Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1549
Local school districts asked to remove policies restricting religious liberties
Allegheny County school districts — including two in the North Hills and six others in the region — have been asked to change school policies that violate the constitutional right of students to freely express their religious beliefs, according to a nonprofit legal organization specializing in First Amendment issues. Five...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Feb. 7-9Video
From music to books to a lead-in to Valentine’s Day, this weekend offers plenty of local entertainment options. Here are some ways to give the boot to that mid-winter slump. Country star takes the stage Chris Janson is a platinum-selling recording artist, multi-instrumentalist and award-winning singer/songwriter. In a 7:30 p.m....
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Feb. 7-9Video
Yes, it snowed, but not enough to keep you from getting out and doing something fun this weekend in the city. Under it all The annual Cupid’s Undie Run is Saturday afternoon. Pittsburgh is one of several cities across the country to support those impacted by neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder...
South Side’s Le Petit Chocolat & Cafe to offer expanded menu
East Carson Street’s Le Petit Chocolat & Cafe will look a little different by the end of February, adding an oasis of healthful eating options to the indulgent South Side. Le Petit currently offers several health-conscious, quick-bite items, but the menu is about to expand to what the owners, Amanda...
‘Enjoy winter for once,’ meteorologist says as snow could change to rain by end of weekend
Western Pennsylvania received more than 3.5 inches of snow by early Friday afternoon, with more on the way. By 5 p.m., 4.8 inches of snow had fallen in Pittsburgh, setting a record-high for Feb. 7, with the day’s last biggest snowstorm dumping 4.5 inches in 1967, the National Weather Service...
Police: Man stabs self in Pittsburgh’s Market Square, blames someone else
A man stabbed himself in Pittsburgh’s Market Square Thursday afternoon, then initially told medics that someone else had done it, officials said. Pittsburgh police officers and medics responded to a report of a stabbing in the 20 block of Market Square at about 2:20 p.m., Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews...
Woman in critical condition after being struck by vehicle in Pittsburgh
A woman was transported to UPMC Mercy hospital in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle in Pittsburgh. City police said the incident took place around 1:50 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of Grant Street and Forbes Avenue. Forbes Avenue between Grant Street and Scrip Way was closed for...
Prosecutors contend video without sound still says a lot about Wilkinsburg mass shooting suspect
Though no audio played during an hour-long video recording of Cheron Shelton’s visit with his father at the Allegheny County Jail, Shelton’s body language appeared to convey a lot. In the beginning of the video shot April 6, 2016, his visit appears benign. About five minutes in, something shocks Shelton...
Western Pennsylvania could get 1 to 5 inches of snow early Friday
A storm set to strike Western Pennsylvania early Friday could bring as little as 1 inch and as much as 5 inches of snow, making for potentially difficult travel conditions during rush-hour commutes, officials warned Thursday. “The snow (Friday) might be heavy at times, especially during the morning rush hour,...
Nancy Pelosi defends speech-ripping as protesting ‘falsehoods’
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday defended her speech-ripping performance after President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address and took fresh aim at his fitness for office even as he celebrated his impeachment acquittal. “That was not a State of the Union,” Pelosi said. “That was his...
Allegheny County judge barred from hearing cases after alleged racist remark about juror
Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Mark Tranquilli has been barred from hearing cases, following accusations that he referred to a black female juror as “Aunt Jemima” in a conversation with attorneys on the case. President Judge Kim Berkley Clark issued the court order regarding Tranquilli on Thursday. The conversation took...
Judge in Wilkinsburg shooting case jails man accused of intimidating juror
The judge presiding over the 2016 Wilkinsburg mass shooting trial jailed a man Thursday morning who he said tried to intimidate a juror. Lonnie Jenkins, 37, will serve six months in jail for comments Judge Edward J. Borkowski said he made Wednesday while surveillance footage played in the trial of...
Homewood shooting victims’ families cry foul over DA’s ‘sweetheart deal’
An attorney who last week called for the Allegheny County district attorney’s resignation has re-upped those calls, citing more alleged misconduct and violations of the state Crime Victims Act. Paul Jubas represents the families of those injured in a 2015 vigil shooting in Homewood. He alleges they were never informed...
