WJPA News

Another Peters Township teen will face trial for child sexual abuse material. Alexander Scott, 18 of Venetia had four felony charges held for court without a hearing. Scott is accused by City of Washington Police of communicating with a minor and exchanging nude photos with that minor.  Police were contacted about harassment and possible sextortion on June 29. A forensic examination of the victim’s phone revealed child sexual abuse material. Police were able to identify two males involved with the minor, one of them being Scott. Police contacted Peters Township detectives and they confirmed that Scott was the subject of a similar investigation previously there. The second male was identified as a Peters Township High School graduate. Scott is facing felony charges of dissemination of photos or film depicting child sex acts, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with minors and criminal use of a communications device. Scott will be formally arraigned on October 27.

UPPER ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Route 19 will close in both directions Sunday between Boyce Road and McLaughlin Run Road/McMurray Road, weather permitting.  The closure will run from 2 a.m. to 10 p.m. as crews install temporary work structures for the Country Club Drive Bridge replacement project, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.  The restrictions could be lifted earlier if work is completed ahead of schedule.  The work is part of a $2.5 million bridge replacement project in Allegheny County.   PennDOT plans additional temporary disruptions on Route 19 as work progresses. Demolition activities and temporary bracing construction will require a day-long closure on a Saturday and another day-long closure on a Sunday. Crews will also implement a full weekend closure and detour on Route 19 later in the project to remove the temporary bracing and falsework.

The Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency (WCTPA) has announced a third round of tourism grant investments for 2026 totaling $110,300.  These projects will support tourism and marketing initiatives throughout Washington County as well as assist local organizations, municipalities, and businesses in enhancing visitor experiences, promoting attractions and events, and investing in tourism infrastructure.  To date, the WCTPA has awarded $504,850 in tourism program grants in 2026.  This latest funding round includes eight projects representing a diverse range of tourism initiatives, including the rehabilitation of a historic covered bridge, improvements to an accessible walking trail, and marketing campaigns designed to attract visitors to Washington County events, attractions, and facilities.  According to Jeff Kotula, President of the WCTPA, these strategic investments in local tourism assets and attractions are essential in strengthening the county’s economy and quality of life.  The summary below includes all grants approved by the WCTPA Board of Directors:

Capital Grants

• Amwell Township: $35,000 for rehabilitation of the Hughes Covered Bridge
• Donegal Township: $30,000 for paving and accessibility improvements to the walking trail at historical park
• Pennsylvania Trolley Museum: $4,300 for hardware and software upgrades to Trolley Simulator Exhibit

Marketing Projects

• County Home Shows: $14,000 to promote the 2027 Washington County Home Show through television and radio advertising
• Donora Borough: $10,000 to promote the inaugural Mon Valley Fall Festival & Carnival at Palmer Park through multimedia advertising
• DoubleTree by Hilton: $4,000 to promote the American Contract Bridge League Regional Championship through multimedia advertising
• Meadowcroft Rockshelter & Historic Village: $8,000 to promote 2027 visitation via print and digital advertising
• Sarris Candies: $5,000 to promote factory tours during special events held at the Sarris Candies Production Facility

Canonsburg Council held their agenda setting meeting and spent the evening discussing multiple items for two hours. Council will be voting on a measure to establish a Municipal Public Safety Drone Program. Its efforts would be the operation of drones by police, fire and public works personnel to get a better understanding of issues in those departments. Eric Chandler, Council President says that borough owned and operated drones would have been extremely valuable when rainstorms caused significant flooding in the west end of town last month. Council also discussed the possibility of establishing an entertainment fee on tickets for live performances in the borough. Revenue raised by the fee would be used to offset resources spent on police and ambulance services protecting the venues. The third item discussed concerned bills circulating in Harrisburg centered on the legalization of Skill Games in Pennsylvania. A June Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling stated that Skill Games are illegal slot machines. The court gave the legislature until October 13 to enact legislation protecting the devices. If not, the devices could be seized by Pennsylvania State Police. Council discussed the issue and recognized that Amusement Device Taxes paid to the borough for those machines would no longer be in effect. Council recognizes that it could put a dent into finances if no resolution is determined. Council will be holding workshops on September 21 on funding for the Town Park Pool repairs.  On September 28 a Canonsburg Forward workshop will be held.

Renovations will soon be made to the Generations Room at the Cecil Township Municipal Building. The Generations Room serves as the Cecil/McDonald Senior Center. Frank Egizio, the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, says that there will be tiles replaced, new doors installed, and old seating taken out. Egizio says that lunch and activities for senior citizens will be held at the local fire department while the work is being completed. Renovations are expected to start the first week of October and wrap up by the first week of November. Approximately $71,000 from a state grant award made these renovations possible. In other business, the $153,000 roof replacement project at the Cecil Municipal Building has been completed. Egizio says Vertex Roofing Contractors replaced the shingles and covered the skylights in the meeting room.

NEW YORK (AP) — A Pennsylvania coroner confirms that the two measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania last month involved infants, and the virus itself caused one of the deaths. Lancaster County’s coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, said Wednesday that he told the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of his conclusions. CDC officials, however, haven’t said whether they will count either death as measles-associated. The coroner says a boy died on Aug. 14 shortly after his birth of a ruptured spleen and tested positive for measles. A 6-week-old girl died Aug. 18 at her home. She was born with a genetic birth defect that left her highly vulnerable to an infection, and a measles infection killed her.

