LATEST NEWS
National Weather Service surveys tornado damage following Wednesday’s storm
FAIRHAVEN, W.Va. (WTRF) – Surveyors from the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh have released preliminary damage survey results following the early morning tornado in Jefferson and Hancock Counties. With estimated peak winds of 130 miles per hour and the path length being roughly 15 miles wide, thankfully there was only one reported injury. The tornado […]
West Virginia community stunned by first-ever recorded tornado, leaves homes and farmland destroyed
HANCOCK COUNTY, W.Va. (WTRF) — Several homes, barns, and sections of farmland were destroyed after an early Tuesday morning tornado. The community in Hancock County says they are just in complete shock after seeing the amount of catastrophic damage. 7News’ Annalise Murphy spoke with the National Weather Service Out of Pittsburgh and several community members […]
Apparent funnel cloud caught on Oakdale Ring camera
OAKDALE, Pa. — In Oakdale, an apparent funnel cloud was captured on a Ring doorbell camera. Storms overnight Wednesday produced a tornado in West Virginia, causing a path of destruction and destroying homes. That storm crossed into Pennsylvania where it produced an apparent funnel cloud. That funnel cloud was...
Gator found in a Pennsylvania creek, safely captured
FREEDOM, Pa. — You may not think of a southwestern Pennsylvania county as being alligator country, but one was in fact found in Beaver County on Wednesday afternoon, spotted by a creek and captured safely. Viewer video showed the little guy in the wilds of an unnamed Beaver County...
Residents near Chester rally after unexpected tornado devastation
HANCOCK COUNTY, W.Va. — Residents near Chester are recovering after an EF2 tornado touched down early Wednesday. They say the worst of the twister lasted only about a minute. "I went back down into the lowest part of my basement in between two stone walls,” John Hart said. “And...
Cecil Township residents raise concerns about potential fracking plans
CECIL TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — Officials in Cecil Township are considering changing the rules that dictate where fracking wells can be built.Right now, wells can be built no closer than 500 feet from homes. About 150 people packed into a hearing on the ordinance at the township building on Wednesday.The community members pushed the township to require wells be built no closer than 2,500 feet from homes. They shared concerns about how fracking could impact their health.Tom Casciola, chairperson of the Cecil Township Board of Supervisors, said it was not feasible for the distance to be 2,500 feet."We're looking to stay within the parameters of the law," Casciola said. "We can't do what our residents are asking or that would be 2,500 feet because that would basically ban it."Instead, he's looking at increasing the setback to 1,500 feet. It would leave just over 1 percent of the township available for fracking.They are also looking at changing ordinances that dictate the timing of when the wells can operate to alleviate noise concerns.Casciola said he expects another public hearing will come before a final decision. That could come as early as July. He explained there are still changes they can make.
Defective tornado siren in Wellsville raises community concern
WELLSVILLE, Ohio — The Wellsville Fire Department siren was rebuilt about six months ago after a tornado swept through the area. This left community members wondering why the siren stayed silent Wednesday morning. Members of the community took to Facebook to share their concerns about the siren not going...
Ohio man pleads guilty to 2021 shooting death of “Tink”
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (WTRF) — A Steubenville man pleaded guilty on Thursday in the 2021 shooting death of a man who sitting on the steps of a property on Pennsylvania avenue, according to media partner Herald-Star. Herald-Star reports that 31-year-old Michaelis M. Forster pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter with specifications that he’d […]
Hancock County begins cleanup after twister leaves trail of significant damage
HANCOCK COUNTY, W.Va. — The cleanup efforts in Hancock County started early Wednesday morning after the storms rolled through shortly after midnight. The EF 2 tornado leveled homes, destroyed property, and knocked down power lines. Those living on Smith Road in New Cumberland say the storm left behind heavy...
ALERT: Flash Flood Warning in effect for Allegheny, Beaver, Washington counties after severe storms
The National Weather Service reports a confirmed tornado touched down in northern Hancock County, Ohio, and is heading toward western Beaver County near Harshaville, Hanover Township.
Sunset Boulevard crash injures two in Steubenville
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — A two-vehicle car crash snarled traffic Wednesday evening on Sunset Boulevard in Steubenville close to Tim Horton’s. Steubenville Fire Department Captain Justin Boley said one victim from each vehicle was transported to Trinity Medical Center West with non-life threatening injures. The cause of the crash...
Robinson Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen ordered to close after inspection
ROBINSON, Pa. (KDKA) -- The Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen in Robinson Township has been ordered to shut down after an inspection found several violations. The Allegheny County Health Department shut down the Popeye's on Steubenville Pike after an inspection on Tuesday. According to the inspection report, the restaurant wasn't properly washing,...
Rue21 bankruptcy prompts local response
Rue21’s bankruptcy announcement earlier this month is hitting close to home for the Ohio Valley. The Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle (BDC) responded May 8 to the company’s bankruptcy filing. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the rue21 bankruptcy filing,” Co-Executive Director for the Northern Panhandle BDC Anthony Clements said. “Their facility in Weirton […]
School closings and delays due to severe weather
UPDATE: Edison Local Schools had to cancel two bus routes due to roads not being passable because of trees, powerlines and telephone poles in the road. Bus routes cancelled were high school route bus 41 and Stanton Elementary school bus 42. ———————————————————————————————————— Due to severe weather the Northern Counties experienced overnight, a couple of schools […]
EF2 tornado causes destruction, power outages in New Cumberland
Power poles that -- even as late as Tuesday night – proudly stood along Smith Road in New Cumberland were made to look like toothpicks by a National Weather Service confirmed EF2 tornado early Wednesday morning. The tornado, which touched down near Route 8, left miles of debris in...
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.