April 12, 2024 1:38 am
A severe storm system that moved through the area Thursday night dumped several inches of water on most parts of Washington County. The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning that is in effect until 12:30 p.m Friday. There are reports of evacuations and water rescues. Washington County 9-1-1 dispatchers say flooding issues and road closures are widespread throughout the County but Canton Township was especially hard-hit. Washington Estates Mobile Home Park on Henderson Avenue saw heavy flooding and there were reports of evacuations. Washington County Public Safety Director Gerry Coleman tells WJPA News that buses were used to take residents to a shelter at the Canton Township Volunteer Fire Department building. Coleman says they will return today to access the damage that he called “significant”. There were several swift water rescues including some in the City of Washington after motorists tried to drive through flooded roadways. Many area school districts also cancelled in person classes for Friday and instead opted for remote instruction or Flexible Instruction Days. Late Friday morning the City of Washington issued an emergency proclamation declaring a State of Emergency, which will last five days, unless extended by city council. PennDot has issued an update on road closures;
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- Route 50 (Millers Run Road) between Route 980 and Muse-Bishop Road in Cecil Township.
- Route 221 between Highland Ridge Drive in Buffalo Township and Verner Lane in South Franklin Township.
- Route 221 (Green Valley Road) between Route 40 West and Pleasant Valley Road in Buffalo Township.
- Route 221 between Route 231 (Claysville Road) and Oak Ridge Road in Blaine Township.
- Route 917 between Almond Road and Hetherington Road in Somerset Township.
- Route 3001 (Brush Run Road/Lake Road) between Route 40 (National Pike) and Ealy Road in Donegal Township.
- Route 231 between Route 18 (Prosperity Pike) and Enon Church Road in East Finley Township.
- Route 1010 (Georgetown Road) between Spring Avenue in Cecil Township and Buckeye Street in Peters Township.
- Route 2019 (Almond Road) between Route 917 (Main Street) and Wherry Road in Somerset Township.
- Route 3008 (Jolly School Road/Lagonda Road) between Route 221 (South Bridge Road) in Buffalo Township and Mounts Road in South Franklin Township.
- Route 3026 (Enon Church Road) between Route 231 (East Finley Drive) and Route 3032 (Valley Church Road) in East Finley Township.
- Route 4022 (Armstrong Drive/Weirich Avenue/Pleasant Valley Road/West Wylie Avenue) between Gorby Road/Reese Road and McKee Road in Buffalo Township.
- Route 4039 (Pleasant Road/Southview Road) between Route 50 (Millers Run Road) and Pleasant Street in Mount Pleasant Township.
April 12, 2024 4:56 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — (WPXI) – Members of Washington VFW reached out to our news partners at Channel 11 for help, after their former secretary/treasurer is accused of stealing nearly $12,000 from the post. Police charged Frank McVicker with felony theft charges in September, and there is a warrant out for his arrest. The VFW began looking into McVicker after the bank called with concerns about ATM withdrawals. VFW officers tell Channel 11 they didn’t even know the card existed. Washington City Police say McVicker used it to buy Delta plane tickets, items from Home Depot and Lowes, jewelry and vehicle registration transactions in his name totaling $11,878 in unauthorized charges. Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh says there’s been a warrant out for McVicker’s arrest since September, but police haven’t been able to track him down. Investigators say he could be in Florida.
