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Federal, state, county and most municipal offices are closed Monday in observance of Columbus Day. Banks and financial markets will be closed, and there will be no mail delivery. The Observer-Reporter will not publish a print edition, but readers can visit observer-reporter.com.

State pilots sexual assault kit online tracking program

The state Commission on Crime and Delinquency has unveiled the first phase of an upcoming statewide program to improve testing and tracking procedure for sexual assault evidence kits, which advocates say will improve transparency and accountability for survivors. The new Track-Kit Program will be piloted in three counties throughout October before full implementation across the state by the end of 2026. Signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro in 2024, the Pennsylvania Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), is designed to address longstanding concerns with the testing process for sexual assault evidence kits, which are commonly known as rape kits. These kits are containers of physical ...

Observer-Reporter Daily News Update

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

Sports

article image - Ditka Football

Ditka, Pitt great and Pro Football Hall of Famer, dies at 86

CHICAGO – Mike Ditka, who personified the toughness and grit of Chicago in a Hall of Fame career as a player and coach of the Bears and the leader of arguably the most dominant team in NFL history, has died. He was 86. Ditka's family announced his death on Friday in a statement. "It is ...

Wash High aims to keep rolling as Burgettstown seeks bounce back

Burgettstown and Washington are entering this week’s matchup each having a 5-1 record, but are coming off football games that were polar opposites. After a dream 5-0 start, the Blue Devils had a rough night against rival Fort Cherry in a 51-12 loss. Washington, meanwhile, was putting the ...

article image - Bengals Steelers Football

McCarthy, Steelers staying the course

PITTSBURGH – Mike McCarthy spent the weekend after Pittsburgh's uneven performance in a Thursday night loss to Cleveland poring over tape to find areas where the Steelers could improve. The first-year coach knows he's hardly alone. "You're hard-pressed to find a team or two that feels ...

Steelers

Pirates

Penguins

Opinion

OP-ED: The time to get AI right is now

As recently as early summer, artificial intelligence, or AI, was far from the center of public concern or worry. Now, it's at center stage, though to many it remains a mystery. During a recent class reunion, a friend confided that AI was a head-scratcher. "I don't know anything about it," he ...

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