May 2, 2025 1:48 pm
The former police chief of Greensburg was sentenced earlier this month to fifteen months in federal prison for narcotics charges, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced on Friday. United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Shawn Denning, 44, of Delmont. Denning pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to distribute fifty grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine. According to information presented to the court during the time that he was the Greensburg police chief, Denning was involved in a nationwide drug conspiracy and had helped numerous individuals purchase narcotics from suppliers in California. Those narcotics included cocaine and methamphetamine disguised as counterfeit Adderall pills. One of the individuals with whom Denning conspired was former Greensburg police officer Regina McAtee, who also pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and will be sentenced later this month. Despite Denning’s argument during the sentencing hearing that he should not serve any time in prison, Judge Bissoon sentenced Denning to 15 months in federal prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and a $2,000 fine. Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon stated that “When law enforcement becomes the bad guys, our civil society cannot function.”
May 2, 2025 9:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — American employers added a better-than-expected 177,000 jobs in April as the job market showed resilience in the face of President Donald Trump’s trade wars. Hiring was down slightly from a revised 185,000 in March and came in above economists’ expectations for a modest 135,000. The unemployment rate stayed at 4.2%. President Donald Trump’s aggressive and unpredictable policies – including massive import taxes – have clouded the outlook for the economy and the job market and raised fears that the American economy is headed toward recession.
May 2, 2025 2:25 am
Washington County Commissioners dealt a heavy blow to the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency (WCTPA) at their meeting Thursday morning. The board voted two to one to withhold future hotel tax disbursements until the agency provides documentation necessary to satisfy concerns regarding financial transparency and accountability. Democrat Larry Maggi cast the no vote but tells WJPA News that they will have to vote again on the measure since it was not included in the online version of the agenda. State law requires that it be placed on the county’s website 24-hours prior to the voting meeting to allow the public to review it. County solicitor Gary Sweat says commissioners will vote on it again when they meet May 15. Commissioners say they issued a letter to WCTPA Executive Director Jeff Kotula, requesting organizational and financial documents that would show that the hotel tax dollars – which are the public funds collected by the county – are being managed and utilized in a transparent and responsible manner. Kotula, however, is denying that his agency has refused to release the records. He says they have provided commissioners with the requested information and have also met with them and reached out to them, inviting the board to visit their offices and review documents. Kotula says he was completely blindsided by this decision and called it very poor timing because the start of the summer tourist season begins this weekend. Kotula says they do have some money in reserve but that has been earmarked for events and activities for the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh next year. Maggi told WJPA that he believes his colleagues want to take over the agency and have the county decide where the tourism funds are spent. Sherman, however, has denied that, saying he simply wants more information from the agency.
May 2, 2025 4:57 am
In a move to improve safety and accountability, council approved the purchase of a security camera for the police station lobby. The camera, which will cost approximately $467, comes in response to recent incidents involving inappropriate behavior by members of the public. Mayor JoJo Burgess addressed the issue during the meeting, referencing two recent incidents — one at the city treasurer’s office and another at the police station — where city workers were subjected to disrespectful treatment by residents. “No one should have to fear going to work,” Burgess said. “These employees are providing valuable services to our residents. If anyone has complaints, they should bring them to Council — not take them out on the staff. This is what we get paid for. This type of behavior will not be tolerated.” Burgess also states that there were no cameras in the lobby prior. In other matters, council approved a cooperation agreement for the City of Washington Roadway Project. The upcoming road work will take place behind Washington Hospital and will be funded through state grants. A timeline for the project has not yet been finalized. Officers Tristan Cooley and Bryce Schell were officially sworn in to the Washington City Police Department, filling vacancies left by recent retirements. Their appointments bring the department back to a full police force to provide continued service and coverage for the city. Also during the meeting, council appointed Rodney Jones to the Washington Parking Authority Board for a three-year term effective immediately. Jones replaces Paul Harton, who recently passed away.
May 2, 2025 2:57 am
West Penn Power crews are busy working to restore power to thousands of customers throughout Washington County. As of late Friday, West Penn was reporting more than 45-hundred customers without service. Most of these outages remain in the hardest hit areas of Washington County, including Smith Township; Cecil; Cross Creek; Independence and Mt. Pleasant Townships. West Penn Power Spokesman Todd Meyers says restoration is definitely a multi-day event and they’ve called in extra help. He says around two-thousand utility workers have been called in from other states to help in getting the power back on. Meyers is urging people to stay away from any downed power lines and if any are found, call 911. West Penn says they are hoping to have everyone back online by late Sunday.
May 2, 2025 2:48 am
May first is known as May Day in the United States and is designed to mark International Workers Day focused on immigrant workers. And because of current Trump Administration policies, marches and rallies are being held around the country. Here in Washington the Liberal and Progressive Women of Washington County held a May Day Rally in front of the Washington County Courthouse. The small group says that through peaceful protest, their aim is to hold the country’s leaders accountable and restore constitutional integrity. Andrea Szwarc of Washington says she’s had enough and needed to do something. Members of the group also said they were unhappy with the areas current Republican representatives in Washington D.C. as well.
May 2, 2025 5:12 am
A federal judge has barred the Trump administration from deporting any Venezuelans from South Texas under an 18th-century wartime law and says President Donald Trump’s invocation of it was “unlawful.” U.S. District Court Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. is the first judge to rule that the Alien Enemies Act cannot be used against people whom the Republican administration claims are gang members invading the United States. In March, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation claiming that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua was invading the U.S. He said he had special powers to bypass usual court proceedings and deport immigrants claimed by his administration to be gang members.
May 2, 2025 5:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting. The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and further requires that that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations. The White House, in a social media posting announcing the signing, said the outlets “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’” It’s the latest move by Trump and his administration to utilize federal powers to control or hamstring institutions whose actions or viewpoints he disagrees with. Since taking office, Trump has ousted leaders, placed staff on administrative leave and cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to artists, libraries, museums, theaters and others, through takeovers of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The broadcasters get roughly half a billion dollars in public money through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and have been preparing for the possibility of stiff cuts since Trump’s election, as Republicans have long complained about them.
May 2, 2025 5:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Detailed Army plans for a potential military parade on President Donald Trump’s birthday in June call for more than 6,600 soldiers, at least 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven bands and potentially a couple thousand civilians. The Associated Press obtained the planning documents, which are dated April 29 and 30. They represent the Army’s most recent blueprint for its long-planned 250th birthday festival on the National Mall, which just happens to coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday on June 14. The slides don’t include any price estimates. But it would likely cost tens of millions of dollars to put on an event of that size.
May 2, 2025 5:03 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been thrown into two top national security roles at once after President Donald Trump appointed him to temporarily replace Mike Waltz as national security adviser. Just 100 days into his tenure as America’s top diplomat, the former Florida senator now becomes just the second person to hold both roles, following only the late Henry Kissinger. Rubio is a one-time Trump rival and hawkish conservative who the president derided as “Little Marco” during the 2016 presidential campaign. He’s proven adept at aligning himself with Trump’s “America First” foreign policy positions and turning away from previously held priorities.
