Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1136
Olympic sensation Simone Biles to perform in Pittsburgh
Three months after she is expected to add to her record medal haul at the Tokyo Olympics, gymnastics phenomenon Simone Biles will visit PPG Paints Arena. Biles, who with 30 medals at the Olympics and World Championships is the most decorated American gymnast in history, will headline the Gold Over...
48 dogs rescued from unsanitary conditions in Whitehall home
Four dozen dogs living in unsanitary conditions in a Whitehall home have been rescued by a local animal shelter. Neighbors at a home along Brownsville Road called police on Monday because of the stench wafting from the property, said Cody Hoellerman, chief community engagement officer for the Animal Friends shelter...
Police seek suspects in Mt. Oliver homicide
The Allegheny County Police homicide unit and Mt. Oliver police are seeking assistance in identifying the suspects in the May 19 shooting death of a man and the wounding of two others. Police on Thursday released a video of the suspects just prior to the shooting at 12:12 a.m. May...
Fugitive extradited from Israel to Pittsburgh stands trial on rape charges
An Israeli man who fled criminal charges that he raped a teenage girl at a Dormont tanning salon in 2004 is standing trial this week. Moshe Journo, 55, was extradited back to the United States from Israel in 2019 and pleaded guilty in December of that year to aggravated indecent...
Police: Pittsburgh woman hit 100 mph in deadly DUI crash on Route 51
A North Side woman reached speeds of over 100 mph in the seconds before she lost control of her car on Route 51 in February, critically injuring herself and killing her cousin, according to newly filed homicide charges. Allison Matthew, 27, is charged with homicide by vehicle and homicide by...
GOP offers $928B on infrastructure, funded with covid aidVideo
WASHINGTON — Republican senators outlined a $928 billion infrastructure proposal Thursday that would tap unused coronavirus aid, a counteroffer to President Joe Biden’s more sweeping plan as the two sides struggle to negotiate a bipartisan compromise and remain far apart on how to pay for the massive spending. The Republican...
Blue Angels’ super-sized jets arrive early for drive-in airshow at Arnold Palmer RegionalVideo
Members of the Blue Angels Navy jet demonstration team are “chomping at the bit” to perform high-flying maneuvers for spectators after the covid-19 pandemic scaled back last year’s air show season to less elaborate flyovers. This weekend, they will celebrate their 75th anniversary of thrilling crowds by bringing a full...
2 former Allegheny County constables plead guilty to theft, fraud
Two constables pleaded guilty to criminal charges Thursday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Anthony Cioppa, 49, of Wilkins, was charged in five separate cases, accused of abusing his position as a constable to take money from people involved in the criminal justice system. In addition, Cioppa and another constable,...
Country-themed bar set to open at Live! Casino Pittsburgh in June
A new country-themed bar is set to open at Live! Casino Pittsburgh next month. PBR Pittsburgh will open June 11 at the Hempfield-based casino as part of a second wave of openings. Located next to Sports & Social Steel City in the casino at Westmoreland Mall, the 4,560-square-foot bar will...
Pittsburgh Public Schools form committee to advise board about $100M federal covid cash
Parents, teacher, administrators and other Pittsburgh Public Schools leaders will advise the school board as it decides how to allocate more than $100 million in new federal coronavirus recovery money that’s coming to the district. The school board on Wednesday approved forming a 21-member Public Stakeholder Advisory Committee to provide...
Turnpike officials expect Memorial Day traffic to nearly double from last year
What a difference a year makes. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission project traffic on the toll highway over the Memorial Day holiday will almost double to 2.1 million motorists compared to 2020, when travelling options were severely impacted by shutdowns and safety concerns due to the coronavirus pandemic. The agency anticipates...
As covid vaccinations continue, Pennsylvania and Allegheny, Westmoreland counties see fewer cases
After Pennsylvania passed a mark Wednesday with more than 70% of adults having at least one dose of a covid vaccine, Alison Beam, Pennsylvania Department of Health Acting Secretary, announced Thursday morning that the state’s mask order will be lifted by June 28. Officials, who had said that the state’s...
