Politics, presidential campaign dominated headlines in 2024

1. Pennsylvania epicenter of American politics in 2024

One of the most expensive and hotly contested presidential elections in the country’s history unfolded in 2024, and voters in 43 states watched most of it from the sidelines.

There are now just seven swing states that could be won by either a Democrat or a Republican, and the campaigns of both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris pinpointed Pennsylvania as being the most important to their chances in the November general election. That meant both candidates and a platoon of surrogates descended on the Pittsburgh region.

For obvious reasons, the campaign stop that generated the most headlines happened on July 13, when a 20-year-old Bethel Park man attempted to assassinate Trump during a campaign stop at the grounds of the Butler Farm Show. Trump was grazed in the ear by a bullet, and one rally goer, a former volunteer fire chief, was killed. It was the first time there was an attempt on the life of a president or former president since the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan two months into his presidency in 1981.

Trump returned to the Butler Farm Show grounds in October for another rally, this time bringing with him Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris as its nominee after President Joe Biden withdrew from the contest in July and endorsed her. Her vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, made a stop at Maple Bottom Farm in Fayette County in September, right around the time Harris took up residence at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh to prepare for the only debate between the two major-party candidates. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg also visited Washington 11 days before the election to campaign for Harris.

Once voters made their choice, Trump carried Washington, Greene and Fayette counties, as he did when he was the Republican nominee in 2016 and 2020, and won Pennsylvania by 120,000 votes out of almost 7 million cast, taking 50.3% of the vote to Harris’ 48.6%.

2. Washington County sued over ballot curing issue, lawsuit goes to state Supreme Court

The decision by Washington County’s elections board this spring to not allow ballot curing – or even notify voters about mistakes with their mail-in ballots – caused a backlash with many voters who were upset that nearly 300 of those votes weren’t counted during the April 23 primary.

That prompted a lawsuit in July filed by the ACLU of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia-based Public Interest Law Center on behalf of seven voters who claimed they were disenfranchised since they were never notified about the problem with their ballots or given an opportunity to fix the mistakes.

Mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania that do no have a voter’s signature, are misdated or undated can not be counted, according to state law. However, there are no rules requiring or forbidding counties from contacting voters and letting them correct the errors before election day.

The case went before Judge Brandon Neuman, who ruled in August that the county must notify voters of errors by entering the mail-in ballots “accurate status” in the state’s voter database. However, his ruling did not require the county to offer specific ballot-curing options to correct mistakes on the outer envelope, although it concluded that voters had the right to challenge their mail-in ballot’s status and vote with a provisional ballot at their polling place.

The Pennsylvania GOP and Republican National Committee joined the lawsuit, and the county hired a Pittsburgh attorney to serve as special counsel to defend it, spending more than $75,000 in the process. The county, state GOP and RNC appealed Neuman’s order to Commonwealth Court, which upheld his ruling. The defendants appealed that decision to the state Supreme Court in October, and the high court is still reviewing the case with no timeline on when it will issue what likely will be a precedent-setting order that would affect all counties across Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, the county’s election’s board – which includes the three commissioners – voted in October to adhere to Neuman’s order by listing mail-in ballots with flaws as “canceled” in an email that is sent to voters, along with instructions on what to do next. The state Supreme Court could ultimately require Washington County and the other 66 countries in Pennsylvania to handle the situation entirely different ahead of next year’s primary.

3. Trump brings attention to Charleroi’s Haitian population

Charleroi garnered national attention in September upon being mentioned by President-Elect Donald Trump in a campaign speech in Tucson, Ariz.

“Charleroi, what a beautiful name, but it’s not so beautiful now, it has experienced a 2,000% increase in population of Haitian immigrants under Kamala Harris,” Trump said. “This is a small town and all of a sudden they’ve got thousands of people. The schools are scrambling to hire translators for the influx of students who don’t speak a word of English, costing local taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Just like that, the borough of about 4,200 people was in the limelight.

Tensions in the borough followed, with inflammatory and derogatory remarks about immigrants cropping up on social media, prompting a few Haitian immigrants to withdraw from school as parents feared for their safety. Ku Klux Klan fliers also appeared at homes of some of the immigrants.

Charleroi Borough Manager Joe Manning fielded numerous requests from media outlets throughout the country, but he stressed that the Haitian population did not cause any more problems than the American-born citizen.

Getro Bernabe, the borough’s immigrant liaison, said the Haitian population began to feel undue stress.

Evency Dorzelma, a Haitian immigrant who has been in Charleroi since 2018, said he had never experienced racism the way he did in the days and weeks after Trump’s statement.

Many Haitians moved to Charleroi for affordable housing and job opportunities. Following the election, Dorzelma said not only Haitians but all immigrant populations were concerned as they wait to see what transpires when Trump takes office in January.

A survey conducted in April 2023 showed Charleroi had about 2,000 immigrants from 44 countries including China, Spain, Indonesia and African nations as well as Haiti.

4. Washington County hit by cyberattack

For nearly three weeks in late January and early February, Washington County’s government was effectively crippled by a debilitating cyberattack by Russian-based hackers who demanded a hefty ransom in order to release control of the network.

