August 2, 2026 7:33 am
A man is dead after a motorcycle crash in Westmoreland County overnight. According to Westmoreland County Coroner John Ackerman, the crash happened just before midnight Friday on Baughman Hollow Road, east of Pandora Way, in Hempfield Township. Ackerman says a motorcycle driven by Rylie Hillegas, 24, of Greensburg, failed to negotiate a curb while traveling east on Baughman Hollow Road. The motorcycle hit a guiderail, and Hillegas became separated from the bike. Medics took Hillegas to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Ackerman says Hillegas was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. The City of Jeannette and Pennsylvania State Police are investigating.
August 2, 2026 7:14 am
McKEESPORT, Pa. — (WPXI) A day that was supposed to celebrate new life instead became a day of mourning. Family and friends gathered Saturday at a McKeesport cemetery to remember 18-year-old Ja’el Torres and her unborn daughter on what should have been Torres’ baby shower. “Today was supposed to be her baby shower, and we are here,” her mother, Rakell Greene, said. “We shouldn’t be.” Instead of gifts and celebration, loved ones released balloons and lanterns while honoring the mother-to-be. Allegheny County police said Torres was shot and killed July 13 at an apartment building in Clairton. A man was also shot and survived. She was eight months pregnant, due in August. Torres’ unborn child did not survive the shooting. Torres was going to name her Jae’lani.
August 2, 2026 7:36 am
Someone is running over stop signs in Fayette County. And now, Pennsylvania State Police need help finding out who is doing it. Over the last two weeks, troopers say eight stop signs were intentionally run over and destroyed in Franklin and Jefferson townships. State police say the missing signs create a safety hazard for everyone. “It is a big deal. It is a safety hazard. And we don’t want to see anyone get hurt as a result of someone’s shenanigans,” PennDOT District Executive Rachel Duda said. PennDOT and PSP say when a stop sign is missing, the likelihood of crashes increases. There is a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about stop sign vandalism can contact the PSP barracks in Belle Vernon at 724-929-6262. If you see a missing or damaged stop sign, call 911
August 1, 2026 9:20 am
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland says he’s concerned that President Trump might use federal power to influence the fall elections. Moore is the new chair of the National Governors Association, and the Democrat is citing Trump’s efforts to restrict voting by mail and possibly deploy federal troops to polling places. Moore’s national profile is rising, and he’s seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender. His focus is on drawing young people into the workforce through service-oriented work. Despite challenges, Moore emphasizes the importance of strong governors in the current political climate.
August 1, 2026 5:16 am
DONEGAL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A tractor-trailer ended up over a hillside along I-70 in Washington County. It happened Friday morning near exit 6 in Donegal Township. The Claysville Fire Department said to use caution in the area and expect lane and/or road closures. No injuries were reported.
August 1, 2026 5:00 am
CEUTA, Spain (AP) — Spain reports that the death toll in the Ceuta border crisis with Morocco has risen to 67. The Spanish government announced Saturday that it is installing a 500-meter containment barrier along the breakwater fence into the sea. This follows the breach of the tiny Spanish territory’s frontier by around 60,000 migrants between Thursday and Friday. Most migrants have returned to Morocco, but some remain in Ceuta. The city experienced chaos, but residents woke up Saturday to an uneasy calm. Ceuta’s President, Juan Jesus Vivas, says life in the city is still disrupted and the situation is not yet back to normal.
August 1, 2026 4:57 am
PHOENIX (AP) — Authorities have released an early ransom note in the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie in hopes that someone will recognize the writing style. A second note released Friday indicated Guthrie died shortly after she was kidnapped. Both notes initially went to a Tucson television station days after the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie went missing from her home outside Tucson on Feb. 1. Authorities have not said whether Nancy Guthrie is still alive. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said “we believe these distinctive linguistic characteristics may be recognizable to someone who knows or has interacted with the notes’ writer.”
August 1, 2026 4:56 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Marine Corps says the pilot of an F-35B stealth fighter is expected to live after ejecting from the jet before it crashed in California. The jet went down Friday in a field near the Miramar air base in San Diego. An update from the Marines says he was taken to a local medical facility in stable condition. A single F-35B fighter jet costs about $109 million. Aerial video showed a plume of black smoke rising from a field. The F-35B is one of several versions of the advanced stealth fighter jet and has an engine designed for short takeoffs and vertical landings.
August 1, 2026 4:55 am
CAMP DAVID, Md. (AP) — President Donald Trump has used his Cabinet meeting at the Camp David retreat in Maryland to discuss his usual talking points about the economy, the border, Iran and immigration. Trump referred Friday to the recent surge of migrants into a tiny territory of Spain and said the same thing is going to happen to the U.S. if Republicans don’t get elected in the midterms. Trump began Friday’s meeting by saying, “It’s Camp David, and this room is a very, very special room.” The White House spent the morning highlighting that the meeting was the first televised Cabinet meeting at the storied presidential retreat, which was established in 1942 during Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency.
August 1, 2026 5:14 am
Washington County Commissioners on Thursday, awarded bids for the new public safety building that will replace the old Courthouse Square building on Beau Street. The demolition of that building was completed last week and Beau Street, which was closed in early April, was reopened. Commission Chair Nick Sherman says construction on the new building should be getting underway in two to three weeks and the finished structure should be ready by early January, 2028. The vote to award the bids was two to one, with Democratic Commissioner Larry Maggi voting no. In a press release, Maggi says he is against spending forty-million-dollars to building a new public safety building at the same site of the old building that had allegedly been riddled with structural and foundation issues for years. “Now that we have a huge, gaping hole in the middle of downtown Washington and no other viable plans for the site, it seems like we have no other choice than to saddle our taxpayers with additional debt to approve this project. However, I have major concerns that prevent me from putting my name behind this costly burden to the taxpayers,” he said. Maggi says he is concerned about the site containing pyrite – a mineral that is easily damaged by water and can damage a foundation. Sherman, however, says that issue was addressed and rectified.
