November 5, 2026 2:13 pm
Washington County Commissioners have passed on responsibility of the Washington County Real Estate Expo to the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Washington. The county will however, retain the responsibilities of marketing, graphic design and set up for the event. Commissioner Chairman Nick Sherman said that it was time to let go of the program and called the Redevelopment Authority the best organization to advance the program. He said that by doing this, the program may qualify for additional funding. The vote however was 2-1. Commissioner Larry Maggi asked that the measure be tabled because of a recently received audit of last year’s expo that levels what he calls, severe questions in the administration of the event. He said that the county should address the concerns in the audit before passing it along to the RACW. Sherman said that the calendar dictates that the transfer be done now for planning purposes. Maggi, who states that he is not in favor of the event, calls the expo a waste of taxpayer money. Sherman says that a recent meeting with the Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development indicates that the event falls in line with state efforts in providing housing and business support.
November 5, 2026 1:47 pm
BROWNSVILLE, Pa. — A man accused of beating a woman and setting fire to her home while she was still inside was sentenced to prison on Wednesday. Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said Anthony T. Boyer, 47, received a sentence of 17 to 34 years in a state correctional facility after he was convicted by a jury. He was convicted of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, arson and burglary. Police said Boyer broke into his ex-girlfriend’s house in Brownsville in October 2025 and beat her with a tire iron and a baseball bat. Police said he also assaulted a member of the woman’s family who was also in the house at the time. Officers arrived at the scene while it was ongoing and found a burning pile of pillows and readily combustible household items at the time. Police said the woman was beaten so severely that she initially appeared to be dead. When officers interviewed Boyer, they asked if the woman he attacked was dead. When he was told she was not, he said, “She will be dead,” and implied he knew people who would make it happen.
November 5, 2026 8:45 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs remain scarce and most workers enjoy job security. The Labor Department reported Thursday that 189,000 people sought jobless aid last week, fewest since mid-July and down from 195,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week ups and downs, dipped to 194,750. Applications for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them closely because they can provide signs of where the job market is headed. So far this year, claims have remained at historically low levels, never topping 230,000 in a single week. They’ve come in at or below 200,000 for eight straight weeks
November 5, 2026 5:51 am
The Cecil Township Board of Supervisors held a data center workshop to give residents the opportunity to provide feedback on a drafted data center ordinance. Less than ten residents attended the workshop. Supervisor Cindy Fisher says she was surprised by the turnout, because many residents expressed opinions on social media. Resident Deborah Lee expressed concerns about how close a data center could be to residential properties. The drafted ordinance states that there would be a 500-foot setback. Additionally, data centers could only go in a limited area of I-2 zoning, and there are conditions regarding energy and water use. Lee says she is happy to have the opportunity to speak with supervisors about the ordinance. Fisher explains that the next steps would be to incorporate changes, advertise the formal ordinance, and then hold a public hearing. Fisher says an ordinance will be adopted by the end of January.
November 4, 2026 2:46 am
Pennsylvania State Police have identified a serial killer responsible for two murders in Washington County in the 1970s, and authorities say there could be more victims. DNA evidence has helped bring answers to the two cold cases, identifying James Richard Clark Sr. as the suspect. Clark, however, died on July 17, 2023, at the age of 66. More than five decades ago, Susan Rush was 21, and Brenda Ritter was 18. Both were raped and murdered. Rush, of Washington, disappeared in 1976 after leaving a local shopping mall. She was scheduled to meet family members at a church for a Thanksgiving Eve dinner but never arrived at the services or her home. On Nov. 25, her brother found her locked car parked along North Avenue in Washington with the driver’s side window open one inch. Rush was found dead inside. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Six months after Rush was killed, a second homicide occurred in the county. Ritter was last seen leaving her boyfriend’s home in Chartiers Township on May 18, 1977. The next morning, her abandoned vehicle was located along Rankin Road in South Strabane Township. A State Police helicopter located her body on a hillside not far from her car, and her clothing was found nearby. Ritter was also sexually assaulted and strangled to death. Early leads in her case similarly yielded no results until investigators submitted evidence from the Ritter homicide to a crime lab in late 2008 to create an offender profile, but the profile produced no matches until state police received grant funding for cold-case DNA testing in May 2022 and completed further testing three years later. State police say they believe there may be more victims as Clark was employed at the time, as a long haul truck driver.
