January 9, 2025 12:21 pm
(AP) – Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is being honored with the pageantry of a funeral in the nation’s capital before a second service in his tiny Georgia hometown that launched a Depression-era farm boy to the world stage. The dual funerals Thursday conclude six days of national funeral rites for the 39th president who died Dec. 29 at the age of 100. President Joe Biden eulogized Carter in Washington. Carter’s other living successors attended along with other dignitaries. His afternoon funeral in Plains, Georgia, is a small affair limited to family, friends and members of Maranatha Baptist Church. Carter will be buried alongside his late wife, Rosalynn Carter, in the same town where they were born, lived most of their lives and died.
January 8, 2025 5:02 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Wind chills will be near zero or below early Thursday so grab the extra layers and make sure you bundle up. Overnight snow showers could leave a fresh coating of snow so watch for slick spots. Friday morning could be the coldest of the winter season so far with single digit morning low temperatures and that cold will set the stage for our next round of snow. Snow showers will break out for most areas after sunset and continue off and on through the night and early Saturday.
January 8, 2025 2:21 am
Washington County Commissioners have wasted no time in naming a replacement for the chairperson of the Local Share Account (LSA) Committee to replace current chair, Jeff Kotula. Kotula announced this week that he would be resigning from the position he has held since the committee’s inception in 2008. Kotula gave no reason for his action, but emailed the following statement to WJPA: “I have served as Chairman of the Washington County Local Share Account Review Committee since its inception 17 years ago and believe it is time for me to take a respite from the process. While I am proud of the work of the diverse group of dedicated individuals I have served with on the committee, I have also noticed the only person remaining from the original committee formed in 2008 is me…so it is time for some fresh eyes on the process and a new chairperson for this important committee. I have again worked with the team at the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Washington on this year’s process and everything is in place for a successful 2025 review which will ensure a seamless transition for the new chairperson and the committee. In my opinion, each member of the current committee would be qualified to lead the process, however, the selection of a chairperson is the county commissioners’ decision. I have valued the trust the county commissioners, committee, applicants, and public have placed in me over the past 17 years and look forward to the continued success of this impactful program for Washington County.” The board announced Wednesday that Mark Hrutkay of South Strabane Township would step into Kotula’s shoes as Chairman of the LSA Board. Hrutkay is a former Director of Human Resources at CONSOL Energy and a former chair of the Washington County Republican Party. The Local Share Account was established to support community and economic development through gaming revenues generated from gaming revenue at Hollywood Casino at the Meadows.
January 8, 2025 2:45 am
Testimony began Tuesday in the jury trial of Brandon Allen, 33 of Washington. Allen faces homicide, attempted homicide and aggravated assault charges for the May 11, 2022 drive-by killing of Kristin Barfield at her home at 219 Ridge Avenue in the City of Washington. Allen is accused of being the driver of the car during the shooting and also firing a weapon as he drove by. Morning testimony centered on evidence collected at the crime scene. It also included testimony regarding police interviews with 18 year old Tyriq Moss. He was charged similarly as Allen and was a passenger in Allen’s car. Allen’s defense attorney was questioning police about the validity of the interviews because Moss seemed to be uncooperative in one interview and more cooperative in a second when he was represented by an attorney. The afternoon began with Tyriq Moss relinquishing his 5th amendment rights and agreeing to testify in the trial. It was revealed that Moss would have his criminal charges dropped in exchange for his testimony. Moss testified that it was Allen and Juan Worthey, another passenger in the car that fired the shots at Barfield. The balance of the testimony was from police about video footage of the suspects before and after the shooting at locations along Ridge Avenue. It also included testimony about Allen abandoning his car and the retrieval of a weapon discarded in a wooded area near McDonald, PA. Testimony will resume on Thursday.
January 9, 2025 5:06 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A fast-moving fire has broken out in the Hollywood Hills about a mile from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. About 130,000 people were under evacuation orders from out-of-control Los Angeles wildfires Wednesday. At least five people have been killed. Nearly 2,000 structures have been destroyed in the two fires, and the number is expected to increase. Three major blazes that erupted Tuesday have grown substantially. The fires have blanketed LA with a thick cloud of smoke and ash and ravaged the city from the Pacific Coast to inland Pasadena. One of the fires has become the most destructive in the modern history of the city of LA.
January 9, 2025 5:08 am
DALLAS (AP) — Schools and cities from Texas to Georgia are shutting down in anticipation of freezing rain and snow forecast for much of the Southern U.S. The severe weather is expected across a stretch from New Mexico to Alabama starting Wednesday night and early Thursday. The National Weather Service says the heaviest snowfall is likely in parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. Classes have been canceled for more than 1 million students in northern Texas, and other closures are reported in Arkansas and Kansas. Virginia’s capital, Richmond, remains under a weather-related water-boil advisory.
January 8, 2025 5:10 am
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will be honored Thursday with the pageantry of a funeral in the nation’s capital and second service in his tiny Georgia hometown that launched a Depression-era farm boy to the world stage. The dual funerals conclude six days of national funeral rights for the 39th president who died Dec. 29 at the age of 100. President Joe Biden will eulogize Carter in Washington. Carter’s other living successors are expected to attend, along with other dignitaries. His afternoon funeral in Plains, Georgia, is a small affair limited to family, friends and members of Maranatha Baptist Church. Carter will be buried alongside his late wife, Rosalynn Carter, in the same town where they were born, lived most of their lives and died.
January 8, 2025 5:13 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump ran on a return to his “America First” foreign policy platform. But since winning a second term, the president-elect has been embracing a new imperialist agenda. He’s talking about seizing the Panama Canal and Greenland — perhaps by military force — and saying he will use economic coercion to pressure Canada to become the nation’s 51st state. Such talk about undermining sovereign borders and using military force against allies, even if said lightly, is a stunning departure from decades-old norms about territorial integrity. Analysts say it could embolden America’s enemies at a time when Russia is pressing forward with its invasion of Ukraine and China is threatening Taiwan.
January 9, 2025 5:55 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a collision between free speech and national security, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over the fate of TikTok, a digital age cultural phenomenon that roughly half the U.S. population uses for entertainment and information. The case is being heard Friday. TikTok says it plans to shut down the social media platform in the U.S. by Jan. 19 unless the Supreme Court strikes down or otherwise delays the effective date of a law aimed at forcing TikTok’s sale by its Chinese parent company. Enforcement of the law would be left to the incoming Trump administration. President-elect Donald Trump has dropped his support for a TikTok ban. The court’s decision could come within days.
January 8, 2025 5:00 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Massive wildfires roaring through the Los Angeles area left neighborhoods in ruins, killed at least two people and threatened landmarks made famous by Hollywood. Desperate residents escaped through flames, hurricane-force winds and towering columns of smoke. Three major blazes that erupted just a day earlier blanketed the city with a dangerous, thick cloud of smoke and ash and destroyed homes across the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, home of the famed Rose Parade. One of the fires was the most destructive in the modern history of the city of LA.
