October 30, 2025 4:06 am
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois jury has convicted a sheriff’s deputy of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911 to report a suspected prowler. The jury announced the verdict against Sean Grayson on Wednesday. Grayson arrived at Massey’s home in Springfield after she reported a prowler early on July 6, 2024. Massey was holding a pan of hot water and Grayson’s attorneys argued that he was afraid she would throw it at him. Grayson faces a sentence of four to 20 years in prison or probation when he is sentenced Jan. 29.
October 30, 2025 4:05 am
GYEONGJU, South Korea (AP) — The United States will share closely held technology to allow South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine. President Donald Trump made the announcement on social media Thursday after meeting with the country’s president. President Lee Jae Myung stressed to Trump in their Wednesday meeting that the goal was to modernize the alliance with the U.S., noting plans to increase military spending to reduce the financial burden on America. The South Korean leader said there might have been a misunderstanding when they last spoke in August about nuclear-powered submarines, saying that his government was looking for nuclear fuel rather than weapons. Lee said that if South Korea was equipped with nuclear-powered submarines, that it could help U.S. activities in the region.
October 30, 2025 4:01 am
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba (AP) — People across the northern Caribbean are digging out from the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa as deaths from the storm climbed. Emergency relief flights began landing at Jamaica’s main international airport as crews worked to reach communities still isolated after they were directly hit by the Category 5 storm. Catastrophic flooding occurred in Haiti, where dozens were dead or missing. Eastern Cuba had blown-off roofs, downed power lines and crop damage. Hurricane conditions were forecast to continue in the Bahamas into the morning and were expected to affect Bermuda later Thursday as the storm passes.
October 30, 2025 3:36 am
South Strabane Township Supervisors are looking to make improvements to Berry Road at its intersection with Manifold Road. At their voting meeting, supervisors unanimously approved a measure to apply for a $500,000 LSA grant. The project is estimated to cost $1 million. Supervisors are considering how they would come up with the additional $500,000 matching funds, possibly with additional grants. Traffic studies have shown that between 2019-2024, there have been 50 accidents along Berry Road, one of them fatal. The improvement would be to make the intersection a “T” intersection.
October 30, 2025 2:51 am
Trick or Treat in the city of Washington has been moved up to five o’clock on Friday, October 31st to accommodate those who wish to go to the Wash High Football game. The Trick or Treat hours are now from five p.m. until 6:30 p.m. rather than 5:30 to 7 p.m.
October 30, 2025 12:01 am
A McKees Rocks man, formerly from Monessen pleaded no contest in a 2020 drug death in the City of Washington. Calvin Ortiz, 36 took a no contest plea to conspiracy drug delivery resulting in death and criminal use of a communications device. A possession with intent to deliver was dropped. Ortiz was sentenced to 4-10 years in state prison. According to police, Brad Remorowski was found dead in his apartment in September of 2020. Initial investigations pointed to Duane Berry, 33 of Carnegie as the supplier of fentanyl pills disguised as painkillers causing Remorowski’s death. Berry claimed to be an intermediary in the transaction and pointed to Ortiz as the supplier. In court proceedings, the judge remarked that the plea offer was generous. Prosecutors indicated that the victim’s mother is terminally ill and wished for closure before she passes away. Had Ortiz gone to trial and been convicted on all charges against him, he could have been sentenced to 10-20 years in prison. According to a court docket, Ortiz’s co-conspirator Duane Berry is scheduled for plea court on November 17.
October 29, 2025 5:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that the U.S. military carried out strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean against four boats accused of carrying drugs, killing 14 and leaving one survivor. The strikes were launched Monday and announced on social media Tuesday. It’s the first time multiple strikes have been announced in a single day as the pace of the attacks has escalated. A Pentagon official says the strikes were conducted off the coast of Colombia. However, the Mexican navy says it’s searching about 400 miles southwest of the Pacific city of Acapulco, far away from Colombia. It wasn’t immediately clear exactly where the strike took place, and the Pentagon didn’t give more details.
October 29, 2025 5:12 am
SOUTH STRABANE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – A so-called “interstate flasher” appeared in court for a hearing on Tuesday. 43-year-old Robert Edward Smith, known to police as the Interstate Flasher, is accused of exposing himself to women and children in stores across four states. Shocked shoppers have posted photos of him on social media. In August, South Strabane police say Smith pulled his pants down in front of a 13-year-old girl at a Target — the same day he committed similar crimes out of state. A channel 11 Investigation uncovered nearly identical incidents in West Virginia, Ohio, and Maryland. In West Virginia, police say Smith exposed himself to a girl at Walmart, then at TJ Maxx, Old Navy, and Dollar Tree. Photos show him in the same clothing, hat, and mask during these incidents. Smith is currently out on $10,000 bond. The judge told him he’s not allowed contact with any victims or witnesses, or allowed to enter any Target. Smith is facing two misdemeanor charges of open lewdness and indecent exposure.
October 29, 2025 4:51 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring even as inflation stays elevated. The move comes amid a fraught time for the central bank, with hiring sluggish and yet inflation stuck above the Fed’s 2% target. Compounding its challenges, the central bank is navigating without the economic signposts it typically relies on from the government, including monthly reports on jobs, inflation and consumer spending, which have been suspended because of the government shutdown. The Fed has signaled it may reduce its key rate again in December but the data drought raises the uncertainty around its next moves.
October 29, 2025 4:50 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge in San Francisco has indefinitely blocked the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston on Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings while a lawsuit challenging them plays out. She had previously issued a temporary restraining order against the job cuts that was set to expire Wednesday. The Republican administration has been slashing jobs in education, health and other areas it says are favored by Democrats. Lawyers for the government argued personnel issues should be heard in a separate venue.
