Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1113
Man indicted on drug, firearm counts arrested in North Huntingdon drug sting
A Pittsburgh man indicted earlier this month by a federal grand jury on illegal narcotics and firearm possession charges was jailed without bond in Westmoreland County Tuesday after his arrest in a North Huntingdon undercover drug sting. Hazeon “Ace” Kidd, 20, was arrested by township police on two counts of...
Tony Moreno re-enters Pittsburgh mayoral race as RepublicanVideo
Retired Pittsburgh police officer Tony Moreno announced Tuesday that he will run for mayor as a Republican in the November election. “I made a promise in the very beginning that I would not get out of this race until I was voted out,” Moreno said. “I won’t get out.” Moreno,...
Allegiant adds another Florida route in Pittsburgh
Budget airline Allegiant has added another nonstop flight from Pittsburgh to coastal Florida, airline officials said Tuesday. The flight, which will begin Nov. 11, is from Pittsburgh International Airport to Melbourne Orlando International Airport in Melbourne, Fla. The airport is about 50 miles southeast of Orlando and just across the...
Sandcastle’s Lazy River to flow once againVideo
The Lazy River at Sandcastle Waterpark took its time opening for a third consecutive season. After a monthlong delay, the water attraction in West Homestead is scheduled to finally begin flowing at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Sweltering temperatures and sun will coincide with the opening. View this post on Instagram A...
Pizza delivery driver carjacked at gunpoint in Perry South
A pizza delivery driver was carjacked at gunpoint in the city’s Perry South neighborhood late Monday night, police said. Officers from the Zone 1 station on the North Side responded to a 911 call in the 2500 block of North Charles Street shortly before 11:15 p.m. The victim told investigators...
Man grazed by bullet during early morning drive-by shooting in Manchester
A man was grazed by a bullet during a drive-by shooting early Tuesday morning in Pittsburgh’s Manchester neighborhood, police said. Officer’s from the city’s Zone 1 station responded to a “Shotspotter” gunshot-detection notification shortly after 1 a.m. for multiple rounds fired in the 1200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, according to...
Westmoreland commissioner urges municipalities to apply for funds by Wednesday
Eighteen Westmoreland County municipalities could collectively be leaving nearly $2.5 million on the table if they don’t apply for pandemic relief funds by this week’s deadline, according to county Commissioner Doug Chew. Chew learned that, as of Friday, 18 local communities had not applied for their share of funds from...
Saint Vincent College campus reopens after police investigate bomb threat
A bomb threat prompted temporary closure of the Saint Vincent College campus Monday evening. College officials said the campus was cleared to reopen just before 10 p.m., after state police determined the threat wasn’t credible. At about 7:30 p.m., officials were notified of a threat involving the Saint Vincent Archabbey...
Aid for schools, overtime rule were key trade in Pennsylvania budget deal
HARRISBURG — A key trade that sealed a budget deal between Gov. Tom Wolf and Republicans who control the Legislature was a $100 million injection of cash into Pennsylvania’s poorest public schools in exchange for the governor backing off a regulatory expansion of eligibility for overtime pay. Wolf, a Democrat,...
Pilot, passenger injured when small plane crashes in rural Washington County
Two people were injured when a small plane crashed Monday evening in rural Washington County, according to authorities. Officials learned of the crash-landing in a large pasture near School and Short Cut roads in Somerset Township around 6:15 p.m., according to state police. Several ambulances, fire trucks and medical helicopters...
Temporary parking acceptable use of former Apollo nuke site, DEP says
The state Department of Environmental Protection said a company that temporarily stored RVs on a former nuclear fuels plant site in Apollo didn’t violate terms of a covenant for the property. “The temporary use of this site for the parking of vehicles will not present any radiological concerns, though substantial...
U.S. troops in Syria attacked after airstrikes on militias
WASHINGTON — U.S. troops in eastern Syria came under rocket attack Monday, with no reported casualties, one day after U.S. Air Force planes carried out airstrikes near the Iraq-Syria border against what the Pentagon said were facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups to support drone strikes inside Iraq. Iraq’s military...