On Jan. 19, a cybersecurity issue was detected, and it eventually evolved into a widespread ransomware attack that began causing major issues for its system and computers. The county openly admitted to the cyberattack on Jan. 24 as it worked with federal authorities and a private tech consultant working to prevent the ransomware from spreading.

During an emergency meeting on Feb. 6, the commissioners authorized a payment of up to $400,000 to DigitalMint of Chicago – a firm that specializes in selling cryptocurrency – to settle the cyberattack and help the county restore its computer server.

After concerns were raised about how that process was handled, the commissioners voted Feb. 15 to once again authorize the payment, and they announced they had sent $346,687 in cryptocurrency to the hackers in exchange for a “digital encryption key” to unlock the network.

The county recently implemented a new cybersecurity protocol to give clear instructions to workers on what they should do in the event there is another ransomware attack, while also protecting sensitive data.

5. Washington Health System merges with UPMC

Washington Health System officially merged with UPMC in June, becoming UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene.

Plans for the merger had been announced in June 2023, with UPMC committing to invest at least $300 million over a 10-year period to enhance clinical services and upgrade facilities at both of the local hospitals. It also pledged to make contributions to the WHS Foundation.

Brook Ward, president of UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene, said the affiliation “protects the vitality of an essential community asset and solidifies a healthy future for Washington and Greene counties for generations to come.”

The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General said in May the agreement would help preserve affordable access to health care in Washington and Greene counties.

WHS and UPMC had collaborated in several areas for several decades, including a joint venture with UPMC Hillman Cancer Center based at UPMC Washington, pediatric specialties (UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh) and UPMC’s Heart and Vascular Institute.

“This transaction will keep Washington Hospital open and available to thousands of Pennsylvanians,” said Attorney General Michelle Henry.

UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene maintain a local Board of Directors composed of 11 legacy WHS board members and five newly appointed members from UPMC.

6. World Kitchen plant in Charleroi announces closure

A plant that has remained in operation in Charleroi since 1893 will close in 2025.

Workers at the World Kitchen plant were told in September that operations would be moved to Lancaster, Ohio, putting 270 employees out of work.

Mark Eichhorn, CEO of Anchor Hocking, said about 150 positions would be opening up at the Lancaster plant.

Local, state and federal officials fought to keep the plant open. A rally was held at the location in September as workers likened the plant closure to the breaking up of a family. Several of the employees also had relatives who worked at the plant.

In November, a federal district court granted a motion from Attorney General Michelle Henry for a temporary restraining order to pause the closure.

However, U.S. District Judge Nicholas Ranjan denied the request to temporarily block the relocation of the plant, saying his decision was based upon the fact that the loss of jobs was not deemed irreparable.

The closure of the plant was delayed later in the fall.

Corelle Brands LLC sent a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) notice that was received Dec. 9, pushing back the first round of layoffs to Jan. 27, with the final round set for April 16. April 30 is now the date for the plant’s permanent closure.

World Kitchen manufactures kitchenware and tableware, including Corelle and Pyrex brands. The history of the plant dates back to 1893, when it was MacBeth-Evans Co.

Centre Lane Partners is the current owner of the plant. Anchor Hocking is another company under the Centre Lane umbrella.

7. Russo sued for malicious prosecution, charged by AG

Just nine months after David Russo left office after losing reelection for Greene County district attorney in 2023, the state Attorney General’s office charged him and his lead detective with using their law enforcement powers to retaliate against political foes.

Russo and Zachary Sams, who served directly under the one-term district attorney for three years, are accused of abusing their authority through a laundry list of “ongoing disputes” against other Greene County officials that led to investigations and, in some cases, criminal charges against their critics and political enemies.

Those disputes included going after the former county commission chairman and solicitor, while also prosecuting three emergency management officials. Charges in all of the cases were ultimately dismissed. Several of the people who were investigated and charged by Russo have since filed federal lawsuits, claiming malicious prosecution.

The criminal cases against Russo and Sams, which the AG’s office initiated in October, and the federal lawsuits are still pending in court.

In a separate case, the criminal charges against Leon Price – the 911 operator who declined to send an ambulance to a dying woman near Sycamore in July 2020 – were dismissed in June when new District Attorney Brianna Vanata determined there wasn’t enough evidence to pursue the case. However, a federal lawsuit filed by the family of the late Diania Kronk in 2022 was restarted after the criminal case concluded.

8. Multiple parents charged for violence against children

Throughout the year in Southwestern Pennsylvania, prosecutors brought forth several cases in which parents were accused of severely harming or even killing their children.

Last month state police arrested Lyndon Gerald Henderson, 24, of California, with aggravated assault after a 1-year-old in his care suffered a traumatic brain injury. The baby remains in critical condition at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. Henderson is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 8.

In October, the Charleroi Regional Police Department filed charges against Brooke and Ryan Whitehead, 32, of Bellefonte, in the Oct. 24, 2023, death of their son. Paxton Whitehead died at 14 months from blunt force trauma to his head, torso and extremities.

