Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1016
4 students at Pittsburgh’s Brashear High School assaulted police officer, officials say
Four male students at Brashear High School in Pittsburgh’s Beechview neighborhood were detained Thursday after authorities said they assaulted a school police officer. The incident happened while the officer was trying to break up a fight, said Pittsburgh Public Schools spokeswoman Ebony Pugh. Medics were called to the school to...
Fox Chapel grad, killed in Vermont accident, described as selfless and kind
A Fox Chapel man was killed Tuesday in Vermont after being hit by an Amtrak train as he attempted to cross railroad tracks in the SUV he was driving. Thomas Fennell, who had been attending Vermont Law School, was 23. Police in Royalton, about 150 miles northwest of Boston, said...
Who investigates police killings in Pa., and why there are few checks and balances
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. In Pennsylvania, elected district attorneys determine whether or not to charge officers who kill or use force against civilians. There is...
Beloved Westmoreland Mall Santa makes special visit; mall Santa arrives Friday
It’s only November, but for many in Westmoreland County, Santa Claus already came to town. For three days last week, thousands of children and parents waited outside the Christmas Town store at Westmoreland Mall for their chance to meet the man many have deemed the real Kris Kringle. “This Santa...
Fire hits Lower Burrell home owned by woman who lost father in blaze 30 years ago
Angela Veri was on her way to work after dropping off her daughter at school Thursday when a neighbor called to tell her she saw smoke coming from her home on Fairview Drive in Lower Burrell. She knew, because nobody was at home, her family was safe as firefighters from...
Proposal would make it illegal for Pittsburgh employers to discriminate against domestic abuse victims
Employers in Pittsburgh would not be able to discriminate against employees because they have been victims of domestic abuse, under a proposal introduced to City Council this week. The measure, introduced by Councilwoman Erika Strassburger, would protect victims of domestic violence from employment and workplace discrimination. Some victims of domestic...
Top 2 Pennsylvania school pension system execs out of jobs
The top two executives at Pennsylvania’s largest public pension system will leave their jobs, under resolutions approved by the system’s board Thursday, amid two federal investigations and calls by board members for their resignations over lackluster investment returns. Under the resolutions, executive director Glen Grell and chief investment officer Jim...
‘It was scary,’ Hempfield woman says of rollover crash
A Hempfield woman does not remember much about a crash Wednesday after being pulled from her overturned SUV by two passing good Samaritans assisted by a state trooper, but she’s glad they stopped to help. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember much about it. I’m still sore, but OK,” said Joan...
Overly’s Country Christmas is a year-round venture for the holidays in Westmoreland County
Workers have been scrambling this week to string lights for the displays spread across the Westmoreland Fairgrounds near Norvelt, unpack countless late-arriving boxes of holiday gifts and shelve them at Overly’s General Store in preparation for Thursday’s opening of Overly’s Country Christmas. Visitors to the annual show will see many...
Pittsburgh police warn of catalytic converter thefts in multiple areas
Pittsburgh police are warning the public about a recent string of catalytic converter thefts from vehicles. Police said four catalytic converters have been taken from vehicles over the past three weeks in the Friendship, Bloomfield and Garfield neighborhoods. Other similar thefts or attempted thefts have been reported throughout the city...
1 killed, 3 hurt in head-on crash on I-79 in Butler County
One person was killed and three others were injured Wednesday in a head-on crash on Interstate 79 in Butler County, state police said. The crash happened shortly before 5 p.m. on the highway in Muddy Creek Township. State police said James E. Dapper, 58, of Zelienople, was driving a pickup...
Editorial: Is Penguins sale good or bad for Pittsburgh?
Buying a sports franchise can be a little like flipping a house. Someone comes in with enough cash to do things that maybe haven’t been done in a while. Upgrade this. Rehab that. See if you can turn a profit. The difference is no one really sees a multimillion dollar...
