January 23, 2025 5:18 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has advanced the nomination of Pete Hegseth as President Donald Trump’s defense secretary. Thursday’s vote pushed Hegseth toward confirmation, despite grave objections from Democrats and stirring unease among Republicans over his behavior and qualifications to lead the U.S. military. Two Republicans, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, broke ranks to oppose Hegseth. The former combat veteran and Fox News host faces allegations of excessive drinking and aggressive actions toward women, which he has denied. A final confirmation vote is expected Friday. (Photo: AP)
January 23, 2025 9:40 am
Two people were killed in a fire in Wharton Township. Fayette County dispatchers said the fire happened on Fike Hollow Road at around 6:30 a.m. on Thursday. Fayette County Coroner Dr. Bob Baker said Donald Brewer, 70, and Patricia Brewer, 68 were both pronounced dead at the scene. Their cause and manner of death have not been released at this time. This is the latest in a series of fatal fires. Also on Thursday morning, one person was killed and four were injured after a massive house fire in Upper St. Clair. The cause of that fire is also under investigation. And – Wednesday morning, 68-year-old Kimberly Haines died in a fire at the Thomas Campbell Apartments in South Strabane Township. One other person was injured and taken to a hospital. Authorities say that fire is also under investigation, but they believe it was started by Haines smoking around oxygen equipment. On Monday, a woman was killed and a man hospitalized after a fire at a home in Crafton. An individual also died in a house fire in Rankin over the weekend.
January 22, 2025 1:48 am
One person has died and another taken to a hospital after a fire broke out around eight o’clock Wednesday morning in the Thomas Campbell Apartments in the 800 block of Beech Street in South Strabane Township. The Washington County Coroner’s Office says 68-year-old Kimberly Haines was found in her apartment on the fourth floor where the fire broke out. South Strabane Fire Chief Jordan Cramer tells WJPA that the fire is under investigation, but their initial thoughts are that Haines may have started the fire by smoking. This fire is reminiscent of another fatal fire in the building three years ago. Cramer says he took over the chief’s position a few months after that fire and his department worked closely with Thomas Campbell officials to upgrade its safety features, and since, then many upgrades have been made, like the installation of a state of the art fire alarm system and a state of the art sprinkler system. Cramer says if those safety features had not been in place, Wednesday’s fire could have been much worse.
January 23, 2025 1:26 am
The City Council of Washington held a special meeting Wednesday dedicated to the passage of modifications to the Mercantile Tax and Business Privilege Tax ordinances. According to Mayor JoJo Burgess, the crux of the changes is to allow stricter enforcement of penalties and more aggressive collection strategies. Burgess did not disclose those details but he reiterated his stance that everyone must pay their fair share of taxes. The ordinances will also see increases in penalty amounts but Burgess had no details on that. He called the tax arrearage significant and pledged to collect all delinquent business related taxes regardless of age. The action was perpetuated by a residential tax increase in Washington for 2025.
January 23, 2025 1:51 am
The Hollywood Casino at the Meadows rebranded their sportsbook on Wednesday. The casino had been working for several months with ESPN through Penn Entertainment to relaunch the sportsbook as ESPN Bet. According to Matthew Heiskell, General Manager of Hollywood Casino at the Meadows, the casino had already been working with the ESPN Bet App, so the renaming of the sportsbook was the next logical step. Heiskell says that players will find an expanded menu of food and drink to accompany their game day experience. Wednesday was also special for the Hollywood Cares charitable program run by the casino. At the ribbon cutting, Hollywood Cares presented the Mario Lemieux Foundation with a check for more than $30,000. According to Heiskell, the program donated more than $200,000 to local charities in 2024.
January 23, 2025 4:46 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is threatening to withhold federal disaster aid for wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles unless California leaders change the state’s approach on its management of water. Trump in a Fox News interview on Wednesday repeated false claims that California’s fish conservation efforts in the northern part of the state are responsible for fire hydrants running dry in urban areas. He says the blame for Los Angeles’ struggles to tame some of the deadly fires lies with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Trump added, “I don’t think we should give California anything until they let the water run down.” Newsom for his part has called for partnership amid the disaster.
January 23, 2025 4:47 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed a bill to require the detainment of unauthorized migrants accused of theft and violent crimes. It marks the first legislation that President Donald Trump can sign as Congress, with some bipartisan support, swiftly moved in line with his plans to crackdown on illegal immigration. The Laken Riley Act is named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year by a Venezuelan man. Its passage shows just how sharply the political debate over immigration has shifted to the right following Trump’s election victory.
January 22, 2025 4:45 am
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s promise to deport “millions and millions” of immigrants will hinge on securing money for detention centers. The Trump administration has not publicly said how many immigrant detention beds it needs to achieve its goals, or what the cost will be. However, an estimated 11.7 million people are living in the U.S. illegally. Immigration and Customs Enforcement currently has the budget to detain only about 41,000 people. Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the U.S. border with Mexico leverages the U.S. military to shore up mass deportations and provide “appropriate detention space.” The American Civil Liberties Union estimates that ICE is considering an expansion of immigrant detention space across at least eight states.
January 22, 2025 4:51 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Police say a shooting at a Nashville high school has left one student dead and another wounded. Metro Nashville Police spokesperson Don Aaron said during a news conference that the 17-year-old gunman later shot and killed himself with a handgun. Aaron says the shooting happened Wednesday morning at Antioch High School. The gunman and his victims were students at the school. Police Chief John Drake says the shooter “confronted” 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante in the cafeteria and opened fire, killing her. Drake says police are looking into a motive and whether the students who were shot were targeted.
January 23, 2025 4:49 am
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Officials say four San Antonio police officers have been shot while responding to a “suicide in progress call.” A heavy presence of police Wednesday night around an apartment complex were trying to detain the suspect. San Antonio Chief of Police Bill McManus say SWAT was setting up to try to detain the suspect in the neighborhood of Stone Oak. He says the suspect is a man in his 40s. The four officers have been transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. They have between four and eight years of experience.
