March 8, 2026 3:50 am
The South Strabane Township Planning Commission has once again opted not to take action on recommending a zoning ordinance to township supervisors that would regulate data centers in the township. At a meeting Thursday night, solicitor Dennis Makel indicated that members wanted to take a more thorough look at the ordianance and consider community feedback. He said the ordinance also contained spelling errors. Township supervisors initially wanted to hold a public hearing on the ordinance on March 19, but that will not take place. A March 31 date is available if a meeting venue can be secured. According to the Observer-Reporter, one change in the ordinance expanded the building setbacks from residential properties from 850 feet to 1000 feet. An attorney representing CNX, who owns a 1400 acre tract of land on Zediker Station Road, being marketed as a data center site, sent a letter to the township calling the ordinance exclusionary. He cited the setback requirements, building size restrictions and power and water declarations as irrational and discriminatory. The ordinance may be viewed on the South Strabane Township website.
March 7, 2026 3:55 am
People are asked to stay out of Allegheny County waterways for the next 48 hours after a power outage caused a sewage overflow. The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority issued a statement Friday night saying the wastewater treatment plant on Preble Avenue in Marshall-Shadeland experienced a full power loss between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. During those two hours, the plant was unable to process wastewater, which caused its wet well to fill up and overflow. “As with other overflow events, this resulted in a discharge into the river,” ALCOSAN said. As a result, people are encouraged to limit their contact with river water for recreational use, including boating, fishing and water skiing for the next two days. Duquesne Light has since restored power to the facility. ALCOSAN said it will monitor the situation and provide updates as they are made available.
March 6, 2026 5:39 pm
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to rule out talks with Iran absent its “unconditional surrender.” Israeli warplanes pounded Beirut and Tehran on Friday as Iran launched another wave of retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries on the seventh day of the war. The strikes in Lebanon were the heaviest since a 2024 ceasefire ended the last war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, who fired rockets at Israel in the opening days of the latest conflict. More than 95,000 people have fled Beirut’s suburbs and southern Lebanon after sweeping Israeli evacuation warnings. The U.S. and Israel have battered Iran with strikes, targeting their military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program. The stated goals and timelines for the war have repeatedly shifted. (Photo: AP)
March 6, 2026 5:41 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — American employers unexpectedly cut 92,000 jobs last month, a sign that the labor market remains under strain. The unemployment rate blipped up to 4.4%. The Labor Department reported Friday that hiring deteriorated from January, when companies, nonprofits and government agencies added a healthy 126,000 jobs. Economists had expected 60,000 new jobs in February. Revisions also cut 69,000 jobs from December and January payrolls. The surprisingly weak employment picture in February adds to the economic uncertainty over the war with Iran, which has caused oil prices to surge and saddled business and consumers with unforeseen costs.
March 6, 2026 1:38 am
Washington County Commissioners met for the first time since an excavator fell into a hole at the demolition site of the Courthouse Square building on Tuesday. Commissioner Chairman Nick Sherman expressed relief that the operator of the excavator is fine. In the days since the accident the office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has opened an investigation into the accident. Sherman says that the site was turned over to the ADAMO Demolition Company and they assume all responsibility. Sherman says that he does not expect any repercussions from the accident as the county solicitor had a hold harmless clause included in the contract. Commissioners received a letter Thursday from ADAMO saying that they accept responsibility for the accident. Sherman says they are waiting for all of the inspections to be completed so they can restart the project. He says that the current work stoppage will not cause the overall project to be delayed. When asked about any cost overruns due to the accident, Sherman says that there is no worry for that, and the accident will not cost taxpayers any money. Courthouse Square is being demolished to make room for the county’s new Public Safety Building.
March 6, 2026 4:51 am
UPPER ST. CLAIR, Pa. — Fire damaged a garage in Upper St. Clair on Thursday. An Allegheny County 911 supervisor says emergency crews were called to the 100 block of Southern Hilands Drive at 2:40 p.m. Fire officials say the fire started in the garage, but was quickly extinguished. No one was home at the time, and no injuries were reported.
March 5, 2026 4:59 am
Israeli airstrikes are pounding the capitals of Iran and Lebanon as the U.S. apparently struck an Iranian drone carrier at sea. The campaign targeting the Islamic Republic’s fleet of warships is intensifying. Iran launched new retaliatory attacks early Friday against neighboring countries that host U.S. forces. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The latest strikes mark a full week of attacks affecting countries across the Middle East. The Israeli military says the fighting has destroyed most of Iran’s air defenses and missile launchers. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that strikes against Tehran were “about to surge dramatically.”
March 6, 2026 5:43 pm
CHICAGO (AP) — From former presidents to an NBA Hall of Famer to prominent church pastors, stories of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.’s influence on politics, corporate boardrooms and picket lines loomed large at a celebration honoring the late civil rights leader. Thousands of people gathered Friday at a church on Chicago’s South Side to pay a final public tribute to Jackson. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, and former Vice President Kamala Harris, spoke during the program. The ceremony honors Jackson, a protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate. It follows memorial services that drew large crowds in Chicago and South Carolina, where Jackson was born.
March 5, 2026 5:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Some two dozen states are challenging President Donald Trump’s new global tariffs in court. On Thursday, the states filed a lawsuit over import taxes he imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court. Democratic attorneys general leading the suit argue that Trump is overstepping his power with planned 15% tariffs on much of the world. Trump has said the tariffs are essential to address trade deficits. He imposed duties under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 after the Supreme Court struck down tariffs he imposed last year under an emergency powers law. The new suit argues that law was intended to be used only in specific, limited circumstances.
March 5, 2026 5:03 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has fired his embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Trump said he was nominating Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin for the position in an announcement on social media on Thursday. The announcement came after Noem faced a two-day grilling on Capitol Hill from Republicans and Democrats and as Noem faced mounting criticism over her leadership of the Department of Homeland Security. Trump says he’ll make Noem a “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas.” Noem touted her achievements on social media and thanked Trump for the new role.