U.S. overdose deaths topped 100,000 in 1 year, officials say
An estimated 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in one year, a never-before-seen milestone that health officials say is tied to the covid-19 pandemic and a more dangerous drug supply. Overdose deaths have been rising for more than two decades, accelerated in the past two years and, according to new...
3 indicted in ‘grandparent scheme’ targeting Pa. seniors by posing as fake attorneys, bail bondsmen
A federal grand jury has indicted three out-of-state residents for targeting elderly Western Pennsylvanians in a so-called “grandparent scheme” that involved posing as attorneys and bail bondsmen to bilk their victims out of at least $250,000. Roderick Feurtado, 54, and Tarek Bouanane, 45, both of Las Vegas, and Roberto Gutierrez,...
Sheraden man charged with September shooting that injured toddler
A Pittsburgh man has been arrested in connection with September shooting that injured a toddler in the city’s Sheraden neighborhood. Derrick Brandon faces charges of reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child after police say he was involved in a Sept. 26, 2021, shooting on Glasgow Street that...
Pittsburgh advances proposal to purchase North Side site for new public works facility
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday advanced a measure to move a Department of Public Works facility out of Riverview Park to a new site on the North Side, despite concerns that the proposed site is involved in ongoing litigation regarding a billboard. The proposal calls for moving the Department of...
Woodland Hills Superintendent James Harris’ contract terminated via 8-1 vote
Woodland Hills School District officials voted Wednesday night to terminate the contract of Superintendent James Harris effective Dec. 17. The vote was 8-1, with board member Andre Patterson casting the lone dissenting vote. Patterson participated via Zoom. Harris was present in the meeting room, sitting next to board president Jamie...
Crowd gathers to remember New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw, killed on duty 4 years ago
More than 100 people gathered Wednesday evening outside New Kensington City Hall to honor the life of fallen New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw. New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo led a memorial service near the Brian Shaw Memorial outside City Hall on the fourth anniversary of Shaw’s death. Shaw was...
West Deer residents split on whether proposed well pads will benefit township
West Deer residents have differing opinions on whether the township should approve proposed natural gas well pads at two locations in the township. Residents and taxpayers spoke Tuesday during the ninth and final public hearing regarding the proposal presented by Olympus Energy LLC. The hearing took place at West Deer...
Ties in 39 races to be broken Friday in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County election officials said 39 races on the Nov. 2 ballot ended in ties that will be broken Friday through a casting of lots, including one open seat for Jeannette city controller where 30 candidates each received one write-in vote. The county’s elections board on Wednesday issued a precertification...
House censures Rep. Paul Gosar for violent video in rare rebukeVideo
WASHINGTON — The House voted Wednesday to censure Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona for posting an animated video that depicted him killing Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a sword, an extraordinary rebuke that highlighted the political strains testing Washington and the country. Calling the video a clear threat to...
Police: Law student from Pittsburgh killed by train in Vermont
ROYALTON, Vt. — A driver who died after being hit by an Amtrak train had crossed the tracks, backed into a driveway to turn around, and was attempting to cross back when he was hit, investigators in Vermont said Wednesday. The crash happened at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the...
Pennsylvania officials, lawmakers and judges get big pay raise in 2022
HARRISBURG — Inflation is driving up consumer prices and will drive a big salary increase for Pennsylvania state lawmakers, judges and top executive branch officials in 2022. For many of these positions, it’s the biggest increase in three decades. Salaries across the board will rise 5.6%, a figure tied by...
Report: Pennsylvania casinos shatter record, generate $425 million in revenues
Pennsylvania casinos generated more than $425.9 million in October, eclipsing a revenue high set in July, state regulators said. Casinos generated $2.25 million more last month than in July, when revenues topped $423.6 million, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. In addition, revenues last month increased...
As national overdose deaths top 100K in a year, Pa. official urges naloxone use
State officials are encouraging people to stock up on opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone as overdose deaths climb locally and nationally. The coronavirus pandemic upended a lot of progress officials statewide had made on reducing the number of drug overdoses, said Jen Smith, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug...
