Fayette County State Constable Faces Drug Charges

January 10, 2025 2:15 am

(WPXI) – An elected state constable is behind bars and facing drug charges out of Fayette County. Michael Scott Mucy, 58, is a state constable for Redstone Township. Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said he was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Police say that the drug was methamphetamine. Charges were filed on Wednesday. Court dockets say Mucy was unable to post bail. He will appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 28th.

Supreme Court To Hear TikTok Case

January 9, 2025 5:55 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a collision between free speech and national security, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over the fate of TikTok, a digital age cultural phenomenon that roughly half the U.S. population uses for entertainment and information. The case is being heard Friday. TikTok says it plans to shut down the social media platform in the U.S. by Jan. 19 unless the Supreme Court strikes down or otherwise delays the effective date of a law aimed at forcing TikTok’s sale by its Chinese parent company. Enforcement of the law would be left to the incoming Trump administration. President-elect Donald Trump has dropped his support for a TikTok ban. The court’s decision could come within days.

Police Identify Victims In Carbon Monoxide Deaths

January 9, 2025 2:25 pm

Police have identified the three people found dead in a home in Butler City on Tuesday.  Officers said they were called to 109 College Street in Butler City for reports of a dead person. They found that person and two other people dead from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. Two other people were taken to a hospital from the scene.  The three victims were identified as Thomas Reges, 62, from Butler, Wendy Schettig, 48, of Butler, and Jimmy Anderson, 69, from Virginia.  Firefighters said they detected extremely high levels of Carbon Monoxide in the house.  Police have learned another person was at the house a few days before the three people were found dead. That person was also taken to a hospital. That person was unaware of what made them sick and was released in good condition.  The CO detectors were disabled in the house. They believe that could have been done by the residents.  There is not a gas leak issue, police said. The house is currently inhabited.  All residents in the area are considered safe.

Former President Carter Honored With Washington Funeral

January 9, 2025 12:21 pm

(AP) – Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is being honored with the pageantry of a funeral in the nation’s capital before a second service in his tiny Georgia hometown that launched a Depression-era farm boy to the world stage. The dual funerals Thursday conclude six days of national funeral rites for the 39th president who died Dec. 29 at the age of 100. President Joe Biden eulogized Carter in Washington. Carter’s other living successors attended along with other dignitaries. His afternoon funeral in Plains, Georgia, is a small affair limited to family, friends and members of Maranatha Baptist Church. Carter will be buried alongside his late wife, Rosalynn Carter, in the same town where they were born, lived most of their lives and died.

Southern U.S Deals With Another Blast Of Winter

January 9, 2025 5:08 am

DALLAS (AP) — Schools and cities from Texas to Georgia are shutting down in anticipation of freezing rain and snow forecast for much of the Southern U.S. The severe weather is expected across a stretch from New Mexico to Alabama starting Wednesday night and early Thursday. The National Weather Service says the heaviest snowfall is likely in parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. Classes have been canceled for more than 1 million students in northern Texas, and other closures are reported in Arkansas and Kansas. Virginia’s capital, Richmond, remains under a weather-related water-boil advisory.

Out-Of-Control Wildfires Continue To Grow

January 9, 2025 5:06 am

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A fast-moving fire has broken out in the Hollywood Hills about a mile from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. About 130,000 people were under evacuation orders from out-of-control Los Angeles wildfires Wednesday. At least five people have been killed. Nearly 2,000 structures have been destroyed in the two fires, and the number is expected to increase. Three major blazes that erupted Tuesday have grown substantially. The fires have blanketed LA with a thick cloud of smoke and ash and ravaged the city from the Pacific Coast to inland Pasadena. One of the fires has become the most destructive in the modern history of the city of LA.

Jury Deliberations Underway In Drive-By Shooting Trial

January 9, 2025 2:18 am

Jury deliberations began Friday morning in the trial of Brandon Allen, 31 of Washington for his role in a May 2022 drive by shooting on Ridge Avenue that killed Kristin Barfield while she was sitting on her porch. Prosecutors rested their case after cross examination of Detective Todd Foreman, Retired from the Washington Police Department regarding video evidence and cell phone records. Ballistics testimony wrapped up the prosecution’s case. The defense called only one witness, Amari Miller. The 21 year old Washington man was the fourth person in the car when shots rang out killing Barfield. Miller testified that he was in the front passenger seat when the shots were fired. He identified Juan Worthy as the shooter. He stated that he did see Brandon Allen racking a pistol but he did not see him fire it. That testimony regarding Allen is directly opposite of testimony from Tyriq Moss that identified Allen and Worthy as shooters. .

Election Interference Report To Be Released

January 8, 2025 4:14 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department says it will release special counsel Jack Smith’s findings on Donald Trump’s efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election but will keep the rest of the report under wraps for now. The revelation was made in a filing Wednesday to a federal appeals court that was considering a defense request to block the release of the two-volume report while charges remain pending against two Trump co-defendants in a Florida case. That case accuses the Republican former president and current president-elect of illegally hoarding classified documents. It’s unclear when the election interference report might be released. Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and says it would be a “fake report.”  (Photo:  AP)

“Wicked” Tops SAG Awards Nominations

January 8, 2025 2:46 pm

(AP) – “Wicked” topped nominations to the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards on Wednesday, landing a leading five nominations including best ensemble, and individual nods for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey. Out-of-control wildfires that swept across Los Angeles and Southern California on Tuesday night forced the Screen Actors Guild to cancel its plans to announce the nominations live Wednesday morning. The nominations were instead issued by press release by SAG and Netflix, which began a multiyear deal to stream the SAG Awards last year. The other nominees for best ensemble are: “Anora,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez” and “A Complete Unknown.” It was an especially strong showing for the Bob Dylan drama “A Complete Unknown,” which scored four nominations.  (Photo:  AP)

Chartiers Township Water Main Break Repaired

January 8, 2025 7:26 am

Crews from Pennsylvania American Water company were called to a large water main break in Chartiers Township Wednesday morning.  Washington County 9-1-1 dispatchers tell WJPA News it happened around five o’clock at North Main Street and Museum Road.  Traffic through the area was reduced to a single lane and the gushing water was shut off before 7:30 a.m.  Officials with Pennsylvania American Water said in an emailed statement that the break was repaired and all service was restored.  They said the break was due to an old pipe line.  Eighteen customers were left without service until around ten-thirty, when final repairs were made.