January 25, 2024 2:40 am
Washington County Commissioners have confirmed that the county’s computer system was targeted by hackers. Republican Chairman Nick Sherman tells WJPA news that they received notice from the Department of Homeland Security early in the morning to shut down their servers because there was a security breach. Sherman said federal officials warned them of a phishing expedition taking place on their servers and at that time the servers were shut down. Sherman said the Washington County Courthouse remained open with hearings taking place and paperwork being filed by hand, but some departments that rely heavily on computers did send some employees home. Sherman says they are waiting for an official update from Homeland Security to say if this is a cyber attack, ransomware attack or if they caught the breach early enough to prevent that. So far, Sherman says, there has been no mention of any ransom.
January 25, 2024 1:09 am
A Columbus, Ohio man staying in Washington County faced his preliminary hearing Thursday. He will face trial for his actions during a car chase in August of 2023. Shawn Bumpass, 54 had 2 felony, 4 misdemeanor and 7 summary charges held for court. During his hearing police testified to Bumpass crossing a double yellow line while making a right hand turn from Chess Street to Dry Run Road in Monongahela. The officer tried to get Bumpass to pull over but he sped off leading police on a ten minute car chase through Bentleyville, Cokeburg and Kammerer. The officer testified that at one point the speed of the chase reached 126 mph. Once the vehicle came to a stop, Bumpass exited the vehicle in what the officer called an intoxicated state. Bumpass ignored commands, an attempt to taze Bumpass had no effect and the officer had to wrestle him to the ground to get him to comply. Bumpass was taken to a hospital for a blood draw that showed a BAC of .194 and evidence of cocaine. Bumpass will be arraigned on felony aggravated assault by vehicle and flight from an officer charges. He will also face misdemeanor DUI, reckless endangerment and resisting arrest charges along with the accompanying summary offenses. Bumpass is free on $100,000 bond.
January 24, 2024 12:36 pm
(AP) – The mother of an intellectually disabled girl has filed a lawsuit against Starbucks, Pittsburgh Public Schools and a property management company, accusing all three entities of negligence in creating the conditions that allegedly led to her daughter being sexually assaulted in the Starbucks bathroom and at a nearby empty property. The lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges that three male students led the girl off campus to the Starbucks, where employees noticed them take her into the bathroom but did not intervene. The lawsuit accuses the school district of failing to provide adequate supervision and protection, and the businesses of failing to address the increasing crime in the area with security or employee trainings. (Photo: AP)
January 24, 2024 5:03 am
UPPER DARBY, Pa. (AP) — A Philadelphia-area woman has been charged with animal cruelty after police say videos she posted show her torturing and killing animals live on the internet. Delaware County court records show 28-year-old Anigar Monsee is charged with four felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt of the Upper Darby police department told the Delaware County Daily Times that an animal rights group alerted authorities Friday about the videos. Police allege in a criminal complaint that in one video the woman “repeatedly commented on the number of viewers and likes, and solicited more, before she harmed the animal.” Court documents don’t list a defense attorney.
January 24, 2024 4:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump had rock-solid support from the party faithful in his New Hampshire primary victory, and even most backers of rival Nikki Haley acknowledge the GOP belongs to him. Yet as Trump’s hold on securing the party’s nomination tightened, AP VoteCast found that some voters are expressing concerns that he’s too extreme to compete in the November general election. Some also worry about his legal peril in pending criminal trials. AP VoteCast is a survey of nearly 2,000 New Hampshire voters who took part in the Republican primary and more than 900 Democratic primary voters. The survey is conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
January 24, 2024 4:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has picked up the endorsement of the United Auto Workers. The Democratic president addressed the powerful union’s political convention in Washington on Wednesday. He told a cheering crowd, “I’m honored to have your back and you have mine.” Biden is pushing to sway blue-collar workers his way in critical auto-making swing states such as Michigan and Wisconsin. Biden is hoping to cut into the advantage Republican former President Donald Trump has enjoyed with white voters who don’t have a college degree. Labor experts say the UAW usually endorses candidates later as it contains a mix of Democratic, Republican and unaffiliated voters.
January 24, 2024 4:06 am
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces are battling Palestinian militants near the main hospital in Gaza’s second-largest city, Khan Younis. Medics said Wednesday that hundreds of patients and thousands of displaced people are unable to leave because of the fighting. Nasser Hospital is one of only two hospitals in southern Gaza that can still treat critically ill patients. The Israeli military says it has completed its encirclement of Khan Younis as part of its three-month-old offensive against Hamas. It has ordered residents to leave a swath of downtown Khan Younis that includes Nasser and two smaller hospitals. The United Nations humanitarian office says the area is home to 88,000 Palestinians and was hosting another 425,000 displaced by fighting elsewhere.
January 24, 2024 4:01 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military said Wednesday that North Korea fired several cruise missiles into waters off its western coast. The previous day, an analysis of commercial satellite images suggested that North Korea has torn down a huge arch in its capital that symbolized reconciliation with war-divided rival South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week described the Pyongyang monument as an “eyesore” while declaring that the North was abandoning long-standing goals of a peaceful unification with South Korea.
January 24, 2024 3:49 am
(WPXI) — The sale of U.S. Steel to Japanese Steelmaker Nippon made its way to Allegheny County Council on Tuesday. Tenth District Councilmember DeWitt Walton made a motion for council to come out against the sale. “I don’t want to put workers in Allegheny County at risk. As a result, I’m urging members of council to oppose that sale,” he said. The motion comes just eight days after United Steelworkers announced it had filed grievances against U.S. Steel alleging the company violated the terms of its contract when it agreed to the $14.9 billion sale. Council At-Large Sam DeMarco opposed the motion. “The good news for Allegheny County is this offer by Nippon Steel keeps a world-known headquarters and a thousand good-paying jobs here,” he said. “We want new companies and new investments to come to this region. What kind of signal does it send when you are telling folks that are willing to spend $15 billion here that you’re not welcome?” Several more council members spoke. In the end, the council voted 12 to one to tackle the issue another day. “There is a process of sending motions and bills to committees for a reason. I thought it would be fair to everyone if we got all the information,” council at-large Bethany Hallam said. WJPA news partner Channel 11 did reach out to U.S. Steel and received a statement saying “Following the closing of the transaction with Nippon Steel Corporation (NSC), U. S. Steel will retain its name, continue to mine, melt and make steel in America, and maintain its headquarters in Pittsburgh, which will retain 1,000 jobs in corporate, research, commercial, information technology and other areas. The Company has invested roughly $750 million in its Mon Valley Works facilities in the past five years and employs thousands of men and women in Allegheny County. We look forward to continuing to engage with community leaders about the benefits of the deal.”
January 24, 2024 3:48 am
A major change is on the way for the Carnegie Science Center because of a “transformational gift. Officials with the Carnegie Science Center gathered Tuesday, announcing that the museum had been gifted $65 million. It’s the largest gift the Carnegie Institute has received since its founding in 1895. “It’s truly transformation for the Science Center in that it will allow us to implement our vision, not only for today’s generation but for generations to come,” said Jason Brown, Director and Vice President, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. “This gift will pave the way for countless kids and adults to embark on their personal journey of discovery and curiosity here at the Science Center.” The gift will help the Science Center increase its endowment, provide greater opportunity to innovate and strengthen its role in science education. The gift comes from the hands of Dan and Carole Kamin, who brown says epitomizes the Science Center’s mission of connecting “people and science, igniting curiosity that endures for a lifetime.” In recognition of the gift and in honor of their generosity, Brown announced that the museum is being renamed to the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center. (Photo: Carnegie Science Center)
