Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1102
Child tax credit starts hitting families’ bank accountsVideo
WASHINGTON — The child tax credit had always been an empty gesture to millions of parents like Tamika Daniel. That changed Thursday when the first payment of $1,000 hit Daniel’s bank account — and dollars started flowing to the pockets of more than 35 million families around the country. Daniel,...
Ricki Wertz, star of WTAE-TV’s ‘Ricki and Copper,’ diesVideo
Ricki Wertz, one of the original stars of Pittsburgh TV as the host of WTAE-TV’s “Ricki and Copper” and “Junior High Quiz,” died Wednesday in Chicago. She was 86. The cause of death was not immediately available. A Wilkes-Barre native, Ruth Elizabeth Wertz Bordenkircher came to Pittsburgh to study acting....
Harrisburg is best place to live in Pennsylvania, says U.S. News
Harrisburg is one of the best places to live in the United States, according to U.S. News and World Report, but you might be surprised at what major cities it bested. ” 150 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2021-2022 ″ is a list compiled each year by...
Johnson & Johnson recalling sunscreens because of benzene traces
Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday that it is recalling five of its sunscreen products after some samples were found to contain low levels of benzene, a chemical that can cause cancer with repeated exposure. The affected products, packaged in aerosol cans, are Aveeno Protect + Refresh aerosol sunscreen, and four...
St. Patrick’s Day Parade rescheduled for this fall in Pittsburgh
There will be a 2021 St. Patrick Day’s Parade in the Steel City after all. Parade organizers announced Wednesday the St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. Parade chairman Jeff “Mac” McCafferty had hoped to hold the parade last March on the traditional...
Federal arrest warrant issued for Fox Chapel cardiologist who skipped sentencing
A federal judge on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for a former Fox Chapel cardiologist convicted two years ago of health care fraud in a “fountain of youth” treatment scheme. Dr. Samirkumar J. Shah was scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge David S. Cercone. But just...
Officials: 60% of eligible Allegheny County residents fully vaccinated
About 60% of Allegheny County residents over the age of 10 are fully vaccinated against covid-19, health director Dr. Debra Bogen said Wednesday, and case counts, deaths and hospitalizations have remained low. The numbers represent an effort by the state to weed out some instances of double counting and miscounting...
U.S. to begin evacuating Afghans who aided American militaryVideo
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration said Wednesday that it is prepared to begin evacuation flights for Afghan interpreters and translators who aided the U.S. military effort in the nearly 20-year war. The Operation Allies Refuge flights out of Afghanistan during the last week of July will be available first for...
Judge to rule Tuesday on Shaler teacher’s pre-trial detention in Capitol case
A federal judge will rule on Tuesday whether a substitute teacher at the Shaler Area Middle School ought to be released on bond pending trial for his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks. On Wednesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey, in Washington, D.C., heard argument from the federal...
Pa. Game Commission addressing lag in new hunting license system
Pennsylania’s system for issuing hunting licenses has experienced a slowdown. According to Game Commission officials, the new system for issuing state licenses, including antlerless deer licenses, has operated slowly during peak sales periods. One such period began Monday, when the system began accepting applications for antlerless licenses. “While the new...
Tioga County won’t offer up voting machines to election audit
HARRISBURG — One of three counties targeted by a Pennsylvania state lawmaker for an Arizona-style “forensic investigation” of the state’s 2020 presidential election sought by former President Donald Trump will not allow third-party access to its voting machines. The three commissioners in rural Republican-controlled Tioga County announced the decision Tuesday,...
Michigan couple arrested in stolen pickup on Pennsylvania Turnpike
A traffic stop along the Pennsylvania Turnpike near New Stanton this week resulted in the arrest of a man wanted for questioning in connection with the theft of two pickup trucks, according to court documents. After troopers stopped Allan J. Brady, 35, of Adrian, Mich., for speeding on the toll...
