Trump Turns His Focus To Harris At Rally

July 24, 2024 5:08 am

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Donald Trump has unleashed a barrage of attack lines against his likely new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. At a rally in North Carolina on Wednesday he called her his “new victim to defeat” and accused Harris of deceiving the public about President Joe Biden’s ability to run for a second term before he withdrew his reelection bid. The rally was Trump’s first public campaign event since Biden dropped out of the 2024 matchup that both major parties had spent months preparing for. It signaled the next phase of the campaign may be especially brutal and personal. Harris’ campaign called the speech “unhinged” and “rambling.”

North Strabane Approves New Fee Schedule

July 24, 2024 5:03 am

North Strabane Township Supervisors met Tuesday and made changes to their fee schedule. One of the biggest changes is in electrical inspection fees. Building permit fees will increase .05% but now will come with in house electrical inspectors. Builders will no longer have to hire third party inspectors for electrical inspections. This was attained by the township hiring building inspectors that are certified electrical inspectors. Other changes in the fee schedule involve athletic court reservations. Residents will now be able to reserve court times for pickleball or basketball in one hour blocks. Walk up play is still available but if the court is reserved those reservations will take priority. Additionally, supervisors tabled a measure that would have rezoned a land parcel at the corner of Morganza Road and Curry Road for the construction of a personal warehouse. Township officials are still struggling with a way to define what a personal warehouse is and what activities would be listed as permitted uses in the warehouse and which would need to have a special exception condition granted. More detail will emerge at the Planning Commission’s August 12 meeting.

South Strabane Extends Manager’s Deal

July 24, 2024 5:02 am

South Strabane Township Manager Jeffery Ziegler has landed a two-year contract extension.  The board unanimously voted 5-0 to extend his agreement with the township in their monthly meeting Tuesday evening. Ziegler was hired last August replacing Brandon Stanick.  Ziegler previously worked for Moon township for 13 years. Also on the meeting agenda, a representative for Berkshire Hathaway was on hand to discuss plans for 1045 Locust Ave. Developers want to build on the 63 plus acre property but the current substation that would service the property is at maximum capacity. The township says it is up to the developer to incur any cost for building out or upgrading the current pumping station. Chief of South Strabane Fire and Emergency, Jordan Cramer was recognized for his new position as a board member for the Volunteer and Combination offices section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. The VCOS board consists of nine members at-large and the VCOS international director, for a total of ten board members.

Eighty-Four Couple Facing Drug Charges

July 24, 2024 2:49 am

Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh announced Tuesday that after a months-long investigation, two Nottingham Township residents have been arrested on multiple drug-related charges.  Walsh says 36-year-old Drew Divelbliss and 40-year-old Lauren Divelbliss were arrested after multiple law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant at a home on Hickory Nut Drive and found a large quantity of various narcotics, illegal substances, drug paraphernalia, firearms and thousands of dollars in cash.  Walsh says both were arraigned on Monday on multiple felony counts of manufacturing, delivery or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, as well as endangering the welfare of children.  Walsh says they were lodged in the Washington County Jail on two-hundred and fifty-thousand-dollars bond each.  Preliminary hearings are set for July 29th before District Justice Phillippe Melograne.

‘Extreme Hoarding Conditions’ Hamper Firefighting Efforts

July 24, 2024 2:36 am

Authorities are investigating the cause of a mobile home fire early Wednesday morning in Union Township. Washington County 911 said units were called to Hidden Valley Drive just before six o’clock. Firefighters say the two-alarm fire broke out in the South Park Mobile Estates and neighbors said the smoke was so thick that they couldn’t even tell for sure where it was coming from at first. Firefighters said flames were shooting out of the sides of the house and were also coming out underneath, compromising the floors. And that, they say, was just one of the issues they faced putting out the fire. Fire officials said there were extreme hoarding conditions and crews had a hard time getting in to make entry. They said they had to cut holes in the house from the outside to get inside. A woman inside the home was able to safely escape, but some cats were killed.

Charges Filed In Connection With Overdose Death

July 24, 2024 2:23 am

Police are searching for a Houston Borough man now charged in connection with a drug overdose death back in April.  Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh has announced that Chartiers Township Police have charged 20 year old Matthew Rozanc with felony counts of drug delivery resulting in death, delivery of a controlled substance and criminal use of a communications facility.  Rozanc is accused of arranging by cell phone to supply a fatal dose of fentanyl called “blue’ in the form of counterfeit prescription pills to Joshua Kinser at his home along Ridge Avenue in the Township.  Kinser was discovered dead inside his residence that same day.  An arrest warrant has been issued for Rozanc.  Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact Chartiers Township Police at 724-745-8030.

Well-Known Business Owner Michael “Mickey” Flynn Dies

July 24, 2024 1:27 am

WJPA News has learned of the death of a longtime and well-known Washington County businessman. Word has been received that Michael “Mickey” Flynn, the longtime owner of the Union Grill Restaurant in downtown Washington has died after a lengthy illness. The “Grill” as it is known, quickly became a hub for local businessmen to gather and for families to enjoy a night out.  There has been no word on funeral arrangements.

Kamala Harris Launches Presidential Campaign

July 23, 2024 4:13 pm

(AP) – Kamala Harris launched her campaign for president Tuesday, framing her race with Republican nominee Donald Trump as a choice between freedom and chaos.  From an event hall in suburban Milwaukee, Harris told a cheering crowd, “This campaign is not just about us versus Donald Trump. This is about who we fight for.”  “We believe in the sacred freedom to vote,” she said. “We believe that every person in our nation should have the freedom to live safe from the terror of gun violence,” she added, “and we trust women to make decisions about their own bodies.”  Trump, by contrast, she painted as someone found guilty of fraud, liable for sexual abuse and who conjures “chaos, fear and hate.”  “Do we believe in the promise of America? And are we ready to fight for it?” she said.  (Photo:  AP)

U.S. Opens Investigation Into Delta Airlines

July 23, 2024 12:46 pm

(AP) – U.S. airline regulators have opened an investigation into Delta Air Lines, which is still struggling to restore operations on Tuesday, more than four full days after a faulty software update caused technological havoc worldwide and disrupted global air travel. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the Delta investigation on the X social media platform Tuesday morning “to ensure the airline is following the law and taking care of its passengers during continued widespread disruptions.” As of Tuesday morning, Delta had an out-sized portion of canceled flights. Of the 654 total cancellations of flights within, into or out of the U.S. Delta had 440 of them.

President Biden To Address The Nation Wednesday

July 23, 2024 12:22 pm

REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware (AP) — President Joe Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday on his decision to drop his 2024 Democratic reelection bid. Biden posted on X he’ll speak “on what lies ahead” and how he’ll “finish the job for the American people.” Biden will speak at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday. The president is scheduled to return to the White House on Tuesday after isolating at his Delaware home after being diagnosed last week with COVID-19. Biden has not been seen publicly since July 17, but he called into a campaign meeting Monday to express support for Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid to replace him a day after announcing he would leave the race.  (Photo:  AP)