March 5, 2025 2:13 am
Authorities in Greene County have issued a warrant for the arrest of a Washington man. The District Attorney’s Office there says they have charged 65-year-old William Charles Smith, Sr. with multiple drug charges related to an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine from Dubtown Vapes in Morrisville last year in November. They say an undercover Drug Task Force Detective purchased meth from Smith, as well as a pipe used to smoke the drug. Smith is facing charges that include delivery of a controlled substance, Possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and delivery of drug paraphernalia. Anyone with information on Smith’s whereabouts is asked to call police.
March 5, 2025 2:47 am
The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that Singh Sukhjinder has been arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 4th in connection with a fatal accident that occurred on January 19th on the Cheat Lake Bridge along I-68 East near Morgantown, West Virginia. Sukhjinder has been charged with negligent homicide following the investigation into the death of 59-year-old Kevin C. Lataille, of Smithfield in Fayette County, who died when his vehicle plunged into Cheat Lake after being struck by Sukhjinder’s tractor-trailer. Authorities say Sukhjinder’s reckless driving, including traveling at an unsafe speed and failing to stop after striking Lataille’s vehicle, directly contributed to the fatal crash. The investigation revealed that Sukhjinder’s actions led to Lataille’s vehicle being forced off the bridge into the lake, resulting in his death. Singh Sukhjinder’s arrest in Phoenix, Arizona, was the result of coordinated efforts by law enforcement agencies. He is currently in custody, and further legal proceedings will be handled by the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities say this remains an active investigation, and additional charges could be forthcoming. (Photo courtesy of Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office)
March 6, 2025 4:40 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania is spending more than $10 million to replace its electronic voter registration database with an election management system. Under a contract announced Wednesday, a new system is being developed that will also provide election night results and handle campaign finance filings and lobbyist registration. Secretary of State Al Schmidt announced the Civix system should be fully in use by the time of the next presidential election in 2028. It will replace the existing Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors, often called the SURE system. State officials say the Civix system’s functions for public use will provide information about voter registration, coming elections and voting data.
March 6, 2025 2:32 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says he wants to recruit federal workers for job openings in the state’s workforce. These workers might be without employment as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce. Shapiro spoke at a news conference Wednesday at a state job fair in Harrisburg. He says his administration will raise its consideration of federal job experience when it looks to hire. It’s also assembled materials online to show federal workers how their experience translates to the state workforce. Shapiro gave as examples nurses, civil engineers, accountants and emergency response professionals.
March 5, 2025 4:53 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is granting a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for U.S. automakers. Worries persist that the newly launched trade war could crush domestic manufacturing. The announcement comes after Trump spoke with leaders of the “big 3” automakers, Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis on Wednesday. Asked if 30 days was enough for the auto sector to prepare for the new taxes, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says Trump told them: “He told them that they should get on it, start investing, start moving, shift production here to the United States of America where they will pay no tariff.”
March 6, 2025 4:54 am
Veterans who have been abruptly fired from federal jobs say they feel betrayed by the Trump administration’s dramatic downsizing of government. Nathan Hooven, who voted for Trump in November, lost his job last month as an inventory management specialist at the Salem VA Medical Center in Virginia. He says the administration didn’t take the time to think about veterans who have served their country. Hooven and other veterans also say they’re particularly angered by how they were fired: in an email that cited inadequate job performance — despite receiving positive reviews while they were working.
March 6, 2025 4:50 am
CAIRO (AP) — The Hamas militant group has brushed off President Donald Trump’s latest threat and reiterated that it will only free the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Hamas accused Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to back out of the ceasefire agreement they reached in January. The agreement calls for negotiations over a second phase in which the hostages would be released in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Negotiations on that phase were supposed to begin in early February. Only limited preparatory talks have been held so far.
March 6, 2025 4:48 am
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders are holding emergency summit talks to beef up their own military defenses and make sure Ukraine will still be properly protected by its allies. Friedrich Merz, the likely next chancellor of Germany, was conferring with summit host Antonio Costa on Thursday morning. They want to meet the challenge on a short deadline only days after Merz pushed plans to loosen the nation’s rules on running up debt to allow for higher defense spending. At the same time, the 27-nation bloc was waking up to the news from French President Emmanuel Macron would confer with EU leaders the possibility of using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect the continent from Russian threats.
March 6, 2025 4:46 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean fighter jets have accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area, injuring eight people on the ground. The South Korean air force says the MK-82 bombs released by the KF-16 fighter jets fell outside a firing range on Thursday morning. The air force apologized and expressed hopes for a speedy recovery of the injured. It says it will investigate the accident in Pocheon, a city close to the heavily armed border with North Korea. Pocheon’s disaster response center say six civilians and two soldiers were injured.
March 6, 2025 4:56 am
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis is resting Thursday after a peaceful night during his third week of hospital treatment for double pneumonia. The pope has been sleeping with a non-invasive mechanical mask to guarantee that his lungs expand properly overnight and help his recovery. He has been transitioning to receiving oxygen with a nasal tube during the day. The 88-year-old pope has been stable for two days after suffering two respiratory crises on Monday. Doctors underlined that his prognosis remained guarded.
