August 19, 2026 3:50 pm
A deadly crash temporarily shut down a large section of I-79 in Southwestern Pennsylvania on Wednesday. Around 1:30 p.m., PennDOT advised that northbound I-79 was closed between Exit 7 (Kirby) and Exit 14 (Waynesburg) in Greene County because of a crash between two vehicles. Pennsylvania State Police confirm one person died. No additional information was immediately available. The road had reopened by around 3 p.m.
August 19, 2026 4:57 am
A man was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh after an accident at the Washington County Fair Tuesday evening. Washington County 911 dispatchers tell WJPA News it happened just before 6 p.m. We are told the man suffered a leg fracture but it is unclear exactly what happened. There is no word on his identity or condition. The accident occurred prior to the Motocross event scheduled for 7 p.m. No other information is currently available.
August 19, 2026 12:34 pm
Last spring, the Washington Community Theatre became aware that funds were missing from their account. Police investigations led to their treasurer Andrew Mours for misappropriating funds. Mours was in court for a plea court hearing that was set up to allow Mours to make restitution payments to the organization. Washington Community Theatre President Jeff Zollars explained that the payment plan was suggested by a former board member Megan Faust, an attorney that once served as an assistant district attorney, to allow a successful outcome without a lot of drama. Zollars says that approximately $20,000 of the nearly $41,000 has been returned to the organization. Zollars says that when the incident came to light, he thought the organization would fold after 57 years. He is grateful to the community for their support and to local organizations that helped hold fundraising efforts. The group held a two night fundraiser in Washington Park that was a night of Broadway Songs. The Old Schoolhouse Players opened their doors host a “Theater Feud” trivia contest among four local theater groups as another fundraiser. Mours had no comment on the matter after the hearing. He is scheduled to continue making payments. Mours is charged with three theft felonies and one forgery felony. His next court date is December 2.
August 19, 2026 2:43 pm
Pennsylvania State Representative Josh Kail hosted a Scam Jam event at the Burgettstown Community Library to inform constituents on how to spot and avoid financial frauds and scams. Representative Kail says these events are important to give constituents a point of contact and someone they can trust if they see something suspicious or fall victim to fraud. Presenters at the event represented organizations like the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities, the Smith Township Police Department, and AARP. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions, collect contact information, and play Fraud Bingo! Tyler Evans, a detective with the Smith Township Police Department, says that a lot of people fall victim to scams in the area, and some do not realize it until there is an investigation. Katrina Boyer, an investor education coordinator for the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities, says that people should not be embarrassed if they fall victim, and she hopes that these events provide them with plenty of resources if they are a victim of fraud.
August 19, 2026 2:48 am
Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying several suspects who they believe may be linked to car thefts in two Southwestern Pennsylvania counties. On Aug. 5 at around 1:42 a.m., the North Strabane Township Police Department responded to a report of a stolen vehicle on McClelland Road. Police said the three alleged actors are also believed to be linked to other stolen vehicles in Washington and Allegheny counties. They are believed to have ties to the Canonsburg, Carnegie and Verona areas. Anyone with information regarding the identity of any of these suspects is asked to contact the North Strabane Township Police Department tip line at 724-746-4090 or submit information via email at tips@nstpd.com. (Photo: WPXI)
August 19, 2026 2:38 am
The first adult charged in connection with a sextortion ring involving high school students was set to face a judge – when Aaron White, 30 that learned his case was being postponed. White was charged at the end of last month after police were investigating Zachariah Meyers’ sextortion case. Meyers was the Peters Township Senior Class president charged with running a sextortion operation that targeted his classmates. As detectives were investigating his case, they examined one of the victim’s phones, and they say they discovered disturbing messages and photos from Aaron White. At this point, it’s unclear if Meyers and White were working together. According to investigators, White was communicating with the teenage boy on Snapchat. When investigators questioned White, police say he admitted to exchanging videos and pictures with the teen. White’s preliminary hearing was rescheduled for two weeks from now. A second adult was charged as a third person connected to the sextortion scheme earlier this month.
August 18, 2026 2:51 am
STATE COLLEGE — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that the leader of a cocaine-trafficking ring involving Penn State University students and two student fraternities surrendered Tuesday morning. Agostino Abbatiello, 24, was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker on numerous felonies, including multiple counts of possession with intent to deliver (cocaine), and conspiracy. The district judge denied bail at arraignment. Abbatiello and 13 other defendants were charged Monday morning. Abbatiello failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment Monday morning. Thirteen of the charged defendants were Penn State University students at or around the time of the alleged conduct, in 2023 and 2024. According to the investigation and a grand jury presentment, Abbatiello and Thomas Robinson were the main suppliers for the criminal organization, making regular trips to Philadelphia and New York for large quantities of cocaine. The cocaine was then cut and packaged — primarily at the Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternity houses — and distributed mainly to Penn State University students. “We are pleased to report that the most significant members of this cocaine-trafficking organization are accounted for, and will have their fair process in court,” Attorney General Sunday said. “These are very serious charges and the next steps will be preliminary hearings.”
August 19, 2026 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he is delaying the 50% U.S. tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports after the two countries reached a last-minute deal hours before the sanctions were to go into effect. The announcement, which Trump made late Tuesday on his social media platform, buys time for more negotiations and avoids, for now, another strain in already tense relations between the historic allies. Trump said he had paused the tariffs “based on the fact that Canada and the U.S.A., subject to the finalization of documents, have a DEAL!” Trump’s import taxes would have hit about 5% of what Canada ships to the United States every year, including products ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors.
August 19, 2026 5:03 am
Democratic voters have elevated a progressive Senate candidate in Florida, while Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, backed by President Donald Trump, won the GOP nomination as he vies to become the first Black governor of the state. This mixed outcome comes as Republican-led redistricting efforts have scrambled congressional maps. Tuesday’s contests in Florida, Alaska, Wyoming and California will shape the fiercely contested midterms this fall. Donalds joins a historic slate of Black gubernatorial nominees across the country. Meanwhile, longtime U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz won a diverse, redistricted Florida seat. The internal battle between progressive and establishment candidates continues to play out with mixed results.
August 19, 2026 5:04 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Darline Graham, running in South Carolina’s runoff election, stumbled over a foreign policy question during a debate Tuesday night. When asked about Taiwan and the South China Sea, she admitted, “national security is not my thing.” Graham was appointed to fill her late brother Lindsey’s seat after his unexpected death on July 11. She’s now running against Rep. Ralph Norman in a special election. Her brother was known for his foreign policy work, which she referenced by highlighting his Air Force service. Graham has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. She and Norman advanced to the runoff in last week’s primary.
