Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1226
Family launches online petition to make Verona police cars more identifiable
Zachary Rutherford loves police and plans to get into law enforcement when he gets older. “They can help people, and it’s like a cool job,” said Zachary, 11. It is because of that admiration and respect that he wants people to know when officers, or at least their vehicles, are...
New Mexico State Police say officer shot, killed on highway
DEMING, N.M. — A New Mexico State Police officer was fatally shot on a highway Thursday and authorities chased the attacker, killing him in a shootout, officials said. State Police said one of its officers was shot in Luna County between Las Cruces and Deming in a confrontation along Interstate...
Latrobe therapist ordered to trial on charges of rape, sexual assault, corruption of minorsVideo
Eight former female clients of a Latrobe mental health therapist said in court Thursday they were harassed, sometimes groped and offered cash and drugs in return for nude photographs during counseling sessions. One former client, now 29, described in a preliminary hearing before Unity District Judge Michael Mahady how, as...
Dem-led House, drawing a line, kicks Greene off committees
WASHINGTON — A fiercely divided House tossed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene off both her committees Thursday, an unprecedented punishment that Democrats said she’d earned by spreading hateful and violent conspiracy theories. Underscoring the political vise her inflammatory commentary has clamped her party into, nearly all Republicans voted against the Democratic...
Some Western Pa. Sam’s Club pharmacies to begin offering covid-19 vaccines
Walmart and Sam’s Club will begin offering covid-19 vaccines at select pharmacies beginning next week. Four local Sam’s Club stores — located in Hempfield, Monroeville, Trinity Point and West Mifflin — are among participating locations. Select locations in 22 states are slated to begin administering the vaccines through the Federal...
Johnson & Johnson asks U.S. regulators to OK its one-shot covid-19 vaccine
Johnson & Johnson asked U.S. regulators Thursday to clear the world’s first single-dose covid-19 vaccine, an easier-to-use option that could boost scarce supplies. J&J’s vaccine was safe and offered strong protection against moderate to severe covid-19, according to preliminary results from a massive international study. It didn’t appear quite as...
City Brewing in Latrobe pondering next move after losing Iron City accountVideo
The Latrobe brewery once home to Rolling Rock beer in its classic green bottles is poised to lose another iconic local brew: Iron City Beer. Pittsburgh Brewing Co. announced plans to make its popular lager at a former glass plant in East Deer. The company revealed late Wednesday it will...
Kentucky man, living in Fayette County, arrested as part of Capitol attack
A Kentucky man who was living in Uniontown was arrested Thursday and accused of spraying officers with mace during the attack on the Capitol last month. Peter Schwartz, 47, is charged with four counts, including forcible assault on an officer; two counts of knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful...
Agents visit Mercer County home of pink hat woman pictured at Capitol riot
SANDY LAKE — Federal agents on Thursday were at the Mercer County home of a woman who told a magazine this week she was at the U.S. Capitol last month during the riot by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, a TV station reported. WKBN-TV said investigators were conducting court-authorized activity...
Lawmakers consider fast-track plan for abuse lawsuit window
HARRISBURG — A bid to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to give victims of child sexual abuse a new legal window to sue over otherwise time-barred allegations got new life Thursday, days after the disclosure of a paperwork error threw it into disarray. Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, told colleagues during a...
Pa. lawmakers’ spending jumps, reserves grow during pandemic as deficit ballooned
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Legislature’s spending grew by more than 8% last year, adding some $28 million to its own reserves as the state’s deficit ballooned and many residents struggled to pay bills during the pandemic. The Legislative Audit Advisory Commission on Thursday voted without debate to approve the legislative...
Gov. Wolf defends funding plan for public education
Gov. Tom Wolf doubled down on his proposal for major funding increases for public education, joining others on Thursday to lay out additional details for improving equity across Pennsylvania. “Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unfair to students, teachers and communities,” Wolf said during a virtual press briefing. Wolf on Wednesday...
