WJPA News

Severe storms that resulted in a major flooding event impacted areas across Washington County on Sept. 12, 2026. Since the event, Washington County Emergency Management has been working in coordination with municipal Local Emergency Management Coordinators to assess the impacts and assist communities.  While many residents and business owners may have already reported damage to their insurance companies or municipal officials, Washington County is asking residents and businesses to also self-report flood-related damage to their homes, businesses or property through the county’s online damage reporting system.  Residents and businesses submitting a report should provide information about the extent of the damage and include photographs, if possible.  “We appreciate the patience and support of residents and business owners as we work through this process. The more information we have, the clearer the picture becomes of the overall impact, helping the county respond to this aftermath and prepare for future storms,” said Deputy Director of Washington County Emergency Management Dan Harvey.  Submitting a damage report does not guarantee financial assistance or reimbursement from any entity. Rather, the information will help Washington County Emergency Management and municipal leaders develop a complete assessment of flood-related damage throughout the county to aid in this aftermath and future storms.  If you have immediate needs, we are asking residents to contact their local municipality and speak with their Local Emergency Management Coordinator. The coordinator will work with Washington County Emergency Management to address reported needs.  If you have questions about the online reporting system or experience difficulties submitting a report, contact the Washington County Department of Public Safety at 724-228-6911 or email damage@washcopa.gov.

PITTSBURGH — A hearing in federal court for a Butler County man who authorities say was planning an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack was waived on Wednesday.  Twenty-one-year-old Jonathan Kramer was arrested on Saturday at the Cranberry Park Hotel.  Investigators said he had a semi-automatic rifle and 190 rounds of ammunition, with the alleged intent to commit terrorism.  “He armed himself to carry out a mass attack against the American people and was doing so right here in the suburbs of Pittsburgh,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec said.  He had been on the FBI’s radar since 2023 when he was charged with having child porn and his role in a “plot to commit a mass casualty” event.  A future court date has not yet been decided.

Pennsylvania’s Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt held his second virtual update on the November 3 general election on Tuesday afternoon. In a seven-minute video, he touched on a variety of topics, like September 15^th’s National Voter Registration Day, the in mail-in balloting decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court, whether the state uses AI technology in the election process, and prediction market platforms. On behalf of the Shapiro administration, he called the U.S. Postal Service’s proposed changes to mail-in balloting “unlawful” and “an overreach” and called the Supreme Court’s decision a “win” for Pennsylvania voters. Schmidt said “Nothing has changed for voters” in the Keystone State and eligible voters should continue to have confidence that they can vote securely and safely. He said that some ballots have already been sent out to voters who asked for them. He also touted a new public relations dashboard that residents can check up on their voter registration, trends and up to date information at Vote.pa.gov.   Schmidt also added that A.I. tools are not used in elections, and that workers pledge an oath against prediction markets and other wagering. Schmidt will be back again Tuesday with another video.

North Strabane Township Supervisors will be finalizing a project that will hopefully keep car speeds down on two area roads and increase public safety. The DeMar Avenue and McDowell Lane Safety Device project will be voted on next week. The project is a traffic calming effort using flashing speed signs and pavement rumble strips to alert drivers that are travelling too fast on the roads. Supervisors are also developing a data center ordinance. Supervisors will look to alert the public on its availability to be reviewed and a public hearing will be scheduled. Supervisors will vote on the issues on September 22 at 7:00 pm in the municipal building.

