April 30, 2026 4:59 am
ROSTRAVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A student faces charges after police say they made an online threat against the Belle Vernon Area School District. An investigation began on April 20 after a person from Minnesota called Pennsylvania State Police to report that a person they had been playing online video games with had made a specific bomb threat against the district. The Rostraver Township Police Department and troopers responded to the campus. The school activated its safety protocols and implemented an emergency action plan. The threat was determined to be non-credible. “Rostraver Township Police would like to commend the online gamer for taking this threat seriously, showing initiative, and having the courage to reach out and contact our department,” Rostraver Township Police Chief Scott Sokol said. On Wednesday, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office provided an update saying that police executed a search warrant at the student’s home and seized their electronic devices. District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said the student will be charged with terroristic threats and simple assault in juvenile court. “The prompt and proactive measures of the Rostraver Police Department and Belle Vernon Area School District to intercept this threat, credible or not, should be commended. I am thankful for the individual who reported this and that all students and staff are safe,” Ziccarelli said.
April 30, 2026 2:12 am
PennDOT announced that single-lane restrictions are scheduled to occur on Route 2001 (South Main Street) and Route 18 in the City of Washington, beginning Monday, May 4th. During this time crews from Allison Park Contractors, Inc. will perform sewer line relocation at the intersection of Route 2001 and Route 18 as part of the Route 2001/Route 18 Over Catfish Creek Bridge. Replacement Project. Drivers should remain alert and use caution when traveling through the area.
April 30, 2026 5:02 am
HONG KONG (AP) — The price of Brent crude oil briefly surged pass $126 a barrel as stalled U.S.-Iran talks raised doubts over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a permanent end to the Iran war. Brent crude oil to be delivered in June jumped 3.3% to $121.90 after briefly surpassing $126 per barrel. U.S. futures fell and world shares were mixed. Before the war began in late February, Brent crude was trading around $70 per barrel. There’s no clear path to ending the war, which is in its ninth week. The U.S. has continued its blockade of Iranian ports while the Strait of Hormuz is closed, pushing oil prices higher.
April 29, 2026 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has weakened a landmark Civil Rights-era law that has increased minority representation in Congress and elsewhere. In a 6-3 ruling, the court’s conservative majority on Wednesday struck down a majority Black congressional district in Louisiana. The decision opens the door for more redistricting across the country that could aid Republican efforts to control the House. The effect of the ruling may be felt more strongly in 2028 because most filing deadlines for this year’s congressional races have passed. It’s unclear now how much is left of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. That law is the main way to challenge racially discriminatory election practices.
April 30, 2026 5:07 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to face a second day of grilling from Democrats on Capitol Hill. This time, it will be from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. They will get their first opportunity on Thursday to question the Pentagon chief about his handling of the war in Iran. Hegseth battled with Democrats during a nearly six-hour House Armed Services Committee hearing a day earlier. He faced sharp questioning over the war’s costs in dollars, lives and critical weapons. The hearings are being held on the Trump administration’s 2027 military budget proposal. It would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion.
April 29, 2026 5:04 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jerome Powell plans to remain on the board of the Federal Reserve after his term as chair ends next month “for an undetermined period of time,” saying the “unprecedented” legal attacks by the Trump administration have put the independence of the nation’s central bank at risk. The Fed Wednesday left its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the third straight meeting but signaled it could still cut rates in the coming months, moves that attracted the most dissents since October 1992. The Senate Banking Committee earlier approved Powell’s successor as chair, Trump appointee Kevin Warsh, on a party-line vote.
April 30, 2026 5:03 am
Outlaw country singer-songwriter David Allan Coe, who wrote the blue-collar anthem “Take This Job and Shove It” and created a singing career after a stint in prison, has died. He was 86. A statement to People said he died Wednesday. The cause was not disclosed. Coe had a cult following based on his raw, often-obscene lyrics and a checkered plus somewhat mysterious past. His hits included “You Never Even Call Me by My Name” in 1975 and “The Ride” in 1983. He was also the first country singer to record “Tennessee Whiskey,” which has since become a genre standard.
April 29, 2026 4:43 am
South Strabane Township Supervisors held discussions during their meeting centered on their data center ordinance, fossil fuel and electric generation ordinance and their noise and dust ordinance. Those continuing discussions are frustrating residents that want to see a data center ordinance passed before a land development plan is filed on a 1400 acre property owned by CNX on Zediker Station Road that could develop one there. Diane Ecker played sound effects from an operating data center to emphasize that supervisors must take their health and well being into consideration. Cynthia Rossi made a trip to Ohio to visit a data center and specifically study a fossil fuel power generation plant. She described the power plant and the data center buildings as huge. She said it would be inhumane to have a data center complex like the one that she saw built in a residential/agricultural area of South Strabane. Hearing the frustrations of the residents, Supervisor Jeff Bull said that they are making sure that the ordinance is being done right. Supervisors will be updated on changes to the data center ordinance and the fossil fuel electric generation ordinance this week. It is likely another public hearing will be scheduled to allow comment on changes. Supervisors also voted to have the noise and dust ordinance advertised so residents can view modifications to that ordinance as it would relate to data center construction.
April 29, 2026 3:40 pm
HARRISBURG – Rep. Bud Cook (R‑Greene/Washington) announced on Wednesday, grants for two employers who hire individuals who live in the 50th District. The grants, which total a little more than $36 million, will be used to help cut greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy costs and strengthen the area’s industrial economy. Cook says the companies receiving the grants are CNX Green Ventures LLC – which will get $31.5 million to install special ventilation wells at the Enlow Fork coal mine. He says the project will use a pipeline system to safely capture and transport the methane for offsite processing. The other company is Iron Senergy Holding LLC., that will receive $4.8 million to install a device to capture coal mine methane. Cook says the funding is awarded as part of the Medium-scale Award Track (MAT) and Large-scale Award Track (LAT) of the Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) program. In total, more than $267 million was awarded to manufacturing projects across Pennsylvania through the RISE PA program.
April 29, 2026 2:59 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has weakened a landmark Civil Rights-era law that has increased minority representation in Congress and elsewhere. In a 6-3 ruling, the court’s conservative majority on Wednesday struck down a majority Black congressional district in Louisiana. The decision opens the door for more redistricting across the country that could aid Republican efforts to control the House. The effect of the ruling may be felt more strongly in 2028 because most filing deadlines for this year’s congressional races have passed. It’s unclear now how much is left of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. That law is the main way to challenge racially discriminatory election practices. (Photo: AP)