NOTTINGHAM TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A motorcyclist was killed Wednesday when he collided with a commercial van in Washington County.  Coroner Tim Warco says the crash happened just before 11 a.m. in Nottingham Township.  A motorcyclist was heading west in the 2300 block of State Route 136. Rounding a turn, he collided with a commercial van turning left across the westbound lane.  The rider was identified as Edward C. DeRosa, 56, of Finleyville.  Warco says DeRosa was not wearing a helmet.  Pennsylvania State Police and the coroner’s office continue to investigate.

NEW YORK (AP) — The trade war between the U.S. and Canada escalated once again as the U.S. announced upcoming import bans on most alcoholic beverages from Canada, along with other products including whey, molasses and motorcycles. About $20 billion in Canadian products were already subject to 50% tariffs. The products targeted by the import bans set to be implemented on Sept. 29 were among those already tariffed. Exporting products to the U.S. with a 50% levy would have been difficult for Canadian businesses. But the import bans are designed to increase the pain even more.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military says it has destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in response to the latest attacks on its warships. Tehran then hit back at American targets in Jordan. It’s the latest burst of back-and-forth strikes that have lurched the sides back toward open hostilities in a more than 6-month-old war. Following Tuesday’s American strikes, Iran launched missiles toward U.S. targets in Jordan, according to Iranian state-run media. Jordan’s military said its air defense systems intercepted 18 ballistic missiles launched toward its territory and two others fell in places where no one lives. It said it has no reports of casualties.

NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil has surpassed $100 a barrel for the first time in almost six weeks after attacks on oil facilities and ships in the Middle East threatened to debilitate an already weakened supply chain. The most heavily traded contract for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed on Tuesday and early Wednesday, briefly topping $100. Markets reacted after the U.S. military reported striking five Iranian tankers in response to attempted missile attacks on a Navy warship and after attacks by an Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group ignited fires at oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.

DALLAS (AP) — Republicans are opening their unique midterm convention that’s being described as a “Trump-a-Palooza.” The two-day event in Dallas kicked off Wednesday and puts President Donald Trump at center stage — whether candidates like it or not. Some party members are skipping the affair, citing scheduling conflicts or high attendance fees. Organizers describe it as a showcase for Trump’s successes and Republican causes. The convention features speeches from Trump, his eldest son and other party leaders. Democrats criticize the event, arguing it shows Republicans are out of touch with everyday issues like the economy and healthcare.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is using memes to portray himself as powerful amid struggles with inflation and international issues. Over Labor Day weekend, Trump and the White House shared memes showing him as a superhero and other fantastical figures. These images contrast sharply with reality, where many Americans find life unaffordable and question the Iran war’s worth. Some memes are AI-generated, and the administration often defends them as humorous. However, political strategists warn that memes won’t win over voters focused on economic issues. Despite attempts to energize his base, Trump’s approval ratings remain low.

A jury foreperson says the lone holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy trial said he had reasonable doubt but still wouldn’t acquit. The jury’s foreperson made the comments in a TV interview Tuesday. The interview with Boston’s NBC10 aired four days after a judge declared a mistrial when jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict on the question of whether Clancy was criminally responsible for killing her three young children in 2023. The names of the jurors have been temporarily sealed by the judge. The holdout juror has not yet come forward and given a public account of what happened inside the jury room.

CUPERTINO, California (AP) — Apple on Wednesday unveiled its latest generation of iPhones, including a widely anticipated foldable version called Duo. The company’s new CEO, John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on Sept. 1, introduced the latest lineup at the Steve Jobs Theater. After cycling through other updates to the iPhone, the Apple Watch and AirPods along with artificial intelligence advances, Ternus told the audience that “actually there is one more thing,” in a nod to the trademark phrase from Jobs that Jobs himself borrowed from the 1970s detective show “Columbo.” Called Duo, the phone has the “largest display ever on an iPhone, yet fits into your pocket,” Ternus said.

Families’ interest in their kids’ education is falling in many high-income countries as school systems struggle with plunging test scores. That’s according to newly released results from a standardized test taken by 15-year-olds around the world. Over 760,000 teenagers in dozens of countries took the Programme for International Student Assessment last year. Results were released Tuesday. Average scores in math, reading and science are all at their lowest point ever among highly developed economies. That includes continued declines in reading and math scores in the United States. China, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea scored the highest marks on the test.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 78th Emmy Awards are set for Monday night, with “The Pitt,” “Pluribus,” “Hacks,” and “Widow’s Bay” leading the charge. Noah Wyle, Rhea Seehorn, Jean Smart, and Matthew Rhys are favorites for top acting awards. “The Pitt” is expected to win its second straight best drama prize. The ceremony will air live on NBC at 8 p.m. Eastern, hosted by Mariska Hargitay. HBO Max’s “The Pitt” leads with 25 nominations, while “Hacks” has 24 for its final season. Many awards were already given out at early ceremonies over the weekend. “Widow’s Bay” brings eight Emmys into the main ceremony and could spoil the farewell party for “Hacks.”  (Photo:  AP)