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'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.
Volunteers from the Washington Rotary Club will assist with recycling of empty bottles and jars this Saturday, Sept. 5, from 9 a.m. until noon at the Log Cabin Drive entrance to the Washington Park recycling center. Only glass bottles and jars are accepted, but color does not matter and lids and labels are acceptable. No other types of glass, including mirrors, light bulbs, window glass or ceramics, are permitted. Rotary members assist with glass recycling on the first Saturday of each month through November, but glass may be recycled any Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. by entering the recycling area at the Wheeling Street entrance. Plastic caps and lids are no longer ...
A former information technology contractor with the Peters Township School District has been sentenced to four to eight years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. Jason Wayne Ayres, 48, of Chartiers Township, was sentenced Monday by Washington County Judge Traci McDonald followed by Ayres pleading guilty to two felony counts of sexual abuse of children. Ayres was arrested in July 2025 after investigators found that material depicting the sexual abuse of children had been downloaded at Ayres’ home in the 800 block of McClane Farm Road. Ayres admitted to agents that he had downloaded and viewed the material. The conduct for which Ayres was charged did not involve ...
A portion of the Arrowhead Trail in Peters Township is closed for a paving project. The project will take place from the Rolling Hills Park connector to the Pelipetz Trail access. It is expected to be completed Sept. 9. For information, contact the Peters Township Parks and Recreation Department at 724-942-5000.
A 75-year-old woman died in a house fire over the weekend in Monongahela. The fire at the home at 502 Warne Ave. Extension was reported to Washington County 911 by a passerby at 10:49 p.m. Saturday. Initially, the home was believed to be vacant, according to a news release issued by the Washington County coroner's office. The state police fire marshal discovered the remains of Linda Pankiewicz while investigating the cause Sunday morning, the coroner said. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries while fighting the fire at the house located off the Cemetery Hill section of Route 88. Both were treated at local hospitals and released. Firefighters remained at the scene for almost five ...
PITTSBURGH – Joey Porter Jr.'s balky back felt good enough to return to practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday. At the moment, his health appears to be the least of his concerns. The fourth-year cornerback didn't commit to playing in Pittsburgh's season opener against Atlanta on ...
In their opening match of the season on Saturday, the Beth-Center boys soccer team had only 11 players and were down to 10 after an injury. But they still led Class 3A Albert Gallatin by a goal until the final 20 minutes when the Colonials scored three times to take a 4-2 victory. The game ...
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rafael Devers continued his hot hitting with his 32nd home run of the season and the San Francisco Giants scored twice in the 10th inning to defeat Pittsburgh 5-4 on Wednesday night, ending the Pirates' four-game winning streak. Devers had a solo shot with one out in the ...
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 ...
Millions of Americans are living with low vision, a visual impairment that can turn everyday moments - recognizing a friend's face across the street, reading a recipe or checking a text message - into unexpected challenges. Low vision isn't a natural part of getting older, though the ...