The Washington County district attorney is pursuing the death penalty for Brooke Whitehead, who faces homicide charges. Her husband, Ryan, 32, who was not in the state at the time of the alleged abuse and is not implicated in the death, faces a felony charge of endangering the welfare of children.

The death of 2-year-old Bentlee Myers on Aug. 19 in Fayette County led to the arrest of the child’s father and his fiancee.

Brianna Bloyer, 30, and Brett Bissett, 25, both of Lake Lynn, were each charged with criminal homicide in November. Court documents state that Bissett witnessed Bloyer assault and attempt to assault Myers on multiple occasions beginning when he was 6 months old. Bissett is accused of continuing to leave his son in Bloyer’s care and not reporting the abuse.

At the start of the year two parents in Brownsville were arrested for keeping their 6-year-old daughter in a cage.

Earlier this month Mimi Frost, 33, was sentenced to 35 to 70 years in prison after pleading guilty to all charges including aggravated assault and unlawful restraint. Jacob Weight, 37, is scheduled to go on trial for similar charges next month.

Frost and Weight were arrested after their daughter was found unresponsive at their home on Jan. 7. Court documents state that the couple fed the child dog food and assaulted her.

Also in Fayette County, a woman and her fiance were arrested following the death of a 2-year-old at the Village of Searights in Menallen Township. Police found Margaret Nunn unresponsive on Oct. 21.

Emmanual Dennis, 33, is accused of abusing the child for weeks prior to her death, including kicking her across the floor. Celia Nunn, 30, Margaret’s mother, told investigators she had witnessed Dennis assault her daughter. They did not take her to get medical attention to avoid involvement from child welfare officials, according to police.

9. Severe weather hits area, including tornadoes

Southwestern Pennsylvania set a record for May with 14 tornadoes in the month, including one that touched down in Elrama and two twisters in Union Township in the span of a week.

Additionally, record rainfall in the region wreaked havoc across Washington and Greene counties in April, causing flooding that resulted in several water rescues and evacuations, dozens of road closures, and business closings.

Crossroads Church in Finleyville sustained significant damage on May 11 when an EF2 tornado ripped through the area. The tornado, which traveled about six miles, damaged at least a dozen homes and buildings and Crossroads Ministries church – where about 60 people were gathered for an evening service – along with several vehicles, and toppled power lines.

In addition, National Weather Service Pittsburgh also confirmed a brief EF0 tornado in Fayette County and an EF1 tornado crossing from Fayette County into Preston County, W.Va.

On June 26, the NWS Pittsburgh confirmed an EF1 tornado touched down in Greene County.

A related storm pelted parts of Fayette and Westmoreland counties with hail.

In Union Township, two national volunteer groups assisted with cleanup efforts following the tornadoes.

Said NWS Pittsburgh meteorologist Jason Frazier, “The biggest thing is that we’ve kind of been in patterns that help form tornadoes – warm, humid air and systems that bring cooler, drier air, and all of the things that create environments more favorable for tornadoes. The month of May statistically can be one of our more active months.”

10. Sloane pleads guilty to animal cruelty, resigns from office

April Sloane’s tenure as Washington County controller came to a premature end in September when she pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty for starving her pet dog last year.

The plea deal with prosecutors meant Sloane would avoid jail time, although she was required to resign nearly immediately from the row office to which she was elected in 2021 despite her term not ending until January 2026.

Sloane’s dog, Thor, died of severe emaciation in November 2023, and the animal’s carcass was discovered in a trash bag inside her North Strabane townhouse the following month when police searched the residence.

Sloane was free on unsecured bond while she waited for her case to be adjudicated, but she spent several hours in the Allegheny County Jail on July 10 when her bond was revoked after it was revealed she was living with an animal in her apartment, which was not permitted under the terms of her release. She was released from jail later that day when she posted the $150,000 cash bond.

Honorable mention: Southwestern Pennsylvania treated to solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse swept across the United States on April 8. More than 32 million people were in the 115-mile-wide path of totality, with a couple hundred more within 200 miles. A partial eclipse was visible to Pennsylvania residents, including those in Washington, Greene, and Fayette counties.

At Mingo Creek County Park Observatory, hundreds of visitors turned out to witness the solar eclipse in its totality.

“That was awesome, just beautiful,” said Sherri Taddeo of Monongahela, who viewed the eclipse with her daughter, Lena Taddeo, a special education teacher in the Elizabeth-Forward School District. “Coming here was not as chaotic as going to Pittsburgh or traveling to see it.”

The celestial celebration was organized by the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh (3A), and several viewers peered through the Mingo Observatory’s 10-inch solar telescope to catch up-close views of the sun’s surface as the eclipse – which began just after 2:01 p.m.- progressed. The sun was completely blocked at about 3:17 p.m..

The 3A recorded a temperature drop of 5 degrees – from 73 to 68 – during the course of the eclipse, and a slight breeze whipped up.

The next total solar eclipse won’t be visible again from the contiguous United States until 2044 (more than 20 years out), but totality will occur only over North Dakota and Montana, plus northern Canada.