Police; Shooter Killed Ex-Wife & Son In Ice Rink Attack

February 17, 2026 4:43 am

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) — Authorities say the person who opened fire during a youth hockey game at an ice rink in Rhode Island targeted and killed an ex-wife and one son. Pawtucket Chief of Police Tina Goncalves says the victims were the shooter’s ex-wife Rhonda Dorgan and adult son Aidan Dorgan. The shooter injured three others during the shooting Monday afternoon in Pawtucket, among them Goncalves says was the shooter’s ex-wife’s parents and a family friend. Police have identified the shooter as 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, who also went by the name Roberta Esposito. Police say Dorgan died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Rescuers Push Through Storm For Avalanche Survivors

February 17, 2026 4:48 am

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Crews have pushed through mountainous wilderness in California near Lake Tahoe during a snowstorm to rescue six backcountry skiers who survived an avalanche but were trapped by its snow and ice. Nine others from their tour group remain missing. The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office says two of the six were taken to a hospital for treatment. The sheriff’s office says there were 15 skiers on the trip — not 16 as initially believed. Extreme weather conditions in the Northern California mountains slowed the rescue effort. It took crews several hours to reach the skiers and take them to safety, where they were evaluated by the Truckee Fire Department.

Bayer Agrees To Proposed 7.2 Billion Settlement

February 18, 2026 4:41 am

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bayer has agreed to a proposed $7.25 billion deal to settle thousands of U.S. lawsuits that blame Roundup for causing cancer. Bayer and lawyers for cancer patients announced Tuesday that they were filing the proposed settlement in St. Louis. It comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to hear Bayer’s argument about federal rules and warning labels for the popular weedkiller. That separate case will continue. Bayer says Roundup’s key ingredient of glyphosate does not cause non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. But the company says legal costs have threatened Roundup sales in U.S. farming markets. Bayer bought Monsanto, the original Roundup maker, in 2018.

New Orleans Celebrates Mardi Gras

February 17, 2026 4:39 am

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — As the sun rose in New Orleans, rows of parade-goers already lined the street. People set up chairs, coolers, grills and ladders — offering a higher vantage point to catch the eye of float riders throwing glimmering plastic beads to revelers. Mardi Gras is also known as Fat Tuesday. It falls on the day before Ash Wednesday. The big bash marks the end of Carnival season and a final chance for indulgence and revelry before the Christian Lent period of sacrifice and reflection. New Orleans has the nation’s largest and best-known celebration. Parade-goers will line the streets hoping to catch beads, toys and trinkets unique to each parade.

Warner Bros Reopens Takeover Talks With Paramount

February 18, 2026 4:40 am

NEW YORK (AP) — Warner Bros. Discovery is briefly reopening takeover talks with Skydance-owned Paramount to hear the company’s “best and final” offer, while the Hollywood giant continues to back the studio and streaming deal it struck with Netflix. In a Tuesday regulatory filing, Warner said that Netflix had granted it a waiver to open discussions with Paramount for seven days. Paramount now has until Feb. 23 to negotiate a possible transaction. But in the meantime, Warner’s board is still recommending shareholders support of its proposed merger with Netflix. A special meeting is now scheduled for Friday, March 20 to hold a vote on that deal.

Man Running Toward Capitol With Shotgun Arrested

February 17, 2026 6:09 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Capitol Police in Washington, D.C., have arrested an 18-year-old man after he ran toward the west side of the Capitol Building armed with a shotgun. Capital Police Chief Michael Sullivan said Carter Camacho of Smyrna, Georgia, parked a Mercedes SUV near the Capitol on Tuesday, got out and ran “several hundred yards” toward the building before officers intercepted him and ordered him to the ground. Sullivan says the gunman was wearing a tactical vest and gloves and had a Kevlar helmet and gas mask in the vehicle. The shotgun was loaded and the man had additional rounds on him, the chief says. Congress is not in session.

District Attorney Announces Arrest Following Drug Bust

February 17, 2026 10:44 am

A Washington man is last reported in the Washington County Jail on $10,000 bond after his arrest following a drug bust last week in the City.  Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh says 38 year old Carl Frey is charged with a firearms violation.  A search warrant was served Friday at 600 Penn Avenue with the assistance of Washington Regional SWAT, the District Attorney’s Drug Task Force and Washington City Police.  Walsh says it was the result of a months-long investigation.  Authorities seized a half-kilogram of Methamphetamine and a semi-automatic pistol. Additional narcotics related charges are pending against others as the investigation by Task Force Detectives continues.

Four Injured In Separate Crashes In Chartiers Township

February 17, 2026 4:57 am

A rollover crash Monday night In Chartiers Township injured three people including two small children.  Washington County 911 tells us it was a single-vehicle crash in the 2000-block of N. Main Street.  Dispatchers say a woman and the two children were all transported by ambulance.  We have no information on their identities or conditions.  Meanwhile,  one person was transported from the scene of a crash in the 2000-block of West Pike Street around 2 a.m Tuesday.  Dispatchers say the vehicle took out a utility pole and traffic is restricted in the area as West Penn Power crews make repairs.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson Dead At 84

February 17, 2026 5:36 am

CHICAGO (AP) — The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson has died. He was 84. Jackson was a protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King and became a leader of the Civil Rights Movement for decades after King was assassinated in 1968. A two-time presidential candidate, Jackson led a lifetime of political crusades, advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues from voting rights and job opportunities to education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders and channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, using his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition to pressure executives to make America a more open and equitable society.

No Update On Missing Monongahela Man

February 16, 2026 1:32 am

Still no updates on the search for Shelby Rhodes. Yesterday, the Donora and Monongahela Fire Companies, high-tech equipment and their dive teams searched in Monongahela River throughout the day and called off its search at 7 p.m. due to extreme cold water temperatures. Crews from several departments have been on hand, trying to find the 26-year-old from Monessen. According to his sister, Jessica, Shelby was last seen walking in the Black Diamond area at 5:00 a.m. on February 7, and friends haven’t heard from him in several days. An initial search of the area found a single set of footprints and Shelby’s cellphone along the banks of the Monongahela. Shelby was last seen wearing a blue and yellow flat-brim cap, a black hoodie, jeans and sneakers.