Morning Roundup: Washington Township couple again charged with mistreating children

Here are news items for Thursday, Sept. 5:

Couple charged again with mistreating children

A Washington Township couple, due in court later this month on neglect charges from 2022, was again charged with mistreating children, according to Westmoreland County detectives.

Jordan S. Heidt, 29, and Heather M. Johnson, 33, both of Washington Township, were charged Wednesday with two counts of endangering the welfare of children, criminal conspiracy, two counts of simple assault and three counts of corruption of minors, in connection with an October 2022 incident.

Heidt and Johnson were already due in court for a Sept. 30 plea hearing on charges stemming from a March 2022 incident when they lived in Hostetter. In that case, state troopers investigating a ChildLine report found a 1-year-old boy and 2-year-old girl with low muscle mass and delayed development, according to court documents. Troopers said both of the children were in Heidt and Johnson’s care prior to the neglect report.

Both were taken to Westmoreland County Prison. A preliminary hearing on the new charges is set for Sept. 9 in Judge Jason Buczak’s Washington court.

Harris coming back to town

Vice President Kamala Harris is set to return to Pittsburgh today, though not for a presidential campaign event.

Harris is expected to arrive in town shortly before 1 p.m., according to the White House Press Office.

Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, was in Allegheny and Fayette counties for campaign events Wednesday.

Both Harris and opponent Donald Trump have made Pennsylvania a clear priority in their campaigns: Trump was in Harrisburg for a town-hall-style meeting Wednesday night, and both he and running mate JD Vance have made multiple recent stops in the Keystone State.