Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1159
Pa. State System moves ahead with mergers of 6 universities, including California, Clarion, Edinboro
Plans to consolidate six struggling state-owned universities into two mega schools with six campuses were approved for public comment Wednesday morning. The board of governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education voted to begin a 60-day comment period on a plan to consolidate and rename California, Clarion and...
Firefighters battle 2 house fires in Monessen
Multiple fire departments from Monessen and surrounding areas battled two working house fires on 9th Street in the city Wednesday, according to 911 dispatchers. The initial fire was reported just after 10 a.m., Westmoreland County dispatchers reported. The dispatcher said one home “was real close to the other house” and...
Tractor-trailer, train collide at Colfax Street crossing in Springdale
For the second time in less than a month, a freight train and a tractor-trailer collided Wednesday morning at the Colfax Street crossing in Springdale. The incident was reported at 8:43 a.m., an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher said. No injuries were reported. The flatbed, belonging to a third-party hauler, was...
Pasta food truck to sling spaghetti in Western Pa.Video
Peter Williams came up with a pasta pandemic idea: He decided to sling spaghetti from a food truck. The manager of the Wilkinsburg-based Revival Chili food truck spent his time at home experimenting with sauces. He started with a classic red sauce and from there created grilled chicken with artichoke...
Traffic starts to flow after crash on I-79 north near Warrendale exit
A crash involving multiple vehicles on Interstate 79 northbound backed traffic up for a couple hours, according to traffic cameras and maps. The crash was reported around 7:30 a.m. at mile marker 74.5 in Marshall, about 1 mile south of the Warrendale exit. A shoulder was closed. Traffic cameras showed...
‘Pink Hat Lady’ avoids jail after judge accepts apology over mesh mask
A Mercer County woman charged in the Capitol riot facing possible contempt for wearing a mesh mask at her work place will remain free pending trial. Rachel Powell, of Sandy Lake, apologized and provided an explanation for the mask flap. A judge on Tuesday accepted the explanation “The court is...
Find out why more than 1 million visit Ohiopyle State Park each year
One of the “must see” state parks for your bucket list is located in Fayette County. Ohiopyle State Park is a unique place to stay for a day or a week. It has everything that you could imagine being part of a natural resource. The park is a place where...
What alcohol did Pennsylvanians buy most in the past pandemic year?
This past year has been a really long decade. At least it sure felt like it. For some, nay many, a taste of alcohol provided some comfort. But what exactly has been the drink of choice for those in Pennsylvania over the past 12 months? One thing’s for sure: Pennsylvanians...
Abandoned vehicles targeted by Pittsburgh police in 5 neighborhoodsVideo
Seventeen abandoned vehicles were towed from the streets of five Pittsburgh neighborhoods Tuesday in the start of a weekslong effort to clear out such complaints, according to city police public information officer Cara Cruz. Officers investigated 124 abandoned vehicle complaints in the Allentown, Beltzhoover, Carrick, Arlington Heights and Knoxville neighborhoods....
Man killed in Beechview motorcycle crash
A Pittsburgh man was killed late Tuesday when a motorcycle crashed in Beechview, according to Pittsburgh police. The crash was reported at 11:55 p.m. in the 1400 block of West Liberty Avenue. When first responders arrived, the man was found lying in the road with a motorcycle nearby. Investigators said...
Pittsburgh man faces federal firearms charges after Perry North warrant raid
Pittsburgh police assisted federal agents over the weekend in serving a federal arrest warrant in the city’s Perry North neighborhood. Pittsburgh Police SWAT joined U.S. Marshals and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives in executing the warrant for Oronde Shelton, 48, in the 200 block of Waldorf Street....
Pittsburgh man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for child porn possession
A Pittsburgh man who plead guilty to possession of child pornography was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison. Krent Jeffrey Haight, 48, of Mt. Washington is expected to spend the next decade behind bars after the sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Cathy Bisson. Haight admitted guilt...
