Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1053
Westmoreland County assistant public defender suspended with pay after assault arrest
An assistant public defender in Westmoreland County was suspended with pay following his arrest this month in connection with allegations he assaulted a police officer. According to records obtained Monday, all three county commissioners signed off on the indefinite suspension of David Mulock, 36, of Murrysville. Mulock was charged Sept....
Pittsburgh Columbus Day Parade returns in Bloomfield
Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield will become a festive atmosphere for a Columbus Day parade filled with 100 bands, floats, organizations and businesses showcasing the region’s Italian history – known as the city’s “Little Italy.” Pittsburgh Steelers’ great Franco Harris, will serve as Grand Marshal. The Pittsburgh Columbus Day Parade begins...
Hospitals fear staffing shortages as vaccine deadlines loom
Hospitals and nursing homes around the country are bracing for worsening staff shortages as state deadlines arrive for health care workers to get vaccinated against covid-19. With ultimatums taking effect this week in states such as New York, California, Rhode Island and Connecticut, the fear is that some employees will...
To avoid Wolf’s veto, Pa. GOP proposes giving voters final say on stricter ID rules, other election changes
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. HARRISBURG — Republicans in the state House are advancing a proposal that would give Pennsylvania voters the opportunity to significantly change...
Pittsburgh police announce death of officer following illness
A Pittsburgh police officer died Sunday night after what officials called “a brief illness.” Brian Rowland, 47, served 21 years with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. He was assigned to Zone 6 in the West End section of the city. Chief Scott Schubert called Rowland a dedicated officer and loyal...
DEA warns of flood of fake, potentially lethal prescription pills
The Drug Enforcement Administration on Monday warned of an increase in fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine in an effort to raise public awareness of the tablets’ lethality and availability. Westmoreland County Detective Tony Marcocci said law enforcement officials locally have been seeing a rise in fake pills created...
R&B superstar R. Kelly convicted in sex trafficking trial
R. Kelly, the R&B superstar known for his anthem “I Believe I Can Fly,” was convicted Monday in a sex trafficking trial after decades of avoiding criminal responsibility for numerous allegations of misconduct with young women and children. A jury of seven men and five women found Kelly guilty of...
Turner Dairy Farms is 1st in Pa. to take advantage of shelf-life law for milk
Grocery shoppers with a habit of seeking out the milk carton with the longest shelf life soon will be able to reach even further into the future — at least if they’re fans of Turner Dairy Farms. The Penn Hills dairy is the first in the state to take advantage...
National Aviary’s Steller’s sea eagle remains missing, believed to still be in Pittsburgh area
The National Aviary is still looking in the Pittsburgh area for the missing Steller’s sea eagle known as Kodiak and Kody, a huge bird that is noticeably larger than its relative, the bald eagle. The bird escaped from a breach in its outdoor enclosure Saturday morning, said Molly Toth, a...
4 guns caught in 4 days ‘an epidemic’ at Pittsburgh International Airport
Security agents caught four guns over four days in carry-on baggage at Pittsburgh International Airport, two of which were loaded, according to Transportation Security Administration officials. Firearms cannot be brought to the checkpoint or transported in carry-on baggage. They must be packed, unloaded, in a hard-sided case and declared at...
Vaccination deadline arrives for NY healthcare workersVideo
ALBANY, N.Y. — As the deadline closed in for hospital and nursing home workers in New York state to be vaccinated against covid-19, Gov. Kathy Hochul made an 11th-hour plea to holdout health care workers to get inoculated. “To those who have not yet made that decision, please do the...
Cousins plead guilty in beating death of 63-year-old Pittsburgh man
Two cousins pleaded guilty to third-degree murder on Monday stemming from a man’s beating death in Pittsburgh last year. Marlon Johnson, 33, and Madera Johnson, 48, will be sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kevin G. Sasinoski on Dec. 13. Roger Brown, 63, was found with severe head trauma...
TV Q&A: Where’s WPXI’s Mike Holden been? Who’s the new WTAE-TV weekend morning anchor?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: Have you heard any updates on WPXI’s Mike Holden’s health? He hasn’t updated his Instagram in a while. — Krissy via Facebook Rob: In early September Holden,...
2 jailed in Loyalhanna drug bust
Two men are behind bars after a weekend drug bust at a Loyalhanna home. Donald Wayne Baker, 41, of Saltsburg, and Michael James Buchinsky, 28, of Loyalhanna, are facing drug charges. State police said they arrived at Buchinsky’s Noel Drive home at 10:15 p.m. Saturday to serve a bench warrant...
Federal prosecutors, defense spar over evidence review in Tree of Life case
Defense attorneys for the man charged in connection with the killing of 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill have said that they will forego a review of hundreds of pieces of physical evidence in the case to protect the health and safety of themselves and...
New Castle homes evacuated after girls’ magnet fishes apparent hand grenade from river
Residents were evacuated from a neighborhood in New Castle early this morning after police were notified that there was a hand grenade on the lawn of a home, according to police. Police were called to a home in the 600 block of Lutton Street shortly after midnight and ordered residents...
Conrad Catering and Deli to close in Munhall after 5 decades in business
Each portion of freshly ground chuck filled with cooked rice, onions and spices is hand-tucked inside steamed cabbage, then rolled and topped with a tomato soup-based sauce and sauerkraut. Stuffed cabbage rolls, also known as “pigs in a blanket,” have been on the menu for more than five decades at...
John Hinckley, who shot Reagan, to be freed from oversight
A federal judge said Monday that John Hinckley Jr., who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan four decades ago, can be freed from all remaining restrictions next year if he continues to follow those rules and remains mentally stable. U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman in Washington said during...
Car crashes into West Newton house, no injuries reported
No injuries were reported when a car crashed into a home in West Newton late Sunday night, according to authorities. The crash occurred around 11 p.m. at a home along Venable Street, according to a Westmoreland County 911 supervisor. No information was available about the extent of the damage to...
Police investigating stabbing in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood
A man suffered multiple stab wounds and lacerations in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood on Sunday night, according to police. Officers from the Zone 3 station in the South Side responded to reports of a man stabbed in the 300 block of Jacunda Street shortly after 5 p.m., according to Pittsburgh Public...
5 displaced by Greenfield fire
Investigators believe the fire that tore through a Greenfield home on Sunday started in the kitchen, authorities said. Pittsburgh fire crews responded to a home on West Elizabeth Street just before 2 p.m., said Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz. Three of the five residents were outside in a vehicle when...
CDC director warns of ‘dire straits’ in covid-hit areas of U.S.Video
WASHINGTON — Parts of the U.S. health system “are in dire straits,” as the spread of the covid-19 delta variant forces some states to prepare for rationed medical care, said Rochelle Walensky, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “That means that we are talking about who...
Pittsburgh police: Shooting leaves toddler in critical condition
A shooting left a toddler in critical condition in Pittsburgh on Sunday, police said. The circumstances of the shooting were not immediately available. Officers responded to Allegheny General Hospital on the city’s North Side about 4:10 p.m. for a report of a child with a gunshot wound, authorities said. A...
Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center still preserving heritage, educating public after more than 40 years
Hundreds turned out Sunday for the second day of the annual powwow held by the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center. “We’re getting together to greet, meet and have fun and respect each other’s way of life,” said Russell Simms, founder and executive director of the center. It is...
Westmoreland County commissioner plans virtual town-hall meeting series
Westmoreland County Commissioner Doug Chew plans to start a series of virtual “town hall” meetings to engage more county residents with local government. “Our county’s public meetings are in the middle of the day, when a large fraction of the public can’t attend,” Chew said. The first meeting will take...
