WJPA News

The League of Women Voters, Zonta, and the Washington County Bar Association joined forces on Main Street in front of the Washington County Courthouse to rally for the Equal Rights Amendment. Although it has been ratified and recognized as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution, it has not been duly certified and published. Cheryl Hopper, a member of Zonta, says that so much work has gone into this amendment, and she wants people to realize that, despite this work, it is still not part of the Constitution. The Equal Rights Amendment states that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” Melanie Rinchetti, the Vice President of the Zonta Chapter of Washington, says that she wants her daughter, and all young women, to have the same rights that she has. Antoinette Fitch, the President of the League of Women Voters of Washington County, says that there are many ways to help these efforts, including signing petitions, being informed before voting, and spreading the word.

The case involving a Canton Township couple who lived for several months with the corpse of a relative has come to a close. James Bebout pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of abuse of a corpse. A felony theft charge was dropped by prosecutors. Michael Bebout died while under the care of Bebout and his wife Debbie in August of 2024. Debbie pretended to care for the deceased Michael and continued to cash his social security checks for several months after his death. She pleaded guilty to theft and abuse of a corpse charges in February. She served 55 days in jail and is serving nearly 2 years of probation and paying nearly $6000 in restitution. James Bebout was sentenced to 12 months probation for his guilty plea. Bebout claimed that he was unaware of his brother’s death until he called 9-1-1 back in January of 2025.

Washington County Coroner Tim Warco has identified the victim of a fatal accident late Tuesday night in Hanover Township.  Warco says 21-year-old Corey Wood of Houston was the sole occupant of a vehicle that went out of control and left the roadway.  According to Warco, Wood was traveling west on Steubenville Pike when he lost control and his vehicle went into a wooded area west of the intersection of Steubenville Pike at Beverly Avenue.  He was not wearing a seatbelt, and he was ejected from the vehicle.  The investigation is ongoing, however, Warco says speed is believed to have been a factor.

Speeding along township roads has been a concern to North Strabane residents for quite some time. According to township manager Patrick Karnash, the residents of DeMar Blvd. and McDowell Lane approached the township in 2024 with concerns about excessive speeding. Karnash says that the township received a grant to implement traffic calming measures. Those measures will take the form of flashing speed signs and rumble strips. Karnash says the township is quite concerned about speeding, but also with the near proximity of school buildings, child safety is also a priority. The township will look to award a contract in September. Letters have been sent to residents along both roads where the measures will be placed. An informational meeting about the project will be held September 14 at 4:00 p.m. in the municipal building.

South Strabane Township Supervisors have tabled their Use of Fossil Fuel for Power Generation Ordinance again. It is part of the township’s overall data center ordinance that was approved in June. Chairman George Rowand says the board tried to capture all the negative impacts that using fossil fuel would cause. After hearing complaints from residents, Solicitor Dennis Makel recommended tabling the measure until he could review the ordinance and suggest additional changes. The board also voted to appoint Jason Brown as Interim Fire Chief.  Rowand says that the interviewing process for a permanent Chief will begin in the next two weeks.  Supervisors, again,  discussed three developments in the township: Bradford Run, Burkett Manor, and Meadows Landing.  Vice Chairman Jeff Bull says that because of setbacks with these developments in the past, the township changed engineers, and these developments will be discussed in future meetings so supervisors can ensure things are moving in the right direction.

