July 30, 2026 6:24 pm
Washington County Commissioners on Thursday, awarded bids for the new public safety building that will replace the old Courthouse Square building on Beau Street. The demolition of that building was completed last week and Beau Street, which was closed in early April, was reopened. Commission Chair Nick Sherman says construction on the new building should be getting underway in two to three weeks and the finished structure should be ready by early January, 2028. The vote to award the bids was two to one, with Democratic Commissioner Larry Maggi voting no. In a press release, Maggi says he is against spending forty-million-dollars to building a new public safety building at the same site of the old building that had allegedly been riddled with structural and foundation issues for years. “Now that we have a huge, gaping hole in the middle of downtown Washington and no other viable plans for the site, it seems like we have no other choice than to saddle our taxpayers with additional debt to approve this project. However, I have major concerns that prevent me from putting my name behind this costly burden to the taxpayers,” he said. Maggi says he is concerned about the site containing pyrite – a mineral that is easily damaged by water and can damage a foundation. Sherman, however, says that issue was addressed and rectified.
July 30, 2026 4:25 pm
Two people are dead, and another person was critically injured following a crash involving a motorcycle on Route 51 in Fayette County. Emergency crews were called to the 3530 block of Pittsburgh Road in Perryopolis near Randall’s Restaurant around 11:51 a.m. State police confirmed two people were killed in the crash, the motorcyclist and the driver of the other vehicle. The passenger in the vehicle was flown to a hospital in critical condition. Route 51 was shut down in both directions between Rehoboth Church Road and Constitution Street. Pennsylvania State Police are investigating.
July 30, 2026 3:45 pm
Charleroi, PA – Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger, on Thursday, announced that the Commonwealth has secured a $166 million investment from GE Vernova to expand its operations in Western Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth is investing $6 million in the project, which will create at least 714 new jobs over the next four years and retain 735 existing, full-time positions. The global energy equipment and services company plans to expand its current operations at 101 North Campus Drive in Findlay Township, Allegheny County, and 216 Finley Road in Rostraver Township. GE Vernova recently purchased the Rostraver facility it had been leasing and plans to install new industrial machinery and equipment at both facilities. This expansion will support the company’s 714 new jobs. “From day one, my Administration has worked to make Pennsylvania a leader on economic development, supporting Pennsylvania businesses and workers to keep our Commonwealth moving forward. As part of that work, we identified energy and manufacturing as two key pillars of opportunity – sectors in which we’re poised to lead and continue to grow,” said Governor Shapiro. “It’s clear that strategy is paying off as companies like GE Vernova choose the Commonwealth as the place to expand and invest in, creating good-paying jobs that strengthen our communities and position our Commonwealth to lead the future of energy and advanced manufacturing.” GE Vernova also operates facilities in Allentown, Lehigh County and Charleroi, Washington County — where Thursday’s event was held.
July 30, 2026 12:44 pm
Two Delta Air Lines planes were involved in a near miss at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday evening. The FAA says it has launched an investigation into the incident involving a flight arriving from Pittsburgh, and a flight departing for Rochester. The Pittsburgh flight, which was scheduled to land in Atlanta, had been diverted to Chattanooga, Tennessee, for several hours due to bad weather. In air traffic control recordings, the pilot of the Pittsburgh flight said he saw the departing flight on the runway and was going to circle around. At the same time, the departing flight took off from a parallel runway. Initially, both planes were told to turn right, and anti-collision alarms went off in both aircraft almost immediately. The controller was able to get both planes to fly away from each other but they were at one point about 1,800 feet and 600 feet in altitude from each other. Authorities say the Pittsburgh flight landed safely and there were no reported injuries.
July 30, 2026 8:51 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy expanded at a sluggish 1.5% pace from April through June as rising imports weighed on growth. But consumer spending rose. And the Federal Reserve’s favored measure of inflation grew more slowly last month, but remained above the central bank’s 2% target.
July 30, 2026 8:50 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but layoffs remain in the historically healthy range of the past few years. U.S. filings for jobless aid in the week ending July 25 rose by 9,000 to 197,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 207,000 new applications. Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered representative of layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the U.S. job market. The total number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the previous week ending July 18 was 1.78 million.
July 29, 2026 4:55 am
BURGETTSTOWN, Pa. — A 19-year-old remains in critical condition and is on a ventilator after she was run over by a pickup truck at a field party in Burgettstown over the weekend. Ayla Reynolds was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital early Saturday morning after she was struck at a party in the woods along Creek Road, according to her grandmother, Rebecca. According to our news partners at WPXI, doctors are working to save Reynolds’ leg, but her grandmother said they now believe it will likely need to be amputated below the knee. Rebecca said Reynolds was one of three people struck when a pickup truck lost control while driving people up a steep hill to the party. She identified the driver as Reynolds’ ex-boyfriend. According to Rebecca, Reynolds was pulled underneath the truck and suffered the most serious injuries. Friends and the driver placed her in the truck and rushed her to Weirton Medical Center because they feared it would take too long for an ambulance to reach the remote location. She was later flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. Rebecca said Reynolds suffered multiple spinal fractures, a broken pelvis, spleen injuries, internal bleeding and severe injuries to her leg. She said the other two people who were struck suffered minor injuries.
July 29, 2026 2:18 am
Uniontown, PA— PennDOT announced on Wednesday that daytime single-lane restrictions will be in place in both directions of Interstate 70 between the Bentleyville Interchange (Exit 32) and Route 481 Interchange (Exit 35) in Fallowfield Township, Washington County beginning Monday, August 3rd through Thursday, August 27th. Single-lane restrictions will occur on Eastbound I-70 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and on Westbound I-70 Sunday through Thursday from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Crews from Armstrong Drilling, Inc. will drill geotechnical test borings for the I-70 Belle Vernon Bridge to Bentleyville project, which is currently in design. All work depends on weather and operations.
July 29, 2026 2:25 am
Uniontown, PA – PennDOT has announced upcoming bridge preservation projects in Greene and Washington counties. In Greene County, Route 1003 (Porter Street) over I-79 in Franklin Township will be affected. Route 1003 (Porter Street) is scheduled to close between Caldwell Road and North Porter Street beginning Wednesday, August 5, at 7:00 AM through early September. Posted detour: Apple Hill Road, Route 19, Route 221 and Porter Street. In Washington County, Route 19 (Washington Road) over Route 519 in North Strabane Township will be worked on. Route 19 (Washington Road) will have nightly single-lane restrictions in place from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM, Monday, August 3, through Friday, August 7. Also, Route 2056 (Barrett Hill Road) over I-79 in Amwell Township. Route 2056 (Barrett Hill Road) is scheduled to close between Moninger Road and Barrett Hill Road beginning Thursday, August 6, at 7:00 AM through early September. Posted detour is Moninger Road, Mankey Road, Route 19, Weaver Run Road, Lone Pine Road, Baker Hill Road. Crews from Triton Construction, Inc. will conduct bridge preservation activities, including latex overlays, epoxy overlays, expansion dam replacement, concrete repairs to extend the life of eight structures. A $4.1 million infrastructure investment project in Washington and Greene counties.
July 30, 2026 4:59 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Todd Blanche’s nomination to become attorney general has stalled as lawmakers scrapped a planned committee vote. Key Republicans have demanded more assurances about the settlement of President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. The Senate Judiciary Committee had been scheduled to vote Thursday to advance Blanche’s nomination to the floor. But Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis have threatened to withhold their support without more answers from the Justice Department about the controversial settlement. A spokeswoman for the committee said in a statement Wednesday night that the vote would be postponed.