Plan approved to continue with consolidation of California, Clarion and Edinboro universities
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education will move forward to consolidate California, Clarion and Edinboro universities into a single university in Western Pennsylvania, the state schools’ board of governors decided unanimously Wednesday. Work also is underway to combine Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities into a single unit in...
Database of police misconduct launches in PennsylvaniaVideo
Police departments statewide must now use a database to track complaints and misconduct allegations against officers, a move meant to keep problem officers from moving from department to department. The launch of the Police Misconduct Database comes one year after Gov. Tom Wolf signed the legislation into law. The legislation...
No recent covid deaths in Allegheny, Westmoreland counties; cases trending up slightly
While case numbers might be trending slightly upward, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties have gone nearly a dozen days without recording a death related to the coronavirus. With 25 new covid-19 cases reported Wednesday, the seven-day average in Allegheny County has ticked up to 19, the highest it has been in...
Pennsylvania recruiting new school bus drivers amid shortage
Over 1.5 million Pennsylvania students rely on bus drivers to get to and from school, sporting events and other activities — but the industry is struggling to overcome a driver shortage. The Pennsylvania School Bus Association (PSBA) — which consists of over 300 school bus contractors and industry partners —...
Robert Morris reverses course, eyes path to resurrect men’s and women’s hockey programs
Robert Morris hockey might have a path back to existence. Three months after university officials said they were eliminating the men’s and women’s hockey programs, the school announced Wednesday it had reversed course and is hoping to resurrect the programs. University officials said they would work with the recently formed...
Mayoral candidate of North Braddock facing assault charges
A candidate for mayor of North Braddock is facing charges of aggravated assault after being accused of beating two women with a bat, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. Cletus Lee was arrested Tuesday after a confrontation that police said resulted from a domestic dispute. The victims were taken to...
Several residents displaced after McKeesport fire spreads to 3 homes
Several McKeesport residents were displaced in a fire that spread to three homes early Wednesday, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. No one was injured in the fires, which started at about 12:30 a.m. along Stewart Street. Flames destroyed one of home’s porches and scorched the sides of the others....
Senate Democrats announce $3.5 trillion budget agreement
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats announced Tuesday that they have reached a budget agreement among themselves that envisions spending an enormous $3.5 trillion over the coming decade. The fiscal plan would pave the way for Democrats’ drive to direct a huge pool of federal resources at climate change, health care and...
Route 30 reopens in North Huntingdon following car fire at auto repair shop
A fire Tuesday night at an auto repair shop Route 30 in North Huntingdon closed both the eastbound and westbound lanes of the busy highway, police said. Route 30 was closed between Route 48 and the Ardara Road intersection in the western end of the township. It reopened shortly after...
Woman killed in Etna house fire identified as grandmother of 12, food pantry volunteer
The woman who died soon after a fire ripped through her Etna home last week was 80-year-old Janet Wilson, authorities confirmed Tuesday. Wilson was pronounced dead around 5:30 a.m. last Thursday, about a half-hour after emergency responders received the report of thick black smoke and flames shooting out of a...
United Steelworkers ratify new, 4-year contract with ATI, ending strike
Members of the United Steelworkers ratified a new, four-year contract with Allegheny Technologies, Inc., the specialty steelmaker announced Tuesday night. The agreement ends a strike by 1,300 union members at nine ATI locations that began March 30. ATI employees will begin returning to their jobs the week of July 19,...
TV Talk: Susan Koeppen returns to anchor new WPXI-TV newscast
Because the ratings for “Ellen” have been terrible in Pittsburgh for several years, it was unsurprising this month when WTAE-TV announced a 4 p.m. newscast. Similarly, with original episodes of “Judge Judy” ending on broadcast TV — she’ll have a new, similar show on free, ad-supported streamer IMDbTV in late...
Rash of scam calls prompts warning from Latrobe police, victims duped out of thousands of dollars
Latrobe police are cautioning residents not to provide personal information over the phone after learning of a rash of scam calls. Police Chief John Sleasman said his department received reports of about two dozen such scams over the preceding week. According to Sleasman, bogus callers have falsely presented themselves as...