Bethel Park to remain at 4 days in-person learning the rest of the school year
Bethel Park School District students will remain on a four-day in-person schedule through the rest of this school year. School directors adopted a resolution solidifying that plan Tuesday night. It also authorizes the administration to start planning for five-day in-person learning at the start of next school year. Board President...
Pine-Richland taps former Brentwood school director now living in district to fill board vacancy
The Pine-Richland School Board on Tuesday selected a former Brentwood school director who moved into the district 1 1/2 years ago to fill a vacancy created when a school director resigned amid the recent community uproar over the district’s decision to fire its championship winning football coach. The board spent...
Allegheny County Council creates police review board
A divided Allegheny County Council on Tuesday approved creating an independent police review board. The board won’t be created until 2022 and it will only have jurisdiction over Allegheny County Police Department. Other municipalities with police departments in the county can opt-in to the board’s oversight, but that move would...
Democrats pressing Biden to go even bigger with families planVideo
Democratic lawmakers are clamoring to add to President Joe Biden’s package of social spending even before he rolls it out on Wednesday, risking a ballooning price tag and adding to the complications already facing the White House in getting it through Congress. From taxes to expanding Medicare to subsidizing child...
Man charged with duping Western Pennsylvanians in online puppy scam
A Cameroonian man has been extradited to Pittsburgh to answer charges that he was running an online scam purporting to sell puppies. Desmond Fodje Bobga had an initial appearance on the charges on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maureen Kelly. He is being held in the Allegheny County Jail and...
Pennsylvania’s ‘Move Over’ law now in effect for motorists
It’s a familiar situation for drivers: They see a stopped vehicle in the emergency lane on the right side of the road, with a police officer or first responder providing aid. For safety reasons, drivers in the right-hand lane have been encouraged to slow down or, ideally, to move to...
Western Pa. health experts: Relaxed mask rules ‘long overdue’
Health experts in Western Pennsylvania said it’s no surprise outdoor mask-wearing is no longer part of federal health guidance. From the beginning of the pandemic, data has shown outdoor transmission of covid-19 to be a rare event. “I think that this was a long overdue step, but it was completely...
Real ID deadline extended again
The Real ID has again been postponed — until 2023. On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced the extension of Real ID enforcement from Oct. 1, 2021, to May 3, 2023. The decision was based on “circumstances resulting from the ongoing covid-19 pandemic,” the DHS said in a statement....
Pittsburgh police release 2020 annual report; chief pledges transparency, accountability
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police released the department’s annual report on Tuesday, a 169-page document giving a breakdown of everything from the race and gender of the city’s victims and offenders to the number of lawsuits filed and settled against the department and individual officers. Chief Scott Schubert called 2020...
State Attorney General Josh Shapiro condemns Vandergrift police officer’s conduct
Pennsylvania’s top law enforcement official condemned Vandergrift police Officer William Moore’s conduct during a police call this month, saying the officer “should not be trusted” to carry out the duties of his job. Footage of the April 17 incident that started inside G&G Restaurant was taken by a Black patron...
Pittsburgh officials seek authority to set lower speed limits
Finding ways to get motorists to slow down on residential streets has been a longtime issue in Pittsburgh. City council members Tuesday took action to lobby for more authority to decrease speed limits in some neighborhoods. It’s something they’re not allowed to do under state law. “We know that slower...
ATI changes contract proposal following expiration of offer to United Steelworkers
As promised, Allegheny Technologies Inc. has changed its contract offer to the United Steelworkers after the striking union did not accept the company’s proposal by a Monday deadline. ATI had given the union until 5 p.m. Monday to accept the four-year offer made April 20 or else it would replace...
Pittsburgh council introduces legislation to help LGBTQIA+ businesses
Pittsburgh’s LGBTQIA+ business owners will be able to register on the city’s online procurement platform and will gain access to business development and trainings under legislation introduced Tuesday by city council members Erika Strassburger and Bruce Kraus. “This bill represents one more step in our march toward equity here in...
