Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1117
Pentagon leaders reject accusations that U.S. military is ‘woke’Video
WASHINGTON — The top uniformed officer hit back at allegations that the U.S. military is being indoctrinated with so-called critical race theory and seminars about white anger after two Florida Republicans argued that anti-extremism and anti-racist teachings could be detrimental to the troops. “I personally find it offensive that we...
L.A. Rams player, Penn Hills alum Aaron Donald leads workout with Penn Hills studentsVideo
Penn Hills middle school students were able to get a taste of what it’s like to workout like a pro football player on Wednesday morning. Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman and Penn Hills alum Aaron Donald made a special visit to work out and interact with the students at the...
Worker killed in fall at South Park Fairgrounds
A man died Wednesday when he fell from a roof at the South Park Fairgrounds, according to Allegheny County Police. The incident happened about 10:13 a.m. at the fairgrounds on Brownsville Road, said Lt. Venerando Costa. He said a 59-year-old man fell through a skylight in the Agricultural Building. Police...
No jail time in 1st Capitol riot sentence; Oath Keeper pleads guilty
An Indiana woman on Wednesday became the first defendant to be sentenced in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and avoided time behind bars, while a member of the Oath Keepers extremist group pleaded guilty in a conspiracy case and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in a major...
Police charge 2 teens as adults in New Kensington weekend shooting
New Kensington police have charged two 17-year-olds as adults in connection with a weekend shooting. Neither suspect was in custody Wednesday afternoon. The shooting was reported Saturday shortly after 4:30 p.m. in the area of East Ken Manor. Police said officers found the male victim, whose age was not given,...
$1 million scratch-off ticket sold in North Huntingdon
Someone who bought a Mining for Millions scratch off Pennsylvania Lottery ticket at a North Huntingdon gas station-convenience store last week is $1 million richer. The Pennsylvania Lottery announced Wednesday that an unidentified person spent $20 at Bob’s BP Station at 11339 Center Highway for a Mining for Millions ticket...
3 more Western Pa. residents, including Scottdale man, charged in Capitol riots
A Westmoreland County man and two others from Beaver County are among the latest to face charges related to the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. Samuel C. Fox of Scottdale, Mitchell P. Vukich of New Brighton and Nicholas Perretta of Baden all face charges related to the incident,...
Former Derry mayor acquitted in case involving gun pulled on 4 childrenVideo
Derry Borough’s former mayor was acquitted of all charges against him Wednesday in a 2019 incident in which he pulled gun during a fight among three children at a park. Jurors deliberated for nearly four hours and cleared Kevin M. Gross, 40. He had been charged with simple assault, reckless...
Senate OKs local police using radar for speed enforcement
HARRISBURG — Local police would be able to use radar to enforce speed limits under a bill that passed the Pennsylvania Senate on Tuesday. Senators voted 49-1 for the legislation that would limit revenue from speeding tickets to 10% of a municipality’s budget. Local jurisdictions would have to pass an...
‘Super-hero’ in Spider-Man outfit meets pope at Vatican
VATICAN CITY — While Pope Francis is usually the star at Vatican gatherings, Spider-Man, or at least an Italian who dresses up like the character, was the attention-grabber among the public lined up in rows during the pontiff’s weekly Wednesday audience. Matteo Villardita, 28, dons the comic-book and movie super-hero...
Covid cases, hospitalizations drop in Pennsylvania, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties; vaccine rates inch up
Covid cases in Pennsylvania, as well as Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, have slowed to a trickle this month. June started with an average of more than 700 cases a day in the state and has fallen to averaging less than 200 a day as of Wednesday. In Allegheny County, cases...
Supreme Court limits when police can enter home without warrant
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday put limits on when police officers pursuing a fleeing suspect can enter a home without a warrant. The high court ruled that when officers are pursuing someone suspected of a misdemeanor, a less serious crime, they cannot always enter a home without a...