Jeannette man accused in Hempfield drug overdose death
A Jeannette man is behind bars after state police said he sold heroin and fentanyl to a man who died of an overdose last year, according to court papers. Rick Paul Petros, 52, formerly of Florida, was arrested Thursday on charges of drug delivery resulting in death and drug offenses....
Greensburg’s Oliver’s Pourhouse back in business after 14-month closure
Tim Zontek was a regular at Oliver’s Pourhouse before the pandemic shutdown. The Mt. Pleasant resident was seated at the bar of the downtown Greensburg eatery on Wednesday, a day after its reopening. “It’s good to have them reopen,” he said. “They’re good people, and they have the best sandwiches...
Pennsylvania will lift mask mandate by June 28 at latest
Pennsylvania’s mask mandate will be lifted no later than June 28, Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said Thursday. Gov. Tom Wolf earlier this month set a benchmark for the state: 70% of adults fully vaccinated. Beam said if the state reaches that threshold before June 28, the mask mandate...
Rock on: WDVE’s Memorial Day 500 has begun
In Pittsburgh, it’s the unofficial start of summer — not just the Memorial Day holiday weekend but the accompanying WDVE radio countdown of 500 classic rock tunes. The station calls it “The Memorial Day 500,” and it’s beloved by fans throughout Western Pennsylvania. “Yes, we are doing the countdown again,...
U.S. jobless claims fall to 406,000, a new pandemic low
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits dropped last week to 406,000, a new pandemic low and more evidence that the job market is strengthening as the virus wanes and economy further reopens. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that applications declined 38,000 from 444,000 a week...
GOP set to block Jan. 6 commission, stoking Senate filibuster fight
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans are ready to deploy the filibuster to block a commission on the Jan. 6 insurrection, shattering hopes for a bipartisan probe of the deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol and reviving pressure on Democrats to do away with the procedural tactic that critics say has lost...
Shoppers go back to stores, but retailers face challenges
NEW YORK — Americans are going back to one of their favorite past times: store shopping. With more people getting vaccinated and dropping their face masks, retailers from Walmart to Macy’s are seeing an eager return to their stores after more than a year of their customers migrating online during...
New housing development proposed in Bethel Park
A 65-unit townhouse development has been proposed in Bethel Park. Penn Cove Group Capital would like to develop the properties off of Hamilton and Baptist roads in what is proposed as The Enclave at Cool Springs. It is unclear how big the homes would be or how much they may...
Penn Hills property owners could see about 1.35% tax hike for next school yearVideo
Penn Hills property owners should expect to pay a little more in school real estate taxes. The school directors voted 7-2 Wednesday night to advertise the district’s preliminary 2021-22 spending plan with a 0.4-mill tax hike, which is an increase of about 1.35%. It equates to a property owner with...
Pittsburgh police arrest suspect in Downtown bank robbery
Pittsburgh police have arrested man in connection with a Downtown bank robbery Wednesday afternoon. Dante Engram, 33, address unknown, was arrested following the robbery, reported around noon on the 900 block of Fifth Avenue. A witness told police a man had walked into the bank with a note, then left...
As some Hill District residents remain skeptical, URA to vote on plans for Civic Arena site
The team behind the plans to redevelop the former Civic Arena site in Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District made their case again Wednesday as the long-awaited project awaits further regulatory approvals, this time to the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority. The URA board will vote on the plans when it meets at...
Body of Punxsutawney man who had been missing in Gilpin found in Allegheny River
The body of a Punxsutawney man missing since Saturday in Gilpin was found Wednesday afternoon in the Allegheny River, according to the Armstrong County coroner. Coroner Brian Myers confirmed that the body of Nathan “Nate” Lauer, 38, of Punxsutawney, was found near the same area he was reported missing over...
Strong storm causes damage, outages; Memorial Day forecast calls for more rain
Rain and cool temperatures may put a damper on the first half of Memorial Day weekend, but bad weather wasn’t waiting for the holiday to rear its ugly head. A strong storm system moving through the region Wednesday evening downed trees and electrical wires and caused power outages. The National...
