March 14, 2025 5:27 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — A spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown has narrowly cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate, paving the way for passage as a midnight deadline looms. Ten Democrats joined with Republicans to clear the 60-vote threshold needed to advance the measure. Democrats confronted two painful options Friday as a midnight deadline loomed. They could allow passage of a bill they believe gives President Donald Trump vast discretion on spending decisions. Or they could vote no and let funding lapse. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, said Democrats really didn’t have a choice because a shutdown would have far worse consequences for Americans.
March 15, 2025 4:10 am
A Washington man will face drug delivery resulting in death and drug possession charges for his role in the death of a man that lived in the Bassettown Manor apartments. Jordan Klobchar, 35 is accused of giving crack cocaine to Robert Davis, who smoked it with Klobchar and later died. A coroner’s report identified cocaine toxicity as the cause of death. According to the criminal complaint, on November 16, 2024, Police and EMS were called to Davis’ apartment where he was found on the floor with a small pool of blood surrounding his head. Police were met at the apartment by Klobchar who claimed responsibility for giving the drugs to Davis the previous night. At his preliminary hearing Klobchar’s charges were held for court without a hearing. Klobchar remains in the Washington County Jail unable to post bond.
March 14, 2025 10:24 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 50 universities are being investigated for alleged racial discrimination as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to end diversity and equity programs that his officials say exclude white and Asian American students. The Education Department announced the new investigations on Friday, one month after issuing a memo warning America’s schools and colleges that they could lose federal money over “race-based preferences” in admissions, scholarships or any aspect of student life. Most of the new inquiries are focused on colleges’ partnerships with the PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups get degrees in business with the goal of diversifying the business world.
March 14, 2025 5:08 am
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office says it is investigating reports of embezzlement within the largest youth football league in Pennsylvania. Initially, the complaint, by the Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League (WPYFL) was handed over to the Greene County Regional Police Force, but it has since been turned over to the district attorney. Officials say they began the investigation after financial discrepancies were noticed when they began receiving fraud alerts on their account. The league’s director, Bill Spencer, has stepped down, submitting his letter of resignation. While no charges have been filed yet, Spencer reportedly admitted to a mistake. According to records from an emergency meeting held this week, some representatives expected the account balance to be around $300,000, but suspect it might only hold between $170,000 and $200,000. The account was frozen, but the league says they have since gained access to it. Funds in the account, accumulated through team fundraising and game gate fees, are intended for organizing special games for children from kindergarten to sixth grade and covering referee costs. During the meeting, Jared Lowe was appointed as the acting director of the organization. A new treasurer was also appointed. Individual team accounts remain unaffected by the situation. The WPYFL currently consists of 44 member organizations, 138 teams that represent 43 different school districts in seven Southwestern Pennsylvania counties covering 3,061 square miles.
March 14, 2025 5:14 am
Washington County Fire Chiefs are urging residents not to burn until conditions improve. Departments across the county have been responding to numerous brush fires that are threatening land, homes and public safety. They say there is an ‘extremely high fire danger in the region. Recent dry and breezy weather has created ideal conditions for fires to ignite and spread rapidly. A small backyard fire can quickly become uncontrollable. They are advising residents to; avoid open burning, properly dispose of smoking materials, grill with caution and be mindful of sparks. Residents are asked to check with their local fire department for any burning bans or restrictions. if you see an uncontrolled fire call 911 immediately.
March 14, 2025 5:03 am
Canon-McMilllan School District is set to install a new crisis alert system for student and employee safety which will be funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). The system will be the first in Washington County and the second in the entire Western Pennsylvania region. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Scott Chambers states that all employees will wear badges that trigger immediate emergency alerts, including medical emergencies and intruder alerts. In other matters, the district has also opened kindergarten registration on their website for the 2025-2026 school year. According to Assistant Superintendent Dr. Mark Abbondanza, the webpage contains frequently asked questions, key facts regarding the kindergarten process, and downloadable registration forms. The district is also implementing an artificial intelligence curriculum incorporating robotics for 5th and 6th graders in Cecil Intermediate and North Strabane Intermediate Schools. The curriculum will allow students to design and code robots while learning about coding and AI offering two levels of difficulty: the uKit AI Beginner for 5th graders, featuring more than 350 building pieces, and the uKit AI Intermediate for 6th graders, with more than 550 building pieces. The pilot program will launch in April, with STEM teachers leading the effort.
March 13, 2025 5:24 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate finds itself in a familiar position, working to avoid a partial government shutdown with just hours to spare. Democrats confront two painful options Friday as a midnight deadline looms. They can allow passage of a bill they believe gives President Donald Trump vast discretion on spending decisions. Or they can vote no and let funding lapse. The top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said Democrats really didn’t have a choice because a shutdown would have far worse consequences for Americans. The legislation would fund the federal government through the end of September.
March 14, 2025 5:25 am
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is listing all the federal real estate leases it is ending, but new records obtained by The Associated Press show when those cancellations are expected to take effect. The documents from inside the General Services Administration, the U.S. government’s real estate manager, list dozens of federal office and building leases expected to end by June 30, with hundreds more slated over the coming months. The rapid pace of cancellations has raised alarms, with some agencies and lawmakers appealing to DOGE to exempt specific buildings. Several agencies are facing 20 or more lease cancellations in all, including the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Geological Survey.
March 14, 2025 5:28 am
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Representatives of China, Russia and Iran called for an end to U.S. sanctions on Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program and a restart to multinational talks on the issue. The talks come after U.S. President Donald Trump wrote to Iran’s supreme leader in an attempt to jumpstart talks. The letter was offered as Trump levied new sanctions on Iran as part of his “maximum pressure” campaign that holds out the possibility of military action while emphasizing he still believed a new deal could be reached. The three nations who met Friday emphasized the necessity of ending all unilateral sanctions, their joint statement said. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was due to meet with the representatives later in the day.
March 14, 2025 5:27 am
GENEVA (AP) — Iran increasingly relies on electronic surveillance and the public to inform on women refusing to wear the country’s mandatory headscarf in public, even as hard-liners push for harsher penalties for those protesting the law. That’s according to a United Nations report released Friday. The findings of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran come after it determined last year that the country’s theocracy was responsible for the “physical violence” that led to the death of Mahsa Amini. Her death led to nationwide protests against the country’s mandatory hijab laws and the public disobedience against them that continues even today, despite the threat of violent arrest and imprisonment.
