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Six of seven men charged in copper wire theft heading to trial

Six of the seven men accused of stealing more than 13,000 pounds of copper wiring from telephone poles before selling the metal to scrap yards in Washington County and two neighboring states earlier this year for about $57,000 are heading to trial on theft and other charges. Ryan Michael ...

Greene man charged with homicide in 2025 death

A Nemacolin man is charged with homicide after he was accused of severely assaulting a woman he lived with in May 2025. Several witnesses told investigators that Jerome Rafail, 51, had a history of assaulting 31-year-old Shayla Black before the assaults that led to her death in May, according to court documents. Charges against Rafail were filed Tuesday with District Judge Lee Watson. Police said Black had numerous visible injuries, a broken jaw and significant wounds on both shins when they responded to the report of a woman who had stopped breathing at 258 Grant St. in Nemacolin during the early morning hours of May 19. An autopsy on Black conducted by Dr. Jennifer Hammers ...

Freedom Transit announces Labor Day schedule

Freedom Transit's administrative office and transit center will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day. Fixed route bus service will not operate on Labor Day. Shared ride service will be available. To schedule a shared ride for Monday, Sept. 7, or Tuesday, Sept. 8, call customer service by noon Friday, Sept. 4, at 724-223-8747. For more information on public transportation in Washington County, visit www.freedom-transit.org or call 724-223-8747.

Observer-Reporter Daily News Update

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

Sports

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Cal beats Charleston in marathon game delayed by weather

CALIFORNIA – There were six touchdowns in the first 19 minutes of Thursday’s football game between California and Charleston. If it seemed like it took a long time for that amount of points to be put on the scoreboard, that’s because they were scored over the span of more than four ...

Wild Things game rained out, won’t be made up

The Frontier League expanded its schedule to 102 games this year, but the Wild Things won’t play that many contests. Washington’s game Thursday night against Gateway at EQT Park was rained out after three innings and will not be made up. The Wild Things will play only 101 games this ...

article image - Pirates-Griffin Baseball

Pirates’ Griffin pain-free at last, ready to return

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Konnor Griffin is ready to get back to work. The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortstop said Thursday that he feels good and is hopeful of being activated off the 60-day injured list on Friday when Pittsburgh opens a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels. The ...

Steelers

Pirates

Penguins

Opinion

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Op-Ed: Tariffs can be like barriers that isolate an economy

A tariff is a tax imposed on imported goods, and it sits at the center of how nations manage trade, protect industries, and shape economic strategy. At its core, a tariff raises the price of foreign products entering a country. This makes imported goods less competitive compared to domestic ...

Living

‘The Adventures of Charlie’: Author brings history to life for young readers

“The Adventures of Charlie” series continues with a second book written and published by Natalie Eddy of Mount Morris, “The Adventures of Charlie: The Mason-Dixon Line,” available on Amazon.com. Readers first meet the main character Charlie, named as a tribute to Eddy’s grandson, ...

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