July 9, 2024 2:53 am
State Police say a tractor-trailer traveling east on Interstate 70 near the Bentleyville Exit Tuesday afternoon created a traffic nightmare for motorists. The truck lost some of its load of coils, creating a miles-long back-up of traffic. There’s been no word on whether there were any injuries or how the coils came loose, but crews were called in to clear the scene. Traffic was able to get around the area, but very slowly.
July 9, 2024 2:37 am
Attorneys for Washington County election officials and the ACLU were in court Tuesday for the first of several hearings regarding mail-in ballot curing. Vic Walczak is the attorney for the ACLU, he is representing seven county voters, the Center for Coalfield Justice and the Washington branch of the NAACP, who say their votes were not counted in the primary election due to minor errors on their mail-in ballots. Representing the county are special prosecutor David Berardinelli and RNC and PA GOP representative Kathleen Gallagher. With a tight deadline due to the November general election, Judge Neuman set a timeline for late July for the two sides to agree on a date to begin arguments with an aspirational goal of mid-August for a final decision.
July 8, 2024 5:26 am
(AP) – A new poll finds Americans are increasingly skeptical about the value and cost of college. More than two-thirds of adults surveyed in the poll released Monday by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation say they feel the U.S. higher education system is headed in the “wrong direction.” Overall, only 36% of adults say they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education. The dimming view of whether college is worth the time and money cuts across all demographics. But confidence has dropped most sharply among Republican respondents.
July 8, 2024 5:25 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden in a letter to congressional Democrats is standing firm against calls for him to drop his candidacy after his dismal debate performance. Biden wrote in a two-page letter Monday “the question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it’s time for it to end.” Biden stresses the party has “one job,” which is to defeat presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in November. Biden’s letter was sent from his campaign to Democratic lawmakers as they return to Washington following the July 4 recess.
July 8, 2024 5:23 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian missiles struck a children’s hospital in Kyiv and killed at least three people elsewhere in the Ukrainian capital Monday, authorities said, while another attack in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih killed at least 10 people. It was the biggest bombardment of Kyiv in several months. The daylight attacks included Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, one of the most advanced Russian weapons, the Ukrainian air force said. The Kinzhal flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it hard to intercept. City buildings shook from the blasts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia targeted five cities with more than 40 missiles of different types.
July 8, 2024 5:22 am
MATAGORDA, Texas (AP) — Tropical Storm Beryl was unleashing heavy rains and powerful winds along the Texas coast, knocking out power to more than 2 million homes and businesses and flooding streets with fast-rising waters. Two people were killed when trees fell on their homes. First responders raced Monday to rescue stranded residents. Police in the Houston suburb of Rosenberg urged residents to stay off the roads after one of their high-water vehicles was hit by a falling tree while returning from a rescue. More than 1,000 flights have been canceled at Houston’s two airports. The National Hurricane Center said damaging winds and flash flooding will continue as Beryl continues pushing inland.
July 8, 2024 5:19 am
A motorcyclist was injured in a crash Sunday in Canton Township. Washington County 9-1-1 dispatchers say the unidentified person was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital after the crash just after 5:30 p.m in the 100-block of Ford Street. There is no word on their identity or condition. The driver of the other vehicle involved was not injured. No other information is currently availalbe.
July 8, 2024 5:12 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The State Capitol Complex was evacuated on Saturday because of an emailed bomb threat. NBC News affiliate WGAL obtained a copy of the email titled “My Manifesto,” where an individual claims that “highly lethal” devices were hidden around the Pennsylvania State Capitol and Pennsylvania Judicial Center “in the name of Palestine.” In a statement, the communications director for the PA Department of General Services confirmed the evacuation to WGAL and said Capitol Police didn’t find any explosives during a K-9 perimeter search of the Capitol Complex. Capitol Police, the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police and other local agencies are conducting a comprehensive search and investigation into the threat.
July 8, 2024 5:05 am
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – Drivers will have to take a more than 10-mile-long detour when a portion of a Washington County road closes on Monday. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the road closing is Route 4057 (Reed Road) between Route 331 (Brush Run Road) and Foster Road in Buffalo and Hopewell townships. The closure is happening so crews can replace the bridge that carries Reed Road over Brush Creek. The $1.1 million infrastructure project includes approach work to accommodate a wider shoulder, rock lining for stream bank protection, and upgrades to guide rail, signing, and pavement marking. The closure is expected to last through late November, depending on weather and operations. While the road is closed, a 10.8-mile detour will be in place using the following roads:
Route 4057 (Reed Road).
Route 331 (Brush Run Road).
Route 844 (Jefferson Avenue).
Route 4055 (Smiley Road).
Route 4024 (Rural Valley Road).
Route 221 (Constitution Boulevard/Buffalo Creek Road).
Route 4057 (Reed Road).
July 8, 2024 5:01 am
One person was injured after a fire on Saturday. Washington County dispatchers say emergency crews were called to the 1200 block of Fayette Street in Washington for the fire at 6:55 p.m. One person was trapped inside when firefighters arrived on the scene, investigators say. That person was rescued and flown to a hospital in Pittsburgh. There is no word on the cause of the fire.
