WJPA News

The Honorable Judge Damon J. Faldowski has died.  Faldowski  passed away on Friday, July 10th.  Damon attended Washington & Jefferson College, where he earned his degree in psychology and also discovered a passion for law.  He continued his legal education at South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas, earning his JD in 1976.  Upon returning to Washington,  Damon began his legal career as the Assistant District Attorney of Washington County before co-founding Phillips & Faldowski, P.C. with his brother-in-law.  His legal career reached its pinnacle when, after forty years of practicing law, he was appointed by Governor Tom Wolf and sworn in as Judge of the Washington County Court of Common Pleas.  He served on the bench until his retirement in 2019.  Friends will be received on Tuesday, July 14, from 1 – 4 and 6 – 9 p.m. in the Warco-Falvo Funeral Home on Wilson at East Katherine Avenue in Washington.  A Departing Prayers of Transfer Service will be held on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 in the funeral home at 8:45 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. in the Immaculate Conception Church, St. James Parish, 119 W. Chestnut St., Washington.

Environmental advocates have discovered what they feel are extremely high levels of radium on a stretch of the Montour Trail in Cecil Township. According to our news partner Channel 11 who worked with Rolling Stone Magazine, normal radiation levels are determined to be 5 picocuries per liter of air. Independent testing with specialized equipment found levels to be 3500 picocuries per liter of air near a stretch of the trail on the Westland branch. Near the elevated levels is a company called 5D Field Services. They provide equipment for the oil and gas industry and process waste from oil and gas operations. When notified, the Pennsylvania DEP tested the area, using specialized radiation detection equipment and found no concerns. They acknowledged that the highest levels were around loose pipe scale from pipes stored on the 5D Field Services site. Because they say there are no concerns, the DEP will not be testing soil samples.

Long awaited repairs to Locust Avenue in South Strabane Township have been delayed. According to PennDot, repairs to the road between Interstate 79 and Hudak Hill, that suffered a landslide in March were scheduled to begin Monday July 13. Those repairs are now scheduled to begin on Monday July 27. PennDot estimates the repair work to last until mid October.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Donald Trump, has died at 71 after a brief illness, according to his office. Graham, known for advocating a strong U.S. foreign policy, was a key figure in Congress. He initially opposed Trump but later became a staunch supporter. Graham’s office has requested privacy for his family. Tributes have poured in from leaders like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called Graham a great friend of Israel. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster described him as irreplaceable. A temporary replacement will be appointed to serve until the next Senate term begins in January.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States has attacked Iran over an Iranian strike on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. The strike early Sunday set a container ship ablaze and forced its crew to abandon it. Iran apparently responded with strikes targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman. The new crossfire in the Persian Gulf comes after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested an interim deal and ceasefire in the Iran war was “over.” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote online: “Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.” The U.S. military’s Central Command said it hit some 140 targets in the strikes, far more than in the last two rounds.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States, the United Kingdom and a dozen other Western and Asian countries have reasserted that China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea are illegal. The joint statement issued by the nations Sunday reaffirms a 2016 arbitration ruling and rejects “destabilizing” actions in the disputed waters that threaten regional peace. The statement by the 14 countries and a separate one by the European Union commemorate a July 12, 2016, arbitration ruling by a tribunal established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. China refused to join the arbitration initiated by the Philippines in 2013 and rejects the 2016 ruling.

BERLIN (AP) — Volkswagen’s CEO has indicated that he’s trying to avoid closing plants as he seeks to turn around the automaker’s performance. The Wolfsburg, Germany-based company faces pressure to cut costs at home and increasingly intense competition in the lucrative Chinese market, in particular. Last week, Volkswagen said its “fundamental realignment” over the past three years had reached its next phase, announcing plans to streamline the model lineup by up to half. It didn’t provide specifics, and questions remain over how else it will cut costs. There has been renewed speculation about the future of several plants in Germany. CEO Oliver Blume said in remarks published Sunday that “there are more intelligent solutions than closing plants.”