Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1263
Greensburg infant’s brief life honored with random acts of kindness
In January, the brief life of a Greensburg infant led to an outpouring of love and support to his bereaved parents. This year on the date of his birth and death, Jan. 6, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region is honoring his memory with Willie’s Random Acts of...
Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle buys Michael Jackson’s Neverland ranch for $22 million
Peter Pan still hasn’t grown up, but Neverland has finally sold. Michael Jackson’s famous 2,700-acre Southern California ranch sold for $22 million to billionaire Ron Burkle, The Wall Street Journal reported. Burkle, who Forbes estimates is worth $1.5 billion, was a friend of Jackson who helped manage his money in...
Trump golfs in Florida as covid relief hangs in the balance
PALM BEACH — After tossing a grenade that threatens to blow up a massive covid relief and government funding bill and force a government shutdown in the midst of a pandemic, President Donald Trump spent his Christmas Eve golfing in Florida. Failure to agree on the bill could deny checks...
Ohio police chief urges officer who shot Black man be fired
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The police chief of Columbus, Ohio, recommended on Thursday that the officer who shot and killed Andre Hill, a 47-year-old Black man, earlier this week be fired. Police Chief Thomas Quinlan said in a statement that he filed two departmental charges alleging critical misconduct against officer Adam...
Jason Mraz to headline Rock, Reggae & Relief benefit concertVideo
There is hope that live music is coming back in 2021. Rock, Reggae & Relief, a festival benefiting hospitality workers and food insecurity, has announced a lineup of artists. It’s scheduled for Aug. 28. “We feel safe that, by then, most people will have taken the (covid) vaccine, and it’s...
U.S. military confirms pandemic won’t sideline Santa Claus
DENVER — The U.S. military is tracking an elderly man with a white beard and a large belly who goes by the name of Saint Nicholas. There’s no reason for alarm though, Air Force Gen. Glen D. VanHerck said. In fact, this is a Christmas tradition going on its 65th...
Dog training, day care continue after Bruce Ringer, ‘dog whisperer of Tarentum,’ dies
Bruce D. Ringer’s love of dogs and his wife were manifest, and not surprisingly intertwined. The longtime, legendary dog trainer, Ringer, 63, of Tarentum, died of colon cancer on Dec. 20. He was a dog trainer for more than 35 years and opened the first doggie day care in Allegheny...
Dark days: Experts fear the holidays will fuel the U.S. crisis
LOS ANGELES — Hard-hit California eclipsed 2 million coronavirus cases on Christmas Eve as the U.S. headed into a holiday season of travel and family gatherings that threaten to fuel the deadly outbreak across the nation. Despite warnings from public health experts to stay home, over 1.19 million travelers passed...
Judge in Pa. rejects restaurants’ challenge of Wolf’s indoor dining ban
HARRISBURG — A federal judge in Pennsylvania has rejected a bid to block one of Gov. Tom Wolf’s latest orders to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus, a three-week shutdown of indoor dining at restaurants through Jan. 4, as Wolf went to court to sue restaurants defying the...
Trading Josh Bell to Nationals is first major move in offseason of rebuilding for Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates once coveted Josh Bell’s bat so much they took the risk of drafting the slugger in the second round and signing him to a record $5 million bonus to convince him to skip college. Bell became the face of the franchise, both for hitting majestic home runs...
For 31st straight year, Hempfield supervisors approve budget with no tax increase
Hempfield supervisors unanimously approved a $13.5 million budget that does not raise real estate taxes for the 31st consecutive year. The approval, which took place at Monday’s meeting, came after months of cutbacks and planning to make up for lost expenses because of the coronavirus pandemic. Revenue streams such as...
Pennsylvania’s covid surge eases a bit as Christmas arrives
When a surge of new cases hit Pennsylvania in early December, it ratcheted up the state’s average daily case count to over 10,000. Over the past week, that surge seems to have eased slightly. The trend continued on the day before Christmas. With 9,230 new covid-19 cases announced by the...
