WJPA News

Washington County Commissioners met Thursday and what began as a very run of the mill meeting, took a sudden turn during public comment. Washington County Controller April Sloane took the microphone and announced results of her audit of county spending for the first quarter of this year. Sloane indicated troubling results from last year and the beginning of this year. According to Sloane, the county jail was just over $1 million over budget in 2023. The county is already exceeding its 2024 budget by approximately $1 million. Sloane alleges that the ransom paid to rectify a cyber attack earlier this year was illegally funded by funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). She further questioned some payroll usage of ARPA funds. She also stated that nearly $46,000 in hotel taxes were not collected in 2022. Most recently Sloane stated that a salary request from Chief of Staff Daryl Price was sent back for review before being presented to the salary board. That review of numbers saved taxpayers $12,000 in annual salary for one position. Commissioner Chairman Nick Sherman says that Sloane’s statement is inaccurate. Spending is up because of the use of the $98 million the county received through ARPA and that all expenditures are legal under the act. He further stated that if anyone has a dispute with the spending of those funds, they can file a complaint with the District Attorney. Sherman says that he and his colleagues will do everything in their power to keep that ARPA money in Washington County.

Donegal Township Supervisors were greeted at their business meeting with approximately 3 dozen supporters of the township road crew that is represented by the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 66. Supporters lined the street with signs and chants of support prior to the meeting. William Riggle is a member of the road crew that saw its numbers dwindle from a high of six workers to its present two through recent layoffs. He says that the township supervisors are picking on the road crew specifically and are trying to have the union removed. Riggle says they don’t care for the people and gave the example of him being hurt and his colleague having to work alone as Riggle himself recovers from an injury. Recently a third person was brought on until Riggle fully recovers. During the meeting, Supervisors had their labor negotiator Phil Binotto make a presentation to residents. He called the situation an impasse and is urging both the union and supervisors to sit down and come to common ground. The road crew has been working on an expired five year contract since 2023. Binotto described the contract as very union friendly and rich. According to Supervisor Chairman Jim Bauer, the township is looking to regain control of finances and management of the employees. Some of the items that are at issue are health care benefits, currently the union has all of their health care paid in full. The township is looking for premium payment and deductible concessions. Currently overtime is paid in comp time. The township wishes to return to paid overtime. The township also wishes to use subcontractors when that would be a cheaper option than using in house labor. Several other issues remain unsolved. Both Binotto and IUOE 66 representative Larry Cardillo agree that both sides need to return to the bargaining table.

A big weekend is on tap in the city of Washington (rain or shine).  On Saturday, the Main Street Pavilion will feature agricultural exhibits, educational displays, a children’s area, and craft vendors. The day will also showcase local downtown businesses with a breakfast crawl and a kitchen clash, and will culminate with the Running of the Wools. where champion sheep will take on Main Street.  Running of the Wools is a relatively new event in downtown Washington that highlights the close relationship the city and region has had with the farming and sheep industry and is a way want to show appreciation for the county’s farmers and all they do for us!  The weekend kicks of with First Friday on May 3rd at the Main Street Pavilion and continues through Sunday when the weekend events wrap-up with a community blessing service at the pavilion.

HOUSTON BOROUGH, Pa. — (WPXI) – The Pittsburgh Pirates jumped in to help save the season for the Chartiers-Houston Girls Softball Association after a series of floods put it in doubt. President of the association James Hollenbach said he was at a loss for words when he saw the flooding on April 9. It was the second time in a week that heavy rains forced a nearby creek to overflow and flood the nearby softball field. The season for the girl’s softball program was set to begin in only a few weeks, but at the time, that felt like an unreachable goal. Everyone rushed to help. Parents, local businesses and even the Pirates pitched in. The Pirates’ Fields For Kids program specializes in renovating community fields. Team president Travis Williams told Channel 11 that the organization jumped in to help as soon as they saw the photos of the flooding. Hollenbach added that without the community’s help, they still may not have a season. Instead, they were able to start on time last week. The Pirates and the Chartiers-Houston Girls Softball Association celebrated the renovation ahead of a game on the field Thursday. Players and coaches will also attend a Pirates game on Saturday to celebrate a job well done.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police have arrested nearly 2,200 people during pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the United States in recent weeks. They have sometimes used riot gear, tactical vehicles and flash-bang devices to clear tent encampments and occupied buildings. At Columbia University, one officer accidentally discharged his gun inside an administration building while clearing out protesters camped inside. That’s according to the NYPD. No one was injured by the officer’s actions. A tally by The Associated Press recorded at least 56 incidents of arrests at 43 different U.S. colleges or universities since April 18 stemming from recent campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Some U.S. universities with weekend graduation ceremonies are taking steps to keep a lid on possible disruptions. The school year is closing with campus tension over the Israel-Hamas war and pro-Palestinian protests. The University of Michigan says staff and security officers are ready to respond to any disruptions. It says interfering with commencement will not be considered free speech. Indiana University is designating protest zones outside graduation venues. Northeastern University in Boston is holding its commencement at Fenway Park a week after a pro-Palestinian encampment was removed and nearly 100 protesters were arrested.

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs’ signing of the repeal of a Civil War-era ban on nearly all abortions was a stirring occasion for the women working to ensure the 19th century law remains in the past. Current and former state lawmakers and reproductive rights advocates crowded into the 9th floor rotunda outside Hobbs’ office at the Capitol on Thursday afternoon, hugging and taking selfies to capture the moment. Hobbs says the move is just the beginning of a fight to protect reproductive health care in Arizona. A repeal won’t take effect until 90 days after the current legislative session ends.

NEW YORK (AP) — The second week of testimony Donald Trump’s hush money case will wrap up Friday after jurors heard a recording of the former president that’s central to the case. Prosecutors have spent the week using detailed testimony about meetings, email exchanges, business transactions and bank accounts to build on their foundation of their case. Trump’s defense has worked to poke holes in the credibility of prosecutors’ witnesses, and show Trump was trying to protect his reputation and family — not his campaign — by paying the women. The prosecution is setting the stage for pivotal testimony from Michael Cohen, the former Trump attorney who paid porn actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 for her silence.

HONOLULU (AP) — Maui County is suing major cellular carriers for failing to properly inform police of widespread service outages during the height of last summer’s deadly wildfire. The county is suing Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile USA, Spectrum Mobile and AT&T. The county says it sent at least 14 alert messages to cellphones, warning residents to evacuate. But the county didn’t know those messages weren’t received because of cell tower failures across the island. The lawsuit says the county would have used other warning methods if the carriers reported the service outages as required by federal law.

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s governing Conservative Party is suffering heavy losses as local election results pour in Friday, piling pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of a U.K. general election in which the main opposition Labour Party appears increasingly likely to return to power after 14 years. Labour won control of councils in England it hasn’t held for decades and was successful in a special by-election for Parliament. With a general election looming, the results will be viewed through a national prism.