March 19, 2025 2:49 am
A Canonsburg man received probation for a drug delivery resulting in death charge. John Backner, 58 pleaded guilty for selling a fatal dose of fentanyl to Sean Caldwell, 41 of Hickory, in October of 2023. The negotiated plea is for five years probation with one year of electronic home monitoring. The sentence also included 180 days of time served in the Washington County Jail before Backner was released on $500,000 bond. The judge reluctantly accepted the plea after prosecutors explained that Backner admitted responsibility very early on at his preliminary hearing. They also indicated that Backner has been particularly instrumental in the investigations of other unrelated cases. Backner could have been sentenced to more than six years in prison. Charges of possession with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communications facility were dropped.
March 19, 2025 2:41 am
The Superintendent of the Fort Cherry School District, in a Facebook post and letter to parents and guardians, said the high school principal received notification Wednesday morning that a threatening statement was discovered written on a wall within the school. Thomas Samosky said that after consultation with law enforcement, the Mt. Pleasant Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Trinity Area School District Police conducted a thorough sweep of the building out of an abundance of caution and it has been determined that the threat is not credible. Samosky wrote that the safety and well-being of students and staff are top priorities. As such, we took these precautionary measures to ensure the safety of everyone on campus. All classes and extracurricular activities will continue as scheduled. Samosky says though, that there will be an increased police presence in and around the school. In addition, counselors will be available if any students would like to talk to someone about this event. He says a thorough investigation is ongoing to identify the individual or individuals responsible for this incident. Any person found responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
March 19, 2025 2:17 am
PITTSBURGH — Kennywood, Idlewild and Sandcastle are being sold to a new company. Parques Reunidos has agreed to sell its Palace Entertainment U.S. properties, which include the three Pennsylvania parks, to Herschend, which owns award-winning destinations like Dollywood, the Adventure Aquarium and Wild Adventures Theme Park. In all, Herschend, which describes itself as the “world’s largest family-owned themed attractions company,” is acquiring 20 entertainment venues across 10 states. Herschend says it’s committed to a smooth transition and no immediate changes are planned for the daily operations of the properties it’s acquiring. “We look forward to building upon the strong foundation that Palace Entertainment has created and welcoming these properties and hosts into the Herschend family of brands,” said Andrew Wexler, CEO of Herschend. “The teams at these parks have done an incredible job building beloved destinations in their communities, and we look forward to learning from them, growing together, and building on their success. This is an exciting opportunity for all of us to continue creating exceptional experiences for guests and meaningful opportunities for our teams.” Terms of the sale were not announced. The sale has not yet been completed.
March 18, 2025 4:45 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. still has a major case of French bulldog fever. But a very different breed is chasing dog lovers’ hearts. The comical, controversial Frenchie tops the American Kennel Club’s annual rundown of the nation’s most prevalent purebred dogs for a third year in a row. Next are Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, German shepherds, poodles and other longtime faves. Keep an eye on the cane corso. The powerful, protective breed vaulted from 47th to 14th in the rankings in just a decade. Popularity is seen as a mixed blessing among dog breeders and as an outright scourge by their critics. There’s no disputing that there are plenty of lovable dogs in animal shelters. (Photo: AP)
March 18, 2025 1:37 pm
(WPXI) – The National Weather Service has confirmed a fifth tornado touched down during Sunday’s storms across our area. NWS officials said they found damage consistent with an EF-1 tornado near Haddenville, Fayette County. They added that more information will be available after the survey team completes their assessment. On Tuesday, the NWS confirmed the other four EF-1 tornadoes that touched down on Sunday were near Donegal, Ligonier and Wilpen in Westmoreland County and near Josephine, in Indiana County. The four tornadoes confirmed Tuesday had estimated wind speeds of 100-105 mph, according to the NWS.
March 18, 2025 6:28 am
Washington County President Judge Gary Gilman is retiring. The 62-year old reportedly informed his staff and other judges Friday. He will officially retire July 7. The Observer-Reporter says Judge Valerie Costanzo will become the new President Judge. Gilman was elected to the bench back in 2011 and won retention a decade later. Gilman says he and his wife Senior Judge Katherine Emery would like to travel.
March 18, 2025 5:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to an immediate pause in strikes against energy infrastructure in the Ukraine war. The White House described it as the first step in a “movement to peace” that it hopes will eventually include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and a full and lasting end to the fighting. The White House said negotiations would begin immediately on those steps. But there’s no indication Putin has backed away from his conditions, fiercely opposed by Kyiv, to consider a broader peace deal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukraine is open to any proposals that lead to a sustainable and just peace, but stressed the need for full transparency in discussions.
March 18, 2025 5:08 am
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s two stuck astronauts are finally on their way home after more than nine months in space. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams left the International Space Station in a SpaceX capsule early Tuesday, checking out with two other astronauts. The capsule is due to splash down in the evening off the Florida coast, weather permitting. Their return will close out a dramatic marathon mission that began with a bungled test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule last June. They expected to be gone just a week or so when they launched and eventually had to switch to SpaceX to get back.
March 18, 2025 5:07 am
A federal judge on Monday was incredulous at the contention by the Trump administration that his directive to turn around deportation flights wasn’t binding because it was made verbally. District Court Judge James E. Boasberg made the demand Saturday night as he temporarily halted deportations under wartime powers President Donald Trump had declared minutes earlier under a rarely used 18th century law. But planes were already en route to El Salvador. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit asked Boasberg to determine if the administration violated his order. But an administration lawyer on Monday wouldn’t answer many of the judge’s questions, saying the judge had no right to the information.
March 18, 2025 5:05 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is rejecting calls for impeaching federal judges after President Donald Trump demanded the removal of a judge who ruled against his deportation plans. “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” Roberts said in a rare statement. The flashpoint for the latest controversy was deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, which is being paid by the U.S. to imprison them. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg had issued an order blocking the deportation flights.
