March 29, 2025 10:22 am
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Pennsylvania Lottery officials presented a commemorative check Thursday to a Fayette County woman who recently won $1 million on a scratch-off ticket. According to our news partners at Channel 11, Brittnee Boot, is a working single mom of three young children. She said she bought the ticket on March 19 at Foster House II in Washington Township after she and her kids ate dinner. “I play the Lottery occasionally. It was a random purchase,” said Boot. “I looked and thought I was seeing stuff, and I screamed! I thought I was dreaming!” Boot said she called her older sister to tell her the good news. “I said, ‘I think I won $1 million!’ She couldn’t believe it!” said Boot, who mentioned that she has a very close bond with her sister. “It’s really just the two of us and our kids.” When Boot and her sister arrived at the lottery office to claim the winnings, Boots told the staff she wanted to give her sister half of the money. Her sister said she wouldn’t accept it because Boot and her children are so deserving. “I’m like, ‘I never win anything!’” added Boot. “I play the Lottery for entertainment. It’s something to do. Now I can set some money aside for my kids for a better future and buy a house!” Foster House II will earn a $5,000 bonus for selling the ticket.
March 29, 2025 10:17 am
There was a one-vehicle accident along Pennsylvania Rt. 18 and Harvey Road in Morris Township around 9:40 this morning. Early reports indicate that one person was in the vehicle, unresponsive and trapped. Washington County 911 reports that police and the fire department were on hand just before 10:00 a.m. An emergency helicopter is reportedly on scene. At around 4:50 a.m., Washington police responded to a one-car accident with an allegedly intoxicated driver hitting a pole along East Bowe Street. There were no serious injuries reported.
March 29, 2025 4:14 am
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — An Associated Press analysis has found that South Dakota taxpayers subsidized Gov. Kristi Noem’s cross-country campaigning to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. More than $150,000 in expenses — tied to her state-provided security detail — appears to be related to political activity. The expenses incensed conservative state lawmakers, who also criticized Noem for refusing to release the expenses incurred during her time as governor. Noem’s spokesman would not answer questions about the expenses and pointed to the travel of Democratic governors in other states.
March 29, 2025 4:12 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — States are positioning themselves to compete for newer, cheaper nuclear reactors being developed as communities and tech giants compete in a race for electricity. For some state officials, nuclear is a carbon-free source of electricity that helps them meet greenhouse gas reduction goals. Others see it as an always-on power source to replace an accelerating wave of retiring coal-fired power plants. Twenty-five states passed legislation to support advanced nuclear energy last year. This year lawmakers have introduced over 200 bills supportive of nuclear energy. The reactors have high-level federal support and utilities across the U.S. are working to incorporate the energy source into their portfolios.
March 29, 2025 4:09 am
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s efforts to deport foreign students who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations are getting help from private groups that use facial-recognition technology to identify masked protesters. That’s so their names can be turned over to government officials. Other groups have called on supporters at universities to report protesters on their campuses to immigration authorities. After the arrest of a Columbia University grad student, the campaign to identify masked protesters and to turn them in has blurred the line between public law enforcement and private groups. The effort has also stirred anxiety among foreign students worried that activism could jeopardize their legal status.
March 29, 2025 4:06 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in the coming weeks to maximize the pressure on Ukraine and strengthen the Kremlin’s negotiating position in ceasefire talks. That’s according to Ukrainian government and military analysts. The Ukrainian officials said the move could give Russian President Vladimir Putin every reason to delay discussions about pausing the fighting in favor of seeking more land. The analysts and military commanders said the Kremlin is eyeing a multi-pronged push across the 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) front line as the spring fighting season draws near. Ukrainian leaders have argued repeatedly that Russia has no intention of engaging in meaningful dialogue to end the war.
March 29, 2025 4:03 am
BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s ruling military has said on state television that the confirmed death toll from a devastating earthquake rose to1,644. Saturday’s new total is a sharp rise compared to the 1,002 total announced just hours earlier. It underlines the difficulty of confirming casualties over a widespread region and the likelihood that the numbers will continue to grow from Friday’s quake. Rescue efforts are underway especially in the major stricken cities of Mandalay and Naypyitaw. Teams and equipment have been flown in from other nations. But they are hindered by the airports in those cities being damaged and apparently unfit to land planes.
March 29, 2025 4:00 am
MT. PLEASANT TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Mt. Pleasant Man who has lived on Mount Pleasant Road for more than 20 years says increased traffic recently and it is concerning. Bob Ersick tells our news partners at Channel 11 that increased PennDOT work will make the situation worse. “My biggest concerns are getting in and out of my driveway and taking the value away from my property,” he said. PennDOT has discussed this plan on Route 119 for 15 years because there have been numerous crashes at these intersections, there was one just last week. The hope, PennDOT said, is that these changes will make that stretch of 119 safer. “I realize we can’t save everybody, but I believe everybody’s worth saving,” said Jeremy Hughes, Assistant District Executive of Design with PennDOT. The project would remove the traffic lights at two intersections, install on and off ramps, build a bridge across Route 119, and install a roundabout on Mount Pleasant Road. Ersick’s house and driveway will be right on the roundabout. “I would have not bought this if this was here,” Ersick said. “There’s no way. I don’t know anybody that would.” Ersick has hired an attorney and wants PennDOT to buy his whole property. PennDOT said bids for the project will go out this summer, with some utility work starting late summer or early fall.
March 29, 2025 3:46 am
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A man is accused of beating and robbing another man before taking off in a stolen vehicle in Butler County. According to our news partners at Channel 11, Pennsylvania State Troopers were called to the 300 block of Stewart Road in Washington Township early Friday morning for a reported robbery and assault. That’s where a 42-year-old man was found severely injured. He was taken to Grove City Hospital but later had to be flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. He was last listed in critical condition. Dylan Hinchberger, 31, was identified as a suspect. Police said he forced his way into the victim’s house and took several guns. He then allegedly sat outside the house and waited for the victim to return home. Police say Hinchberger then ambushed the victim. During the attack, Hinchberger allegedly fired a gun in the victim’s house. After the attack, Hinchberger took off in the victim’s vehicle, but police said he crashed it into a tree five miles away and then ran away. He was found at a Quality Inn Hotel in Grove City but troopers said he jumped out of the second-story window and ran into the woods before they got to him. Pennsylvania State Police Aviation tracked Hinchberger and he was eventually found and arrested.
March 29, 2025 3:34 am
HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. —There was a good update for a woman who was missing Friday afternoon. According to our news partners at Channel 11, Pennsylvania State Police said a 77-year-old woman who was reported missing out of Westmoreland County has been found and is safe. Joann Lovell, 77, was initially reported missing out of Redmont Place in Hempfield Township in Westmoreland County on Friday afternoon. Her 2006 Gold Lincoln Town Car was spotted on Route 30 in North Versailles later in the afternoon. Police had thought she may be at risk of harm.
