new attacks on Beirut and Tehran, while Dubai’s airport suspended flights after an Iranian drone hit a nearby fuel tank and sparked a fire. Iran also launched missiles toward Israel on Monday, and Israeli officials reported damage in central areas. The fighting has been disrupting oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and pushing global energy prices higher, with Brent crude stubbornly over above $100 a barrel. Iran’s foreign minister has rejected any talk of negotiations. President Donald Trump says he’s asked several countries to send warships to protect the strait, but none have committed so far.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States’ war with Iran is entering its third week, but Congress has yet to publicly test the Trump administration’s case for the conflict. Republicans in Congress have so far side-stepped public debate over the war. But Senate Democrats are reaching for every tool at their disposal to demand hearings with Trump administration officials. Some Democrats are threatening this week to force a series of votes on the war, hoping that the efforts to gum up the Senate’s voting schedule will prod Republicans to action.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” has been crowned best picture at the 98th Academy Awards. Jessie Buckley won best actress and Michael B. Jordan won best actor at the 98th Academy Awards. After a lionized career stretching back three decades, Paul Thomas Anderson won his first Oscar for best director, a long-in-coming coronation for the “One Battle After Another” filmmaker. “Sinners” cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw has made Oscar history, becoming the first female director of photography to win the award in the 98 year history of the Academy Awards. Paul Thomas Anderson and Ryan Coogler won their first Oscars and moving tributes were paid to Robert Redford, Diane Keaton and Rob Reiner at the 98th Academy Awards.  (Photo:  AP)