December 4, 2025 9:57 am
The Washington County Chamber of Commerce has notified County Commissioners that they need to pay nearly $460,000 for breaching a long-term contract for job creation and economic development services the Chamber provided without proper notice. Chamber President Jeff Kotula says the County violated the original termination requirements in the contract which called for one year’s notice. Commissioners Nick Sherman and Electra Janis voted to end the contract effective January 1, 2026 with only 51 days notice. The Chamber is requesting full and immediate payment to satisfy the County’s remaining commitment. Kotula says “due to their violation, we are certain the commissioners will honor the amount remaining on the contract to avoid litigation”. Kotula says the reasons provided by Sherman and Janis for cancelling the contract are “not true”. Commissioners are meeting this morning. WJPA News will have reaction once that meeting is complete. Tune to WJPA 95.3FM/1450AM for the very latest.
December 4, 2025 10:25 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI has made an arrest in its nearly 5-year-old investigation into who placed pipe bombs in Washington before the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. That’s according to a law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday. The man’s arrest in Virginia marks the first time investigators have settled on a suspect in an act that had long vexed law enforcement and spawned conspiracy theories. The pipe bombs were placed on Jan. 5, 2021, near the offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees. Nobody was hurt before the bombs were rendered safe, but the FBI said both devices could have been lethal.
December 4, 2025 5:07 am
A federal lawsuit filed against Washington County Judge John DiSalle has been dismissed. Elizabeth Sullivan, a former employee, filed the suit back in February claiming she was fired by the then-President Judge in 2023 in retaliation over her whistleblower complaints. She had worked in various roles at the courthouse for some 24-years. According to the Observer-Reporter, a U.S District Judge on Tuesday dismissed the suit against both DiSalle and former Court Administrator Patrick Grimm. The judge, however, did not dismiss the case against Washington County. Sullivan claims the salary board illegally fired her under misleading claims by DiSalle and her position was eliminated. The judge reportedly has given Sullivan until December 23 to file an amended complaint against the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania and Washington County Court of Common Pleas otherwise the federal lawsuit against those entities will also be dismissed.
December 4, 2025 5:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Navy admiral who reportedly issued orders to fire upon survivors of an attack on an alleged drug boat is set to brief Congress. Lawmakers overseeing national security are expected to receive a classified briefing Thursday from Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley about the boat strike. It’s a potentially crucial moment in the unfolding investigation into how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth handled the military operation in international waters near Venezuela. Lawmakers are seeking a full accounting after The Washington Post reported that Bradley on Sept. 2 had ordered an attack on two survivors to comply with Hegseth’s directive to “kill everybody.”
December 4, 2025 5:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon knew there were survivors after a September attack on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea and the U.S. military still carried out a follow-up strike. That’s according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss it publicly. They say the rationale for the second strike was that it was needed to sink the vessel. The Trump administration says all 11 people aboard were killed. One of the people says what remains unclear was who ordered the strikes and whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was involved.
December 4, 2025 5:12 am
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security has launched a new immigration crackdown in New Orleans. A Homeland Security official says the operation that got underway Wednesday targets violent criminals. The crackdown is the latest expansion of the Trump administration’s immigration sweeps that have unfolded in other U.S. cities. Immigration officials have blanketed big cities and small towns across the nation since January while carrying out President Donald Trump’s aggressive mass deportation efforts. In New Orleans, immigration lawyers say they have been inundated with calls and some businesses have posted signs barring federal agents from entry. Louisiana’s Republican governor welcomes the crackdown.
December 4, 2025 2:37 am
A search warrant was executed at the Washington Community Club on North Main Street in the city of Washington, to obtain surveillance video following a shooting on Thanksgiving. Early that morning, officers responded to the area of 127 North Main Street for a reported shooting. When they arrived, they found a man who had been shot multiple times. He was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. During the investigation, Washington Police said they had made several attempts to obtain surveillance footage from the club to help identify those involved, but they received limited cooperation, so they obtained a court-authorized search warrant for the club and on Tuesday, they got the surveillance video and are currently reviewing it.
December 4, 2025 2:33 am
Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh has announced the arrest of ten individuals as part of a roundup that involved numerous law enforcement organizations. Walsh tells WJPA News that seven of those arrests took place here in Washington County. Two were taken into custody in Allegheny County and one in West Virginia. Walsh says the affidavits of probable cause are sealed until the preliminary hearing per Court Order. Charges vary based on the individual but range from Riot, Corrupt Organizations, Robbery, Aggravated Assault and related offenses. Those involved in the Tuesday sweep include; Pennsylvania State Police Troop A, Troop B, Washington County Sheriffs Department, FBI, ATF, Washington Regional SWAT, Westmoreland SWAT and Pittsburgh SWAT.
December 4, 2025 5:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has announced a proposal to weaken vehicle mileage rules for the auto industry. If the plan announced Wednesday is finalized next year, it would ease pressure on automakers to control pollution from gasoline-powered cars and trucks. The proposal would significantly reduce fuel economy requirements through the 2031 model year. Those requirements set rules on how far new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline. It’s the Trump administration’s latest move to reverse Biden-era policies that encouraged cleaner-running cars and trucks, including electric vehicles. Environmentalists said the rule change would increase pollution and raise prices for consumers by allowing less fuel-efficient cars.
December 4, 2025 5:09 am
Venmo says that an issue impacting the payment service has been fixed and it is “back up and running,” after users reported trouble sending and receiving money. The company said in a post on X early Thursday that, “We’re sorry for the inconvenience and appreciate you bearing with us while our team addressed this.” Website Downdetector shows reports that issues began spiking at about 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday. Some people posted on social media that they were unable to pay for medication or dinner. Peer-to-peer payment apps have exploded in popularity in the last decade.
