the almanac J U LY 26, 2026
SOUTH HILLS COMMUNITY NEWS
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Rick Sebak celebrates half-century in public TV with ‘Summer of Sebak’
By Brad Hundt
@shillsalmanac
TIM MURPHY, FORMER CONGRESSMAN AND SENATOR, DIES AT 73
bhundt@observer-reporter.com
It took moving away for Rick Sebak to see Pittsburgh with fresh eyes. After graduating from Bethel Park High School in 1971, Sebak did what many other people did in those days – he shook off the soot and grime of what was then the still-industrial Steel City and lighted out to the Sun Belt. He attended college at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, then moved even further south for a job in public television in South Carolina. He wasn’t necessarily looking to make his way back to Pittsburgh, but a job opening came up at WQED-TV, the region’s public television station, and he applied. “When you least need the job, something comes up,” Sebak explained in a recent interview. “I didn’t have any great desire to come back to Pittsburgh.” Sebak’s dad drove him from South Carolina back to Pittsburgh in his van around
COURTESY OF NICK SHERMAN
COURTESY OF RICK SEBAK
Rick Sebak has explored many of the customs and traditions of the Pittsburgh region on his WQED-TV programs, including its food and drink.
the Fourth of July in 1987 for the interview. In the course of the journey, “I could see fireworks going off all around me.” The fireworks now seem
like a pretty auspicious omen. In the almost 40 years since Sebak has returned to Pittsburgh, he has become tightly bound to the region’s history and quirks. In his
role as a producer at WQED, he has written and narrated a bumper crop of programs that highlight landmarks and SEE SEBAK PAGE B4
Former football director pleads guilty to embezzling funds Teams from Allegheny among those impacted
By Mike Jones
mjones@observer-reporter.com
The former director of a youth football league in the Pittsburgh area who embezzled hundreds of thousands from the organization over the past several years pleaded guilty last week. William Spencer, 57, of Canton Township, appeared July 15 at the Washington County Courthouse before President Judge Valarie Costanzo and entered an open guilty plea in connection with theft from the Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League. Spencer pleaded guilty to one felony count of theft by unlawful taking and misdemeanor charges of receiving stolen property and misapplication of entrusted property, according to the state Attorney General’s
office, which prosecuted the case. Spencer was arrested in January after investigators said he funneled about $235,000 from the Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League into his bank account from 2020 until he resigned from his leadership position early last year. Some of the league’s members became concerned in March 2025 about the organization’s finances and lack of payment to its insurance provider, prompting an emergency meeting between the executive board and many of the 44 teams in the league. A day before the meeting at the Washington County Fairgrounds, Spencer submitted his resignation letter and also allegedly admitted to a friend that he “f-ed up,” according to court documents. Following the emergency board meeting, the league’s new leadership team contacted
the Washington County District Attorney’s office, which forwarded the case to the state Attorney General’s office. Investigators traced the thefts back to early 2020 and found numerous fraudulent purchases and checks made out to Spencer while masquerading as legitimate expenses that year despite the football season being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Investigators found 187 fraudulent checks totaling $231,939 and about $3,000 in other payments up until the time Spencer resigned from his director’s position last March when other board members became concerned about the league’s financial situation, leading to the emergency board meeting and the request of a financial audit. Spencer used the league’s funds for cash withdrawals, utility bills, credit card payments and purchases at various stores, websites and restaurants, while even using some of the money to bolster his retirement account, inves-
tigators said. The league raised money through ticket sales at games and various fundraising drives, but the league’s financial situation became so strained that Spencer never sent the annual payment to its insurance provider in 2024. The organization was almost dropped by the carrier before the newly appointed interim treasurer made the payment last year, according to court documents. Spencer was appointed in 2013 to lead the organization’s precursor known then as the Washington/Greene Youth Football League, and he continued in that role when it expanded and was renamed the Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League in 2021. The league has a total of 44 local organizations that supply teams from Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties, with three divisions for youths in grades first through sixth. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Costanzo at 3 p.m. Oct. 6.
Former U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, left, with Washington County Commissioner Nick Sherman. Sherman said Murphy had an “unwavering commitment to his constituents” and a “tireless work ethic he brought to public service every single day.”
