WJPA News

Peters Township Council continues to work on their Mixed Residential Overlay District. They will be holding a public hearing on modifications to that ordinance on June 22 as part of their regular meeting. The changes under consideration will be reducing the dwelling unit density from six units to two and a half units per acre. Open space requirements will be increased from 10% to 30% and multifamily structures will be eliminated. Several other size and setback considerations will also be weighed. Council also approved a parking restriction in Rolling Hills Park. Park users have complained that high school students have been using the parking lots adjacent to the great lawn and not allowing them to use those parking spaces for their intended purpose. Fines will be $25 if paid in 10 days, $50 dollars after. The ordinance will take effect when students return to school this fall. A stop sign will be installed at the intersection of Johnson Road and Lintel Drive. Sight distance and speed were considerations for that action. And seven school resource officers will travel to Reno, Nevada to accept the “Model SRO Agency Award” from the National Association of School Resource Officers. Peters Township is one of 11 agencies to win the award in 2026. While they are out there, the officers will receive annual training from NASRO. Council’s next meeting will be delayed by a day because of the Memorial Day holiday. It will take place May 26 at 7:30 pm.

Gas prices are 20 cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.851 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.  Even though the national average has been decreasing over the past few days, this week’s average is still seven cents more than a week ago at $4.52. Pump prices are 39 cents more than a month ago and $1.39 higher than they were a year ago. Prices have not been this high since summer of 2022. While crude oil prices dipped below $100 per barrel amid ongoing negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, gasoline prices continue to face pressure from global supply concerns.  According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased last week from 9.10 million barrels per day to 8.81 million.  Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 222.3 million barrels to 219.8 million. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.6 million barrels per day.

A Pennsylvania lawmaker has been nominated to serve as the United States Ambassador to Slovakia. Doug Mastriano, a Republican, currently serves in the State Senate. He has represented Franklin and Adams counties since 2019. “I am deeply honored and humbled by President Trump’s nomination to serve as United States Ambassador to the Slovak Republic. Upon Senate confirmation, I look forward to representing our nation abroad, strengthening the friendship between our two countries, and advancing the interests of the American people,” Mastriano said. Mastriano will need to be confirmed by the United States Senate. Mastriano was a candidate for Pennsylvania governor, but lost to Josh Shapiro in 2022.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is moving to suspend the federal tax on gasoline to help Americans shoulder surging fuel prices caused by the Iran war. The president can’t suspend the federal tax on his own. Congress would have to approve the move. Lawmakers from both parties have pushed for a gas-tax suspension, saying it would provide much-needed relief for families and businesses that rely on their cars and trucks to get to work and school and run everyday errands. The federal tax is currently set at 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel fuel. That does not include state taxes, which often are higher. As of Monday, the average national gas price was $4.52 a gallon, according to the AAA motor club, 50% higher than before the war.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to leave for Beijing for high-stakes talks with President Xi Jinping. The U.S. has been trying to persuade China to use its influence over Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. China, a major buyer of Iranian oil, insists it wants the war to end even as the U.S. accuses Chinese firms of aiding Iran’s military. The White House has set low expectations for Trump’s visit to change China’s stance. Instead, the focus is on keep trade relations stable. Both nations want to avoid further straining their relationship and risk further roiling global markets.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has set the stage for Alabama to get rid of one of two largely Black congressional districts before this year’s midterm elections. The decision Monday comes after the court in April struck down a majority-Black U.S. House district in Louisiana as an illegal racial gerrymander. Alabama has been under a court order to use two largely Black districts but asked the court to reconsider that in light of the Louisiana ruling. The high court overturned that order and directed a lower court to reconsider the case. Alabama wants to instead use a map passed in 2023 by the Republican-led legislature that has one majority-Black district.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The last remaining passengers on a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak have disembarked and boarded flights to more than 20 countries to enter quarantine. A French woman was the latest to be confirmed as infected, while an American is suspected of infection after initial testing. France’s prime minister said Monday that the French woman who tested positive is in intensive care but stable at a Paris hospital. U.S. health officials said the patient who initially tested positive is not showing any symptoms and will be tested again. The World Health Organization recommended close monitoring of the former passengers, and many countries quarantined them.