Excela Health posts $72 million net income for 1st 9 months of fiscal year
Excela Health saw its net income jump to $71.9 million from July 2020 through March 31, a $100 million turnaround from the $34 million loss it posted from July 2019 through March 2020, according to a hospital report. The Greensburg-based health system, with hospitals in Greensburg, Latrobe and Mt. Pleasant,...
Advocates for changes to reapportionment and the statute of limitations vow to fight on
State lawmakers left Harrisburg for the summer last week, but the advocates who clamored unsuccessfully for legislative changes say they aren’t giving up. Two of the most vocal groups — the organizations that promoted legislation on congressional and legislative reapportionment and those who pushed for the adoption of a window...
Pitt enrolling participants for covid-19 booster shot trial
The University of Pittsburgh is enrolling participants for a trial of booster shots that mix vaccines against covid-19. The goal is to see, for example, if a dose of Pfizer after a round of Moderna gives people stronger and broader protection. Pitt’s Pittsburgh Vaccine Trials Unit (PVTU) is one of...
Grass-cutting dispute led to assault in Hunker, troopers say
A Hunker man is headed to court next week after state police said he assaulted a neighbor with the butt end of a knife during an argument over cutting grass, according to court documents. Troopers last week arrested Ian Christian Cartia, 28, on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly...
Peduto, Pittsburgh council release proposed plan for $335 million in federal relief
Pittsburgh will use more than half of the $335 million in federal relief money to make up for revenue losses projected through 2024, according to proposed allocations released Monday by Mayor Bill Peduto’s office. The money from the American Rescue Plan will be received in two $167.5 million installments, one...
$1M lottery tickets sold in Wilkinsburg, Somerset County
One man became a millionaire with a Pennsylvania Lottery scratch-off ticket purchased in Wilkinsburg, and another lottery player won more than $1 million with a ticket bought in Somerset County. A man, who said he preferred not to have his name published, won $1 million after purchasing a Millionaire Maker...
Juul to pay $40 million in North Carolina teen vaping suit settlement
DURHAM N.C. — Electronic cigarette giant Juul Labs Inc. will pay $40 million to North Carolina and take more action to prevent underage use and sales, according to a landmark legal settlement announced on Monday after years of accusations that the company had fueled an explosion in teen vaping. A...
Amish put faith in God’s will and herd immunity over vaccine
When health care leaders in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country began laying out a strategy to distribute covid-19 vaccines, they knew it would be a tough sell with the Amish, who tend to be wary of preventive shots and government intervention. Early on, they posted flyers at farm supply...
Lawrenceville boutique owner beats trivia legend, wins big on ABC’s ‘The Chase’
The dictionary definition of “trivia” is “pieces of information of little importance or value.” Try telling that to Liz Quesnelle of Lawrenceville. Her knowledge of facts both great and small recently won her a third of a $660,000 pot on the ABC quiz show “The Chase.” On the show’s June...
Unity man accused of chasing woman on foot on Route 30 in Hempfield
A Unity man is behind bars after state police said he chased a woman on foot on Route 30 in Hempfield during a fight, according to court papers. Mucahit Demir, 25, is charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, harassment and walking on a highway. Troopers were called just before 1:30...
Allegheny County pools open for swimmers again
Allegheny County’s swimming pools will be open for swimmers Tuesday. It’s just in time for the high temperatures expected — Pittsburgh’s high is forecast to be 91 degrees, with a slight chance of thunderstorms. All four pools will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., weather permitting. On Monday,...
Salem man accused of fleeing, hiding from police in Route 30 chase
A Salem man is accused of speeding away from state police over the weekend on Route 30 and hiding in a wooded area before being caught, according to court papers. Aaron Patrick Weimer, 55, is charged with fleeing from police, driving under the influence and related offenses. Troopers were on...
Worker who fell from South Park agricultural building identified
Officials have identified a worker who fell to his death last week at the South Park fairgrounds. Frank ‘Frankie’ Scabilloni, 59, of Bethel Park, fell from the grounds’ agricultural building Wednesday morning. The incident happened about 10:13 a.m. at the fairgrounds on Brownsville Road, said Lt. Venerando Costa. The building...