By Karen Mansfield
kmansfield@observer-reporter.com
Tim Murphy, a former U.S. congressman and state senator who was a champion for mental health services, especially for veterans, has died. He was 73. Murphy passed away on Sunday at his Upper St. Clair home of an apparent heart attack. “Throughout his years of public service, he dedicated himself to representing his constituents and serving our country with conviction and commitment,” the Republican Committee of Allegheny County said in a post on Facebook. “We are grateful for his contributions and the lasting impact he made on his community and our nation.” Murphy, a native of Cleveland, graduated from Wheeling Jesuit University in 1974 and earned a doctorate in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. He taught at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and later served in the U.S. Navy Reserve Medical Service Corps. A clinical psychologist, Murphy entered politics in 1996 after winning a seat in the state Senate, where he served until 2003. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the 18th Congressional District of Southwestern Pennsylvania in 2003, and served for nearly 15 years, until he resigned in 2017. His resignation came after disclosures that he had an extramarital affair and allegations that he had urged
the woman he was involved with to seek an abortion, despite his staunch anti-abortion record. On Sunday, condolences and statements honoring Murphy poured in. Washington County Commissioner Nick Sherman, who served as Murphy’s field director from 2003 to 2005, said the unexpected news of Murphy’s passing hit hard. “I was devastated to hear the completely unexpected news of Congressman Tim Murphy’s passing. Twenty years ago, Tim was my boss. In the years since, he became a dear friend and one of my most influential political mentors,” Sherman said in a statement. “Tim was a true statesman who cared deeply about the people he represented. Whether you agreed with his policies or not, no one could deny his unwavering commitment to his constituents or the tireless work ethic he brought to public service every single day. He was one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever known.” Sherman credited Murphy’s mentorship for helping to shape his political career. “He believed in me, challenged me, and helped shape both my carer and my approach to public service. His guidance, friendship, and example left a lasting impact on my life, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to have worked alongside him,” said Sherman. U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler said he was saddened to SEE MURPHY PAGE A2
Former state rep. Jesse White charged with possessing child pornography By Mike Jones
mjones@observer-reporter.com
Disgraced former state representative Jesse White was arrested Tuesday by federal agents at his home in Cumberland County for allegedly possessing and producing child pornography. White, a Democrat who served four terms representing the 46th House District that includes parts of Washington and Allegheny counties until losing re-election in 2014, is now facing federal charges of receipt and distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. According to federal court documents, FBI agents received a tip Monday that a
nude photo from January 2019 showing a young child was found on an electronic device belonging Jesse White to White. A second image tied to White’s account showed a child in a compromising pose in August 2021, according to court documents. Both images were flagged by Google and sent through a tip line administered by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which forwarded the information to the FBI. FBI agents raided White’s home near Mechanicsburg on July 21 and seized two lap-
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top computers and multiple external hard drives, which investigators said had numerous files of child pornography downloaded showing children ranging from ages 7 to 15. Some of the files were “organized by categories of child pornography depicted” in the images, according to investigators. Investigators also said White was using ProtonMail and Telegram accounts, along with other peer-to-peer profiles to share and receive child pornography. “I know from my training and experience that individuals engaged in child exploitation use ProtonMail to communicate securely and anonymously with other individuals interested in or engaged in child exploitation activities,” the lead FBI investigator
wrote in court documents. When interrogated by federal agents, White allegedly said he had “inappropriate content” on his devices, court documents alleged. When pressed further, White allegedly acknowledged that the “inappropriate content” was child pornography, investigators said. A Department of Justice spokeswoman confirmed that the suspect is the former state representative from Western Pennsylvania, but declined further comment on the case. His federal public defender, Meredith Gallen, did not return a phone message seeking comment July 22. White, 48, was an attorney and former Cecil Township supervisor running as a Democrat when he first won his seat
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to the 46th State House District in 2006 on the wave of a reform movement following the midnight pay raise by the state Legislature the previous year. He often sparred with the growing Marcellus Shale natural gas industry that was centered in the district that includes northern Washington County and western Allegheny County. In May 2013, he was caught using fake internet accounts to attack constituents and fellow lawmakers in the comments sections of online stories involving the natural gas industry, which he regularly criticized. The following year, he lost re-election to office to Republican state Rep. Jason Ortitay. In 2015, he ran and lost the race for magistrate in the Cecil
area district where he lived, and then ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary the next year trying to win back his old state House seat. His law license was suspended in 2017 and he was disbarred later that year after being accused of theft of services by clients. In 2018, he was criminally charged with theft of services and deceptive business practices, although the case was later withdrawn after he underwent a mental health evaluation and treatment, along with treatment for addiction to gambling. Shortly after the charges were withdrawn, White moved from his home in Cecil Township to Cumberland County near Harrisburg, where he had been working as a self-employed political consultant.
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