August 13, 2026 2:43 am
Due to persistent inclement weather and unsafe playing conditions, the championship game of the 2026 PONY League World Series at Lew Hays PONY Field in Washington has been cancelled. The championship game between Taichung City, Taiwan and Washington County, Pennsylvania, has been cancelled and will not be rescheduled. Organizers say they determined that the field was unplayable and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of the players and all involved, the game was called off. Abraham Key, President and CEO of PONY Baseball said that this is the first time in the seventy-five-year history of the league that they have had to make this decision. He offered apologies to all involved and said, “Sometimes Mother Nature does not cooperate.”
August 13, 2026 4:53 am
Nicole Lane says sheriff’s deputies kept her shackled to a hospital bed throughout six hours of unmedicated labor back in 2024, when she gave birth to her daughter. According to our news partners at WPXI, she is speaking out about what happened while she was pregnant and in labor after she was rushed from the Washington County Jail to Magee-Womens Hospital during what she says was a high-risk pregnancy. Lane is now suing Washington County, the Washington County Prison Board, several sheriff’s deputies and others. At the time, Lane was pregnant and incarcerated on a misdemeanor drug charge. She was released from jail, then rearrested for what she says was a probation violation involving an address discrepancy. She alleges deputies shackled one wrist and her opposite leg to the hospital bed. She says the restraints were removed only so she could receive an epidural, then put back on after she gave birth. Lane says the handcuffs remained on for the five days she spent in the hospital postpartum. Pennsylvania law says incarcerated women shall not be restrained during any stage of labor or any period of postpartum, unless there is a substantial risk of flight or security concerns. Jackie Perlow, an attorney with the Women’s Law Project, is representing Lane. She says those exceptions did not apply in this case. Washington County leaders told Channel 11 they cannot comment due to pending litigation.
August 13, 2026 4:54 am
A new law in Pennsylvania aims to resolve a long-standing legal battle over natural gas rights, but it might have sparked more complications. The dispute involves mineral rights beneath state game lands. The Proctor family trust claims ownership based on rights acquired over a century ago. The state Supreme Court sided with the Proctors in 2025, but the legislature reversed this decision last year. The law, Act 27, has drawn support from the natural gas industry, citing clarity concerns. The Proctors argue the law is unconstitutional and continue to fight in court. The outcome could impact large landowners and state funding.
August 13, 2026 5:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent flew out of last month’s NATO summit in Turkey on what was effectively a decoy plane, while President Donald Trump was secreted onto another plane following an Iranian threat. That’s according to a senior U.S. official briefed on the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss presidential security. The official says Rubio was aware of the switch and details of the threat behind it but could or would not say why he had stayed on the plane. The switch was kept secret from reporters on the plane ride back.
August 13, 2026 5:01 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Kennedy Center’s board is set to meet to discuss future plans after a federal judge blocked a two-year closure for renovations. Management on Thursday will present three options: complete closure, partial closure with limited access, or phased closures addressing urgent needs while maintaining programming. Judge Christopher Cooper criticized the board’s previous decision as “ill-informed.” The board, mostly allies of President Donald Trump, faces pressure to consider options thoroughly. Trump’s influence on the Kennedy Center has been controversial, with legal battles over renaming and renovations. The institution argues it needs significant repairs, highlighting severe water damage and outdated equipment.
August 13, 2026 4:57 am
PEREIRA, Colombia (AP) — The search for life in the rubble of Colombia’s powerful earthquake is growing more desperate as search teams push up against a key time threshold to locate survivors before it’s too late. The devastation is testing Colombia’s new president as his government scrambles to respond to the natural disaster and ensure aid makes to the vulnerable communities most affected by Monday’s quake and more than 100 aftershocks. At least 265 people died, and hundreds have been reported missing. Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours crucial for retrieving people alive, though that limit can be extended if those trapped have access to food and water.
August 13, 2026 4:59 am
GAUR, Nepal (AP) — The Associated Press has found that the decision by the United States to slash its foreign aid funding last year has increased pregnancy complications and deaths in Nepal. The AP interviewed health workers, government officials, aid workers and families who said cuts to programs that ensured uneducated, impoverished pregnant women got proper nutrition and prenatal care have led to more babies and pregnant women dying preventable deaths. Because of global cuts to foreign aid, the Gates Foundation has predicted that 2025 will be the first year this century where child deaths will increase. The U.S. State Department says it still supports programs in Nepal aimed at improving maternal and child health.
August 12, 2026 4:20 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will be leaving the administration at the end of the month to spend time with her young family. Leavitt is the youngest person in history to hold the role. Leavitt, who served Trump as a press aide during his first go-around in the White House, has been one of the most visible advocates of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. The Republican president described her as one of his “most trusted aides” in a social media post announcing her departure. Leavitt recently returned to work after taking leave following the birth of her second child, a daughter, in May. She also has a two-year-old son. “The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary — and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life,” Leavitt said in a social media post. (Photo: AP)
August 12, 2026 8:55 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. inflation slowed last month and a measure of underlying price pressures also cooled, suggesting higher oil and gas prices from the Iran war are only having a limited impact on broader costs in the economy. Consumer prices rose 3.4% in July from a year ago, down slightly from 3.5% in June, the Labor Department said Wednesday. But inflation is still higher than before the Iran war began in February, when it was 2.4%. On a monthly basis, prices rose just 0.1% from June to July.
August 12, 2026 4:46 am
Nearly every chair was filled when the Building and Grounds Committee of the Peters Township School Board met to review their Five Year Capital Plan. Budget estimates are for $19 million to be spent on a wide range of items from transportation, to security and building maintenance. Alex O’Neill is the President of the school board and the chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee. After the plan was presented, several directors spoke up about timing of certain building maintenance issues. Spending scheduled for next year is $4.6 million dollars. Discussion had the committee consider advancing repairs to the HVAC at Bower Hill Elementary School bringing the new total for 2026-2027 to a new estimate of $6.3 million dollars. The fluidity of the discussion kept moving throughout the night. Paving and drainage work for the middle school parking lot and the Bower Hill parking lot along with HVAC repairs in several buildings are the biggest ticket items for the next five years. Improvements to the football stadium are also on tap. Bleacher replacement, track resurfacing and press box renovations are a few of the items in the project. The football stadium was a big topic of discussion. Several residents called the current stadium and facilities inadequate and overcrowded. School Director Rolf Briegel suggested the idea of building a field house to alleviate locker room overcrowding and possibly add practice space. Directors are considering financing options. They will be updated on their borrowing status during their voting meeting next Monday.
