Washington County Escapes Brunt Of Storms

May 26, 2024 7:06 am

Severe thunderstorms and strong winds rolled through the Pittsburgh area on Saturday.  Crews have spent hours working on restoring power to areas that experienced hundreds of outages during storms on Saturday.  Washington County power outages were scattered and there were no reported serious injuries.  Strong winds in Beaver County left a busy road closed in both directions Saturday afternoon after trees and wires were knocked over. Crews worked for hours but have been able to reopen the road with some restrictions in place.  (Photo:  WPXI)

Man Shot & Killed Inside Fayette County Home

May 26, 2024 7:09 am

(WPXI) – Pennsylvania State Police are investigating a homicide in a Fayette County community.  A state police spokesperson says Troopers were informed about a shooting at a residence on Second Street in Redstone Township around 11:12 a.m. Friday.  Through their investigation, police say they learned two men, identified as Edmund Parson and James Tucker, were in the living room of the home Friday morning. Police say while the men were sitting inside the room, Parson pulled out a pistol from a storage box and shot Tucker twice.  The men were taken to a nearby hospital, where Tucker was pronounced deceased. Parson was treated and released for incarceration.  Police say Parson is facing a criminal homicide charge and several other unspecified criminal offenses.  The shooting remains under investigation.

Man Killed In Westmoreland County Motorcycle Crash

May 26, 2024 7:11 am

(WPXI) – A man is dead after a motorcycle crash in Westmoreland County.  The Westmoreland County coroner said Joshua Michael Haynes, 24, from Blairsville, was driving a Suzuki motorcycle south on Derry Lane when he left the road and crashed into the woods.  Haynes hit a tree and was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:12 a.m. on Saturday.  The coroner said he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.  Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the crash.

Somerset County Man Home After Being Detained

May 26, 2024 7:17 am

 (WPXI) – A Somerset County man who spent 101 days detained in Turks and Caicos is home.  Bryan Hagerich arrived at Pittsburgh International Airport just after 9:30 Friday evening and ran into the arms of his two small children.  Hagerich faced up to 12 years in prison after he was found with hunting ammunition on his way out of the country. Early Friday, a judge ruled the ammunition was brought in unintentionally and gave him a suspended sentence.  His release comes after a major effort here at home. Congressman Guy Reschenthaler and Senator John Fetterman were part of a delegation that traveled to the Caribbean earlier this week to lobby for the release of Hagerich and other detained Americans.  “On Monday when we left the island, we weren’t sure that Bryan was going to be released,” Reschenthaler said.  “Just as a father, as a husband, to be reunited after 101 days. I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders,” Hagerich said.  He also shared a message to the families of the remaining American detainees: “Keep praying.”

UN Court Order Demands Israel To Halt Gaza Offensive

May 25, 2024 3:52 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — An order by the top United Nations court for Israel to halt its military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah deepens its disconnect with the United States. The operation faces mounting international condemnation, but American officials describe it, at least for now, as limited and targeted. The decision Friday by the International Court of Justice in The Hague adds to the pressure facing an increasingly isolated Israel. Yet the harsh global rhetoric stands apart from the stance of the Biden administration, which has made clear its opposition to a major offensive in Rafah while also insisting that the steps Israel has taken so far have not crossed red lines.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Resumes Duty

May 25, 2024 3:55 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has undergone a medical procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and has resumed duty after temporarily transferring power. He is continuing to deal with bladder issues that arose in December following his treatment for prostate cancer. The Pentagon says the procedure Friday was successful, elective and minimally invasive, “is not related to his cancer diagnosis and has had no effect on his excellent cancer prognosis.” Austin has returned home, and the Pentagon says no changes in his official schedule are anticipated, including his participation in Memorial Day events.

Prosecutors Seek To Bar Trump From Statements

May 25, 2024 4:03 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors have asked the judge overseeing the classified documents case against Donald Trump to bar the former president from public statements that “pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents” participating in the prosecution. The request to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon follows a distorted claim by Trump earlier this week that the FBI agents who searched his home in August 2022 were “authorized to shoot me” and were “locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger.” An attorney for Trump didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment Friday night.

Hunter Biden’s Gun Trial Could Last Up To 2 Weeks

May 25, 2024 3:59 am

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The judge overseeing Hunter Biden’s federal firearms charges trial agreed Friday to block prosecutors from telling jurors about some other unflattering episodes from his personal life, but left the door open to allowing them in if the president’s son testifies. Prosecutors and defense attorneys sparred over evidence Friday during the final hearing before trial on June 3, including the authenticity of data from a laptop he allegedly dropped off at a Delaware repair shop. President Joe Biden’s son is charged with lying about his drug use in 2018 on a form to buy a gun. Hunter Biden has acknowledged a past addiction to crack cocaine but his lawyers say he didn’t break the law.

Time To Get Into “The Swim Of Things”

May 25, 2024 2:59 am

The Washington Park Pool is going to be open and ready for the public to get into the swim of things on Memorial Day.  Park Director DeAnna Martin says the pool will be open from noon to six on Monday, Memorial Day and will then close for the rest of the week.  She says it will reopen for the season on June 1st.  Martin says pool goers will see a freshly painted pool that was the work of just about everyone on her staff.  She says the pool was badly in need of a fresh coat of paint, and with city council approval, they were able to get the work done in time for opening day.  The freshly painted pool isn’t the only fresh find at the park this year.  Martin says they’ll be having a Farmer’s Market on the second Saturday of each month through the summer, with the first one starting on June 8th.  Also, Martin encourages all pool goers and pickle-ball players to check out the concession stand this year.  She says they’ve got some tasty new treats for folks to enjoy.

American Home After Getting Suspended Sentence

May 25, 2024 3:45 am

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands (AP) — An American arrested in the Caribbean for illegally carrying ammunition is returning to the United States after receiving a suspended sentence of one year and a fine of several thousand dollars. A Turks and Caicos Islands government spokesman said Friday that Bryan Hagerich was free to leave the islands after paying the fine. Hagerich lives in rural Somerset County in southwestern Pennsylvania. He’s among five Americans to face similar ammunition-related criminal charges in Turks and Caicos Islands while visiting the upscale tourist destination.