March 26, 2025 4:43 am
The South Strabane Township Board of Supervisors approved plans that will reshape the Washington Mall area. The redevelopment, led by 79-70 Associates, will bring a mix of new retail, commercial, and service-oriented businesses to the area, including a 16,000-square-foot retail building, a warehouse club, and a recreational vehicle dealership and service center. Along with the demolition of the existing mall, the majority of the construction for the Harbor Freight store and the RV dealership will take place later this year, with work expected to begin this summer. The Warehouse Club is expected to be constructed next year.The total cost of the development is estimated to range between $20 to $30 million. According to project spokesperson Nate Phillips, the redevelopment will be fully funded through private dollars, with no need for the township to use Tax Increment Financing (TIF) or any similar funding programs. In addition to the retail buildings, the approved plan also includes a fuel station as an accessory to the proposed warehouse club, and a vehicle rental, sales, and service business, as well as a vehicle repair garage. The board has also given the go-ahead for a recreational vehicle dealership and service center as part of the overall project. In other township business, supervisors have approved an employment agreement with Marie Coffman for the Position of Finance Director and a resolution for a Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Grant to begin the construction of a dog park at Community Park.
March 26, 2025 2:46 am
Members of the horse racing community gathered at Hollywood Casino and Racetrack at the Meadows Wednesday afternoon to honor 27-year-old Hunter Myers. Myers, an up and coming young harness racing driver suffered fatal injuries last week during a race in which six horses were involved in a multi-chain reaction crash. A tribute walk was held around noon and drivers, groomers, trainers, horse owners and caretakers, along with family and friends, walked the track and conducted a short ceremony. A moment of silence was also held in the Winner’s Circle. Myers leaves behind a fiance’ and young son.
March 26, 2025 1:30 am
North Strabane Township voted to accept a Pennsylvania Automated Red Light Enforcement Transportation Enhancements Grant (ARLE) to upgrade safety along two township roads. According to Gibson-Thomas Engineering representative Vince Seyko, who is the engineer of record for the township, McDowell Lane and DeMar Blvd. have been identified as roads that need to have traffic calming measures implemented. Seyko says that digital signs displaying the speed of passing vehicles and rumble strips will be installed along both roads. The grant will cover the entire $116,000 cost of the project. With design and permit approval yet to take place, a projected start date for these improvements will likely be in the fall.
March 25, 2025 5:39 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is downplaying the texting of attack plans to a group chat that included a journalist as “the only glitch in two months” of his administration. Trump told NBC News on Tuesday it “turned out not to be a serious one.” Top national security officials including Trump’s defense secretary texted plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in a secure messaging app that included the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic. This was reported by the magazine Monday. The National Security Council says the text chain “appears to be authentic.” Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg says two hours after he received the details of the attack on March 15, the U.S. began launching airstrikes. (Photo: AP)
March 25, 2025 4:54 am
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has resigned after nearly five years in the position. He’s leaving as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have floated the idea of privatizing mail service. DeJoy said in a statement that Monday would be his last day on the job. The head of the U.S. Postal Service had said in February that he had intended to step down but hadn’t set a date. DeJoy’s tenure was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, surges in mail-in election ballots and efforts to stem losses through cost and service cuts.
March 25, 2025 4:50 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance says he’s joining his wife on a Friday trip to Greenland, suggesting in an online video that global security is at stake. Vance says in a video posted Tuesday to social media, “Speaking for President Trump, we want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it’s important to protecting the security of the entire world.” President Donald Trump irked much of Europe by suggesting that the United States should in some form control the self-governing, mineral-rich territory of American ally Denmark.
March 25, 2025 4:49 am
Dry conditions, wind and trees downed by Hurricane Helene are fueling wildfires in North and South Carolina. Officials say evacuation orders are in effect Tuesday in some parts of the states while they continue to monitor the blazes. Three fires are burning in rural North Carolina about 80 miles west of Charlotte. At least one of the fires was caused by a downed power line. In South Carolina, two fires are burning in a mountainous region and both have no containment so far. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for parts of South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia through Tuesday night, as dry and windy conditions were expected to be favorable for the rapid spread of wildfire.
March 25, 2025 4:48 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. negotiators are working with Russian representatives on a proposed partial ceasefire in Ukraine. Monday’s meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, came a day after the U.S. held separate talks with the Ukrainian team. Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of undermining efforts to reach a pause in the 3-year-old war. Both countries agreed in principle Wednesday to a limited ceasefire after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with their leaders. A major sticking point is what targets would be off-limits to strike. While the White House said “energy and infrastructure” would be covered, the Kremlin declared the agreement referred more narrowly to “energy infrastructure.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he wants to see railways and ports protected.
March 25, 2025 4:47 am
TOKYO (AP) — The Unification Church in Japan was ordered dissolved by a court after a government request spurred by the investigation into the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The church said it was considering an appeal of the revocation order, which would take away its tax-exempt privilege and require liquidation of its assets. The order followed a request by the Education Ministry in 2023 to dissolve the sect, citing manipulative fundraising and recruitment tactics that hurt followers and their families. The church called the court order regrettable and unjust. The investigation into Abe’s assassination revealed cozy ties between the South Korea-based church and Japan’s government. The man accused of killing Abe blamed the church for his family’s troubles.
March 25, 2025 4:44 am
ERIE, Pa. — (WPXI) – Two cases of measles have been confirmed in Western Pennsylvania. NBC News affiliate WICU, health department officials in Erie County confirmed the cases and said they were linked to international travel. The county is now working with the state to notify any potential contacts. Officials said the risk of community spread is low but urged vaccination to prevent infection. As of March 20, the CDC reports 378 confirmed measles cases across the country in 2025, including in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and Maryland. Of these cases, 90% are connected to three outbreaks. According to the CDC, measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5. Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes and rash.