November 4, 2026 2:44 am
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) today confirmed that an unvaccinated resident of Jefferson County tested positive for measles and has died. This is the sixth confirmed measles-associated death in Pennsylvania. The death was reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and added to Pennsylvania’s measles dashboard. The number of confirmed measles cases stands at 1,467 across 45 counties so far in 2026. To protect the privacy of the individual and their family, DOH will not release any additional details that could personally identify them. DOH is bound by laws that limit what can be shared publicly, and families deserve the dignity to mourn in private. DOH continues to lead Pennsylvania’s robust response to the ongoing measles outbreak and is making the most up-to-date information on cases, hospitalizations, and deaths available on its measles dashboard. While daily numbers fluctuate, tracking these trends provides Pennsylvanians and health care providers with visibility into community transmission across the Commonwealth and helps inform DOH’s ongoing robust response. Key updates include thirty-four newly confirmed cases since November 2nd in forty-five counties. Total hospitalizations are now at two-hundred and eighty-three and deaths now stand at six.
November 5, 2026 4:41 am
CRANBERRY, Pa. — After Tuesday’s election, Democrats in Pennsylvania will hold the Governor’s Office, State House, and State Senate. “We now have a responsibility to govern and govern responsibly with this new trifecta, and that is exactly what we will do,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said Wednesday. He announced some things he wants to get done now that he has full party control in the legislature, including funding mass transit and raising the minimum wage. Despite the big wins for Democrats across the state and country, southwestern Pennsylvania Republicans performed very well, with only one GOP-controlled state house seat flipping blue, and one Democratic seat returning to GOP control.
November 5, 2026 1:44 pm
We are quickly closing in on Thanksgiving. It’s just three weeks away and 2000 Turkeys needs your help. The annual fundraiser, sponsored by WJPA Radio and the Observer Reporter, raises much needed funding to provide a complete Thanksgiving dinner to thousands of families who might not otherwise enjoy the day. This year, as food and fuel costs continue to climb, the need is great. A special thanks goes out today to Washington Financial Bank. CEO Michael Chaido stopped in the WJPA studios to present a fifteen-thousand-dollar check from the bank and another five-thousand-dollar check from the bank’s charitable foundation. Our 2000 Turkeys goal this year is 165-thousand-dollars, and to date, we have raised 100-thousand-dollars. We are also hitting the streets again this year. Range Resource’s Day is set for Wednesday, November 18th from eight a.m. until two p.m. in downtown Washington and Canonsburg. Employees and volunteers will be out asking for your help to reach our goal. If you would like to help, you can send a check to P.O. Box 2000, Washington, Pennsylvania, 15301, or bring your donation to WJPA Radio at 98 South Main Street or the Observer Reporter at 122 South Main Street, both in Washington. We are also, for the first time this year, accepting on-line donations using Zeffy. You can find the link on the WJPA and Observer Reporter websites. Thank you!
November 5, 2026 4:45 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump faces a tough decision on his unpopular war against Iran after the Republican Party’s midterm losses. He had hinted at escalating the conflict if Tehran didn’t meet his terms by Election Day. Now with the election behind him, Trump must decide whether to escalate, maintain the status quo or find a pathway out of the conflict. Despite acknowledging the political cost, Trump on Wednesday said his decision to launch the conflict was the right one. The war has caused significant casualties and had an economic impact around the globe. The AP Voter Poll found about one-third of voters said the war in Iran was “crucial” to shaping how they voted for Congress.
November 5, 2026 4:49 am
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaskans have settled in to await more results for key races on the general election ballot that are not yet called. Those include a bitterly fought U.S. Senate campaign and an open seat for governor. A ballot measure seeking to repeal the state’s unique system of open primaries and ranked vote general elections is also too early to call. If no candidate wins more than 50% of first-choice votes, rankings will come into play. Alaska accepts ballots from overseas voters for up to 15 days after the election. That makes Nov. 18 the date targeted by state elections officials to tabulate the votes under the ranked vote system.
