Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1054
Investigators probe Amtrak derailment that killed 3
JOPLIN, Mont. — Federal officials sent a team of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board to the site of an Amtrak derailment in north-central Montana that killed three people and left seven hospitalized Sunday, officials said. The westbound Empire Builder was en route to Seattle from Chicago, with two...
What’s the price of Biden’s plan? Democrats drive for zero
WASHINGTON — What will it cost to enact President Joe Biden’s massive expansion of social programs? Congress has authorized spending up to $3.5 trillion over a decade, but Biden is prodding Democrats to fully cover the cost of the legislation — by raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy, negotiating...
U.S. has enough covid-19 vaccines for boosters, kids’ shotsVideo
MADISON, Wis. — With more than 40 million doses of coronavirus vaccines available, U.S. health authorities said they’re confident there will be enough for both qualified older Americans seeking booster shots and the young children for whom initial vaccines are expected to be approved in the not-too-distant future. The spike...
Lines of mourners form for Gabby Petito funeral home viewing
HOLBROOK, N.Y. — Lines of mourners paid their respects Sunday for Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old whose death on a cross-country trip has sparked a manhunt for her boyfriend. Among those who congregated in Holbrook, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of New York City, were family members, friends and co-workers...
Jeff Pyle honored at groundbreaking of new BC3 college in Ford City
As a line of public officials spoke at the groundbreaking of the new Butler County Community College (BC3) in Ford City on Friday, most of them uttered the same name: Jeff Pyle. Pyle is a former Republican state representative, former Ford City mayor and a former teacher at Ford City...
Pa. lawmakers know a dementia care crisis is coming. Will they agree on a response?
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 — Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf this week said he supports large investments to address a growing dementia care crisis in...
Howard Hanna, Pittsburgh real estate magnate, dies at 101
When Howard “Hoddy” Hanna III of Fox Chapel was in basic training with the U.S. Army, his father Howard Jr. was already well on his way to building a successful business that would one day become the fourth-largest real estate firm in the U.S. But he still found time to...
Variance approved for car wash at former New Kensington Kmart site
A developer will be able to pursue building a car wash at the site of a former Kmart on Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington. By a 2-to-1 vote, the city’s three-member zoning hearing board Thursday approved 100 Riverview’s request for a variance for the car wash, which otherwise is...
Search continues for Steller’s sea eagle that escaped from National Aviary
The search continues for Kodiak, the Steller’s sea eagle that escaped his habitat Saturday at the National Aviary on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Aviary officials tweeted Saturday evening they recognize that getting the raptor, nicknamed Cody, back home safely could take some time. “While our efforts continue, it is important to...
Pa. Turnpike tolls outpace passenger vehicle rates in neighboring states
Pennsylvania drivers who cross onto the Ohio Turnpike notice at significant difference other than the flat terrain. There is a significantly lower per-mile cost of traversing the Buckeye State’s 241-mile turnpike versus the 550 miles in Pennsylvania. Ohio’s E-ZPass toll rate per mile for passenger vehicles is 0.058 cents, the...
Why Pa. Turnpike tolls soared — and will continue rising for next 30 years
Surrounded by bushels of fresh local peaches, Lori Hanscom spent an afternoon greeting truckers, commuters and vacationers from behind her fruit stand at the New Stanton rest stop along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Her day was filled with friendly chatter about the weather, traffic and which fruits were in season. One...
Several new stores slated to open at Westmoreland Mall
Empty storefronts at Westmoreland Mall are filling up quickly, with several new businesses slated to open this year. Three stores — SpectroDolce Confectionery, Western Edge Seafood and Joseph Jacob Jewelers — are planning to open at the mall, officials with CBL Properties, the entity that owns Westmoreland and Monroeville malls,...
Pennsylvania school boards, including Hempfield, consider joining mask mandate lawsuits
Another year of traversing a landscape impacted by covid-19 has some school administrators seemingly gearing up to push back against pandemic-related mandates. A state-issued mask mandate for K-12 schools that went into effect early this month spurred several lawsuits that were filed across Pennsylvania by parents and lawmakers. The suits...
