August 10, 2025 7:17 am
(WPXI) PENN HILLS, Pa. — Firefighters worked for hours to put out a two-alarm fire in Penn Hills that damaged multiple vehicles and a home. Per Penn Hills No. 7 VFC, firefighters were called to a home on Wexford Lane near Old William Penn Highway around 1 a.m. for reported vehicle explosions and a possible structure fire. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found four vehicles on fire, and the flames were extending into a home. After forcing entry into the burning home, firefighters got two people out safely. Photos posted by the department show the vehicles were at one point fully engulfed in flames. When our crew got on scene after the flames were extinguished, we saw the fire had ripped through the home’s roof and damaged a shed. Fire companies were on scene for about five hours putting out the flames, then overhauling and ventilating the structure. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Red Cross is assisting the homeowners.
August 10, 2025 7:12 am
(WPXI) RAYNE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A former cyber school teacher is accused of having inappropriate conversations with a student and asking them to move in with her. The Pennsylvania State Police said that Rebecca Jean Kaelin, 62, of North Wales, was an online teacher at the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School in December 2023. She is accused of having inappropriate conversations with a 17-year-old girl from Indiana County who was a student at that time. Troopers said the victim’s father provided them with recordings captured on a “nanny-cam” that captured the Kaelin talking to the student about religion, sexuality and her mental health over video chat sessions outside of the classroom and school club hours. The camera was originally installed to ensure the victim was doing her schoolwork. Police said Kaelin asked the victim to live with her after graduation, mailed her a book for mature young adults and discussed a plan to mail her a cell phone too. She was charged on Friday and is expected to appear in court for a hearing on Sept. 22.
August 10, 2025 11:27 am
(WPXI) PITTSBURGH — Residents are preparing as part of the Parkway East is expected to close in both directions for the weekend. The Parkway was expected to close between the Squirrel Hill Tunnel and the Edgewood/Swissvale interchange (Exit 77) from Saturday night until 5 a.m. Monday. PennDOT officials say the closure is being done so crews can demolish and replace an overhead sign structure, which is part of the $95 million Commercial Street Bridge Replacement Project. Officials ask eastbound drivers to take the Oakland/Forbes Avenue exit. A Squirrel Hill resident tells Channel 11 that she’s worried people will ignore the preferred Oakland exit and populate Squirrel Hill instead. “Just a lot more traffic, a lot more noise pollution, air pollution, that’s what I think about,” said Emily Gagliardi. The detour for westbound travelers utilizes the Wilkinsburg exit 78B.
August 9, 2025 1:03 am
The United States is celebrating its 250th birthday in 2026 and the America 250 PA organization helped Washington County celebrate their part in the history of the United States. America 250 Pa held a Bells Across PA celebration in the LeMoyne House Garden to unveil Washington County’s commemorative bell that celebrates America’s history from the Revolutionary War to today. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania will have a commemorative bell. James Sulkowski (pictured) is a world-renowned artist from Canonsburg and he was chosen to design Washington County’s version of the Liberty Bell replica. His design is centered on George Washington flanked by the original American Flag. He steps through Pennsylvania’s early history with depictions of the Whiskey Rebellion, glass manufacturing, and agriculture. He included river commerce with the Monongahela River, and modern history such as the Meadows Race Track and the Pony League World Series. In his remarks to the approximately 100 people on hand, Clay Kilgore, Executive Director of the Washington County Historical Society, reminded the audience that the final western battle in the Revolutionary War was fought in Washington County. He emphasized the Whiskey Rebellion and the importance Washington County played in the Underground Railroad with the LeMoyne House. He called Washington County the ‘Gateway to the West” in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The bell was donated to the Washington County Historical Society by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency for permanent display.
August 9, 2025 1:05 am
Washington City Council periodically honors citizens that go the extra mile to make Washington a better place to live. They award the “Pride In Washington” award to those people. On Thursday, Mayor JoJo Burgess honored an organization and an individual. He chose to deliver a “Pride In Washington” proclamation to the LeMoyne Community Center for their charitable efforts to the city and even the county. He also bestowed the award to the center’s Executive Director, Teresa Burroughs (pictured). Taken aback by the recognition, Burroughs called the center a staple in the community for its programs. She listed educational programs for school kids, food programs for youth and seniors, health and wellness programs and programs to help the recovery community. She gave credit to all of the others that work at the center, especially Program Director Patricia Robinson, who heads up the running of those programs. The building is undergoing an expansion. Burroughs says that a classroom and entrance upgrades will be ready by the end of the month. Mayor JoJo Burgess said the center is not just a neighborhood resource, but a resource that is an asset to the whole city and all of its residents.
August 9, 2025 4:43 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Amid rising electric bills, states are under pressure to insulate regular household and business ratepayers from the costs of feeding Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers. It’s not clear that any state has a solution and the actual effect of data centers on electricity bills is difficult to pin down. Some critics question whether states have the spine to take a hard line against tech behemoths. Charlotte Shuff of the Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board, a consumer advocacy group, says there’s a massive outcry over rising power bills. Some data centers require more electricity than cities or states. That’s pushing policymakers to rethink how transmission costs are spread among consumers.
August 9, 2025 4:31 am
ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has identified the man who opened fire at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White of Kennesaw, Georgia. The GBI statement says White died and Officer David Rose with the DeKalb County Police Department was shot and killed during the shooting Friday. The shooter was armed with a long gun and fired from across the street, striking windows across the sprawling campus. Authorities said Rose was mortally wounded as he responded to the gunfire. The attack prompted a massive law enforcement response to one of the nation’s most prominent public health institutions.
August 9, 2025 4:24 am
Authorities say they have captured a man suspected in a shooting at a Montana bar that left four people dead. Law enforcement officers had spend the past week scouring nearby mountains. Forty-five-year-old Michael Paul Brown was taken into custody around 2 p.m. Friday. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said Brown was flushed out after about 130 officers made what he called a hard push on a hill a few miles from Anaconda. He said tips from the public helped verify they were searching the right area. Authorities have not said what sparked last week’s shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda.
August 9, 2025 4:33 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is escalating efforts to scrutinize perceived adversaries of President Donald Trump with investigations into New York Attorney General Letitia James and U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, according to people familiar with the matter. The Justice Department has subpoenaed James for records related to a lawsuit the Democrat filed against Trump over alleged fraud in his personal business dealings, according to a person familiar with the matter. And Attorney General Pam Bondi this week named Ed Martin as a special prosecutor to help conduct separate mortgage fraud investigations into James and Democratic U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff of California. James and Schiff have denied any wrongdoing and have called the claims politically motivated.
August 9, 2025 4:22 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning that any peace deal excluding Kyiv would lead to “dead solutions.” The Trump-Putin meeting, scheduled for Friday in Alaska, is seen as a potential breakthrough after weeks of expressing frustration that more was not being done to quell the fighting. In a statement posted to Telegram on Saturday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s territorial integrity, enshrined in the constitution, must be non-negotiable and emphasized that lasting peace must include Ukraine’s voice at the table.
