Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1008
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto helps craft guide for responding to mass shootings
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto didn’t have a playbook or checklist to refer to as his administration responded to the mass shooting at Squirrel Hill’s Tree of Life synagogue three years ago. Now, Peduto and a team of mayors from across the country who found themselves in similarly tragic scenarios worked...
Michigan school shooting suspect detailed plans to kill in videos and journal, authorities sayVideo
OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The 15-year-old charged in the killings of four of his Oxford High School classmates recorded videos on his cellphone the night before the shootings and wrote in a journal recovered in his backpack of plans to shoot and kill students, authorities said Wednesday. School officials spoke...
Monongahela River among 4 nominees for Pennsylvania River of the Year
The Monongahela River — one of the most polluted rivers in the country more than 50 years ago — is among four nominees for Pennsylvania River of the Year for 2022. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) sponsors the annual competition. The Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and...
Rostraver commissioner arrested by police, accused of harassing rivals via text, social media
John J. Lorenzo, chairman of Rostraver Township commissioners, is accused of using prepaid, disposable “burner” phones and setting up fake Facebook accounts to harass political opponents and rivals for more than two years, according to criminal complaints filed Tuesday. A yearlong investigation started after fellow Commissioner Gary N. Beck Sr.,...
Mask mandate to remain in place pending Pa. Supreme Court hearing next week
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Tuesday said the statewide school mask mandate will remain in place as the state’s highest court gets ready to weigh arguments on the issue next week. On Wednesday, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration asked the appellate court to keep the masking order in place after the...
Pittsburgh City Council removes pension offset for city’s nonunion employees
Nonunion Pittsburgh city employees who were facing a reduction in pension benefits are now eligible to receive full pension pay, as City Council removed the pension offset Tuesday. The pension offset — which impacted city employees hired after June 30, 2004, with exceptions for firefighters, police and EMTs — called...
Brackenridge man arrested after, police say, homeowner finds him eating ice cream at kitchen table
A Brackenridge man was arrested after a borough resident told police he returned to his Cleveland Avenue home Thanksgiving Day and found the man sitting at the kitchen table eating ice cream. Richard Troup, 46, of Sixth Avenue was charged with two felony counts each of burglary and criminal trespass...
Sources: Dr. Oz plans to run for Senate seat in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Dr. Mehmet Oz, the celebrity heart surgeon best known as the host of TV’s Dr. Oz Show after rocketing to fame on Oprah Winfrey’s show, is planning to run for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat as a Republican, according to three people familiar with his plans. Should...
New Kensington cat rescue ‘swimming in kittens,’ seeking donations for their care
A New Kensington cat rescue is asking for help caring for nearly three dozen kittens it has taken in recently. “We’re swimming in kittens,” said Rachelle Ebel, assistant clinic manager at Frankie’s Friends Cat Rescue. The 34 kittens were among 75 cats at the Fifth Avenue clinic Tuesday. The rescue...
Seven Springs kicks off season this Saturday, other ski resorts gearing up
With more than a week of snowmaking already underway, Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion will open its slopes Saturday. This year’s major upgrade is a new Doppelmayr Alpen Star chairlift that replaces the resort’s former Avalanche lift. The new lift will be able to carry an additional 600 people...
November delivers another hit to sinking consumer confidence
WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer confidence fell to a nine-month low in November, clipped by rising prices and concern about the coronavirus. The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its consumer confidence index dropped to a reading of 109.5, down from 111.6 in October. It was the lowest reading since the index...
New York City OKs safe sites for drug use, aiming to curb overdoses
NEW YORK — The first officially authorized safe havens for people to use heroin and other narcotics have been cleared to open in New York City in hopes of curbing deadly overdoses, the mayor and health commissioner said Tuesday. The “overdose prevention centers” — commonly known as supervised injection sites...
