October 7, 2026 5:55 pm
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) announced that 1,078 measles cases have been confirmed across 41 counties in Pennsylvania so far in 2026. Of the 74 cases added today, more than 40 represent individuals who were sick more than two weeks ago and are no longer contagious, but their cases were only recently reported and subsequently confirmed by DOH. Today’s update does not reflect a current surge in new infections. The Department 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 our 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 the Department’s ongoing response.
October 7, 2026 5:41 pm
(AP) – Tropical Storm Isaias has formed off eastern Mexico. Forecasters say it’s expected to strengthen into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season before hitting the U.S. Gulf Coast later in the week. The storm is on track to tie or break a 121-year-old record as the latest first Atlantic hurricane of the season. Isaias was centered Wednesday morning about 255 miles northwest of Progreso, Mexico. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said the storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. Forecasters predict the storm will become a hurricane on Thursday as it turns northward toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. Landfall is expected late Friday or early Saturday between the Mississippi coast and the Florida Panhandle.
October 7, 2026 5:38 pm
Two people were hurt in a crash in Washington County on Wednesday. A Washington County 911 supervisor says first responders were sent to the 40 block of Primrose Road in Mount Pleasant Township around 3:30 p.m. Two vehicles were reported to have crashed head-on, leaving one person trapped, the supervisor says. Two people were taken to the hospital, including one by medical helicopter.
October 7, 2026 4:12 pm
Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt is reminding eligible Pennsylvanians that the October 19th deadline to register to vote in the November third midterm election is less than two weeks away. “Registering to vote can be done online at vote.pa.gov, in person at your county elections office, or by paper application delivered to your county elections office,” Sec. Schmidt said. “It only takes a few minutes to ensure that you can make your voice heard in this election.” Online voter registration applications can be submitted up to 11:59 pm October 19th. Mailed and in-person voter registration applications must be received at county elections offices by close of business October 19th. Pennsylvanians are encouraged to use the Department’s online voter registration site, which is fast, secure, and convenient. Current registered voters can also use that site to update their name, address, or party affiliation. In the November election, Pennsylvania voters will have the opportunity to cast a ballot for governor/lieutenant governor, their representative in Congress, even-numbered state Senate districts, and all state House districts. The Department’s candidate database lists candidates who are running for office. (Photo: AP)
October 7, 2026 1:59 pm
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The FBI says it thwarted an attack on the Mall of America by a teenager after agents supplied him with an assault rifle. Authorities announced Wednesday that the 18-year-old had been under investigation for nearly two years, trading messages with a confidential informant. A federal complaint says Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud was arrested Tuesday in a public park after he paid $600 to an undercover FBI employee posing as a member of ISIS for an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammunition. It accuses Mohamud of repeatedly telling the informant that he wanted to kill non-Muslims. It was not immediately known if he has a lawyer to speak for him.
October 6, 2026 2:59 am
Washington City Police say they have made an arrest in connection with an early morning accident on Saturday that severely damaged parts of Fairhill Manor Church on Montgomery Avenue, and sent two people to Pittsburgh hospitals by medical helicopter. Authorities say it happened just after one o’clock, when a vehicle plowed into the church’s brick monument sign – essentially destroying it – and then coming to rest on the church’s steps. Two occupants who were trapped inside had to be extricated by emergency responders. They were flown to Pittsburgh area hospitals. There’s been no word on their identities or the severity of their injuries. Police say they then observed a man, identified as Avery Alexander Ray, fleeing the scene. He was eventually apprehended and taken into custody following a struggle. Two officers were injured, with one seeking medical treatment. Ray was taken to UPMC Washington Hospital for evaluation and then to the county jail. Police say he faces multiple charges. They are asking anyone who may have seen the crash or have surveillance video to call them. The investigation is continuing.
October 6, 2026 2:44 am
(Canonsburg, PA) – Visitors to Washington County spent a record $804.5 million in 2025, according to a recently released report from the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) and Visit PA. Visitor spending locally increased more than five percent year-over-year, outpacing both the regional and state averages. Visitor spending has increased 35% over the last five years. The DCED and Visit PA released their annual report on travel and tourism in the Commonwealth, the 2025 Economic Impact of Visitors to Pennsylvania, analyzing the impact of tourism across the state. The report confirms Washington County, PA, as the second-leading county in the Greater Pittsburgh region in overall visitor spending and shows continued growth in significant categories such as Total Business Sales, Employment, Personal Income and State/Local Taxes generated by the tourism industry. “Reaching over $800 million in visitor spending is a significant milestone for Washington County’s tourism efforts and further demonstrates that this industry is an important piece of our local economy,” stated Jeff Kotula, President of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Promotion Agency. “It also illustrates that our strategy to promote our exciting county in partnership with our local hotels, event operators, attractions, and municipalities is attracting visitors, growing our economy, and creating jobs for our residents.”
October 7, 2026 4:43 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Christa Pike is “angry and confused” after surviving an attempt to execute her in Tennessee. One of Pike’s attorneys, Randy Spivey, said Wednesday that she aware of what happened. Executioners tried twice to administer lethal doses of pentobarbital to Pike on Sept. 30. Witnesses were able to hear her breathing heavily before she was removed from the death chamber. On Wednesday, a judge said she would issue an order to the state to preserve anything that was in the execution chamber and all communication records. Pike was sentenced to death for the beating and stabbing death of Colleen Slemmer in 1995. (Photo: AP)
October 7, 2026 4:45 am
ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — Cornell University trustees have announced that former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates will review how the university handles sexual misconduct complaints. Tuesday’s announcement comes after days of outrage over allegations of a 2024 gang rape at a fraternity house. The review will cover how the university investigates reports of sexual assault and sexual harassment, how the disciplinary process works and more. Cornell officials have been heavily criticized for their response to a complaint from a woman who told campus police in 2024 that she had been sexually assaulted by multiple Chi Phi fraternity brothers. New York’s attorney general is conducting a criminal investigation, and the governor called for an independent review.
October 6, 2026 4:40 am
JERUSALEM (AP) — As Israel gears up for national elections this month, the country remains focused on Oct. 7. The Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks are at the forefront of a bitter campaign that will determine the fate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Nearly every poster, stump speech or debate on television seems to reference the attack. Netanyahu’s opponents want him to pay for the failures that led to the deadliest day in Israel’s 78-year history and plunged the country into a series of inconclusive wars. His defenders say Netanyahu was betrayed by the military establishment and has led Israel through a dramatic rebound from its darkest hour.
