October 4, 2025 4:26 am
McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Trump administration is offering migrant children $2,500 to voluntarily return to their home countries, dangling a new incentive in efforts to persuade people to self-deport. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn’t say how much migrants would get or when the offer would take effect, but The Associated Press obtained an email to migrant shelters saying children 14 years of age and older would get $2,500 each. ICE said in a statement that the offer would initially be for 17-year-olds. Advocates say the sizable sum may prevent children from making informed choices.
October 4, 2025 4:22 am
BROADVIEW, Ill. (AP) — Federal officials have reported the arrests of 13 people protesting near an immigration facility outside Chicago. This facility has been frequently targeted during a surge in immigration enforcement. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem met with employees inside the facility on Friday. Protesters gathered outside, upset by newly installed barricades. Some aimed to block vehicles from entering or leaving the area. Federal agents have used tear gas and pepper balls in response to protests. Illinois State Police set up barriers to separate protesters from law enforcement. Critics have raised concerns about the tactics used by federal agents.
October 4, 2025 4:12 am
A tractor trailer accident caused the partial closure of Interstate 70 East early Saturday morning. According to 9-1-1 dispatchers, a westbound tractor trailer crossed the median and came to rest in the passing lane of the eastbound side of Interstate 70 causing the closure of that lane. The accident occurred at mile marker 3. Crews cleared the wreckage and lanes are now open. No injuries are reported.
October 5, 2025 7:00 am
Serenity Farms Inc. celebrated a grand opening for their new Meeting Room and Tech Lab in Washington. The venue is located in the Landmark Building at 75 East Maiden Street. The new meeting room will host meetings, trainings and recovery programs serving as a hub for healing and skill building for those seeking recovery. It features fresh furnishings, a kitchenette and inspiring murals. The Tech Lab is equipped with innovative resources to aid recovery, ease the effects of PTSD and elevate quality of life. Some of the aids are a Metaverse/Oculus bar, job search tools and programs aimed at recovery. Currently 12 recovery meetings and Legacy Church services are conducted in the space. The Meeting Room is dedicated to Patrick J. Uram, a Washington native remembered for his compassion, intellect and community leadership. Serenity Farms provides affordable housing, disability support and OUD/SUD recovery services. Its mission is to fight the opioid and fentanyl crisis.
October 3, 2025 5:13 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was sentenced Friday to four years and two months in prison in case involving sex workers, violence and “freak-offs.” The judge said a lengthy sentence was needed for deterrence and that he was unconvinced that if Combs is released these crimes won’t happen again. Combs, 55, was convicted in July of flying people across state lines for drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters. Jurors acquitted him of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges that could have carried a life sentence. (Photo: AP)
October 3, 2025 12:52 am
Washington City Council worked on issues on polar opposite sides of daily business at their voting meeting. Council approved the final land development plan for the Washington County Public Safety Building. They also added 15 homes to the demolition list to be torn down in 2026. Councilman Joe Pintola announced that PennDot will be replacing and synchronizing traffic and crossing signals in the spring along Maiden Street and Jefferson Avenue. Councilman Andrew Callan is warning residents that the city is aware of a larger than usual amount of ticks at Washington Park. He says that they are currently working with an exterminator to effectively solve the problem. Councilman Joe DeThomas reports that if a resident finds a dead dear that was not hit by a car to report it to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The commission is concerned with a deer disease called Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease or EHD. He says that the disease is severely affecting and killing deer in southeastern Ohio and the game commission there is considering cancelling deer hunting season there. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is monitoring the disease closely. If you find a dead deer call the game commission at 1-833-PGC-Wild.
October 3, 2025 2:51 am
Washington County Commissioners announced today that they are enhancing courthouse security with the implementation of an advanced AI-powered weapons detection systems. During Thursday’s County Commissioners meeting, the board voted unanimously to replace aging metal detectors with two Evolv touch-less security screening systems. The Evolv systems, which are already in use at major Pittsburgh sporting venues and several school districts, allow individuals to walk through without stopping or removing items from their pockets. This touch-less approach improves both efficiency and safety, reduces wait times and minimizes physical contact during entry screening. “As someone who worked in the courts for almost two decades, I understand that courtroom security is crucial,” said Chair Nick Sherman. “Very few people are in court for good reasons, emotions can run high, and even a simple situation can escalate. With so much violence in the world today, it’s imperative that we protect our county employees an the public.” The Evolv systems will be installed at both the front and back entrances of the courthouse, replacing the aging walk-through metal detectors currently in use. The total cost of the four-year agreement is just over $94,000, with one-third of the funding provided through grants. “As the former Sheriff and law enforcement officer, I understand the importance of keeping up with technology to keep our courthouse safe,” Commissioner Larry Maggi said, noting
that, unfortunately, this is an extremely important and necessary measure. “I love it,” said Vice-Chair Electra Janis. “We need to be at the forefront as technology constantly evolves.”
October 3, 2025 2:21 am
People are wondering when something might happen with the demolition of Courthouse Square. After the County Commissioner’s voting meeting, Commissioner Chairman Nick Sherman provided an update. Sherman says that there is a lot of activity on site. He points to EPA regulations that govern the demolition. He said that internal hand work is in the completion stage. Asbestos mitigation, precious metals removal and porcelain removal all should be completed in approximately one month. After that, a crew from Adamo Demolition Company of Detroit, Michigan will come in to tear down the building. Sherman says the process is a robotic process that will employ a robot pulling the demolition debris into the elevator shafts and using conveyor belts to take it to transport vehicles. He says that once the robots are in place, that process will take about a month. Once the demolition is complete, the county will begin construction on the new public safety building. It will be a three story structure that houses the 9-1-1 dispatch center, the sheriff’s office and a booking center.
October 3, 2025 4:50 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Americans’ routine interactions with the federal government this week are increasingly being met with partisan messaging. As a Senate deadlock keeps the federal government unfunded, some traditionally apolitical federal agencies are using their official channels to spread a coordinated political message that the shutdown is the Democrats’ fault. The messages are appearing in banners on agency websites, in autoreplies to emails, and in social media posts. They blame the political party that is out of power in Washington, when both sides are refusing to accommodate the other. Some experts suggest that they might be violating a federal law related to political activity by federal employees.
October 3, 2025 4:49 am
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump is now openly embracing the conservative blueprint he desperately tried to distance himself from during the 2024 campaign. In a post on his Truth Social site Thursday morning, Trump announced he would be meeting with his budget chief, “Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame,” to discuss which federal agencies should be cut and whether the cuts should be permanent. Trump’s comments represent a dramatic about-face after he and his campaign spent much of last year denouncing the massive proposed overhaul of the federal government that was drafted by many longtime allies and current and former administration officials.
