February 14, 2026 4:04 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military says it has carried out another deadly strike on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the Caribbean Sea. U.S. Southern Command said Friday on social media that the boat “was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.” It said the strike killed three people. A video linked to the post shows a boat moving through the water before exploding in flames. Friday’s attack raises the death toll from the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats to 133 people in at least 38 attacks carried out since early September in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
February 14, 2026 3:58 am
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former CNN host Don Lemon has pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights charges in Minnesota. The veteran journalist is among several people accused in a Jan. 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official serves as a pastor. Four other people pleaded not guilty in the case Friday, including civil rights attorney and prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong. Lemon says he was chronicling the protest as an independent journalist. Prosecutors have accused him of joining a “mob.” Lemon says he will fight to defend his First Amendment rights. Nine people have been indicted in the case.
February 15, 2026 3:36 am
Washington County Fire and EMS companies that are located in the 50th congressional district have received more than $158,000 in state grants. Eleven organizations benefited from the grant program administered by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Office of the State Fire Commissioner. State gaming revenue provides the funding. The following organizations received funding. Bentleyville VFD, California VFD, Charleroi FD, Denbo Vesta Six VFD, East Bethlehem VFC, Lock 4 VFC, Marianna VFC, Richeyville VFC, Roscoe VFC, Stockdale VFD and West Brownsville VFC. The funds may be used for facility construction or renovation, equipment purchase or repair, training, recruitment and retention, education about fire safety or debt reduction.
February 15, 2026 3:46 am
PennDot District 11 that covers Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties says that pothole repair efforts are underway on state owned roadways. Crews will address higher traffic roadways first. Secondary roads will be addressed as soon as possible. PennDot considers this cold patch effort a temporary repair until asphalt becomes available in warmer weather. PennDot warns that motorists may encounter flaggers and road restrictions. They ask that drivers stay alert and drive cautiously.
February 14, 2026 3:39 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A federal safety agency investigating an August blast at the US Steel Clairton Coke Works that left two workers dead says it found safety shortcomings that “exposed” employees to the explosion. The $118,214 in fines from the Occupational and Health Safety Administration accompanied 10 citations. OSHA says that U.S. Steel’s written procedures, practices and training to safely maintain equipment and perform maintenance were incomplete, outdated or inadequate. U.S. Steel says it was reviewing the OSHA report. OSHA lets a company contest the findings. The United Steelworkers says it’s “grateful” to OSHA for investigating and is dedicated to implementing OSHA’s recommendations. Another federal agency, the Chemical Safety Board, has said it is investigating.
February 13, 2026 3:37 pm
NORWICH, Conn. (AP) — The State Department has ordered nonprofit public libraries to stop taking passport applications, cutting off a popular local service. In late fall, the agency started sending cease and desist orders, which take effect on Feb. 13. It says these libraries cannot collect and keep passport processing fees under federal rules. Librarians say the service has worked for years and residents still call every day. Members of Congress from several states pushed back in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They call the change abrupt. Pennsylvania members of Congress have proposed a bill that keeps eligible nonprofit libraries in the program.
February 13, 2026 12:55 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Politicians from President Donald Trump to local lawmakers agree that tech companies should cover the power costs of artificial intelligence data centers. But they still fight over what “fair share” means. The debate ties directly to cost-of-living pressure ahead of the midterm elections. Data centers keep spreading fast, and some use as much electricity as a small city. Utilities often spread new power plant and grid costs across all customers. States have started writing rules that require long-term contracts and big upfront payments. Consumer advocates warn the short-term squeeze still pushes up bills.
February 13, 2026 9:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A key measure of inflation fell to nearly a five-year low last month as apartment rental price growth slowed and gas prices fell, offering some relief to Americans still grappling with the sharp increase in costs of the past five years. Friday’s report suggests inflation could be cooling, but it comes after the cost of food, gas, and apartment rents have soared since the pandemic, with consumer prices about 25% higher than they were five years ago. The increase in such a broad range of costs has become a high-profile political issue under the rubric of “affordability.”
February 13, 2026 4:48 am
Two people were flown to area hospitals after a two-vehicle crash along Interstate 70 westbound in North Franklin Township. It happened between the Chestnut Street and Taylorstown exits around 8 p.m. and closed both westbound lanes forcing traffic to detour using Route 40. According to reports, a car and a dump truck were involved. At this time, no other information is available including the identity and condition of those injured. The interstate reopened about an hour later.
February 13, 2026 4:59 am
Canonsburg has named an interim Borough Manager. Finance Director Jennifer Foster will take over those responsibilities while a search for a permanent replacement continues. Council, this week, accepted the resignation of Angela Senay. She stepped down January 30 after serving just four-months in the position. According to the Observer-Reporter, council will soon discuss the next steps for the position.
