August 4, 2026 4:54 am
The Conditional Use Public Hearing for the Cool Valley Illustrative Site Plan continued Monday night in Cecil Township. The proposed development is 216 acres along Interstate I-79, Lewicki Rd., and Morganza Rd. It will be used for retail, town homes, and an apartment complex. During the hearing, supervisors reviewed a list of conditions that the applicant must comply with. These conditions mention traffic patterns, construction regulations, and maintenance of streams and wetlands around the development. Supervisors and residents had the opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns, but there was not much discussion. The hearing lasted less than fifteen minutes. Supervisors voted to approve the plan, and the applicant can move forward with the development. Supervisor Cindy Fisher explains that the board is happy to balance residential and commercial properties in the township. Fisher also says that the board is pleased with how the applicant addressed prior concerns without any issues. Chairman Frank Egizio says that the board has been waiting on this for several years, and they are excited to see it move forward.
August 3, 2026 2:41 am
Gas prices are five cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.258 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has dropped two cents over the past week to $4.09. Crude oil prices remain in the $80 per barrel range as instability lingers along the Strait of Hormuz. Gas prices are nearly a dollar higher than they were this time last year. Typically, August brings some relief at the pump as road trips wind down and fall routines get underway for many families. But elevated crude oil prices could have an impact on that seasonal shift. According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand increased last week from 8.94 million to 9.04 million. Total domestic gasoline supply remained flat at 211.3 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.9 million barrels per day. At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate rose $5.20 to settle at $84.46 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories decreased by 7.2 million barrels from the previous week. At 404.5 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 7% below the five-year average for this time of year.
August 3, 2026 2:10 am
Word has been received of the death of long-time local sports broadcaster, Bill DiFabio. DiFabio’s voice was a familiar one to area residents, having broadcast his sports reports on WJPA Radio and other local outlets, plus doing a column for the Observer Reporter Newspaper. DiFabio’s sports broadcasts went out, at one time, to more than sixty-station outlets. He also served as the Public Address Announcer for the Washington Wild Things since their inception. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
August 3, 2026 5:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says new talks with Iran are the “last chance” for Tehran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of U.S. strikes on the country. Trump said in the Oval Office on Monday he expects to have an idea relatively soon about how negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address the United States’ concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. The Republican president says, “The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be the denuclearization.” Trump says that ”will take a little while.”
August 4, 2026 5:01 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February. The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor. The new tariffs took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs President Donald Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat. “After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.
August 3, 2026 5:11 am
DETROIT (AP) — State health officials say two people have died in the cyclospora outbreak in Michigan. They are the first confirmed deaths in the U.S. related to the microscopic parasite. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that both had underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by the intestinal illness and dehydration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” The parasite spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to contaminated irrigation water.
August 4, 2026 5:01 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has a cleared critical hurdle in his bid to be confirmed to the post after swaying Republican holdouts on a Senate committee to advance his nomination for a floor vote. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines Tuesday in support of the nomination of President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney. Blanche has aggressively pushed the Trump administration’s priorities since taking the reins from Pam Bondi in April. The full Senate could vote later this week on Blanche’s nomination. If all Democrats oppose him, Blanche can only afford to lose two Republican votes if Sen. Mitch McConnell, who was hospitalized after a fall, does not return before then.
August 4, 2026 4:58 am
Federal officials say a man from El Salvador has died at an immigration jail in New Jersey. The jail has been the target of months of protests over living conditions for people detained there. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Monday that 41-year-old Edwin Lopez-Cornejo had been held at Delaney Hall in Newark after being arrested in June. The agency says he died Saturday. The government accused Lopez-Cornejo of entering the U.S. illegally. His official cause of death has not been released. His death has prompted immediate and fierce condemnation from officials and community members. They say this showcases the inhumane conditions at the 1,000-bed facility. President Donald Trump and his deputies have defended the center’s operations.
August 3, 2026 5:11 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Investors in Elon Musk’s space company get a chance to question him Tuesday in his first quarterly earnings call since an initial public offering. Stock in SpaceX is down by half from its June peak as investors worry Musk had oversold investors on its future prospects and brace for possible insider selling as a lockup for trading their shares expires later this week. Musk is likely to be asked about when he expects to finish testing SpaceX’s giant Starship rockets, plans for its satellite network and the prospects of putting football-field sized datacenters in orbit.
August 4, 2026 4:56 am
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Authorities say they’ve arrested a 37-year-old man suspected of intentionally starting one of the devastating wildfires burning around Spokane, Washington. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said Monday they arrested Aaron F. Farinacci for arson. He’s accused of starting the Old Trails Fire. It’s one of three fires that are burning in the area, which have destroyed at least 700 structures and forced more than 60,000 people to evacuate. The Old Trails Fire sparked on Saturday. Farinacci will make his first court appearance on Tuesday.