Allegheny County Police Superintendent McDonough to retire
The head of the Allegheny County Police Department will retire at the end of March, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said Thursday. Coleman McDonough, who has led the 225-person department as superintendent since 2016, is set to retire. Assistant Superintendent Chris Kearns will take over, Fitzgerald announced. McDonough, 65, called...
Adviser: Trump won’t testify in Senate impeachment trial
WASHINGTON — House Democrats on Thursday asked Donald Trump to testify under oath for his Senate impeachment trial, challenging the former president to respond to their charge that he incited a violent mob to storm the Capitol. In a response, a Trump adviser said Trump won’t testify. The request in...
Covid hospitalizations in Pa. continue to fall
The number of people in Pennsylvania hospitalized because of the coronavirus continues to fall. The state Department of Health on Thursday reported 3,138 people were being treated for covid-19 in hospitals, 86 fewer than the day before. It marked the 14th day out of the past 15 that the number...
Westmoreland County crosses 25,000 mark for covid cases
Westmoreland County on Thursday eclipsed the 25,000 mark for coronavirus cases, but the signs of a slowdown continue. The county reported 70 additional cases of covid-19 and three additional deaths attributed to the virus, according to the latest data available from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county reported 25,068...
Allegheny County reports 1 additional covid death as signs of virus leveling off continue
Allegheny County on Thursday reported one additional death attributed to the coronavirus — a day after reporting nearly three dozen. Meanwhile, the number of newly reported coronavirus cases in the county mostly held steady. The county added 313 covid-19 cases to its tally, according to the latest data available from...
Scams, high demand shut down Allegheny County phone lines for vaccine appointments
A phone line meant to help seniors and those without internet access set up covid-19 vaccination appointments lasted less than four hours Thursday before appointments were full — but it was long enough for scammers to begin intercepting calls and asking for money, according to Allegheny County officials. Beginning at...
Crack’d Egg owner vows to ‘keep up the good fight’ after court loss
The owner of the Brentwood restaurant ordered to comply with covid-19 masking orders said in a Facebook Live video Wednesday night that “it is not over by a long shot.” Kimberly Waigand told those watching that she was not backing down, but she would not break the law. “We’re going...
U.S. unemployment claims fall to 779,000 but job cuts grind on
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits declined to 779,000 last week, a still-historically high total that shows that a sizable number of people keep losing jobs to the viral pandemic. Last week’s total dropped from 812,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday, and is the...
Sitting over $10 billion, Roman Catholic dioceses amassed taxpayer aid during pandemic
When the coronavirus forced churches to close their doors and give up Sunday collections, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte turned to the federal government’s signature small business relief program for more than $8 million. The diocese’s headquarters, churches and schools landed the help even though they had roughly $100...
Man arrested after police say he brought handgun into Hempfield casino
A Greensburg man was charged Tuesday with carrying a handgun into Live! Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield without a valid conceal carry permit, according to state police. Kenneth John Czarnecki, 21, is free on his own recognizance on a weapons charge, according to online court records. Troopers said Czarnecki was banned...
Burgettstown man faces homicide charges, accused of beating 3-year-old boy who later died
Police have filed homicide charges against a Burgettstown man in connection with the alleged beating death of a 3-year-old boy in Coraopolis. Aiden Lombardi was pronounced dead late Wednesday night, according to a report from the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. The office indicated he died from head trauma, and...
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s ‘Spread The Love’ campaign to provide money vouchers to customers
A campaign by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership gives hotel guests $100 in vouchers when they check in that can be redeemed on matched purchases at 15 hotels, 30 restaurants and 24 retailers in the city. The campaign is called “Spread The Love.” The list can be found here. “If you’re...
Pittsburgh Brewing Co. to build brewery at former PPG glass plant in East Deer
A former glass plant that was once the cornerstone of East Deer’s economy soon will be the new home of Iron City Beer, according to Pittsburgh Brewing Co. The company plans to move its production to a new brewery on the site by next year. Almost 200 people lost their...
