August 30, 2025 4:37 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI)— A Pittsburgh church was targeted by thieves several times in the last week. The Pastor at St. Augustine Church – St. Padre Pio Parish in Lawrenceville says it appears to be the same group each time. On Friday, August 22, the group got away with $1200 of donations made by parishioners lighting candles. There were two break-ins Sunday. Overnight, a man was arrested while trying to steal thousands of dollars’ worth of tools. According to the pastor, the group was getting through the basement door. Last night, the man later identified as Timothy Lau, used a crowbar to get in. The damage is apparent, and a new lock has since been installed. “I am stunned to hear that. This area feels very safe,” neighbor Virginia Marshall said. According to police, Lau tripped a burglar alarm around 3 o’clock Friday morning. “When I woke up, I heard the police out there,” Marshall said. “I just saw that they had surrounded the area. They had gone in. You could tell they were going in the church.” Lau was found hiding in an upstairs room. Police used a K-9 to track him down. “There’s no morality in this country anymore,” neighbor Regis Ricketts said. He was a police officer for more than 30 years. Both he and Marshall told Channel 11 they have compassion for people who feel like they have to rob a church. “I can’t condemn people. I don’t know why they would do it,” Ricketts said. “I grew up pretty impoverished, but I learned at a young age that, even if you get into a desperate situation, that the answer isn’t to take from others,” Marshall said. The pastor wanted to stress that nothing inside the church was damaged and this is not an act of anti-Catholicism. The church does have security cameras and they are working with Pittsburgh and Diocesan Police.
August 29, 2025 2:15 pm
The teenager wanted in connection with a shooting in the City of Washington has been arrested. Police say the underage suspect was taken into custody overnight in Pittsburgh and transferred to a juvenile detention facility in Steubenville. His name has not been released since he is currently being charged as a juvenile. He reportedly had a gun on him when he was caught. Authorities say they believe the teen made threats against Washington High School football players while on the run, prompting the team to practice temporarily at an undisclosed location. Earlier this month, police arrested another suspect, 16-year-old Tristan Lassic, in connection with the July 29 shooting. Police say Lassic shot Rashard Carter multiple times in the back.
August 29, 2025 1:48 pm
California Area High School was the target of a shooting threat that school district officials say was not credible. The high school office got the call around 11:34 a.m. on Friday. A young woman’s voice said they needed $2,000 in a red container or they’d be “shooting the school up and killing themselves,” officials said. Both school buildings were secured, and 911 was called, with additional police arriving soon after. California police say the threat was not credible and will provide additional presence at the schools until dismissal. District officials say charges will be filed against the caller. Parents and guardians can pick up their child, but they can’t enter the campus and must show ID at the top of the hill, officials say. Their child will be secured and brought to them. After-school clubs and Beyond the Bell are canceled for Friday.
August 29, 2025 4:01 am
PennDOT says Route 88 will remain closed to traffic between 8th and 9th Street in the borough of Charleroi, after a man who was digging in a ditch Thursday night in the 800 block of McKean Avenue around eight-thirty, became trapped when the hole caved in. Authorities say the individual, who was working for a private contractor, was trapped beneath the dirt from the chest down. Charleroi Fire Chief Robert Whiten Jr. tells WJPA that it took rescue crews from around the region five hours to free him. Whiten says the man was able to climb up the ladder by himself and walked to the ambulance, but was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh for observation. Whiten says the incident is under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
August 29, 2025 10:59 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has revoked Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris. That’s according to a senior White House official. Former vice presidents typically get federal government protection for six months after leaving office, while ex-presidents do so for life. But another person familiar with the matter says then-President Joe Biden quietly signed a directive that had extended protection for Harris beyond the traditional six months. The people insisted on anonymity Friday to discuss a matter not made public. Trump is a Republican. Biden and Harris are Democrats. Trump defeated Harris in the presidential election last year after Biden dropped out of the contest and Harris replaced him.
August 29, 2025 10:55 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has told House Speaker Mike Johnson he won’t be spending $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid, effectively cutting the budget without going through the legislative branch. The Republican president is using what’s known as a pocket rescission — when a president submits a request to Congress to not spend approved funds toward the end of the fiscal year, so Congress cannot act on the request in the 45-day timeframe and the money goes unspent as a result. It’s the first time in nearly 50 years a president has used one. The fiscal year draws to a close at the end of September.
August 29, 2025 9:51 am
Lisa Cessna, former Washington County Planning Director has died. Cessna has died at the age of fifty-seven. Cessna graduated from Burgettstown High School in 1986 and went on to earn a degree from Edinboro University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg University. Cessna worked for State Senator Barry Stout and the City of Weirton, West Virginia before joining the Washington County Planning Department. She is survived by her husband of 31 years Richard and her daughters Emma and Grace. Friends and relatives will be received at the Thompson-Marodi Funeral Home at 809 Main Street in Bentleyville from two to seven p.m. Saturday August 30th. A service will take place on Sunday August 31st at 1:00 pm.
August 29, 2025 9:49 am
Anthony “Tony” Seneca, a long time plaintiff attorney in Washington County has died. Seneca was raised in Cokeburg. He graduated from Bentworth High School in 1972 and earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Washington and Jefferson College. He went on to earn his Doctor of Juris Prudence in 1975 from Duquesne University. In addition to his practice as a plaintiff attorney, Seneca served as solicitor to several boroughs, authorities and the coroner’s office. Seneca was also a Democratic Party political strategist. He was preceded in death by his partner Laura Ann Golensky. He is survived by his niece Renata Seneca, Esquire and his nephew Geno Seneca. At Tony’s request all services will be private.
August 29, 2025 4:54 am
Emergency responders were summoned to an automobile accident in the city Thursday night. According to 9-1-1 dispatchers, shortly before 10:00 pm, a car ran into a tree, flipped and caught fire. The incident occurred near the VFW club on E. Maiden Avenue. The driver was initially trapped in the car but he was able to escape. No injuries were reported.
August 29, 2025 7:41 am
Fire fighters were called to a fire at 155 Almond Road in Somerset Township at 5:30 pm on Thursday. According to 9-1-1 dispatchers, crews were sent to extinguish a blaze at a privately owned day care in a home. No one was home at the time of the fire, no injuries were reported. The state fire marshal is investigating.
