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.
October 29, 2025 4:47 am
GYEONGJU, South Korea (AP) — After a charm offensive in Japan that culminated in $490 billion in investment commitments, President Donald Trump is set to meet with South Korea’s leader on Wednesday as a trade deal with that country appears more elusive. The main issue is Trump’s demand for South Korea to invest $350 billion in the U.S. Korean officials prefer loans and guarantees instead of direct cash, fearing economic destabilization. This disagreement could overshadow the meeting between Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Meanwhile, South Korea faces a 25% tariff on automobiles, putting them at a disadvantage compared to Japanese and European competitors.
October 29, 2025 4:46 am
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba (AP) — Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of destruction across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica. The storm made landfall Tuesday in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds reaching 185 miles per hour. In Haiti, at least 25 people have died because of flooding in Petit-Goâve. In Cuba, officials report collapsed houses and blocked roads, with 735,000 people in shelters. Jamaica faces widespread power outages and communication blackouts. The U.S. is sending rescue teams to assist. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel warns of significant damage, urging people not to underestimate the storm’s power.
October 29, 2025 4:09 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jurors have convicted a California animal rights activist for taking four chickens from a major Perdue Farms poultry plant. Zoe Rosenberg was found guilty Wednesday of trespassing and conspiracy. She says she was rescuing the chickens but prosecutors say she broke the law. The 23-year-old activist faces a maximum sentence of 4 1/2 years in jail. She was charged with one count of felony conspiracy, one count of trespassing to interfere with a business, one count of trespassing on land where an animal is being held for human consumption, and one count of tampering with a vehicle.
October 29, 2025 3:59 am
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking. Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs since returning to the White House for a second term combined with China’s retaliatory limits on exports of rare earth elements gave the meeting newfound urgency. There is a mutual recognition that neither side wants to risk blowing up the world economy in ways that could jeopardize their own country’s fortunes. Trump told reporters he decided to reduce the current rate from 57% after the talks. China did not provide immediate comment on the meeting or any outcomes.
