January 29, 2025 4:50 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When disaster strikes, government emergency alert systems offer a simple promise: Residents will get information about nearby dangers and instructions to help them stay safe. As the deadly LA wildfires and other major disasters have shown, alerts rely on a complicated chain of communication between first responders, government administrators, third-party companies and the public. Sometimes, the chain breaks. In this month’s wind-driven wildfires in Southern California, evacuation alerts for some neighborhoods came long after homes were aflame. That included the part of Altadena where most of the deaths occurred. County officials have approved an outside review of its role in the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire alerts at the urging of residents.
January 29, 2025 2:55 am
Health care workers at UPMC Washington may be going on strike. Union officials are calling on UPMC to fulfill its promises to invest in their hospital and are decrying a proposed 1% yearly raise and severe cuts while healthcare executives, they say, have received huge payouts. The union contract for the 300 hospital workers expires January 31st and they will be holding a vote on February 3rd to authorize a strike, if necessary. The union says that with starting wage rates as low as $16 an hour, Washington already has serious difficulties with recruitment and retention and UPMC’s proposals would aggravate those staffing problems. The workers say UPMC epitomizes larger problems throughout the country – the erosion of the American Dream for working people struggling with the increased cost of living and the prioritization of healthcare executive pay over patient care. Union officials say that when UPMC completed its takeover of Washington on June 1st of last year, it promised to “invest in its employees and improve benefits offerings” and “invest a minimum of $300 million in WHS” and $40 million in The Washington Foundation. It also vowed to engage in “good faith bargaining” with workers and their union. The union says they have failed to follow through on those promises. Should a strike occur, the union says it would affect many positions that keep the hospital running, like certified surgical technicians, care partners, physical therapy assistants, carpenters, licensed maintenance workers, dietary aides, medical records clerks, housekeepers, unit secretaries, master plumbers, cooks, engineers, patient transporters and others. Officials say if workers do decided to walk off their jobs, they will provide a 10-day notice to management to ensure patient safety and continuity of care.
January 29, 2025 2:10 am
A California man will face trial for his alleged role in the severe injury of a one year old child. Lyndon Henderson, 24 had charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of children held for court without a hearing. The criminal complaint states that Henderson was watching his girlfriend’s child and when the mother got home she found the child not breathing. Henderson claimed that the child fell off of a couch. The child was taken to Penn Highlands Mon Valley Hospital before being transported to UPMC Children’s Hospital. The baby was put on a ventilator and suffered a stroke. He also suffered a severe brain injury and bruising. Doctors stated that the injuries were 100% the result of child abuse. Henderson is being held in the Washington County Jail without bond.
January 29, 2025 2:06 am
South Strabane Township began the year by extending contracts of two township employees. The township extended the contract of Township Manager Jeffery Ziegler on a 4-1 vote. Ziegler’s salary is said to be $115,775. The township also extended Fire Chief and Emergency Services Director Jordan Cramer by a similar 4-1 vote. In both instances, Supervisor Jeff Bull was the lone no vote. Bull was particularly critical of Cramer’s new annual salary of $99,781 that he says has increased nearly 18% in two and a half years. He also questioned additional sick days and vacation days in the contract. Cramer defended his credentials that had been called into question during contract negotiations. Cramer pointed to credentials earned to act as a Public Information Officer. He defended any pay increase by stating that he came into South Strabane as a Fire Chief and stepped in to fill vacancies in other township areas that needed help. The debate between Bull and Cramer was soon gaveled to a halt when Supervisor Chairman Bob Weber told Cramer to sit down because he did not need to answer any more questions to anyone regarding his qualifications or role at the township.
January 29, 2025 2:05 am
It was a moment of appreciation for the staff, board of directors and one special maintenance technician from the Thomas Campbell Apartments at the South Strabane Township Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday. The township recognized the group because of their efforts in a January 22 fire that was quickly contained and caused minimal damage to the building. Fire Chief Jordan Cramer issued Certificates of Appreciation to the Board of Directors of the Thomas Campbell Apartments for installing a nearly $2 million state of the art fire alert and sprinkler system. He honored the staff for their efforts in aiding the fight of the fire and he honored Lester Pirillo. Pirillo is a maintenance technician that was alerted to the fire by the alarm system. The system told him exactly where the fire was located. He grabbed a fire extinguisher and immediately attacked the fire, bringing it under control until the fire department arrived. Cramer praised the board for their investment in the system. Board of Directors Chairman Pastor John Owen praised Cramer on his efforts to convince the board to invest in the system. The fire comes just over 3 years after a fire in December of 2021 that claimed the life of one resident and displaced more than 50 others for 2 years. The January fire did claim one life, but damage to the building was limited to the unit where the fire was located.
January 28, 2025 5:39 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans that could total trillions of dollars. U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the action Tuesday afternoon, minutes before it was set to go into effect. The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday. The White House had planned to start the pause as they begin an across-the-board ideological review of federal spending. The plan sparked confusion and panic among organizations that rely on Washington for their financial lifeline. Administration officials have said federal assistance to individuals would not be affected, including Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, student loans and scholarships. (Photo: AP)
January 28, 2025 2:22 pm
South Strabane Police and fire crews were called out just after nine o’clock Tuesday morning for a head-on crash near the intersection of East Beau Street and Floral Hill Drive. Authorities say they found one individual trapped in their vehicle but were able to extricate them. Two people were taken from the scene to area hospitals. There’s been no word on how serious the injuries are or how the crash occurred. (Photo courtesy of South Strabane Fire Department)
January 28, 2025 10:17 am
(WPXI) – The cause of a fire in Donora this morning is under investigation. Firefighters battled a house fire in Donora Tuesday morning. Washington County dispatchers say that calls came in for a reported structure fire in the 1200 block of McKean Avenue around 5:30. A woman and her sister told our news partners at Channel 11 – that they were inside the home when the fire broke out. “I smelled something burning, opened up my bedroom door, our whole house is full of smoke, so I got my sister. We got out, and the whole back of my house was on fire,” said homeowner Bobbie Fygolah. Several trucks lined 13th Street as crews searched the top floor for hot spots. Street crews had to salt and monitor the roads to keep firefighters safe, as ice formed in several areas. There were no injuries but Donora’s fire chief believes the house is a total loss.
January 28, 2025 6:43 am
Washington County Commissioners are set to hold a forum this week to discuss the new public safety radio system approved back in September. Invitations were sent out to emergency responders and municipal leaders throughout the County. It will be held Wednesday evening from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m at the South Franklin VFD social hall. According to the invitation, representatives from Motorola will provide an overview of the new, nearly $25 million system.
January 28, 2025 5:07 am
A frenzy over an artificial intelligence chatbot made by Chinese tech startup DeepSeek was upending stock markets Monday and fueling debates over the economic and geopolitical competition between the U.S. and China in developing AI technology. DeepSeek’s AI assistant became the No. 1 downloaded free app on Apple’s iPhone store Monday, propelled by curiosity about the ChatGPT competitor. Part of what’s worrying some U.S. tech industry observers is the idea that the Chinese startup has caught up with the American companies at the forefront of generative AI at a fraction of the cost. But hype and misconceptions about DeepSeek’s technological advancements also sowed confusion.
