January 28, 2026 2:36 am
Winter Storm Fern also left its mark on the Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center in South Strabane Township. Officials there tell us that a massive water main break on Saturday caused significant damages to the fitness floor, pool area, and both the family and ladies locker rooms. They say repair work is underway and membership dues will be adjusted accordingly. Some services are still available though – including Spa Harmony, yoga and Pilates studios, the membership office, nutrition services and outpatient rehab are still open.
January 29, 2026 4:51 am
A Washington man arrested for discharging a gun while suffering a PTSD incident will face trial. At his preliminary hearing, William Coles, 66 had felony charges of prohibited possession of a firearm and discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure held for court without a hearing. Because a witness failed to appear, felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor simple assault and reckless endangerment charges were dismissed. According to the criminal complaint, police were called on December 7 to North Main Street for a man suffering a PTSD episode. Shortly after dispatch they were alerted to shots being fired. Coles was located near 71 North Main Street and taken into custody. A witness described Coles firing his gun near her inside of his apartment. She said she feared for her life and fled. Early investigation found Coles to be previously convicted of a felony and not to possess a weapon. The incident is of note because Washington and Jefferson College issued a shelter in place order to its students during the incident. Coles is free on $100,000 bond, he will be formally arraigned on February 24.
January 28, 2026 4:58 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan says immigration enforcement will reduce the number of officers in Minnesota. Homan suggested during a news conference Thursday that a drawdown would happen only after ‘cooperation’ from state officials. Trump sent Homan to Minnesota in the wake of the Saturday fatal shooting of a protester at the hands of a federal immigration officer. Homan doubled down on the need for local jails to alert Immigration and Customs Enforcement to people in their custody who ICE can remove from the country.
January 29, 2026 4:57 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Videos show Alex Pretti was forcefully taken to the ground by federal immigration agents after kicking out the tail light of their vehicle during a Minneapolis protest 11 days before he was shot and killed by Border Patrol officers. The Jan. 13 scuffle was captured in a pair of videos that emerged Wednesday evening, showing Pretti shouting an expletive at federal immigration agents and struggling with them before he either breaks free or is let go. The new videos have rekindled the national debate about the death of Pretti, an intensive care nurse. A Minneapolis-based attorney representing Pretti’s parents says the earlier incident in no way justified the officers’ use of deadly force.
January 29, 2026 5:02 am
(AP) – A federal appeals court says the Trump administration acted illegally when it ended legal protections that gave hundreds of thousands of people from Venezuela permission to live and work in the United States. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals late Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling that found Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem exceeded her authority when she ended temporary protected status for Venezuelans. The decision, however, will not have any immediate practical effect after the Supreme Court in October allowed Noem’s decision to take effect pending a final decision by the justices. An email late Wednesday night to the Department of Homeland Security was not immediately returned. (Photo: AP)
January 29, 2026 4:56 am
DENVER (AP) — Donald Trump lost his bid for reelection in 2020. But for more than five years, he’s been trying to convince Americans the opposite is true by falsely saying the election was marred by widespread fraud. Now that he’s president again, Trump is pushing the federal government to back up those bogus claims. On Wednesday, the FBI served a search warrant at the election headquarters of Fulton County, Georgia, which includes most of Atlanta, seeking ballots from the 2020 election. It marks an escalation of Trump’s obsession with the election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, and some observers say his administration is using Georgia as a blueprint for challenging results this November.
January 28, 2026 4:51 am
Fire crews were called to a home in the 200-block of E. Hallam Avenue in the City of Washington early Wednesday morning. Washington County 9-1-1 dispatchers say it was a small fire and electrical in nature. No injuries resulted. The Red Cross is now assisting the family.
January 28, 2026 3:26 am
South Strabane Township Supervisors took the next steps in amending their 2026 budget. During their voting meeting, they authorized the advertisement of the revised spending plan for 10 days. They also authorized the scheduling of a special voting meeting to take place on February 11 at 6:30 pm to adopt the budget. Both measures passed 3-2 as with all other votes concerning the budget. Supervisors George Rowand, Jeff Bull and Zack Morgan approved, Bob Weber and Russell Grego voted no. Supervisors also adopted a measure to direct the township manager to contact the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to participate in an information program that could make recommendations for budget allocations. Supervisor Chairman George Rowand says that conversations held with other communities indicate that the 62% of the budget spent on public safety may be out of line. Supervisors also passed an ordinance governing the development of solar farms. The ordinance will be amended to have decommissioning fees increased and property setback lines established at 1000 feet. Supervisors also tabled a measure to advertise draft ordinances for Data Centers, Battery Energy Storage Systems and a noise ordinance. Township Manager Peter Stefansky stated that the ordinances need approval from several other governing bodies before they can be offered for public view. Stefansky also said that each of the ordinances would have public hearings before any official action would be taken.
January 28, 2026 4:57 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The man accused of squirting an unknown substance on Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar at a town hall in Minneapolis has a criminal history and made online posts supportive of President Donald Trump. Minnesota court records show Anthony Kazmierczak was convicted of felony auto theft in 1989 and has multiple arrests for driving under the influence. Police say Kazmierczak used a syringe to squirt liquid at Omar on Tuesday. Kazmierczak has been charged with assault. Omar continued speaking and says she’s OK. It’s unclear if Kazmierczak has a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. In social media posts, Kazmierczak criticized Democrats, calling them “angry and liars.”
January 28, 2026 4:58 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Customs and Border Protection official told Congress in a notice that two federal officers fired shots during the encounter that killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Tuesday’s notification obtained by The Associated Press said officers tried to take Pretti into custody and he resisted, leading to a struggle. The official said that during the struggle, a Border Patrol agent yelled, “He’s got a gun!” multiple times. The notice says a Border Patrol agentsr and a CBP officer each fired Glock pistols. Investigators from CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the analysis based on a review of body-worn camera footage and agency documentation.
