January 23, 2025 9:24 am
The Washington County Local Share Account Review Committee is recommending a total of 67 projects to receive more than $10-Million. The grants come from a portion of gaming revenue generated at the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows. The list includes local governments, non-profits and other eligible entities throughout Washington County. Washington County Commissioners Chairman Nick Sherman says “from improvements to parks and facilities to upgrades in municipal sewage and classroom environments, these diverse recommendations will enhance our communities by completing and jump-starting essential projects”. Officials say the grants will be leveraged by more than $68.3 million in additional funding. Among the projects: $500,000 to the Washington Wild Things for upgrades at their ballpark, $500,00 to the Canonsburg Education and Cultural Institute for an auditorium development project, $438,000 to the Carroll Township Authority for the nearly $3-million Ginger Hill sewer extension, and $400,000 for a Lemoyne Community Center expansion project. The Board of Commissioners are expected to act on the recommendation at their February 6 public meeting. For the complete list of recommendations, Click Here.
January 23, 2025 12:51 pm
A Washington County couple has been charged by Pennsylvania State Police with burglaries of 12 bars in Washington, Fayette and Westmoreland counties. David Rice, 33 of Charleroi and Stephanie Hankle 30 of Monongahela face multiple charges that include burglary, criminal trespass, theft, criminal mischief and others. The burglaries occurred in 2023, the investigation into the burglaries took a year to investigate. Police allege that the pair would watch the establishments to determine their closing procedures. Once determined, Rice would either forcibly enter or walk through open doors to take what he wanted. Once presented with police evidence the pair confessed to their crimes. Things taken were cash, money bags, alcohol and an entire ATM machine. The total of items stolen add up to more than $17,000. Damages to the establishments is $8000. Washington County establishments affected were the Allenport Marina and the Watering Hole in Coal Center. The pair face a preliminary hearing on January 30.
January 23, 2025 9:40 am
Area fire departments have been busy. Fire crews from several departments were called to a house fire in the 200-block of Center Church Road in Peters Township just after 7:30 a.m Thursday morning. Washington County 9-1-1 dispatchers say crews battled that blaze for some time but there were no reports of any injuries. Meanwhile, crews battled a massive house fire in Upper St. Clair. It broke out just after 6 a.m in the 22-hundred block of Country Club Drive. Officials say an unidentified person died in the fire and four others were injured, including two police officers who rushed in to help. There is no word on the cause of either fire. Fire crews were also called out to Strabane Woods in South Strabane Township just after 6:30 a.m. There were initially reports of smoke in the building. Township Fire Chief Jordan Cramer tells WJPA News that there was a sprinkler activation in a walk-in cooler. He says they were able to isolate the activation and shut off the water flow and power to the unit. Cramer says there were no injuries.
January 23, 2025 1:48 am
One person has died and another taken to a hospital after a fire broke out around eight o’clock Wednesday morning in the Thomas Campbell Apartments in the 800 block of Beech Street in South Strabane Township. The Washington County Coroner’s Office says 68-year-old Kimberly Haines was found in her apartment on the fourth floor where the fire broke out. South Strabane Fire Chief Jordan Cramer tells WJPA that the fire is under investigation, but their initial thoughts are that Haines may have started the fire by smoking. This fire is reminiscent of another fatal fire in the building three years ago. Cramer says he took over the chief’s position a few months after that fire and his department worked closely with Thomas Campbell officials to upgrade its safety features, and since, then many upgrades have been made, like the installation of a state of the art fire alarm system and a state of the art sprinkler system. Cramer says if those safety features had not been in place, Wednesday’s fire could have been much worse.
January 23, 2025 1:26 am
The City Council of Washington held a special meeting Wednesday dedicated to the passage of modifications to the Mercantile Tax and Business Privilege Tax ordinances. According to Mayor JoJo Burgess, the crux of the changes is to allow stricter enforcement of penalties and more aggressive collection strategies. Burgess did not disclose those details but he reiterated his stance that everyone must pay their fair share of taxes. The ordinances will also see increases in penalty amounts but Burgess had no details on that. He called the tax arrearage significant and pledged to collect all delinquent business related taxes regardless of age. The action was perpetuated by a residential tax increase in Washington for 2025.
January 23, 2025 1:51 am
The Hollywood Casino at the Meadows rebranded their sportsbook on Wednesday. The casino had been working for several months with ESPN through Penn Entertainment to relaunch the sportsbook as ESPN Bet. According to Matthew Heiskell, General Manager of Hollywood Casino at the Meadows, the casino had already been working with the ESPN Bet App, so the renaming of the sportsbook was the next logical step. Heiskell says that players will find an expanded menu of food and drink to accompany their game day experience. Wednesday was also special for the Hollywood Cares charitable program run by the casino. At the ribbon cutting, Hollywood Cares presented the Mario Lemieux Foundation with a check for more than $30,000. According to Heiskell, the program donated more than $200,000 to local charities in 2024.
January 23, 2025 4:46 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is threatening to withhold federal disaster aid for wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles unless California leaders change the state’s approach on its management of water. Trump in a Fox News interview on Wednesday repeated false claims that California’s fish conservation efforts in the northern part of the state are responsible for fire hydrants running dry in urban areas. He says the blame for Los Angeles’ struggles to tame some of the deadly fires lies with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Trump added, “I don’t think we should give California anything until they let the water run down.” Newsom for his part has called for partnership amid the disaster.
January 23, 2025 4:47 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed a bill to require the detainment of unauthorized migrants accused of theft and violent crimes. It marks the first legislation that President Donald Trump can sign as Congress, with some bipartisan support, swiftly moved in line with his plans to crackdown on illegal immigration. The Laken Riley Act is named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year by a Venezuelan man. Its passage shows just how sharply the political debate over immigration has shifted to the right following Trump’s election victory.
January 23, 2025 4:45 am
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s promise to deport “millions and millions” of immigrants will hinge on securing money for detention centers. The Trump administration has not publicly said how many immigrant detention beds it needs to achieve its goals, or what the cost will be. However, an estimated 11.7 million people are living in the U.S. illegally. Immigration and Customs Enforcement currently has the budget to detain only about 41,000 people. Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the U.S. border with Mexico leverages the U.S. military to shore up mass deportations and provide “appropriate detention space.” The American Civil Liberties Union estimates that ICE is considering an expansion of immigrant detention space across at least eight states.
January 23, 2025 4:51 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Police say a shooting at a Nashville high school has left one student dead and another wounded. Metro Nashville Police spokesperson Don Aaron said during a news conference that the 17-year-old gunman later shot and killed himself with a handgun. Aaron says the shooting happened Wednesday morning at Antioch High School. The gunman and his victims were students at the school. Police Chief John Drake says the shooter “confronted” 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante in the cafeteria and opened fire, killing her. Drake says police are looking into a motive and whether the students who were shot were targeted.
