April 25, 2025 4:55 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — (WPXI) – The shelves of the Community Circle Food Pantry in Washington are barely stocked. “We got our truck last Wednesday. Last Thursday, we had 151 families. It took us down to nothing,” said Director Melanie Wolfe. Volunteers took to Facebook with a plea for anyone who can donate to please do so. This is only the second time they have had to ask for extra help and they say they will not be able to feed local families in the coming days without extra help. Volunteers said it has been hard giving out less food. They went from two boxes, to one box, to half a box. “I ran out of food one time, and that was when we were with the Washington Food Bank and that was during Covid. That is expected. This is not expected. We should have full shelves at all times,” Wolfe said. They worry that people cannot find their new, unmarked building to drop off donations. It is off of West Cherry Avenue Alley, near the Citizens Library. Volunteers are hopeful for donations, while also certain that even more families will be reaching out for help.
April 25, 2025 2:38 am
A Washington man will spend time in state prison for his role in delivering the drugs that killed a Washington woman. Alan Gubanish, 36 pleaded guilty to a drug delivery resulting in death charge for supplying heroin to Casey Cole, 31 of North Franklin Street in February of 2024. According to court documents, police were called and found Cole in her apartment with a bag of heroin in her mouth. The person who called police indicated to them that Cole had purchased the drugs from Gubanish earlier in the day using a cash app. Police were able to verify the account after examining Cole’s phone. Gubanish was sentenced to 4-8 years in state prison. Additional charges of possession with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communications device were all dropped.
April 24, 2025 5:40 pm
WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) — The suburban Chicago man who killed seven people at a 2022 Independence Day parade has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Hours of statements from survivors of the shooting and grieving relatives wrapped up Thursday. But Robert E. Crimo III wasn’t there to hear it. He skipped the sentencing hearing. Survivors say they feel a range of emotions, including relief, anger and closure. Dozens were wounded in the shooting in a suburb north of Chicago. The judge ordered seven sentences of life in prison for the first-degree murder charges and 50 years for dozens of attempted murder counts.
April 24, 2025 5:38 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has offered rare criticism of Vladimir Putin, urging the Russian president to “STOP!” after a deadly barrage of attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. Trump said in a social media post on Thursday that “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying.” Trump also said, “Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!” Trump’s criticism of Putin is notable because Trump has repeatedly said Russia, the aggressor in the conflict, is more willing than Ukraine to get a deal done.
April 24, 2025 5:03 am
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Heads of state and royalty will begin converging on Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square, but the group of poor people who will meet his casket in a small crosstown basilica are more in keeping with Francis’ humble persona and disdain for pomp. U.S. President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei are among the leaders arriving Friday. That is the last day Argentine pope will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica before his coffin is sealed in preparation for his funeral Saturday. More than 90,000 mourners have waited hours in line to bid farewell to Francis, who died Monday.
April 24, 2025 5:02 am
ATLANTA (AP) — The pastor of a Georgia megachurch who led a nationwide 40-day “fast” against Target stores is now calling for a “full Target boycott.” The Rev. Jamal Bryant said this week that the Minneapolis-based retailer has not met all of the initiative’s demands. Among them: Restoring its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion principles and pledging money to Black-owned banks and businesses. Target announced in January that it would phase out some DEI initiatives, including a program designed to help Black employees build meaningful careers and promote Black-owned businesses. Target said it is committed to creating a welcoming environment for its workers, customers and suppliers.
April 24, 2025 5:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has ordered sharper scrutiny of America’s colleges and the accreditors that oversee them. It’s part of his escalating campaign to end what he calls “wokeness” and diversity efforts in education. Trump signed a series of executive actions Wednesday, targeting universities that he views as liberal adversaries to his political agenda. One order called for harder enforcement of a federal law requiring colleges to disclose their financial ties with foreign sources. Another called for a shakeup of the accrediting bodies that decide whether colleges can accept federal financial aid awarded to students.
April 24, 2025 4:57 am
VATICAN CITY (AP) — So many people lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state at St. Peter’s Basilica that the Vatican kept the doors open all night, closing for just one hour from 6 a.m. until 7 a.m. Thursday. The last numbers released by the Vatican said more than 20,000 people had paid their last respects on Wednesday in the first 8 ½ hours of the public viewing. Francis, who died Monday after a stroke, is lying in a simple wooden coffin in front of the main altar, inclined on a slight ramp toward mourners. The Vatican had announced that the basilica would be open until midnight, but then indicated it would extend the hours due to higher-than-expected turnout.
April 24, 2025 4:55 am
The company that owned the railcar that caused the devastating East Palestine train derailment in 2023 won’t have to help pay for the $600 million settlement Norfolk Southern agreed to with residents. An Ohio jury decided Wednesday that GATX isn’t liable for the settlement even though the failure of a bearing on its railcar carrying plastic pellets caused the pileup on Feb. 3, 2023. GATX said the verdict affirmed what it has maintained all along: Norfolk Southern was responsible for the derailment.
April 24, 2025 2:45 am
A motions hearing was held on behalf of a homicide suspect and his family that accuses several law officials of denying the rights of the family for proper burial of a loved one. Attorney Noah Geary filed a civil lawsuit in December of 2024 accusing District Attorney Jason Walsh, Judge John DiSalle and Coroner Timothy Warco of withholding the body of 2 month old Sawyer Clarke for 7 months before releasing it to the family. Jordan Clarke, 39 of Peters Township is accused of homicide as the baby suffered fatal injuries while in his care at their home. Geary alleges improper private conversations between Walsh and DiSalle created improper court orders dictating Warco to hold the infant’s body for an extended time beyond the completion of an autopsy. Private attorneys and an attorney from the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts defended the officials and asked for a dismissal of the lawsuit, stating that Walsh did not commit prosecutorial misconduct as his actions were all taken in building a case against Clarke. DiSalle is said to be protected by sovereign immunity. Warco is said to not be responsible as he was doing as directed. On behalf of the family, Geary is seeking compensatory and punitive damages along with court costs. Senior Judge Dominick Motto of Lawrence County presided over the hearing and will be issuing an order in the case.