An almost complete listing of Christmas movies on television
DEC. 1 8 p.m. Christmas in Rockefeller Center: The 89th annual tree-lighting ceremony in New York features celebrity guests and live performances. NBC Four Christmases: (2008, Romance-Comedy) Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon. A couple must somehow fit in four holiday visits with family. AMC Office Christmas Party: (2016, Comedy) Jason Bateman,...
Social media threats prompt switch to remote learning at Propel Schools in Pittsburgh
The 13 Propel Schools throughout Pittsburgh will switch to remote learning Tuesday after threats were posted on social media, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. School leaders alerted families that the move was made from “an abundance of caution.” Administrators said initially that Propel Hazelwood and Propel Montour would go...
Ed Gainey talks policing, cleaning up Downtown during Q&A with public
As he prepares to take office, Mayor-elect Ed Gainey met with Pittsburgh residents, business owners and activists to discuss issues that he hopes to tackle while in office. The event, hosted by the Downtown Community Development Corporation, gave people the opportunity to pose questions for the incoming mayor. Gainey also...
Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena in Harmar offers multisport fun, events, pub and meeting space
While former Steelers player John Banaszak was enjoying retirement, the three-time Super Bowl champion and longtime college football coach was ready to make a return to sports in his own way. He recently became president of Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena in Harmar. He knew the owners, Karyn and Bob Brooks,...
‘More questions than answers’ about latest covid variant omicron, Pittsburgh doctors say
The newly flagged covid-19 variant dubbed omicron likely already has hit the United States — though scientists aren’t yet sure how contagious or dangerous the latest mutated version of the novel coronavirus might be. “Anytime a new variant is found, scientists start studying to see if it’s more contagious —...
Facing omicron threat, CDC says all adults should get covid-19 booster vaccineVideo
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday strengthened its recommendations on who should get boosters. In a statement, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that all vaccinated adults should get a booster as long as they received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna shot at least...
Crew to shoot footage at Compass Inn for film based on period murder tale
The Ligonier Valley Historical Society restored Laughlintown’s Compass Inn Museum to match its 1830s heyday as a stopover for stagecoach travelers and drovers. That has made it an ideal location to shoot footage for the film adaptation of “The Pale Blue Eye,” a tale of murder and revenge set in...
National Weather Service: Warm-up this week brings November temps closer to normal
The weather forecast this week might look like a warm spell after a chilly weekend of snow flurries, but it’s really just getting the region’s thermometer back to its regular reading. “Right now, we’re running about 2.1 degrees below normal for the month of November,” said Lee Hendricks, a meteorologist...
Archaeology crew sifting through Ohiopyle State Park’s past in search of cultural treasure
A pilot project at Ohiopyle State Park has members of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps sifting through dirt, looking for items of cultural significance in advance of a campsite expansion. The cultural resource crew has been working for the past week in a wooded area near Kentuck Campground, said crew leader...
Cyberattack on Butler college part of growing trend; experts urge vigilance to thwart hackers
Organizations that keep sensitive information in their computer systems can’t do much to avoid being targeted by cyberattackers. But experts say they can do things to reduce the damage wreaked by an attack. A cyberattack on Butler County Community College’s computer system forced the campus to shut down Monday and...
Bill Cosby prosecutors ask U.S. Supreme Court to review case
PHILADELPHIA — Prosecutors asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the ruling that overturned Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction, arguing in a petition Monday that a dangerous precedent could be set if press releases are treated as immunity agreements. Cosby’s lawyers have long argued that he relied on a promise...
WHO warns that new coronavirus variant poses ‘very high’ risk
GENEVA — The World Health Organization warned Monday that the global risk from the omicron variant is “very high” based on the early evidence, saying the mutated coronavirus could lead to surges with “severe consequences.” The assessment from the U.N. health agency, contained in a technical paper issued to member...
Covid outbreak hits Westmoreland jail as caseload surges throughout county
Westmoreland County Prison is dealing with another coronavirus outbreak. Nine inmates tested positive Monday at the Hempfield lockup after 37 active cases were discovered last week, warden Brian Kline said. “We shut down the work release program last week and stopped all outside volunteers from entering the jail,” Kline said....