Justices rule for cursing Pennsylvania cheerleader over Snapchat postVideo
WASHINGTON — In the case of the cursing cheerleader in Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court notched a victory for the free speech rights of students Wednesday, siding with a high school student whose vulgar social media post got her kicked off the junior varsity squad. The court voted 8-1 in favor...
New businesses bolstering shopping, dining options in downtown Greensburg
A storefront along Greensburg’s North Main Street soon will be home to a new clothing boutique. The addition is only one of several businesses opening downtown this year. Elizabeth Von Boutique is expected to open its doors at 21 N. Main St. in late summer, offering an array of business...
Police: 1 dead, another injured after shooting in Pittsburgh’s East Allegheny neighborhood
Police are investigating a shooting in Pittsburgh’s East Allegheny neighborhood that left one person dead and sent another to the hospital, officials said. Pittsburgh police officers responded to a Shotspotter alert on Nash Street around 1 a.m. Wednesday, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews. Officers on scene were...
Panel agrees to put guardrails on how Pa. lawmakers draw congressional maps, but not their own
This article is part of a yearlong reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It is made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — A key state Senate committee agreed Tuesday to put guardrails...
Voting ends, wait for results begins in New York City mayoral primaryVideo
NEW YORK — The votes are in. The polls are closed. But the top contenders may have a long, anxious wait ahead of them for accurate results in New York City’s mayoral primary, the first citywide election to use ranked choice voting. Several candidates in the race to succeed Mayor...
GOP voting law bill clears state House amid Wolf veto threat
HARRISBURG — A Republican rewrite of Pennsylvania election law that would mandate voter IDs, alter registration and ballot counting deadlines and give conservatives auditing procedures they have clamored for passed the state House on Tuesday despite the Democratic governor’s veto threat. The lengthy and complex bill, crafted after 10 committee...
Allegheny County president judge acknowledges systemic racism in the courts
President Judge Kim Berkeley Clark said in an open letter posted on the court’s website it is time for Allegheny County’s judicial system to recognize systemic racism and work to combat it. The longtime Allegheny County prosecutor turned family court judge posted the letter to the community last week with...
Houston hospital workers fired, resign over covid-19 vaccine
HOUSTON — More than 150 employees at a Houston hospital system who refused to get a covid-19 vaccine have been fired or resigned after a judge dismissed an employee lawsuit over the vaccine requirement. A spokesperson for Houston Methodist Hospital system said 153 employees either resigned in the two-week suspension...
House will form new committee to investigate Jan. 6 attack
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democratic colleagues on Tuesday that she is creating a new committee to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, according to a person familiar with her remarks. Pelosi made the announcement at a private leadership meeting and did not give additional details....
GOP filibuster halts Democrats’ signature voting billVideo
WASHINGTON — The Democrats’ sweeping attempt to rewrite U.S. election and voting law stalled Tuesday in the Senate, blocked by a wall of Republican opposition to what would have been the largest overhaul of the electoral system in a generation. The bill, known as the For the People Act, would...
Expert testifies on use of force at former Derry mayor’s trial
A police use-of-force expert testified Tuesday that he believed the former Derry Borough mayor acted appropriately when he used a gun to stop a fight among three children because he believed a knife was involved. Cliff Jobe Jr., a retired state trooper, said Kevin M. Gross, 40, made attempts to...
Republicans condemn election reform bill as an ‘extreme power grab’
U.S. Senate Republicans used a filibuster to block the Democrat-backed “For the People Act” — an election reform bill — Tuesday in Washington. Pennsylvania lawmakers voiced opinions on the legislation ahead of a test vote needed to begin debate on the bill in the Senate. “This would be the most...
U.S. gives more asylum-seekers waiting in Mexico another shot
SAN DIEGO — Thousands of asylum-seekers whose claims were dismissed or denied under a Trump administration policy that forced them to wait in Mexico for their court hearings will be allowed to return for another chance at humanitarian protection, the Homeland Security Department said Tuesday. Registration begins Wednesday for asylum-seekers...
