June 8, 2024 3:44 am
CHARLEROI, Pa. — An I-70 off-ramp that was closed because of an unstable tractor-trailer has re-opened. The Charleroi Fire Department said the I-70 West off ramp to Route 88 was shut down Friday morning. The tractor-trailer was stuck at an angle on the barrier. There’s been no word on how the truck managed to land on the barrier. Charleroi Fire Chief Bob Whiten tells WJPA there were no injuries and no hazards.
June 8, 2024 2:12 am
Authorities say they now believe that one man is responsible for two separate bank robberies within seventy-two-hours of one another in Washington County this week. The first occurred Monday morning at the Washington Financial Bank on East Wylie Avenue in Washington and the second happened Wednesday morning at the First National Bank on Route Nineteen in North Strabane Township. The male suspect is described as being white and in the second robbery, was wearing a black jacket, a backpack, cargo pants and his face was partially covered by a hospital mask. North Strabane police say the FBI is now also involved and they are working with City of Washington police as well. Anyone with information on the robbery, including information on the suspect is asked to submit a tip at 724-746-4090 or tips@nstpd.com.
June 7, 2024 5:58 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — At least nine Yemeni employees of United Nations agencies have been detained by Yemen’s Houthi rebels under unclear circumstances. That’s according to regional officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday as they weren’t authorized to brief journalists. A human rights group said people working for aid groups also likely have been detained. The detentions come as the Houthis have been targeting shipping throughout the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war. The group has been cracking down on dissent, though it’s unclear what sparked the detentions. The rebels have faced increasing casualties from U.S.-led airstrikes and economic strains from a civil war that has killed 150,000 people and caused a humanitarian disaster.
June 7, 2024 5:01 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address a joint meeting of Congress on July 24. Congressional leaders confirmed the date of the address late Thursday after formally inviting Netanyahu to come speak before lawmakers last week. It is the most recent show of wartime support for the longtime ally despite mounting political divisions over Israel’s military assault on Hamas in Gaza. The leaders say the invitation is intended to “highlight America’s solidarity with Israel.” They are calling on Netanyahu to “share the Israeli government’s vision for defending democracy, combatting terror, and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region.”
June 7, 2024 4:59 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A judge has dismissed several criminal charges against Paul Pelosi’s attacker in state court. The judge ruled on Thursday following the defense’s argument of double jeopardy. David DePape was federally convicted in the 2022 attack inside the couple’s San Francisco home. He now no longer faces counts of attempted murder, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. DePape still faces charges of of false imprisonment, residential burglary, threatening a family member of a public official, attempting to sway a witness and aggravated kidnapping. He has pleaded not guilty. DePape was convicted last month and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
June 7, 2024 4:58 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ahead of Pat Sajak’s final episode as the host of “Wheel of Fortune,” Vanna White paid an emotional tribute to her co-host of four decades. On Thursday’s episode of the game show, White honored Sajak’s work and their friendship with a video segment that featured clips and photos tracing their collaboration from the 1980s to the present. She called him “like a brother” and a “true lifelong friend,” adding that their personal friendship has meant even more than their professional collaboration. Sajak’s final episode will air Friday. White is staying on as co-host, with Ryan Seacrest taking over from Sajak.
June 7, 2024 4:56 am
SOUTH STRABANE TOWNSHIP, Pa. – (WPXI) – Pennsylvania State Police are continuing to investigating the homicide of a Washington County teenager from 1977. Brenda Ritter, 17, from South Strabane Township, left her boyfriend’s house on May 18, 1977 in a bad storm. Her car was found abandoned a few miles away the next day. Searchers in a state police helicopter found Ritter’s nearly nude remains on a hillside off rural Roupe Road, about three-quarters of a mile from her car, state police said. Her clothes were found within around 50 feet of her body. State police said Ritter had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Any persons with information regarding this incident are asked to contact the PSP Washington Station at 724-223-5200 or you can contact PSP Tips. All callers could be eligible for a cash reward.
June 7, 2024 4:56 am
RENO, Nev. (AP) — The first heat wave of the year is expected to maintain its grip on the Southwest United States for at least another day as record-setting temperatures continue to soar past 110 degrees Fahrenheit from southeast California to Arizona. The official start of summer is still two weeks away. But roughly half of Arizona and Nevada remain under an excessive heat alert into Friday evening. The alert continues through Saturday in Las Vegas, where its never been hotter this early in the year. New record highs Thursday included 113 in Phoenix, 111 in Las Vegas and 122 in Death Valley National Park.
June 7, 2024 4:55 am
KENT, Wash. (AP) — A cluster of tarp-covered tents in a grassy lot south of Seattle highlights the strain facing many communities. President Joe Biden is attempting to restrict asylum and neutralize immigration as a political liability ahead of this fall’s election. About 240 asylum-seekers are camping in the lot next to a busy highway and a vacant motel owned by King County. The county purchased the 85-room motel as an emergency quarantine shelter during the pandemic. It says it doesn’t have the resources to open it for the migrants. The asylum-seekers are hoping police don’t follow through on threats to arrest them for trespassing.
June 7, 2024 4:54 am
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi testified in his federal gun trial about visiting her father while he was at a California rehab center. She told jurors Friday that he seemed to be improving in the weeks before he bought the revolver in 2018. As she was dismissed from the stand, she paused to hug her dad before leaving the courtroom. The defense began calling witnesses shortly after federal prosecutors wrapped up their case. Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell started by calling another gun store clerk who was there when the gun was purchased. Lowell raised questions about what he saw as inconsistencies on the form.
