January 12, 2025 3:34 am
The Washington County Community Foundation has released a statement saying that President and CEO Betsie Trew will be retiring. The Board of Directors has been working on a succession plan for the last year. They say that they are reviewing many options but the day to day operations are in capable hands of the staff under the direction of the Board of Directors. According to the statement the WCCF has awarded over $30 million in grants and has assets of approximately $60 million. Betsie Trew is planning to spend more time with her family and grandchildren. (Photo courtesey of WCCF)
January 11, 2025 4:00 am
Interstate 70 Westbound was closed for several hours just after midnight on Saturday. According to Washington County 9-1-1 dispatchers, two tractor trailers collided. It was described as a sideswipe collision that happened in Fallowfield Township. No injuries were reported. Interstate 70 Westbound was reported to be open at 4:00 AM.
January 10, 2025 5:04 am
NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has been formally sentenced in his New York hush money case, but the judge has declined to impose any punishment. The sentence pronounced Friday by Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan cements Trump’s conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine. It caps a norm-smashing case that saw the Republican convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a payment to bury affair allegations that threatened to cloud his 2016 presidential run. Yet it didn’t hurt him with voters. Trump denies wrongdoing and has vowed to appeal.
January 9, 2025 2:18 am
Jury deliberations began Friday morning in the trial of Brandon Allen, 31 of Washington for his role in a May 2022 drive by shooting on Ridge Avenue that killed Kristin Barfield while she was sitting on her porch. Prosecutors rested their case after cross examination of Detective Todd Foreman, Retired from the Washington Police Department regarding video evidence and cell phone records. Ballistics testimony wrapped up the prosecution’s case. The defense called only one witness, Amari Miller. The 21 year old Washington man was the fourth person in the car when shots rang out killing Barfield. Miller testified that he was in the front passenger seat when the shots were fired. He identified Juan Worthy as the shooter. He stated that he did see Brandon Allen racking a pistol but he did not see him fire it. That testimony regarding Allen is directly opposite of testimony from Tyriq Moss that identified Allen and Worthy as shooters. .
January 10, 2025 2:24 am
Washington City Council approved their measure to implement the 2025 fee for solid waste collection and alter the fee collection calendar. The fee for this year will be $300 until June 1. A late fee of $50 will be assessed from June 2 through October 31. On November 1 through December 31 the charge will be $350 plus fines and penalties. Council also had a first reading of two ordinances that expect to be passed next month. Those ordinances will address fees and collection timelines for the Business Privilege Tax and Mercantile Tax. According to Mayor JoJo Burgess, council has worked with their solicitor to determine practices to more aggressively collect taxes not being paid by businesses in the city and assess fines for non-compliance. A 2025 tax hike in the city has angered council and they are determined to make sure that residents are not saddled with taxes that should be paid by business owners. In other city business council hired two new police officers and two new fire fighters. They also re-allocated $152,000 in LSA funding to be used for the “President’s Pathway Project.” It is a pathway that will lead students from Washington And Jefferson into the city so they may take advantage of the restaurants and shops.
January 10, 2025 2:20 am
Washington County Commissioners unanimously approved a new person to serve as Chairman of the Local Share Account Committee. Mark Hrutkay of South Strabane was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Jeff Kotula earlier this week. Hrutkay is the former Director of Human Resources at CONSOL Energy. According to Commissioner Chairman Nick Sherman, Hrutkay has also worked with the Republican Party in Washington County, he is a philanthropist and he and his wife have established a veternary service facility in South Strabane. Hrutkay has never served on the LSA Committee. Kotula served as chairman of the LSA Committee since 2008. Given Kotula’s lengthy term as chairman we asked if term limits on appointed positions to the committee could be a possibility. Sherman said that term limits would be a good thing to have but no plans are under consideration at this time.
January 10, 2025 12:48 pm
(WPXI) – The man accused in the shooting death of another man found inside an abandoned building on 11th Street in Beaver Falls was arrested Thursday. Daniel Felo II was captured by the U.S. Marshal Service task force in Connellsville, with the help of Beaver Falls police and Connellsville police. Felo is charged in the shooting death of Eric Mason. Mason was shot and killed and his body was discovered on the afternoon of Dec. 30. Witnesses have provided critical details to investigators. One witness overheard Felo discussing the murder, claiming Mason had “ratted” on his friend leading to a 15-year prison sentence. Another witness came forward saying Felo demonstrated how Mason fell after being shot.
January 10, 2025 2:15 am
(WPXI) – An elected state constable is behind bars and facing drug charges out of Fayette County. Michael Scott Mucy, 58, is a state constable for Redstone Township. Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said he was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Police say that the drug was methamphetamine. Charges were filed on Wednesday. Court dockets say Mucy was unable to post bail. He will appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 28th.
January 10, 2025 5:03 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Officials say the two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area this week have burned at least 10,000 homes, buildings and other structures. Officials have urged more people to heed evacuation orders Thursday after a new blaze ignited. The fast-moving Kenneth Fire started in the late afternoon in the San Fernando Valley near the West Hills neighborhood and has moved into Ventura County. Only hours earlier, officials expressed encouragement after firefighters aided by calmer winds saw the first signs of successfully beating back the fires. At least 10 people have died.
January 10, 2025 5:05 am
DALLAS (AP) — Another blast of winter storms is closing schools, snarling flights and putting millions of residents on alert across parts of the Deep South and south-central U.S. The National Weather Service says heavy snowfall and icy conditions are likely Friday in Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Schools have been closed in many places expecting nasty weather as far east as South Carolina. The storm started dumping a mix of sleet and heavy snow Thursday in north Texas and Oklahoma, where schools canceled classes for more than 1 million students. Closures also kept students home in Kansas City and Arkansas.
