June 4, 2025 5:01 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Smoke from Canadian wildfires has carried another day of poor air quality south of the border to the American Midwest. Conditions in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan were rated “very unhealthy” on Tuesday. The smell of smoke hung over the Minneapolis-St. Paul area on Tuesday morning. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an alert for almost the entire state into Wednesday. Canada is having another bad wildfire season, and more than 27,000 people in three provinces have been forced to evacuate. The smoke is even reaching Europe, where it is causing hazy skies but isn’t expected to affect surface-air quality,
June 4, 2025 4:58 am
CLAIRTON, Pa. — (WPXI) – U.S. Steel is responding to a reported breakdown at its Clairton Coke Works plant that sent high levels of pollution into the air. According to the Allegheny County Health Department, the incident occurred Monday night around 7 p.m. while repairs were being made to a control room. All equipment was back online by 3 a.m. Health officials say preliminary information shows that during the breakdown, a control room that removes harmful chemicals from gas produced during coke-making was shut down and bypassed. The coke oven gas created during the breakdown was only partially cleaned by the remaining control systems, allowing for high levels of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide to be released. In a statement, U.S. Steel said its crews worked quickly to “isolate the cause of the problem and make repairs,” then bring the control room back online. “The plant has been in normal operation since the early morning hours of June 3. U. S. Steel followed all response protocols to ensure the safety of its employees and the community. The Allegheny County Health Department was notified, in accordance with our operating permit,” the statement reads in part. Health officials say U.S. Steel has a week to submit a full report explaining what happened.
June 4, 2025 4:54 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — No charges will be filed in connection with a crash involving a dirt bike that took the life of a 15-year-old boy. The crash between a dirt bike and an SUV happened on April 14 at the intersection of West Chestnut and Washington Street. The teenager riding the dirt bike, Jonathan Gillespie, 15, was flown to Children’s Hospital, but later died of the injuries he sustained in the crash. The driver of the SUV, who remained on scene and administered CPR before first responders arrived, tested negative for any impairment. Washington Police spent over a month investigating the crash, collecting witness statements, video evidence and medical records to understand what happened before and during the incident. Once the investigation was complete, it was turned over to the DA’s office for review, and then the two agencies met to discuss findings. Both the Washington Police Department and the Washington County District Attorney’s Office agreed that criminal charges wouldn’t be filed, determining that the driver was not at fault for the crash. The teen was riding his dirt bike when he was hit by a car April 14 at the intersection of West Chestnut and Washington streets in the city. He was flown to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he died three days later. Police informed the teen’s parents Monday that the driver would not be charged, according to a press release issued Tuesday by Washington police Chief Steve Devenney. “During the month-long investigation, this department collected multiple witness statements, video evidence and obtained the medical records of the deceased in order to obtain a clear picture of the events leading up to and including the accident,” Devenney wrote in the release. Jasmine Gillespie, Johnathan’s older sister, said the family believes the driver – who has not been identified by police – should face charges for the incident. “We just feel like we didn’t get justice for Johnathan,” she said Tuesday. Devenney did not provide specific details about what led to the accident or why the department decided the driver would not be charged. The Observer-Reporter filed a Right-to-Know request Tuesday afternoon seeking the identity of the driver and the circumstances that led to the crash. Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh declined to comment on the case and deferred questions to police. Washington police consider the investigation to be closed.
June 4, 2025 4:48 am
BETHEL PARK, Pa. — (WPXI) – Part of the Silver Line is not running because of downed power lines. PRT says shuttle buses are operating between Washington Junction and Library Station. Rail cars are operating between Mesta to Library Station on the Silver Line. PRT was not immediately sure why the lines came down just south of Washington Junction over Milford Drive, but said crews are working to repair lines and restore service as quickly as possible. A PRT spokesperson confirms this incident did not cause any cars to derail or any injuries to riders.
June 4, 2025 2:17 am
The Printscape PONY League World Series has announced that DICK’S Sporting Goods will be the Presenting Sponsor and Official Sporting Goods Retailer of the World Series. In a release, officials say “this partnership aligns two organizations with roots in Southwestern Pennsylvania who are fully committed to supporting youth sports. DICK’S Sporting Goods, a leading U.S. based full-line omni-channel sporting goods retailer, brings its long-standing commitment to youth athletics to the Printscape PONY League World Series, a tournament that has showcased the best 13- and 14-year-old baseball talent from around the globe since 1952.” With these designations, “DICK’S Sporting Goods will enhance the overall fan and player experience via on-site activation while supporting tournament operations and outreach initiatives. The company’s sponsorship will also be visible through a mixture of physical and digital assets associated with the event, including prominent signage, television and live-streaming elements, and social media.” The 2025 Printscape PONY League World Series will take place Aug. 8-13 at Historic Lew Hays PONY Field in Washington as 10 teams from around the world will compete to be crowned World Series champion
June 3, 2025 5:57 pm
Pennsylvania State Police have put out a Be On The Look Out alert in Greene County. They are looking for information on an attempted homicide at 144 Wayne Village in Franklin Township. Police are looking for John Trump and Cameron Zaccone. They fled the area in a silver Ford Escape. There is no information on a license plate but the car is described to be missing a full rear driver side tail light assembly. The actors are assumed to be armed and dangerous. If the car or actors are located, contact State Police Waynesburg.
June 3, 2025 5:45 pm
Washington County 9-1-1 has confirmed that emergency responders were sent to a fire on Plum Run Road near the Smith Township and Burgettstown line. Reports are that a solar array is involved in a brush fire. Emergency crews were dispatched at 3:21 Tuesday afternoon. According to 9-1-1 officials, seven fire departments responded to the blaze. Crews were still battling the fire at 5:30 pm.
June 3, 2025 3:50 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump wants his “big, beautiful” bill of tax breaks and spending cuts on his desk to be singed into law by Independence Day. And he’s pushing the slow-rolling Senate to make it happen sooner rather than later. Trump met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune at the White House early this week and has been dialing senators for one-on-one chats, using both the carrot and stick to encourage them to act. But it’s still a long road ahead for the bill. Senators want to make changes to protect Medicaid and to make sure some tax breaks become permanent. Elon Musk called the whole bill a “disgusting abomination.”
June 3, 2025 3:46 pm
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Federal officials say the wife and five children of a man accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at demonstrators in Boulder are being taken into custody. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem made the announcement Tuesday in a post on X. Authorities say Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national who has been living in the U.S. illegally, had 18 Molotov cocktails but threw just two during Sunday’s attack in which he yelled “Free Palestine.” Police wrote in an affidavit that Soliman didn’t carry out his full plan “because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before.” Soliman faces federal hate crime and state attempted murder charges.
June 3, 2025 10:30 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in April, showing that the labor market remains resilient in the face of uncertainty arising from President Donald Trump’s trade wars. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.4 million job vacancies in April, up from 7.2 million in March. Economists had expected opening to drift down to 7.1 million. But the number of Americans quitting their job — a sign of confidence in their prospects — fell, and layoffs ticked higher. Openings remain high by historical standards but have dropped sharply since peaking at 12.1 million in March 2022 when the economy was still roaring back COVID-19 lockdowns.
