February 4, 2023 3:34 am
Police say two men robbed the same two Fayette County convenience stores five times over the course of two weeks. William Fowler IV, 21, and Brandon Milton Harbarger, 27, were placed in the Fayette County Jail after a Uniontown state police and Uniontown City Police investigation into the robberies. The men allegedly used knives and box cutters to demand money from the store clerks five times from Jan. 17 to Jan. 31. They are both scheduled to appear in court later this month.
February 4, 2023 3:32 am
(WPXI)- A weekend “thaw” will bring back milder temperatures and make it more comfortable to head outdoors, but early risers Saturday will still need the extra layers.
Morning low temperatures will dip down into the single digits Saturday morning, and wind chills will drop near zero.
After lunch temperatures will slowly begin to climb with highs topping near freezing. You’ll also enjoy plenty of sunshine.
Even milder temperatures move in Sunday as winds from the south help push us back into the mid 40s.
February 4, 2023 3:22 am
Washington City Council met Thursday for their voting meeting and approved a measure to join the Washington County Land Bank. The Land Bank is operated by the Washington County Redevelopment Authority. According to Executive Director Bob Griffin the land bank is an excellent tool to use in the fight against blight. Griffin says that many of the properties purchased by the land bank are in foreclosure and the land bank makes acquisition that way. They then rehabilitate the properties, removing blight conditions, put them up for sale for individual owner purchase. The purpose is to get the homes back on the active tax rolls. Mayor Scott Putnam says that it is a good partnership for the city. The land bank will allow the city to keep its housing stock steady and receive tax revenue from those sales and the city can concentrate on demolition of structures that cannot be rehabilitated. Main Street Manager Shana Brown reported that her next event happening in the city is a Cocoa Tour scheduled for February 11. March 10 will be Washington Goes Irish Day and May 6 will be the inaugural Running of the Wools, sponsored by Range Resources.
February 3, 2023 4:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – America’s employers added a robust 517,000 jobs in January, a surprisingly strong gain in the face of the Federal Reserve’s aggressive drive to slow growth and tame inflation with higher interest rates. The unemployment rate dipped to 3.4%. Friday’s government report added to the picture of a resilient labor market, with low unemployment, relatively few layoffs and many job openings even as most economists foresee a recession nearing. Though good for workers, employers’ steady demand for labor has also helped accelerate wage growth and contributed to high inflation. January’s job growth, which topped December’s 269,000 gain, could raise doubts about whether inflation pressures will ease further in the months ahead.
February 3, 2023 4:09 am
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A newly released audio recording offers a behind-the-scenes look at how former President Donald Trump’s campaign team in a pivotal battleground state knew they had been outflanked by Democrats in the 2020 presidential election. But even as they acknowledged defeat, they pivoted to allegations of widespread fraud that were ultimately debunked — repeatedly — by elections officials and the courts. The audio from Nov. 5, 2020, two days after the election, is surfacing as Trump again seeks the White House while continuing to lie about the legitimacy of the outcome and Democrat Joe Biden’s win.
February 3, 2023 4:05 am
BEIJING (AP) – China says that a balloon spotted over American airspace was used for weather research and was blown off course, despite U.S. suspicion it was spying. The discovery further strained already tense relations between Beijing and Washington. The Pentagon decided not to shoot down the balloon, which was potentially flying over sensitive sites, because of concerns of hurting people on the ground. The news came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was expected to make his first trip to Beijing this weekend. The visit has not been formally announced, and it was not immediately clear if the balloon’s discovery would affect his travel plans.
February 3, 2023 4:02 am
MOUNT LEBANON, Pa. — (WPXI) – A nursing home worker in Mount Lebanon is charged with sexual assault for what police say he did with a resident there. Certified nurse assistant Solomon Rivers, 32, also known as Solomon Roberson, is charged with institutional sexual assault. According to the criminal complaint, a resident at Mount Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness told police he performed a sex act on Rivers in the bathroom of his room. Documents show the victim in this case has the mental capacity of a 7-year-old and is confined to a wheelchair. According to the complaint, Rivers was interviewed multiple times and admitted to what happened saying “it went too far.” The report also says Rivers told police he would no longer “pursue a job in the healthcare field.” It is unclear whether Rivers was fired from his position. Our news partners at WPXI reached out to management at the center over the phone and in-person. They were told no one there could speak and they would have to try another day.
February 3, 2023 3:57 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Watch for icy spots early Friday as the first round of an arctic blast moves through the area. Most of the snow will taper off before or through the morning commute, but colder temperatures will mean anything that falls will stick around. Icy spots on sidewalks, roads, bridges and overpasses will be possible, so allow some extra time to get where you’re going. Cold air will rush in along with the snow and morning wind chills will be at or near zero, so grab the winter coats, hats and gloves as you head out.
February 3, 2023 2:55 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans have voted to oust Democratic Rep. lhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The vote in a raucous session on Thursday to remove the Somali-born Muslim lawmaker came after her past comments critical of Israel. It’s an escalation of tensions in the new Congress after Democrats booted far-right GOP lawmakers from committees over their incendiary, violent remarks in the last session. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy worked quickly to solidify wavering Republican support after some GOP lawmakers had expressed reservations about taking such a dramatic step. The Minnesota Democrat has apologized for comments that she has said she came to understand were antisemitic.
February 3, 2023 2:38 am
The Washington County Chamber of Commerce held their February Breakfast Briefing at the Claysville Community Center to update members of the strides made to bring broadband service to under-served areas of Washington County, specifically the southwest corner of Washington County. A round-table discussion with Rick Newton, Vice President of the Claysville Area Business Association, John Timney, Executive Director of the Washington County Authority and Christina Sarson from the civil engineering firm HRG provided their experiences with the project so far. Sarson described difficulty reaching residents for survey input that is usually done on line. Because of the lack of broadband service, they had to resort to 20th century tactics of communication such as postcards. Newton spoke of his group’s efforts to help “Highlander Country” get access to broadband not only for entrepreneurial purposes, but for education and tele-medicine purposes that were brought glaringly to light by the COVID-19 pandemic. Timney provided background on how the county decided that the area was prime for county investment in broadband expansion. His input was the stories behind the story of students needing to drive to cell towers or restaurants to download and upload homework. Foster parents having difficulties emailing required paperwork to service agencies and seniors not being able to access health care via tele-medicine because people just a half mile outside of Claysville are not able to effectively communicate with the outside world. Jeanne Schearer from broadband supplier Kinetic states that they are providing $2.2 million of their money to the project of bringing broadband to West Finley Township. She anticipates the project to be complete at the end of 2024. (Pictured left to right: John Timney, Washington County Authority; Christina Sarson, HRG and Rick Newton, Claysville Area Business Association Vice President)