Do you ever wonder what happens to personal items that are left at the Pittsburgh International Airport? Many times, if the items have identification, they are reunited with their owners. In the cases where that does not happen, the items are collected and then auctioned off. Bob Kerlik, Director of Public Relations for the Pittsburgh International Airport says that the Pittsburgh International Airport Auction for 2026 is open now. Personal items include laptops, sunglasses, drinking glasses and infant strollers. Big ticket items include a Windone folding E-bike, a Seiko watch and Sabika jewelry. Kerlik says that about 20 abandoned cars and pick-up trucks will be available for bid. Additionally, the airport will be auctioning off maintenance equipment and vehicles that have outlived their use for the airport. These items are popular for contractors looking to add to their equipment inventory. The auction is conducted entirely on line and is live right now. The website is www.joerpyleauctions.com. People may place their bids now through the end of the auction on September 8. If anyone would like to view the items in person, they may do so on September 7 at the Joe R. Pyle Auctions Warehouse at 1490 W. Chestnut Street in Washington.  Proceeds from the sale of personal items will support the ACAA Charitable Foundation to fund initiatives for the next generation of aviation professionals.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add stronger child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms as part of a landmark legal settlement. The deal announced Wednesday ends a trial over teen social media addiction and settles claims filed by 47 states. The settlement resolves a pivotal case years in the making that sought to hold the tech giant accountable for the role its platforms played in undermining children’s mental health. The effort targeted features designed to hook young people’s attention. If approved by the court, it will stop an avalanche of litigation by states against Meta. The company still faces lawsuits from individuals and school districts across the U.S.  (Photo:  AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration’s new “economic onslaught” on Iran’s financial connections around the world faces a challenge when it comes to China. Beijing is Iran’s biggest trading partner. While the U.S. is trying to isolate the Islamic Republic, President Donald Trump also is preparing to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month to maintain a fragile trade truce. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s announcement this week lacked specifics about targeting China. That has raised doubts about how effective the new campaign will be when the Trump administration must balance putting maximum pressure on Iran and avoiding higher tensions with China that could be costly to the U.S. economy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and Canada have ramped up their trade war, hitting each other with steep new tit-for-tat tariffs. Despite the bravado coming from both sides of the border over the past few days, though, analysts suspect the longtime allies will eventually strike a deal to end a conflict neither really wants. The prospects for compromise looked bleak Tuesday, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reacting to new 50% U.S. tariffs on certain Canadian goods by responding in kind on about $20 billion worth of American imports, including steel, dairy products, appliances and farm equipment. With the breakdown threatening to harm one of the world’s largest trading relationships, experts say there’s still time to avoid an even bigger trade war.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Darline Graham has won the Republican nomination to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham on South Carolina’s general election ballot. Darline Graham defeated U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman in Tuesday’s special Republican primary runoff, two weeks after they were the top two finishers in a 10-way primary. Despite being a political unknown, Graham bested some of South Carolina’s top political names in the special election. She was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster to serve out the remaining months of her late brother’s current term and swiftly notched an endorsement from President Donald Trump.

Dolly Parton, the beloved music and film star known for her vibrant personality and poignant songwriting, has died of cancer. She was 80 years old. Her career spanned decades, with hits like “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.” Born in Tennessee, she rose from humble beginnings to become a country music icon. Her partnership with Porter Wagoner helped launch her career, and she later became a successful actor and businesswoman. Parton was also a philanthropist, founding her Imagination Library to promote children’s literacy. Her charm and humor made her a beloved figure across generations and political divides.

(AP) – Tim Curry has died at 80. The beloved character actor created a gallery of delicious, loony villains for stage and screen. Curry gained fame as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” an iconic role that became a cultural touchstone, and as the smug concierge in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” His longtime friend and manager Marcia Hurwitz said he died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. No cause was disclosed. He had suffered a stroke in 2012 that put him in a wheelchair.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — An ICE agent charged in Minnesota with firing his gun through a house door, striking a man in his leg, and then lying to justify the shooting, could walk out of a South Texas jail if a federal judge does not intervene. Minnesota’s governor and attorney general is asking a federal judge in South Texas to order the Texas governor to extradite Christian Castro, an ICE agent, to Minnesota. Texas law says he must be released after 90 days of detention, which is Thursday. Attorneys representing the Texas governor said the extradition request has not formally been denied and until the governor makes a decision, it’s too soon to involve the courts.