August 22, 2025 4:42 am
Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, the district will establish a Department Head for Family and Consumer Science. The role will be funded by reallocating resources from the current Assistant to the Superintendent/Curriculum Director 7-12 position. The move is designed to oversee Family & Consumer Science at the middle school and the high school. In addition to staffing changes, the board accepted a $50,000 donation from Eugene Reichenbecher in memory of Marian Meszaros, a beloved Wylandville Elementary School teacher during the 1960s and 1970s. Meszaros, who passed away, left a lasting impact on countless students and colleagues. The donation will support the ongoing Wylandville Elementary School Project. The district also received a $35,000 grant from the Washington County Community Foundation, provided through the NPL&E Permanent Fund, Bill McDonald Fund, and Vitulla Family Fund. These funds will be invested at Cecil Intermediate School and North Strabane Intermediate School to expand opportunities in coding, robotics, and artificial intelligence education.
August 21, 2025 5:03 am
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump is proudly promoting the work of roughly 2,000 National Guard troops in Washington to confront what the Republican president describes as an out-of-control crime wave in the Democratic-run city. Trump and his allies are confident that his decision to dispatch soldiers to a key American city with no clear crisis is a big political winner. Democrats say this is a fight they’re eager to have. One Democratic strategist says it’s “an opportunity for the party to go on offense on an issue that has plagued us for a long time.” Trump’s power grab could be a factor for both sides in elections in Virginia and New Jersey this fall — and next year’s midterms.
August 22, 2025 5:07 am
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump is declaring victory after an appeals court threw out the massive civil fraud penalty against him. But the court has upheld other punishments, such as banning Trump and his two eldest sons from serving in corporate leadership for a few years. A five-judge panel ruled Thursday in New York state’s lawsuit accusing the businessman-turned-politician of exaggerating his wealth. The decision in the mid-level Appellate Division altered a verdict that stood to cost Trump more than $515 million and rock his real estate empire. The Republican president says the case and the verdict were political moves by Democrats. New York’s Democratic attorney general says the court affirmed the finding Trump was liable for fraud.
August 22, 2025 5:06 am
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel’s defense minister warned on Friday that Gaza City could be destroyed unless Hamas accepts Israel’s terms, as the country prepares for an expanded offensive in the area. A day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would authorize the military to seize Gaza City, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that the enclave’s largest city could “turn into Rafah and Beit Hanoun,” areas reduced to rubble earlier in the war. “The gates of hell will soon open on the heads of Hamas’ murderers and rapists in Gaza — until they agree to Israel’s conditions for ending the war,” Katz wrote in a post on X.
August 21, 2025 5:48 pm
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — A report of a shooter on Villanova University’s campus that sparked panic among students and drew a heavy police presence was a “cruel hoax,” the school’s president said Thursday. Earlier in the afternoon, students had received a text from the Villanova alert system that told them to lock and barricade doors and move to secure locations. A second alert from Villanova officials warned people to stay away from the law school. Radnor Township police posted on social media at about 5:45 p.m. that police were clearing buildings but said “at this time, there are NO reported victims.” They told people who were sheltering in place to remain where they were until an officer contacted them. But the Rev. Peter M. Donohue said in a statement to the school community that there was no active shooter and that no one had been injured. He praised the law enforcement response and acknowledged that today’s events “have shaken our entire community.” “Today, as we are celebrating Orientation Mass to welcome our newest Villanovans and their families to our community, panic and terror ensued with the news of a possible shooter at the Law School,” Donohue wrote. “Mercifully, no one was injured and we now know it was a cruel hoax.”
August 21, 2025 5:25 pm
RODANTHE, N.C. (AP) — Hurricane Erin is starting to churn up big waves along the northeast coast after pelting North Carolina’s Outer Banks with strong winds and swells that flooded a few places on the barrier islands. The unusually large hurricane slowly began to move away from the East Coast on Thursday. Forecasters say it will slowly weaken over the next few days while turning farther out to sea. The menacing waves closed beaches from the Carolinas to New York City on Thursday. Along the North Carolina shoreline, the storm breached sand dunes on Hatteras Island. But it appears the low-lying islands dodged widespread destruction during its initial brush with Erin on Wednesday. (Photo: AP)
August 21, 2025 5:24 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump is declaring victory after an appeals court threw out the massive civil fraud penalty against him. But the court has upheld other punishments, such as banning Trump and his two eldest sons from serving in corporate leadership for a few years. A five-judge panel ruled Thursday in New York state’s lawsuit accusing the businessman-turned-politician of exaggerating his wealth. The decision in the mid-level Appellate Division altered a verdict that stood to cost Trump more than $515 million and rock his real estate empire. The Republican president says the case and the verdict were political moves by Democrats. New York’s Democratic attorney general says the court affirmed the finding Trump was liable for fraud.
August 21, 2025 5:12 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian Air Force says Russia has launched a major aerial attack on Ukraine, firing 574 drones and 40 missiles. The attack has targeted western regions, killing at least one person and injuring 15 others. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister says a major U.S. electronics manufacturer was hit. This marks Russia’s third-largest aerial attack this year by drone count. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned the attack, urging stronger international pressure on Moscow. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy plans to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that potentially could involve U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss security guarantees and peace efforts.
August 21, 2025 5:11 am
Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh is appealing a recent decision by a judge to dismiss all charges against a co-defendant in the shooting death of a man at a Donora convenience store back in 2021. According to the Observer-Reporter, Walsh filed an appeal with state Superior Court over Washington County Judge Traci McDonald to dismiss the homicide case against 31 year old Jah Sutton of Homewood. She was initially charged with conspiracy and then later with criminal homicide in the shooting death of 28 year old Nicholas Tarpley, an employee at Anna Lee’s store. 36 year old Devon McLean of McKeesport and Devell Christian of White Oak are accused of shooting and killing Tarpley. Judge McDonald Dimissed the homicide case against Sutton after finding that there was no conclusive evidence linking her to the killing. Walsh intended to pursue the death penalty against all three. The appeal comes as the Atlantic Center for Capital Representation has filed a petition with state Supreme Court asking it to curtail Walsh’s pursuit of the death penalty claiming that he has used it for political purposes and to gain leverage against defendants.
August 21, 2025 4:59 am
CONNELLSVILLE, Pa. — (WPXI) – The decision to eliminate class rank at Connellsville Area Senior High School was made two years ago. It goes into effect with this year’s graduating class of 2026. But those incoming seniors don’t want to lose the class rank system and are urging the board to change its mind. The district said the decision was made in 2023 after a full year of research and public input. Superintendent Rich Evans said the board found eliminating class rank wouldn’t hurt college admissions, awards or scholarships. Instead of class rank, the district has moved to a cum laude system to honor more than just the top 10. The cum laude title requires a 3.8 GPA. Magna cum laude requires a 4.0 with at least two AP classes, and summa cum laude requires a 4.15 GPA with four AP classes.