Cops: Penn Hills woman stopped on turnpike carrying 550 bricks of heroin
State police stopped a Penn Hills woman on Wednesday for driving erratically on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County. Soon, troopers reported that they discovered she was transporting a stash of heroin with a street value of more than $500,000. Sarena V. Howard, 34, was pulled over around 1:30 p.m....
Westmoreland housing authority starts inspections for bedbugs across countyVideo
Every unit in the 16 high-rise buildings under control of the Westmoreland County Housing Authority will be inspected as part of a new initiative to eradicate bedbugs, officials said this week. Private exterminators will use dogs to sniff out the presence of the biting insects that can cause nuisances to...
Preliminary NTSB report released in deadly Turnpike crashVideo
The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report about a deadly tour bus crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, but the investigation has a long way to go. The report adds little new information about what caused the bus to lose control when driving around a curve in Westmoreland County....
Suspect in Greensburg convenience store robbery apprehended
A Greensburg man accused of a convenience store robbery was arrested Wednesday, according to police. Tywone McClain Jr., 21, was arrested in Duquesne in connection with the robbery at Sheetz on Harvey Avenue, said Greensburg Police Detective Sgt. John Swank. McClain was arraigned Wednesday afternoon and lodged in the Westmoreland...
Monster Jam a family tradition for Grave Digger driver Krysten AndersonVideo
Monster Jam is a family tradition for Krysten Anderson. As the only daughter of Dennis Anderson, professional driver and creator of the iconic Grave Digger monster truck, Krysten is following in her father’s footsteps. The 22-year-old will be behind the wheel of Grave Digger when Monster Jam Triple Threat Series...
Voluntary fishing permits sell better than hoped; plans for funds revealedVideo
This worked out about as well as could have been expected. And maybe better. Late in 2018, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officials created four voluntary permits meant to raise funds for fish habitat work, research, angler surveys and more. They started marketing them earnestly early in 2019. One permit,...
Asia stocks surge after Trump acquitted, China virus aid
Asian stock markets surged Thursday after President Donald Trump was acquitted in an impeachment trial and China promised tax cuts and other help to businesses reeling from a virus outbreak. Tokyo’s market benchmark rose more than 2% and indexes in Shanghai, Seoul and Hong Kong also advanced. Oil prices gained....
Buttigieg clings to narrow lead as Iowa results trickle in
NEW YORK — Pete Buttigieg clung to a slight lead over Bernie Sanders in a new batch of vote totals released by the Iowa Democratic Party on Wednesday, two days after the state hosted its first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. But the race remained too early to call with 96% of precincts...
Pittsburgh police: Cab passenger shot in Bedford Dwellings
A passenger on a Z-Trip ride was taken to the hospital in critical condition Wednesday evening after a shooting, according to Pittsburgh police spokesman Maurice Matthews. Officers responded to the 3900 block of Bigelow Boulevard shortly after 7 p.m. after receiving 911 calls that a man had been shot. According...
Saltsburg man guilty of selling fatal batch of fentanyl-laced heroin
A Westmoreland County jury on Wednesday convicted the Indiana County man prosecutors said sold fentanyl-laced heroin that killed a 38-year-old mother in December 2016. After more than five hours of deliberations jurors found Dylan Blair, 23, of Saltsburg guilty of a felony count of drug delivery resulting in death and...
Kirk Douglas, ‘Spartacus’ star who helped end Hollywood blacklist, dead at 103Video
LOS ANGELES — Kirk Douglas, the dimple-chinned screen icon who was known for bringing an explosive, clenched-jawed intensity to a memorable array of heroes and heels in films such as “Spartacus” and “Champion” and for playing an off-screen role as a maverick independent producer who helped end the Hollywood blacklist,...
Pa. Republicans rejoice in President Trump’s acquittal on impeachment charges, ‘failed political hit job’
Pennsylvania’s Republican congressmen rejoiced following Wednesday’s acquittal of President Trump on both impeachment charges. U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah was the sole Republican to join Democrats in finding Trump guilty of abusing his powers, a charge that was rejected, 48-52. On obstructing Congress, all 53 Republicans voted not guilty....
