October 31, 2026 4:10 am
One adult and one child were involved in a crash in Washington County early Saturday morning. A Washington County 911 supervisor says first responders were sent to the area of 70 Water Dam Road in Mount Pleasant Township following a report of a single vehicle crash around 2:40 AM. One female was trapped. She was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital. A child was walking around the vehicle when first responders arrived. The child was also being transported to a hospital.
October 31, 2026 3:30 am
In its tenth year of existence, the Mon Valley Alliance held its fourth annual Economic Symposium. Jamie Colecchi is the CEO of the MVA. He steered the focus of the meeting to one of looking to the future. Colecchi celebrated the near buildout of the Alta Vista Business Park. He then told of how the area is embarking on a new business park. Feasibility studies are finishing up on the development of 542 acres of an old mining site located along Route 136 and the Mon Fayette expressway. Colecchi says that the proposed site could hold anywhere from 17-20 building pads for light industrial uses. An adjacent 100 acre parcel is under consideration for residential use. He also said that there is interest nearby for a sports related complex. County Commissioners from the four counties that make up the MVA also took part by offering what they are doing to plan for the future. Jared Edgreen from Greene County joined in with all other commissioners in trying to prevent “brain drain” from county students. He says that the Greene County Career and Technology Center is bursting at the seams with talent and they are working diligently to identify current and emerging businesses to funnel that talent. Sean Kertes from Westmoreland County says his county is seeing a big influx of manufacturing opportunities, especially coming from Allegheny County. His county too, is investing in educational opportunities for the trades to keep kids home. Nick Sherman from Washington County said that they have had great success in trying to provide first time home buying opportunities for young people by clearing blight. He said a large portion of 8 million dollars in blight mitigation funds were spent along the Monongahela River towns removing blighted properties to allow those young people to feel comfortable moving into affordable existing homes. Scott Dunn from Fayette County is proud of a 13 billion dollar investment from Next Era Resources in their construction of a gas powered power generation plant that he hopes will spur more manufacturing in the region. Rick Siger, Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development was the keynote speaker. He touted the success of Pennsylvania being the third leading state for adding jobs and the ninth leading state for manufacturing development.
October 31, 2026 3:39 am
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) announced that 1,426 measles cases have been confirmed across 44 counties in the state this year. There have been 28 newly confirmed cases since Wednesday. The DOH is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to respond to the measles outbreak. The DOH reminds the public that getting fully vaccinated is the best protection against measles. The MMR vaccine is administered over two doses and provides 97% lifetime protection.
October 31, 2026 4:13 am
(AP) — A shooting at a mall in Fairfield, California, has left one person dead and six injured. Police say the incident happened on Friday night inside the Spirit Halloween store in Solano Town Center. Seven people were confirmed to have gunshot wounds, and one later died. The others have been taken to local hospitals, with at least three in critical condition. There is no further information on the victims’ identities or details of the shooting. Police say the location remains an active crime scene, and officers are talking to witnesses to identify the suspect.
October 31, 2026 3:47 am
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice is pushing for a court order to isolate certain Alaska ballots to investigate potential voter confusion, while federal officials confirmed the existence of a criminal probe over a Senate candidate who shares a name with the Republican incumbent. The dueling developments came days before Tuesday’s ranked choice general election, in a race headlined by two-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. The race is among a handful nationwide expected to determine control of the Senate. Peltola says she is not interested in “tricking voters.”
October 31, 2026 3:45 am
PARIS (AP) — France is bracing for a third weekend of protests over living costs and education, deploying 70,000 police and gendarmes. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warns of a “very high risk” of disorder, especially after dark on Halloween. Paris police have banned union and yellow vest marches through the city center, pushing them to the outer boulevards. Unions and student groups are challenging the ban in court. The movement began with high school students protesting school conditions and has broadened into anger over living costs. Protests are also spreading across Europe, with demonstrations planned in Germany, Spain, and other countries.
October 31, 2026 3:49 am
KHERSON, Ukraine (AP) — Russian and Ukrainian officials say some residents have been evacuated from the war-ravaged city of Oleshky. The evacuations Friday came on the fourth day of the most significant truce since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began 4½ years ago. Ukrainian lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia says the evacuees are traveling by bus to the city of Anapa in southern Russia then will flying to Belarus and cross the border into northern Ukraine. Russia’s lead representative on the mission says residents who want to live in Russia have also been evacuated. The White House says the humanitarian mission and ceasefire were brokered following negotiations involving U.S. first lady Melania Trump.
October 30, 2026 2:39 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Get ready to fall back. The Senate is unlikely to act on a House-passed bill that would make daylight saving time permanent, despite pressure from President Donald Trump and Americans who don’t like having to change their clocks twice a year. Daylight saving time ends early Sunday, requiring much of the U.S. to move clocks back one hour. Several senators are holding up legislation that would eliminate that longtime U.S. tradition. Supporters argue that ending the time change would provide more daylight during the times Americans are most active. Opponents say commuters in some states wouldn’t see the sun until after 9 a.m.
October 30, 2026 5:44 pm
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Leo XIV has become the first pope to vote in a U.S. general election, casting a mail-in ballot in Chicago. The Vatican confirmed Friday that Leo, born Robert Prevost, exercised his right as a U.S. citizen, emphasizing his belief in civic participation. Leo holds U.S. and Peruvian citizenship and has voted whenever eligible. U.S. law allows citizens abroad to vote via absentee ballot. Leo’s vote was first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. The pope has been vocal about U.S. politics, often clashing with former President Donald Trump on issues like immigration and war. (Photo: AP)
October 30, 2026 1:19 pm
EPHRATA, Pa. (AP) — Lancaster County in Pennsylvania has been the epicenter of the nation’s worst measles outbreak in 35 years. It’s also home to the largest Amish population in the U.S. Some Amish and related Mennonite groups, with historically lower rates of vaccination, have been hit hard. Vaccination rates also declined in the general population amid the resurgence of a contagious virus considered “eliminated” from the U.S. since 2000. Pennsylvania leads the U.S. this year with over 1,350 cases, more than a third in Lancaster County, according to official figures. Many Amish and Mennonites are showing a new openness to vaccines, while members of the general public are also taking extra precautions.
