September 13, 2025 7:08 am
CONNELLSVILLE, Pa. —(WPXI)- A local middle school teacher is facing charges as police say she had inappropriate contact with a student. Connellsville Area School District middle school teacher Ashley Autumn Mongell, 30, is charged with unlawful contact with a minor, sexual abuse of children and corruption of minors. Fayette County District Attorney District Attorney Mike Aubele announced the charges on Friday. According to court documents, police began the investigation last Thursday after receiving a Cyber Tip about messages being sent between Mongell and a teen boy. Police said they found messages sent on Instagram that were sexually suggestive. The Attorney General issued a subpoena and police obtained information about the teen, who was 14. The boy told police both he and Mongell had sent nude photographs over Snapchat .When police interviewed Mongell on Friday, they say she admitted to using the account found in the conversations, communicating with the boy she knew to be underage and said that he was in her class last year, court documents say. Police said she also admitted that she sent the boy a fully nude photo. Investigators said that photo was found on the teen’s device. DA Aubele said Mongell could face up to 7 years in prison for the felony “Unlawful Contact with a Minor” charge.
September 12, 2025 5:00 am
OREM, Utah (AP) — Utah’s governor says the Charlie Kirk assassination suspect had indicated to a family friend that he was connected to the shooting. Gov. Spencer Cox says the suspect had grown more political and was opposed to Kirk’s beliefs. The suspect in custody in connection with the assassination of Charlie Kirk is a 22-year-old from Utah. That’s according to a law enforcement official who told The Associated Press. The officials says authorities have identified the suspect as Tyler Robinson. The official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke Friday on the condition of anonymity. Calls to telephone numbers listed for Robinson in public records ring unanswered.
September 12, 2025 5:02 am
The governor of Utah struggled to find the right words to describe the question so many have been asking: What is happening in America? The silence lasted nearly 10 seconds. He looked down. He opened and closed his mouth. “Our nation is broken,” Spencer Cox finally said, hours after the killing of Charlie Kirk. The governor described violent attacks on both Democrats and Republicans, including the killing of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, two assassination attempts on President Donald Trump and the firebombing of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence. His words stood out not just for the stark language about America’s troubles, but for his sober, somber acknowledgement that the violence reaches across the political divide.
September 12, 2025 9:15 am
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’ll send the National Guard to Memphis to address crime concerns there with the support of the mayor and the governor. The Republican president said on Fox News Channel on Friday “the mayor is happy” and “the governor is happy” about the pending deployment. The mayor is a Democrat, and the governor is a Republican. Trump says Memphis is “deeply troubled” and he’s “going to fix that.” Trump cited Washington, where he’s sent National Guard and surged federal law enforcement. Trump has openly mused about sending troops to some of the nation’s most Democratic cities — including Chicago and Baltimore — claiming they are needed to crack down on crime.
September 12, 2025 4:49 am
NORTH STRABANE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A North Strabane Township man faces animal cruelty charges after police say he tried to kill two of his dogs with a hammer and throw them away in the trash. 73 year old Daniel McCullough admitted to striking the dogs in their heads with a ball-peen hammer, on the front porch of his Angel Estates home. He said he placed them in a box and discarded the box in a trash can because he believed they were dead. One of the dogs, however, managed to escape. It was found critically injured at a neighbor’s home and received emergency veterinary care and survived. Investigators say the other dog was taken away when the trash was picked up and believed to be dead. North Strabane Police say McCullough admitted to the attack saying he did it because he had four dogs and the community recently changed the rules allowing only two dogs. His other two dogs have been removed from the home.
September 12, 2025 4:52 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — A wanted burglary suspect is now in custody. According to court documents, Patrick Thurston, 60, was arrested on Wednesday. He had been on the City of Washington Police Department’s “most wanted” page since Sept. 4. Police say he stole from several businesses and took items from a donation bin at the City Mission Thrift Shop. Two sets of burglary charges were filed against him at the end of August. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 24.
September 12, 2025 12:58 am
Washington City Council’s voting meeting agenda was largely day to day business. They did promote several police officers and fire fighters. Leading the list of police officer promotions was John Hritz. He was promoted to captain. Matt Karlowsky was promoted to lieutenant. In the fire department, Chad Weir and Joe Wasik were promoted to engineer. Once again, Councilman Ken Westcott announced that the city is looking for individuals to fill vacancies on the city’s Zoning Hearing Board. It is a volunteer position and meets several months over the year as needed. Applications may be found with the City Clerk, Michelle Sperl at City Hall.
September 12, 2025 2:23 am
The South Strabane Fire and Police Departments led Washington County’s annual September 11 tribute on Thursday morning outside of the old Washington Mall, honoring the lives lost in the 2001 terrorist attacks and the sacrifices made in their aftermath. Community members, first responders, and local officials gathered as the ceremony featured solemn traditions, including the playing of taps, the sound of bagpipes, and a 21-gun salute. Several speakers reflected on the significance of the day and the importance of remembering the nearly 3,000 victims, as well as the bravery of firefighters, police officers, and everyday citizens who responded in the face of tragedy. Also noted was the lasting toll, with more than 86,000 first responders from Ground Zero still facing cancer and other illnesses caused by toxic exposure. “As long as I am South Strabane fire chief, I will make sure that this memorial continues every year,” Cramer said.The tribute served as both a reminder of the past and a promise of continued remembrance in Washington County for generations to come.
September 12, 2025 5:05 am
BOSTON (AP) — A U.S. appeals court panel has allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to block Medicaid fund to Planned Parenthood while legal challenges continue. Planned Parenthood says Thursday’s ruling means that more than 1.1 million patients can’t use their Medicaid insurance at its health centers. A federal judge in July ruled Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide must continue to be reimbursed for Medicaid funding as the nation’s largest abortion provider fights Trump’s administration over efforts to defund the organization in his signature tax legislation.
September 12, 2025 5:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation rose last month as the price of gas, groceries, and airfares jumped, while a measure of layoffs also increased, putting the Federal Reserve in a tough spot as it prepares to cut rates at its meeting next week despite persistent price pressures. The reading is the last the Fed will receive before its Sept. 16-17 meeting, when policymakers are widely expected to cut their short-term rate to about 4.1% from 4.3%. Still, the new inflation data underscores the challenges the Fed is facing. Inflation remains stubborn while the job market is weakening, diverging trends that would require polar reactions from Federal Reserve policymakers to address.
