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Washington City Council approves new contract for fire chief

Washington fire Chief Chris Richer has a new contract. City Council approved a deal at its meeting Thursday that is retroactive to Jan. 1 and runs through Dec. 31, 2030. Richer's salary is $97,000 with a 2% increase each year of the contract. Mayor JoJo Burgess praised the fire chief, who has held the position since October 2021. “Chief Richer is somebody who displays the utmost professionalism and due diligence when taking care of anything that happens with our fire department,” Burgess said. Council also approved seven properties listed as public nuisances to be released to the Redevelopment Authority and scheduled for demolition. Those properties are: 293 Locust Ave., 553 ...

South Strabane planners again punt vote on data centers

South Strabane Township’s planning commission again tabled a vote on an ordinance regulating data centers. The seven-person commission, which only votes on whether or not to make recommendations to the board of supervisors, will meet again March 19. Solicitor Dennis Makel indicated at their Thursday meeting that the commission members should finally take the vote then. “I think we need to move on this this month,” Makel said. According to Makel, the most recent version of the ordinance has some spelling errors. Planning commission members also wish to be able to more thoroughly review the document and consider community feedback. Supervisors had initially planned to hold a ...

Federal appeals court upholds lower court ruling in favor of DA, judge

A federal appeals court upheld a lower court’s ruling that Washington County’s district attorney and former president judge are immune from litigation after a witness sued them for holding him in contempt and jailing him when he refused to testify at a homicide defendant’s preliminary hearing. The U.S. Third Circuit of Appeals last month affirmed the September 2024 decision that District Attorney Jason Walsh and Judge John DiSalle have prosecutorial and judicial immunity because their actions against Elijah White fell under the scope of their official duties. White refused to testify at the Dec. 9, 2022, preliminary hearing for Keaundre Crews, who was charged with shooting and ...

Canton Township supervisor stepping down

Canton Township leadership will experience a shakeup later this month as Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Horner is set to resign. According to Horner, he is proactively leaving the position ahead of a move to Ohio, which would render him ineligible to stay on the board of ...

EPA to remove toxic waste barrels illegally dumped at Washington Co. strip mine

Nearly 50 years after it was discovered that an estimated 4,500 barrels filled with toxic waste were dumped and buried on a 650-acre strip mine in northwestern Washington County, federal environmental regulators are beginning to clean up the messy legacy left behind. The U.S. Environmental ...

Estate of slain Uniontown woman sues husband for wrongful death

The estate of the Uniontown woman murdered by her husband in December 2023 is suing him for wrongful death in the hopes of getting a chunk of the more than $135,000 in cash he had in his possession when he fled to Las Vegas after shooting her in the head. Attorneys for the estate of Franyerlys ...

Observer-Reporter Daily News Update

This daily email features the latest news for Washington County, Greene County, and the Mon Valley.

Sports

NASP provides an archery education

By Dave Bates Contributing writer As a young heathen roaming the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, I spent a fair amount of time with a bow and arrow in hand. Most of what I learned was either self-taught (and not very successfully I might add) or was gleaned from limited experiences with ...

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PIAA Wrestling – semifinal results

PIAA Class 3A Wrestling Tournament Semifinals 107 - Jacob Carr (Sun Valley) major dec. Michael Johnson (West Allegheny), 10-0; Lee Dreshman (Canon-McMillan) dec. Quinn Bagnell (Council Rock South), 5-3. 114 - Brayden Wenrich (Northampton) dec. John Segata (Council Rock South), 8-1; Gabe ...

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West Greene’s Whyte moves into semifinals

HERSHEY – If Colin Whyte can take the next two steps, West Greene will have its first state wrestling champion. Whyte, a 260-pound heavyweight, won't have far to go to receive tips on how to handle it from a former West Greene wrestler who finished second in the tournament held at the ...

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Opinion

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OP-ED: Random thoughts about man’s stupidity

I am only 18 months away from turning 80, and truthfully, the way things are going, if seven more of my classmates pass away, I could end up being the valedictorian of my high school class. One thing I’ve consistently observed in life is the ongoing display of consistency that humankind ...

Living

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Community briefs

Bryan Karner will present to Jefferson College Historical Society on Monday, March 9, at 6:30 p.m. He will provide an introduction to backyard beekeeping. The meeting will be held at the Canonsburg Senior Center, 30 E. Pike St., Canonsburg. The public is welcome. California United Women in ...

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