September 24, 2026 2:17 am
Flooding is the topic of conversation these days, after multiple residents and businesses in the Washington County area were flooded – again – after heavy rains over the past few weeks continued to flood the same areas. A meeting was held today with Republican State Senator Camera Bartolotta and Washington Mayor JoJo Burgess, along with an engineer and other local leaders, to address those concerns. All who attended say they want to find solutions to the issues and are working toward taking action sooner, rather than later. Bart0lotta says many times, their plans must be dictated by studies, then reviewed and then, hopefully, approved. She says this could take a long time and they are trying to make small improvements now, that don’t require state approval, to help alleviate some of the issues now.
September 24, 2026 2:37 am
The Mariana Outdoorsmen Association (a non-profit) has initiated a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and PennDOT, in an effort to protect and preserve recreational opportunities in the state. The suit alleges that PennDOT’S roadway stabilization project along the streambank of Ten Mile Creek was ill-conceived and unpermitted. The suit claims their actions resulted in a significant redirection of streamflow and decimation of the streambank, resulting in a portion of the water that supported recreational activities being useable.
September 24, 2026 4:38 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s move to ban three news outlets from the White House grounds and said CNN, MS NOW and Politico must have their access restored. The ruling released early Thursday is the latest development in an escalating showdown between President Donald Trump and media outlets whose coverage he dislikes. Trump announced he was banning the outlets Friday, assailing what he called “fake news.” The outlets argued they were singled out because of the content of their coverage and called the ban a “blatant violation” of the First Amendment. The judge’s temporary restraining order is to be in effect for 14 days.
September 24, 2026 4:39 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have a packed agenda for their talks at the White House. The leaders on Thursday are tackling issues like trade irritants, artificial intelligence safeguards, and the war in Iran. Trump wants China to use its influence with Iran, while Xi seeks a halt to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. A fragile trade truce had been set to expire in November, but the two countries agreed Wednesday to extend it for two months. Trump faces midterm elections, and Xi is dealing with a sluggish economy. Despite tensions, both leaders aim to avoid conflict. Any big breakthroughs in the relationship seem unlikely, but both sides are keen to maintain stability.
September 24, 2026 4:41 am
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Southwestern Mexico is bracing for heavy rain and mudslides after Polo became a major hurricane in the Pacific. Forecasters also warned Wednesday that another system heading toward Hawaii could cause catastrophic flooding later in the week. Hurricane Polo is expected to skirt Mexico’s Guerrero state, submerging coastal areas with up to 6 inches of rain through Thursday. Guerrero has been repeatedly pummeled by hurricanes in recent years. Tropical Storm Nolo was expected to approach the Big Island as early as Friday. Nolo is projected to drop up to 20 inches of rain, raising the possibility of flooding and mudslides.
September 24, 2026 3:13 am
An attorney for former NFL star wide receiver Antonio Brown says he plans to accept a plea deal on an attempted murder charge in Miami that avoids prison. Brown is scheduled to appear in court next Wednesday to make the deal final. He could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the current attempted murder charge. Brown is accused of grabbing a handgun from a security staffer after a celebrity boxing match in Miami in May 2025 and firing two shots at a man he had gotten into a fistfight with earlier, according to an arrest warrant. Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu told investigators that one of the bullets grazed his neck.
September 23, 2026 4:43 am
South Strabane Township Supervisors were not surprised by the standing room only crowd or the subject that was on their minds. For two hours supervisors fielded questions about past plans for flooding and heard heart wrenching stories from flood victims. One resident spoke of how flood waters came up to her chest in the basement of her home. Another resident told of 5 floods in three years and how that is causing his mother-in-law to move out of their house because her living quarters are constantly being flooded. He said his children are now afraid any time rain falls. State Senator Camera Bartolotta worked diligently to contact the Secretary of Transportation and the Director of the DEP to come up with solutions to more quickly address the needs of South Strabane Township residents. She is also lobbying colleagues in Harrisburg and the Army Corps. of Engineers to develop a plan to address flooding issues along Chartiers Creek and Catfish Creek. Supervisor Jeff Bull said that in older areas of the township, state and federal regulations regulating storm water did not exist when those developments were built. That has a great effect on current flooding. Supervisors agreed to begin looking into solutions for those issues and to keep working on making sure that future developments have all of the adequate storm water management in place before accepting developments as complete.
September 23, 2026 1:53 pm
After being canceled last week due to muddy field conditions, Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour stop in the Pittsburgh area will not be rescheduled. “After exploring every possible option to bring Farm Tour back, we’re saddened to share that due to Luke Bryan’s schedule, the Pennsylvania and Michigan shows will unfortunately not be able to be rescheduled,” 1846 Farms posted on its Facebook page Wednesday.1846 Farms in Westmoreland County was where Bryan’s show was scheduled to take place on Thursday last week. Over the weekend, Bryan’s Farm Tour stop in Allegan, Mich., was also called off because of field conditions. According to the farm, refunds will be issued, and it says ticket holders should monitor the email associated with their ticket purchase, as well as Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour webpage.
September 23, 2026 6:19 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge weighing President Donald Trump’s ban of three news outlets from White House grounds expressed some skepticism Wednesday in response to the government’s defense of the move. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly didn’t rule from the bench after hearing arguments in the extraordinary showdown. But the judge questioned whether the administration met its legal responsibilities and provided the news outlets with adequate due process before banning them Friday. Trump has assailed what he calls “fake news” and has said negative coverage is dangerous for the country. The news outlets called the ban a “blatant violation” of the First Amendment. Kelly says he will rule on the case as soon as possible.
September 23, 2026 6:21 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Washington, where he was met with a rare planeside greeting from President Donald Trump, who was there to welcome his counterpart on the tarmac instead of waiting for him to drive up to the White House. Trump’s decision to greet Xi’s Wednesday arrival at Joint Base Andrews just outside Washington, rather than receiving him at the executive residence, shows how far the U.S. president is going to honor China’s leader as he makes his first state visit to the U.S. Capitol in more than a decade.