April 12, 2024 2:39 am
The Washington County Board of Elections says it has taken steps to make it easier for the public to view and access the Primary Election returns. Board members say their aim is to ensure transparency and integrity, and to instill confidence in residents that county elections are conducted freely and fairly. On election night, the public can watch the results being returned from the poll workers via a live feed of security cameras displayed on large televisions in the public meeting room. The room is located on the ground floor of the Crossroads Center at 95 W Beau Street in Washington. Access to the building will be from the Franklin Street entrance. In addition, one authorized representative per candidate on the ballot and one authorized representative per political party on the ballot will be allowed to view the return of the results via predetermined and marked areas inside the Elections Office. To gain access, a letter on candidate letterhead or political party letterhead must be presented, identifying the representative as authorized to view the election returns. (Photo: AP)
April 12, 2024 4:59 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — O.J. Simpson died without having paid the lion’s share of the $33.5 million judgment a civil jury awarded to the families of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. The panel found Simpson liable in a wrongful death lawsuit in 1997. Now, his money is likely to go into the court probate process. And the Goldman and Brown families could be at the front of the line to get paid a piece of whatever Simpson left behind. If he had any meaningful assets at all, his four children will have to let a court look at them before they can receive it.
April 12, 2024 5:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that more than half of U.S. adults think Joe Biden’s presidency has hurt the country on cost of living and immigration. Meanwhile, nearly half think Donald Trump’s presidency hurt the country on voting rights and election security, relations with foreign countries, abortion laws and climate change. The poll numbers also show Americans generally think that in the White House, both did more harm than good. Meanwhile, when asked which president did more to help people like them, roughly one-third say Donald Trump and about one-quarter say Joe Biden. Yet roughly 30% of adults said neither Biden nor Trump benefitted them.
April 12, 2024 5:08 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A dozen Manhattan residents are soon to become the first Americans ever to sit in judgment of a former president charged with a crime. Jury selection is set to start Monday in former President Donald Trump’s hush-money trial. The presumptive Republican nominee has pleaded not guilty. The proceedings present a historic challenge for the court, the lawyers and the everyday citizens who find themselves in the jury pool. Those problems include finding people who can be impartial about one of the most polarizing figures in American life and detecting any bias among prospective jurors without invading the privacy of the ballot box.
April 12, 2024 5:06 am
ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AP) — Growing numbers of Russian soldiers are trying to get out of the war in Ukraine. Overall asylum claims from Russians have surged in the U.S., France and Germany since Russia’s full-scale invasion two years ago, but few are getting in. Russian soldiers present particular concern: Are they spies? War criminals? Or heroes? The Associated Press spoke with five officers and one soldier who deserted, some through underground networks of Russian activists who guided them on secret escape routes. Facing criminal charges in Russia, all but one live in hiding as they wait for a welcome from the West that hasn’t arrived. They argue that helping deserters is in the West’s own interest and less costly than shipping weapons to Ukraine.
April 12, 2024 5:03 am
DENVER (AP) — Lawmakers in at least 12 states are debating bills that would legalize physician-assisted death. The laws would allow terminally ill patients under specified conditions to end their lives with a doctor’s help. Physician-assisted death is contentious and only 10 states and Washington, D.C., allow it. Patients must be at least 18 years old, within six months of death and be assessed by doctors to ensure they are capable of making an informed decision. Two states have gone in the opposite direction. Kansas has a bill to further criminalize those who help someone with their physician-assisted death. West Virginia is asking voters to enshrine its current ban into the state constitution.
April 12, 2024 3:46 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House has passed a bill to reauthorize and reform a key U.S. government surveillance tool without including broad restrictions on how the FBI uses this crucial program to search for Americans’ data. But despite passage with bipartisan support, opponents of the final proposal forced a vote on a procedural motion to be taken early next week, further delaying the legislation being sent to the Senate. It is the latest in a series of hurdles for Speaker Mike Johnson who has been negotiating with far-right detractors of the legislation for weeks. The program is set to expire on April 19 if Congress does not act in time.
April 12, 2024 5:04 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose to its highest level in five weeks, a setback for prospective homebuyers during what’s traditionally the busiest time of the year for home sales. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose to 6.88% from 6.82% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.27%. Rates have been mostly drifting higher in recent weeks as stronger-than-expected reports on employment and inflation. Many economists still expect that mortgage rates will ease moderately later this year, though most forecasts call for the average rate on a 30-year home loan to remain above 6%.
