December 22, 2024 7:27 am
WASHINGTON — A Washington County man is going to prison after pleading guilty to assaulting officers with a weapon during the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6, 2021. The United States Attorney’s Office said Joshua Lee Atwood, 31, of Burgettstown was sentenced to four years in prison with three years of supervised release. He will also pay $2,000 in restitution. Atwood was arrested by the FBI in April. Authorities said he climbed into the Capitol through a broken window and entered the Senate room to join the mob outside of the Tunnel entrance inside the building at 4:51 p.m. on that day. They reported he picked up a wooden pole and used it to strike at the riot shields of officers in the police line. Police said he hit an officer’s helmet with that pole before throwing it at them. Atwood reportedly used pepper spray against police until the canister was empty. Police said he also threw a baseball bat, a plastic bottle, a metal scaffolding pipe and a heavy black speaker at the group of officers. The metal pipe hit an officer in the head and neck. In the 47 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,572 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing. (Photo: WPXI)
December 22, 2024 7:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has rushed through final passage of a bipartisan plan to fund federal operations and prevent a government shutdown. It now goes to President Joe Biden, who is expected to quickly sign it into law. The House passed the package late Friday in an overwhelming vote. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed into the night to finish early Saturday, just after the midnight deadline. The bill would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, but drops President-elect Donald Trump’s demands for a debt limit increase into the new year. Speaker Mike Johnson had insisted Congress would “meet our obligations” and not allow federal operations to shutter ahead of the Christmas holiday season. He also said Trump is happy with the outcome.
December 22, 2024 7:00 am
One person was taken to a local hospital early Saturday morning for treatment of smoke inhalation, after fire broke out at a residence at 54 West Maiden Street in Washington. The building is located directly across the street from Washington City Hall. Authorities say the blaze, which was reported around four o’clock, displaced several residents and the Red Cross was called out to provide a warming station. There’s been no word on what caused the fire.
December 21, 2024 9:34 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine has brought the war into the heart of Russia with drone attacks that Russian authorities said damaged residential buildings in the city of Kazan, some 600 miles from the front line. The press service of Kazan’s governor, Rustam Minnikhanov, said that eight drones attacked the city, six of which hit residential buildings. Local authorities said there were no casualties. Moscow sent 113 drones into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukrainian officials said, all of which were shot down or “lost,” likely having been electronically jammed. Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said eight people were wounded Friday night in drone attacks.
December 21, 2024 9:31 am
(AP) — The U.S. flu season is underway. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday released its latest flu-monitoring data, and noted sharp increases in several measures. Thirteen states last week were reporting high or very high levels of flu-like illness last week, about double from the week before. No flu strain seems to be dominant, and it’s too early in the season to know how good a match the flu vaccine will be. Flu experts suggest everyone get vaccinated, especially as people prepare to attend holiday gatherings where respiratory viruses can spread widely.
December 21, 2024 5:45 am
MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — Germans are mourning a violent attack after a Saudi doctor intentionally drove a black BMW into a Christmas market teeming with holiday shoppers, killing at least five people, including a small child, and injuring at least 60 others. Authorities arrested a 50-year-old man at the site of the attack Friday evening and took him into custody for questioning. He has lived in Germany for nearly two decades, practicing medicine. Several German media outlets identified him as Taleb A. There were still no answers Saturday as to what caused him to drive into a crowd in the eastern German city of Magdeburg. Describing himself as a former Muslim, he shared dozens of posts daily focusing on anti-Islam themes.
December 21, 2024 4:39 am
(AP) Drivers and airline passengers without reindeer and sleighs better make a dash for it: it’s beginning to look like another record for holiday travel in the U.S. The auto club AAA predicts that more than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday and New Year’s Day. The two weekends on either side of Christmas are tempting a lot of people to head out earlier. U.S. airlines expect to have their busiest days to be Friday and Sunday this week and next Thursday, Friday and Sunday. A government shutdown that could start as soon as Saturday was not expected to immediately affect flights and airport operations.
December 20, 2024 4:46 pm
A school bus crashed into a ditch in Washington Friday afternoon. Washington County 911 said crews were called to Willow Road at Jefferson Avenue just before two-thirty for a school bus that went over a hillside and ended up on its side in a ditch. It had some front-end damage and appeared to have crashed into trees. Dispatchers said there were no children on the bus. There’s been no word on what caused it to leave the road. (Photo: WPXI)
December 20, 2024 3:51 pm
BERLIN (AP) — The deputy mayor of the Germany city of Magdeburg says at least one person was killed and dozens were injured after a car plowed into a busy Christmas market in what authorities suspect was an attack. German news agency dpa reports that Regina-Dolores Stieler-Hinz said more than 50 people were injured when the car drove into the market. Authorities say the driver of the car was arrested. The suspected attack came eight years after an Islamic extremist drove into a Berlin Christmas market, killing 13 people and injuring others.
December 20, 2024 9:21 am
Former Washington County Judge John Bell has died. Bell served on the bench for two terms from 1976-1995. He did work in the criminal, civil and juvenile divisions. Bell served as a senior judge from 1996 through 2013. Bell died on December 18 surrounded by family. Friends may visit Bell at the Warco-Falvo funeral home in Washington from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm and 6:00 pm -8:00 pm on December 27. His funeral will be on December 28 at 11:00 am at the Immaculate Conception Church, St. James Parish. Bell was 88 years old. (Photo: Legacy.com)