Time almost up for some unemployed workers to apply for extra $300
People who were fully or partially unemployed for six weeks in August and September because of covid-19 are running out of time to apply for extra aid. Eligible individuals could receive up to $300 a week in extra jobless benefits, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency will close the application...
Westmoreland County covid cases continue downward trend
With 368 new cases of covid-19 announced Thursday, Westmoreland County continues to bend the average downward. The Pennsylvania Department of Health’s latest report shows the county is seeing 30% fewer new cases than a week ago. Over the past seven days, Westmoreland has registered 2,229 cases, as opposed to 3,176...
Mt. Lebanon couple donates $1 million to UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Research Institute
Terri Bone remembered calling the neonatal intensive care unit from her hospital room to check on her newborn daughter. “The nurse told me, ‘she stopped breathing last night, but she is OK,’ ” said Bone. “ ‘Premature babies do that sometimes.’ ” After 10 days in the NICU at what...
Checkpoint shields installed to boost covid-19 protection at Arnold Palmer airport
Acrylic shields are in place at the security checkpoint at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport as an added measure to help prevent the spread of covid-19. Installed the week of Dec. 18, the shields are meant to provide enhanced protection for passengers boarding Spirit Airlines flights and Transportation Security Administration officers...
Allegheny County seeing nearly 20% fewer new covid cases than a week ago
Despite a steady day-to-day increase in new covid-19 cases this week, Allegheny County is still seeing 19% fewer new cases than at this time last week. On the day before Christmas, the Health Department reported 912 new cases — 630 confirmed through 1,958 PCR tests, conducted from Nov. 30 through...
Cue the bald eagles: Webcams are streaming live for breeding season
Anticipating visits and “nestorations” by bald eagle couples at the beginning of their breeding season, two webcams have gone live and are ready for the action. The Pittsburgh bald eagle webcam in Pittsburgh’s Hays section has been live all year with sporadic reports and a recent uptick of the birds’...
House Republicans block $2,000 virus checks despite Trump demand
WASHINGTON — House Republicans shot down a Democratic bid on Thursday to pass President Donald Trump’s longshot, end-of-session demand for $2,000 direct payments to most Americans before signing a long-overdue covid-19 relief bill. The made-for-TV clash came as the Democratic-controlled chamber convened for a pro forma session scheduled in anticipation...
Bettis and others say Steelers can still pull out of their funk, but it won’t be easy
Just a few weeks ago, Steelers fans were wondering if their undefeated team would lose a game this season. Now, the question is, will the Steelers win another game this season? After three straight losses following its 11-0 start, this team is looking like it has forgotten how to play...
U.K., EU reach post-Brexit trade deal
BRUSSELS — Britain and the European Union have struck a provisional free-trade agreement that should avert New Year’s chaos for cross-border commerce and bring a measure of certainty to businesses after years of Brexit turmoil. The breakthrough came Thursday with just over a week to go until the U.K.’s split...
Christmas Eve sermons will be different this year
It’s a challenge pastors often face, but it never has been more conspicuous than after a year like 2020. What inspiring words can church leaders possibly say during Christmas Eve services after so much death and disappointment? Even though the long-awaited end of 2020 is coming, what about the beginning...
White Christmas is coming, but so is freezing rain
Consider Thursday’s mild temperatures the calm before the storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for much of Western Pennsylvania with a forecast of snow and plunging temperatures. The advisory runs from 7 p.m. through 1 p.m. Friday and calls for temperatures to drop from today’s...
Power restored after wreck shears pole, closes road in Penn Hills
A multi-vehicle crash sheared a utility pole and brought down wires Wednesday night, closing a section of Universal Road in Penn Hills. The wreck was reported at about 8:45 p.m. and closed Universal between Stotler Road and North Joslyn Drive, according to Allegheny County officials. Penn Hills: Multi-vehicle crash with...
‘Historic milestone’: 1 million Americans have received a covid vaccine, CDC saysVideo
More than 1 million Americans have received their first doses of a covid-19 shot across the country since federal officials authorized two vaccines for emergency use, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. CDC Director Robert Redfield called it an “early but important milestone” in a media statement. “With...
