WJPA News

The Washington County Board of Elections held a special hearing on the eligibility of Al Buchtan to remain on the Washington County ballot as a candidate for a Washington County Republican State Committeeman position. The board, comprised of all three county commissioners, did not take any action with regard to Buchtan’s removal from the ballot. Washington County Solicitor Gary Sweat advised the board that they do not have the jurisdiction to make such a decision at this late date. Sweat says that he had conversations with the Pennsylvania Department of State that said that the time for a challenge has expired. He says that he was advised, and after his research into election code, that only a court of competent jurisdiction could remove Buchtan from the ballot. Thomas King, general counsel for the Pennsylvania Republican Party, stated that the party is asking that Buchtan be investigated for inconsistencies regarding his residency and therefore his eligibility to represent Washington County as a party committee person. He said that if Buchtan should be elected, the party will not seat him as a committee person and Washington County Republicans would be without representation in that jurisdiction. Dave Ball, former Washington County Republican Party Chairman, handed letters to the board of elections and the solicitor containing information that he feels could have criminal charges levied against Buchtan concerning election integrity. The board will be handing those letters over to the District Attorney for investigation. Ultimately, the decisions have been based on earlier decisions by the Commonwealth Court and affirmed by the Supreme Court surrounding his candidacy for State Senator, that Buchtan is a resident of Greene County and not Washington County.

AVON, OHIO – The Frontier League, a Professional Partner League of Major League Baseball, which includes the Washington Wild Things, and the longest-running independent baseball organization in North America, announced on Wednesday a comprehensive brand transformation. Beginning in the 2027 baseball season, the league will compete as the National Association of Professional Baseball (NAPB).  Officials say the re-branding process began in the fall of 2024 when the Frontier League’s Board of Directors formed a Strategic Planning Committee to evaluate their current position and future opportunities in the professional baseball structure.  “With the tremendous growth over the past five years, highlighted by our expansion into Canada along with the Northeast and Southeast in the United States, our Board felt that it was the appropriate time for a detailed study of both our current role and future opportunities,” commented league commissioner Steve Tahsler. “Working with an outside facilitator, the committee determined that we had outgrown the Frontier League brand, and that National Association of Professional Baseball better identified our current structure and future goals.”  The transition follows a landmark 2025 season where the league set its fourth consecutive attendance record and led the four Partner Leagues in player contracts transferred to MLB organizations. The league’s 34-year history, statistics, and records, along with those of the individual teams, will still remain.

Another teacher in the Laurel Highlands School District is now under investigation. State police confirmed they’re looking into allegations of inappropriate behavior involving a former student in 2009. Police arrested two teachers in the district last month. Martin Gatti is accused of making sexual comments to a high school student. Daniel Cervone is accused of having a sexual relationship with a student back in 2020. At this time, no charges have been filed against the third teacher.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A cannabis industry group calls President Donald Trump’s reclassification of state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug “the most significant federal advancement in cannabis policy” in decades. The American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp says the Trump administration action recognizes “cannabis is medicine.” The order the Republican president’s acting attorney general signed Thursday Iargely legitimizes medical marijuana programs in the 40 states that have adopted them and allows state-licensed medical marijuana companies for the first time to deduct business expenses on their federal taxes. Critics say marijuana is harmful and policy is being dictated by ”CEOs, psychedelics investors, and podcasters in active addiction.”  (Photo:  AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate took the first steps in a new effort to reopen the Department of Homeland Security early Thursday, voting to adopt a budget plan that would fund ICE and Border Patrol over Democratic objections and sending it to the House. The entire department has been shut down since mid-February as Democrats have demanded policy changes in the wake of fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents. Republicans are now trying to fund the two immigration enforcement agencies through the complicated, time-consuming process called budget reconciliation, a maneuver that they also used to pass President Donald Trump’s package of tax and spending cuts last year with no Democratic votes. “We have a multistep process ahead of us, but at the end Republicans will have helped ensure that America’s borders are secure and prevented Democrats from defunding these important agencies,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. The budget process only requires a simple majority in the Senate, bypassing filibuster rules that require Republicans to find 60 votes on most bills when they only hold 53 seats. But it also comes with increased scrutiny from the Senate parliamentarian and a long, open-ended series of amendment votes at the beginning and the end of the process.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has abruptly announced that Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving his job. Phelan is the first head of a military service to depart during President Donald Trump’s second term but is just the latest top defense leader to step down or be ousted. No reason was given for the unexpected departure of the Navy’s top civilian official. It comes as the sea service has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports and is targeting ships linked to Tehran around the world during a tenuous ceasefire in the war. Another Trump loyalist is taking over as acting head of the Navy: Undersecretary Hung Cao.

(AP) – In the latest round of tech industry job cuts, Meta is laying off about 8,000 workers and Microsoft is offering buyouts to a similar number. Meta confirmed Thursday it plans to cut about 10% of its workforce in an effort to invest in other parts of its business and for efficiency, as first reported by Bloomberg. Microsoft is taking a different approach by offering voluntary buyouts to thousands of its U.S. employees.

NEW YORK (AP) — An $81 billion Warner-Paramount mega merger has received shareholders’ stamp of approval, propelling a deal that could vastly reshape Hollywood and the wider media landscape closer to the finish line. Per a preliminary vote count on Thursday, the overwhelming majority of Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders voted in support of selling the entire business to Paramount for $31 a share. Including debt, the deal is valued at nearly $111 billion. Skydance-owned Paramount wants to buy all of Warner. That means HBO Max, cult-favorite titles like “Harry Potter” and even CNN could soon find themselves under the same roof with CBS, “Top Gun” and the Paramount+ streaming service.