Peters Twp Man Charged In Stabbing During Uber Ride

January 18, 2024 5:10 am

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – A Peters Township man is accused of stabbing another man inside an Uber. The incident happened on Jan. 12, according to court documents. The Uber driver told police his two passengers got into a fight. One passenger, identified as Christopher Cavanagh, pulled out a knife. The driver stopped the vehicle and ran to safety. Police found the victim along Georgetown Road in Cecil Township with multiple stab wounds to his chest. Cavanagh was nearby when police arrived and was arrested. The victim was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital. Cavanagh is facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault.

N. Korea Says It Tested Underwater Nuclear Attack Drone

January 18, 2024 5:10 am

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says it had tested a purported underwater nuclear attack drone in response to a combined naval exercise between South Korea and the United States and Japan this week, as it continues to blame its rivals for raising tensions in the region. The alleged drone test came days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared he would scrap his country’s long-standing goal of a peaceful unification with South Korea and that his country would rewrite its constitution to define South Korea as its most hostile foreign adversary. North Korea first tested the drone last year and says it’s designed to strike enemy vessels and ports. South Korea’s military insists the North has exaggerated the capabilities of the drone.

Power Line Falls On Car, Killing 3 In Oregon

January 18, 2024 5:06 am

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Authorities says a power line fell on a car in Portland, Oregon, killing three people and injuring a baby during an ice storm that turned roads and mountain highways treacherous in the Pacific Northwest. In a statement, the fire department said a large branch fell on the power line, causing it to crash down onto the car. Authorities say they believe the victims were electrocuted after they got out of the vehicle. Swaths of southwest Washington and northwest Oregon were under warnings earlier Wednesday for as much as an inch of ice. The National Weather Service said freezing rain could possibly return to the region Thursday and Friday.

Rifts Emerge Among Israeli Officials Over War

January 18, 2024 5:06 am

JERUSALEM (AP) — Rifts are emerging among top Israeli officials over the handling of the war against the Hamas militant group in Gaza. A member of Israel’s War Cabinet has cast doubt over the strategy for releasing hostages, while the country’s prime minister rejected the United States’ calls to scale back its offensive. One of the four members of Israel’s War Cabinet, former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, said late Thursday that only a cease-fire deal can win the release of dozens of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. He also said dismissed claims that hostages could be freed by other means as “illusions.” It was Eisenkot’s first public statements on the issue, and the latest sign of a growing rift among political and military leaders over the direction of Israel’s offensive.

Trump Blending Legal Battles & Campaign

January 18, 2024 5:04 am

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is cramming campaigning and court into a single day. That led him to be more than two hours late for a rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, after he spent the day in court in New York. Trump held a press conference in Manhattan complaining the judge presiding over his defamation trial was biased. Trump has long built his Republican primary campaign around his legal woes. He claims he’s being persecuted by Democrats and says he has done nothing wrong. But Wednesday’s epic day showed the way his many legal woes will bleed into his campaign appearances.

U.S. Launches More Missiles Against Houthi Sites In Yemen

January 18, 2024 5:03 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has launched another wave of missile strikes against Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen, marking the fourth time in days it has directly targeted the group. The strikes were launched from the Red Sea and hit 14 missiles that U.S. Central Command deemed an “imminent threat.” They follow the official announcement Wednesday that the U.S. has put the Houthis back on its list of specially designated global terrorists. Despite a large-scale operation carried out by U.S. and British warships and warplanes Friday that hit more than 60 targets across Yemen, the Houthis have continued their harassment campaign of commercial and military ships.

Pakistan Launches Retaliatory Strikes In Iran Killing 9

January 18, 2024 5:02 am

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s air force has launched retaliatory airstrikes in Iran allegedly targeting militant positions. The attack early Thursday killed at least nine people and further raised tensions between the neighboring nations. The strikes in Sistan and Baluchestan province follow Iran’s attack Tuesday on Pakistani soil that killed two children in the southwestern Baluchistan province. The strikes imperil diplomatic relations between the two neighbors, as Iran and nuclear-armed Pakistan have long regarded each other with suspicion over militant attacks. The attacks also raised the threat of violence spreading in a Middle East unsettled by Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Winter Weather Advisory Issued

January 18, 2024 5:00 am

PITTSBURGH — Another round of snow is on the way and will bring the threat of snowy roads and icy travel as the week comes to a close. Snow will arrive before sunrise Friday with steady snow at times, making it difficult for crews to clear the roads. The Friday morning commute will be slow and school delays will be possible with several inches of new snow expected by Friday evening. Colder temperatures blow in behind the system this weekend with high temperatures again struggling to get out of the teens. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory beginning at 1 a.m. Friday until Saturday at 10 a.m.

County Planning Commission Seeks Feedback

January 18, 2024 4:57 am

The Washington County Planning Commission held an open house on Wednesday to seek input from residents about future use and development of Greenways and Parks. Jason Theakston is the Washington County Planning Director. He says the Greenways plan is a sister document to the county’s Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan guides economic development. The Greenways Plan will assist in making sure conservation efforts are in place to maintain the rural nature of the county’s greenways and open spaces. The Parks Master Plan is meant to help develop traditional parks amenities like shelters, playgrounds and fishing and boating waters. It would also entertain other ideas for parks such as pickleball courts, dog parks and other recreational activities. The county is looking for resident feedback. A survey is available by calling the Planning Department at 724-228-6811. The survey is also available on line by searching the Planning Department page on the Washington County website.

94 Projects Seek $9.2 Million In LSA Grant Monies

January 18, 2024 1:53 am

The annual interviews for Local Share Account funding were completed on Wednesday. The grant monies are funded by a portion of casino revenue directed to the state through Act 71. The Department of Community and Economic Development distributes the money. Locally it is overseen by the Redevelopment Authority of Washington County. Because Washington County is a host county to the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows, it is eligible for the funds. According to Jeff Kotula, Chairman of the Local Share Account Review Committee, $9.2 million will be divided up for community and economic development projects throughout Washington County. Kotula says that the committee received $28 million in requests spread out over 94 different projects. The interviews were conducted over two days and the committee is deciding on which projects will be funded. Water and sewer projects typically are the most popular requests. Other community projects are aslo considered. Park improvements, upgrades to historic building facades, science-technology-engineering-math projects and solar panel array construction are just some of the other projects that the committee will consider. Kotula says that the committee hopes to have its reccomendations to County Commissioners for their approval ready for the February 1 meeting.