Giant Eagle will again require appointment for covid vaccinations
Giant Eagle pharmacies once again will require an appointment for anyone seeking a covid-19 vaccine, a spokesman for the company said Saturday. The grocery store/pharmacy chain had been taking walk-ins for the vaccine, but the appointment requirement is being reinstated because of an “anticipated increase in demand” spurred by the...
Tails on Trails event draws pups and their people for 12th year
About 100 people and dozens of dogs turned out Saturday for a stroll through Northmoreland Park to raise money for the New Kensington-based Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley. Saturday was the 12th year for the fundraiser and the second year it’s been held in Northmoreland Park in Allegheny Township. “It’s...
Pittsburgh man, 28, dies after being pulled from Monongahela River
A man rescued from the Monongahela River in critical condition Saturday afternoon has died, according to the Office of the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. Thomas Jahanian, 28, of Pittsburgh, died after being taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital. He is the son of Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian. Police were...
Dr. Freddie Fu remembered as ‘a pioneer and visionary in our field’
Sympathy, condolences and tributes echoed from all corners of the sports and medicine world following Friday’s news of the death of Dr. Freddie H. Fu, a renowned orthopaedic surgeon who created the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s sports medicine program. Fu was 70. He also was Pitt’s sports teams physician...
Steller’s sea eagle, Kodiak, escapes from National Aviary habitat in Pittsburgh
Officials from the National Aviary are searching for a Steller’s sea eagle that escaped its habitat on Saturday morning in Pittsburgh’s North Side neighborhood. “It looks a bit like a bald eagle, but it’s larger,” said National Aviary Communication Director Carly Morgan. “A team of experts are working to safely...
Duquesne University extends contract for President Ken Gormley
Ken Gormley will continue for an additional five years as president at Duquesne University, school officials announced Saturday. Duquesne’s board of directors recently voted to extend Gormley’s contract through the 2026-27 academic year. Board chair John C. McGinley made the announcement in video remarks at the school’s annual President’s Dinner....
4 accused of plotting Pa. school attack on Columbine anniversary
DUNMORE — Four teenagers have been charged with a plot to attack a Pennsylvania high school in 2024, on the 25th anniversary of the massacre at Colorado’s Columbine High School, authorities said. A 15-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy are charged as adults and two other teenagers face juvenile charges in...
Robert Morris University receives $1 million donation
A donation of $1 million from Alba Tull and the First Light Capital Group will help Robert Morris University launch the RMU Century Initiatives and Innovation Fund as part of the university’s 100th-year anniversary celebration. The RMU Century Initiatives and Innovation Fund provides resources to launch and reboot programs critical...
Dr. Freddie Fu, renowned Pitt surgeon, dies
Dr. Freddie H. Fu, a renowned orthopaedic surgeon who created the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s sports medicine program, died Friday in Pittsburgh. Fu was 70. He also was Pitt’s sports teams physician for some 30 years. “The University of Pittsburgh has lost one of its finest members,” said University...
Sixth person this month stopped with gun at Pittsburgh airport
A woman was stopped from taking a handgun aboard a plane at Pittsburgh International Airport on Friday, marking the sixth time this month someone was caught at the airport checkpoint with a weapon, Allegheny County Police said. A 31-year-old woman, who was not identified by police, was stopped by Transportation...
GOP review finds no proof Arizona election stolen from Trump
PHOENIX — A Republican-backed review of the 2020 presidential election in Arizona’s largest county ended Friday without producing proof to support former President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen election. After six months of searching for evidence of fraud, the firm hired by Republican lawmakers issued a report that...
Jury deadlocked, mistrial declared in rape and sexual assault trial of Allegheny Township man
A mistrial was declared Friday in the cases against an Allegheny Township man accused of rape and sexual assaults by five women and a teen. Jurors deliberated nearly 14 hours over two days and reported they were at an impasse and unable to reach verdicts on all 24 counts in...