Buffalo Township Supervisors are embarking on a project that has not been addressed in over 50 years. Supervisors are updating their Comprehensive Plan. The purpose of the plan is to guide township leaders in what the residents feel are priorities for the township over the next 10-20 years. Residents were mailed a survey with questions about the township’s future development. The survey is also available on line at the township’s website. Township Supervisor Randall Mounts says that feedback from the community will help them keep what residents want and make the improvements that they want. It will be a tool to guide governmental decisions and a demonstration to Pennsylvania officials to generate grant funding for possible infrastructure improvements. Terri Carroll is an engineer with Harshman, CE Group. They are assisting with developing the plan. She says that community input is vital to the process in proving to Pennsylvania officials that a project is a community priority, not a pet project for an individual. The township held a public meeting. Residents were asked for their input in several interactive displays. One asked if there were particular problems with a location and they were asked to mark the location with an adhesive dot. The most intriguing display was the Buffalo Bucks display. Residents were given $100,000 in Buffalo Bucks and were asked to divide the money among three priority projects from a list of 12 by inserting their “Bucks” into slots for projects such as roads, water and sewage, parks and recreation, business development and others. For those wishing to take the survey, the opportunity is still there. The plan will be developed and hopefully be ready for adoption in about 12 months.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for the first time since 2023 in an effort to quell stubbornly-high inflation, a move that could spur a sharp response from the White House. The quarter-point increase lifts the Fed’s key rate to about 3.9% and, over time, could result in higher borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards. The move comes as Americans are already struggling with high costs for groceries, gas, and housing. Affordability has taken on a leading role in the upcoming midterm elections, just seven weeks away.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has approved a resolution holding billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress after he defied the Oversight Committee’s subpoenas in its investigation into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The swift action, without a formal roll call vote, refers the matter to the Justice Department to decide whether to seek criminal prosecution. The Oversight Committee had subpoenaed Black with a request to appear and to turn over any potential nondisclosure agreements involving the investigation into Epstein. Black’s lawyers have denounced the Oversight Committee’s pursuit of the former head of a private equity firm as an abuse of congressional power.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A motorist was arrested on murder charges after authorities say she slammed her SUV into a city bus in Los Angeles, killing at least two people and injuring six others in a prelude to a second deadly tragedy: the fiery crash of a TV news helicopter used by NBC and Telemundo that was covering the collision. Police say 36-year-old Bailee Lynn Rios was arrested Tuesday night and is being held at a Los Angeles jail with bail set at $4 million. Information on a lawyer who could speak on her behalf wasn’t immediately available. NBC4 Los Angeles identified the two on the helicopter as reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fencing has gone up around the main Kennedy Center building, a day after the Trump-aligned board voted to close most of the performing arts center for repairs. That vote came after a federal judge blocked the institution from returning President Donald Trump’s name to the building. The Republican had said in social media post that the closure was needed for safety repairs. But he said the repairs, which Congress has allocated $257 million to cover, would only happen if the board was permitted to move forward with plans to add his name to the building.

NEW YORK (AP) — Consumers stepped up their spending at a better-than-expected pace in August after an unexpectedly sharp pullback in July. Retail sales rose 1.2% last month after recording a revised 0.5% dip in July, according to Commerce Department data released Wednesday. The decline in July was notable because there had been few signs of fatigue from U.S. consumers. Americans spent heavily during the World Cup and Amazon Prime Day sales this summer. That followed heavy retail traffic in April and May as Americans dipped into their government tax refunds. Excluding gas prices, retail sales rose 1.1% in August. The government figures aren’t adjusted for inflation.

NEW YORK (AP) — Small business owners in the United States and Canada say a trade war between their countries is hurting sales while they are also dealing with rising expenses from higher fuel costs. Canada imposed reciprocal tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods last week after President Donald Trump placed import taxes on Canadian goods worth the same amount. Trump said the U.S. also would ban imports of wine, whiskey, selected motorcycles and the cheese-derived protein additive whey from Canada. The conflict between the economically entwined neighbors affects only about 5% of total exports and imports, but it is having a big impact on small businesses that depend on cross-border sales.

Leading voices in AI, including Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, agree that AI development needs to slow down. This consensus follows a former researcher’s warning about AI’s threats to humanity. But implementing a slowdown faces challenges like global competition, profit motives and pushback from the Trump administration. Amodei suggests independent evaluators for safety monitoring and calls for government regulation. Critics question the feasibility of these measures. President Donald Trump opposes limiting AI, viewing regulation as an obstacle for progress and beating China in the AI race. Industry experts are hopeful but uncertain about achieving a more safety-focused approach.

(AP) – Ed Sheeran’s tour has been thrown into turmoil by all of his supporting acts quitting after the rapper Macklemore was dropped as an opener due to pro-Palestinian comments he made onstage. Sheeran says the decision to drop Macklemore made by the promoter, not him. But the ouster led to Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga all leaving as well, citing artistic freedom and opposition to financial influence. That’s an apparent reference to billionaire Robert Kraft’s role in Macklemore’s ouster. Sheeran hasn’t commented since the other supporting acts left. His next performance is in Philadelphia on Saturday. Macklemore said Wednesday that he’s donating $1 million to organizations supporting Palestinian people, and he challenged Kraft to match the donation.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tickle Me Elmo, Bingo and the playground slide are among the finalists for the National Toy Hall of Fame this year. The lineup also includes Care Bears, Yahtzee, Mahjong, and Pokémon Trading Cards. The Hall announced its 12 finalists for the Class of 2026 on Wednesday. Voting is open to the public and a panel of judges until Sept. 23. Other nominees include Bop It!, Monster High dolls, Polly Pocket, Mouse Trap, and Sorry! The museum’s senior curator says the debate is part of the fun because every toy sparks different memories.  (Photo:  AP)