December 2, 2024 4:59 am
BETHEL PARK, Pa. — (WPXI) – Crews spent several hours repairing a major water main break in Bethel Park that caused damage to a handful of homes Sunday. A fast-moving wall of water and mud gushed out of the ground and straight into Justin Lemley’s mother’s home around 11:30 a.m. “I was right down the street and when I got here, this was just a pool and it was running over there, going about 2.5 feet into my garage and the entire downstairs is flooded,” said Lemley. Pennsylvania American Water (PAWC) said an 8-inch pipe broke on Wilamit Drive. Water was shut off for about 17 customers and was restored by 7 p.m. Lemley’s home and about four others behind his flooded. It’s unclear what caused the break but workers on site said it tends to happen in cold weather.
December 2, 2024 1:24 am
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office says they’re aware of a scam where fraudsters are posing as a deputy from their department in an attempt to steal money. The sheriff’s office said the caller claims to be Deputy Thomas, but said they do not have a deputy by that name on their staff. The caller also claims to be from the Warrant Division attempting to collect unpaid fines. The sheriff’s office said that their Warrant Division will never call anyone attempting to collect unpaid fines and that their office is not even responsible for that.
December 1, 2024 6:28 am
President-elect Donald Trump’s stunning announcement that he will nominate Kash Patel as FBI director sets the stage for a fresh round of turbulence at a law enforcement agency tasked with protecting the homeland and investigating federal crimes. Patel, a steadfast Trump ally with plans to shake up the institution he’s been tapped to lead, is a study in contrasts from the current tight-lipped director who preaches a “keep calm and tackle hard” mantra. The announcement means that current FBI Director Christopher Wray can either resign from the job, consistent with Trump’s apparent wishes, or wait to be fired once Trump takes office in January. Meanwhile, Patel is likely to face deep skepticism during his confirmation hearings even in a Republican-led Senate.
December 1, 2024 6:26 am
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The first big snowfall of the season has blanketed parts of New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan during the hectic U.S. holiday travel and shopping weekend. Numbing cold and heavy snow could persist through the early part of the week and cause hazards in the Great Lakes, Plains and Midwest regions. The National Weather Service says the heaviest snow totals are expected downwind of lakes Erie and Ontario, affecting areas from northeast Ohio, far northwest Pennsylvania, western New York State and portions of northwest New York state. Cold air is expected to move over the eastern third of the U.S. by Monday with temperatures about 10 degrees below average.
December 1, 2024 6:22 am
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees says it is halting aid deliveries through the main cargo crossing into Gaza because of the threat of armed gangs who have looted recent convoys. The decision could worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as the cold, rainy winter sets in, with hundreds of thousands of people living in squalid tent camps and reliant on international food aid. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, the main aid provider in Gaza, said Sunday that the route leading to the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel is too dangeous on the Gaza side. Armed men looted nearly 100 trucks traveling on the route in mid-November, and he said gangs stole a smaller shipment on Saturday.
December 1, 2024 6:20 am
BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian military has rushed in reinforcements to push back insurgents from advancing farther into the northern Hama countryside after they seized Aleppo in a surprise offensive. The insurgents look over most of Aleppo on Saturday and claimed to have entered the city of Hama. There was no independent confirmation of their claim. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travels to Syrian capital Damascus later Sunday. He told reporters that Tehran will back the Syrian government and army. The swift and surprise offensive is a huge embarrassment for Syria’s President Bashar Assad and comes at a time when his allies — Iran and its groups and Russia — are preoccupied with their own conflicts.
December 1, 2024 6:14 am
ROSTRAVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — One person was injured after two cars crashed in Rostraver Township. Westmoreland County dispatchers say emergency crews were called to the 1500 block of Rostraver Road at 4:48 p.m. on Saturday. A Facebook post made by the Rostraver Central Fire Department showed two cars had crashed. Both sustained heavy damage to their front. Investigators said one person was taken to a hospital. Firefighters said they had to stop leaking fluids from spreading at the scene of the crash.
December 1, 2024 4:04 am
Police were called to the 600 block of Fayette Street at about 11:00 PM Thursday night. According to 9-1-1 dispatchers, eight gunshots were heard. Police were told that the gunshots seemed to come from a vehicle described as an old police cruiser. According to police, witnesses that were interviewed did not see anything. The incident remains under investigation.
December 1, 2024 4:01 am
ALLENPORT, Pa. —(WPXI)- Two piles of clothes and three Star Wars collectible plates are all John Huff said he has left. “That’s everything I have left on this planet,” he said. “The first three that my mother ever bought me. I had about 30, and they’re really scorched but at least they survived.” Flames tore through his house along Route 88 in Allenport in Washington County the night before Thanksgiving. “I can’t think of a worse time,” Huff said. “My car was totaled because it was in the alley next to it. It melted. The tires exploded.” The fire then spread to his sister and brother-in-law’s home next door badly damaging the roof and attic. “My sister’s cat was saved,” said Huff. “Somebody gave us a cat carrier. My father’s urns were saved by the firemen up there.” Huff is grateful no one was hurt. He was at his sister’s house moments beforehand when a stranger driving by told them to get out. “Twenty minutes later, some stranger that just stopped was beating on her door saying the house was on fire,” Huff said. “To whoever this person was and the person that gave the boots, thank you so much. Standing outside in the rain that night was very cold. Thank you.” The Stockdale Fire Chief said the fire started in the kitchen. He believes it was accidental. Huff’s home is a total loss and needs to be torn down. His sister and brother-in-law’s house was left with a gaping hole and water damage so the couple can’t live there until it’s fixed. But neither home had insurance. The family set up a GoFundMe to help them rebuild. “I work as a waiter with a tip job,” said Huff. For now, the three of them are staying with their mother and stepdad in a two-bedroom house in White Hall. “It’s actually a bedroom and office and there’s now five adults living here,” Huff said. “We’ve just been sleeping on air mattresses. One is in the dining room. One is in the other bedroom, and I sleep on the couch.” It may be a bit crammed and a tragic start to the holiday season, but Huff is thankful. “My mother is the best person in the world,” he said. “She’s always looked out and tried to help.” The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
November 30, 2024 4:22 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Retailers in the U.S. have used giveaways and bigger-than expected discounts to reward shoppers who ventured out on Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving still reigns for now as the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season even if it’s lost some luster. Analysts reported seeing the biggest crowds at stores that offered real savings. They say many shoppers are being cautious with their discretionary spending despite the easing of inflation. Stores are even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there are five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Online sales figures from Thanksgiving Day gave retailers a reason to remain hopeful for a lucrative end to the year.
