August 7, 2025 4:51 am
The newly hired special counsel for Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh is seeking a delay to submit a response to a petition asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to restrict his ability to seek the death penalty. According to the Observer-Reporter, they will now have until August 22 to respond. Attorneys Joshua Voss and Shohin Vance were hired by County Commissioners last week during an emergency meeting. They filed the application Tuesday claiming that they would benefit from additional time to fully understand the facts and circumstances of the petition filed by the Atlantic Center for Capital Representation. The Philadelphia group is representing Jordan Clarke of Peters Township and Joshua George of Smith Township. Both men face the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder in separate cases involving the deaths of their infant sons.
August 6, 2025 1:12 pm
FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) — An Army sergeant has been accused of shooting five soldiers at Fort Stewart. Officials say Wednesday that other troops tackled 28-year-old Sgt. Quornelius Radford after he started firing. The shooting prompted a brief lock-down at one the country’s largest Army bases. Officials say Radford used a personal handgun, not a military firearm. Officials say Radford opened fire where he worked. An Army spokesman says officials wouldn’t speculate about a motive. The injured soldiers are stable and expected to recover, and Radford is in law enforcement custody. Brig. Gen. John Lubas said fellow soldiers tackled Radford and subdued him. (Photo: AP)
August 6, 2025 4:58 am
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas and California are at the center of a national political power struggle that could reshape Trump’s second presidency. And the battle could last months. In Texas, Republican lawmakers are trying to redraw congressional districts to please President Donald Trump. But Democrats are delaying action by leaving the state. In California, Democrats are maneuvering to counter Trump’s Texas play by boosting Democratic House seats in the liberal-leaning state. But California’s process is more complicated, no matter how hard Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom might push it. Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, has signaled his intention to defend the state’s independent redistricting commission that was a signature accomplishment of his Republican administration.
August 6, 2025 4:57 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed the Justice Department for files in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation and is seeking depositions with the Clintons and former law enforcement officials. It’s part of a probe lawmakers believe may show links to President Donald Trump and former top officials. The Republican-controlled committee issued subpoenas for depositions with Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and eight former top law enforcement officials. Trump denies prior knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and says he cut off their relationship long ago. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors are asking in court to unseal grand jury transcripts in the sex trafficking cases against Epstein and his ex-girlfriend but say there’s not much new in them.
August 6, 2025 4:56 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Health and Human Services plans to cancel contracts and pull funding for some vaccines being developed to fight respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and the flu. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that $500 million worth of vaccine development projects using mRNA technology will be halted. The 22 projects are led by major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Moderna. These mRNA vaccines are credited with slowing the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. In a social media video, Kennedy said HHS was “prioritizing the development of safer, broader vaccine strategies, like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms that don’t collapse when viruses mutate.”
August 6, 2025 4:54 am
HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Hiroshima is marking the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the western Japanese city. Many aging survivors express frustration over growing global support for nuclear weapons as deterrence. With survivors’ numbers rapidly declining and their average age now over 86, this anniversary is a significant milestone. The bombing on Aug. 6, 1945, killed 140,000 people and a second bomb on Nagasaki killed 70,000 more. Representatives from 120 countries including Russia and Belarus attended the ceremony Wednesday. Survivors and their families also paid tribute to the victims at the peace memorial park.
August 6, 2025 4:51 am
PITTSBURGH — Our news partners at Channel 11 continue to investigate the case of a woman charged with posing as a nurse and being hired to work at nine local facilities with a fraudulent license. They have learned that Shannon Womack was not fingerprinted as a part of her background check to get jobs here in Pennsylvania. They also determined that a law passed two years ago to regulate staffing agencies, which investigators say Womack manipulated to get those jobs, still isn’t in effect. The investigation uncovered more locations where Womack worked as a nurse, including a hospital and three prisons – all in the state of Georgia. They also were able to get a copy of Shannon Womack’s fraudulent nursing license. Police say she stole the identity of a real nurse, Shannon Nicole Parham and used that name to get jobs and steal drugs up and down the east coast. The license, issued by the state of Georgia, shows Shannon Nicole Parham’s license is currently active and unencumbered, which means a “full unrestricted license to practice” by the state board of nursing in 39 states, including Pennsylvania and the territory of Guam. Records show the license was originally issued in October of 2010.
August 6, 2025 2:18 am
The Lighthouse Electric company had its roots in Washington when the company was founded by Tony Mikec in 1984. On Tuesday, the company held a “Wire Cutting” ceremony for a brand-new production facility. They have had several production facilities over the years and now they have returned to the Washington area to open an expanded fabrication and kitting facility. Located on the site of the former Brockway Glass plant just off Interstate 70 the facility is currently 100,000 square feet. An additional 65,000 square foot addition is under construction. Anton Mikec is an owner and board member of the company and he said that they moved back to Washington “because it is home.” He praised the people of the Washington area because of their work ethic. Ryan Bandel, President and CEO of Lighthouse called the former Brockway site “sacred ground for makers.” He harkened back to Brockway’s groundbreaking product, glass jars and described how this new facility on the same site will provide logistics and prefabricated, kit-based electrical solutions for largescale construction projects. Additionally, during the ceremony, Lighthouse announced plans for the relocation of their headquarters to the former Ross Mould site in the City of Washington. Plans are underway and final details are being worked out for the project. Once the five-year expansion plan is complete, Lighthouse Electric looks to support more than 1000 high-paying skilled labor jobs by 2030.
August 5, 2025 3:31 pm
(AP) Police in Tennessee have arrested the man wanted for the killings of an infant’s parents, grandmother and uncle. Authorities say 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond is now in custody and that his arrest occurred Tuesday, shortly after police warned residents to stay indoors following a sighting in a neighborhood. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has already charged Tanaka Brown and Giovonte Thomas with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. Investigators allege both men assisted Drummond in the killings. It was not immediately clear whether Drummond had an attorney who could speak on his behalf. An automated message from the public defender’s office said to call back later. (Photo: AP)
August 5, 2025 2:26 pm
(WPXI) PITTSBUGH — Two men are in custody after a massive search in Pittsburgh on Monday afternoon. A Channel 11 crew was on scene as the incident unfolded. Police were stationed on all sides of the 31st Street Bridge, and our crew saw and heard officers draw their guns after a driver took police on a chase from Route 65 to the 31st Street Bridge. The driver, later identified by police as Duane Jemison, jumped out of his car and ran underneath the 31st Street Bridge. Before they found the driver, police took the passenger, Vaughn Hall, into custody on the bridge on-ramp. The driver was later pulled from the water and taken into custody. Jemison is facing charges including robbery, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person. Hall has not been charged related to this incident, but is facing charges in a shooting from last week. A Pittsburgh police spokesperson says the pursuit ended after the suspected stolen car hit another vehicle on the bridge. No one was hurt in that crash.
