Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1562
State Rep. Joseph Petrarca to hold 2 free concealed carry events
State Rep. Joseph Petrarca, D-Washington Township, will hold two free concealed-carry events to ensure 55th District residents are aware of their Second Amendment rights. The informational events will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 30 at Huber Hall in Latrobe and Feb. 6 at the West Leechburg Fire...
Verona cop arrested on charges he had sex with 16-year-old boy
A Verona police officer was arrested Wednesday on charges that he shared nude photos with and performed a sex act on a 16-year-old boy, according to Allegheny County police. The boy told police he met Anthony David Ogline, 34, of Verona, through the online dating app Grindr about three months...
Pitt cyber institute starts task force to study big data tools used by city, county
A new collaboration spearheaded by the University of Pittsburgh’s cyber institute aims to help governments address the challenge of minimizing bias in data tools using algorithms and artificial intelligence. The newly formed Pittsburgh Task Force on Public Algorithms was announced Wednesday morning and includes participation from Pittsburgh and Allegheny County...
3rd juror is dismissed in Wilkinsburg mass shooting case; jury selection enters Day 13
Another juror who had been selected to hear the 2016 Wilkinsburg mass shooting case was dismissed Wednesday, making her the third seated juror to be excused or dismissed before jury selection is even complete. The woman, who was set to be juror No. 12, failed to disclose her friendship with...
Driver killed when car crashes into Port Authority bus on McKnight Road
A Pittsburgh man died Wednesday after crashing into the back of a Port Authority bus along McKnight Road, authorities said. Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim Wednesday night as Anthony Diulus, 50. Allegheny County dispatchers said the incident occurred around 3:45 p.m. near the East Arcadia Drive intersection...
Pittsburgh spending $2.6 million on landslide repairs
Pittsburgh officials on Wednesday announced the start of work on two landslides threatening streets in the West End and Squirrel Hill and said construction was progressing on two others in the North Side and Oakland. The four landslides are costing the city an estimated $2.6 million. Karina Ricks, executive director...
Fire marshal can’t rule out arson in blaze that destroyed Freeport home
A state police fire marshal said he can’t rule out arson as the cause for a fire that destroyed a Freeport home last weekend. The single-story, ranch-style house at 165 Washington St. was being renovated after it was damaged in another fire four months ago. The home caught fire again...
Former Highlands principal’s federal lawsuit going to mediation
A former Highlands School District principal’s federal lawsuit against the district is going into mediation, according to court records. Attorneys for the school district and Heather Bigney have agreed to evenly share the costs of mediation. Bigney resigned as principal of Highlands Early Childhood Center in October 2019 . She...
PNC Park undergoing $1.9M seat rehab ahead of 2020 Pirates seasonVideo
As the Pirates gear up for the annual PiratesFest event this weekend, workers are preparing PNC Park for the upcoming season with a $1.9 million seating rehab. The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, which owns the stadium, last year approved the replacement of bottoms, backs and...
Speculation grows about Pennsylvania House speaker Mike Turzai’s future
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai, the most prominent fiscal and social conservative in state government, will hold a news conference Thursday amid speculation in the Capitol this week that he will leave the powerful office after five years. Turzai had repeatedly declined to comment this week on questions...
Dairy facilities in Allegheny County get milk money from new state grant program
Two dairy facilities in Allegheny County are slated to receive nearly $400,000 in total grant funding as part of a statewide dairy investment program, Sen. Jay Costa Jr. announced on Wednesday. Turner Dairy Farms in Penn Hills will receive the bulk of the funds — $334,282 — to increase its...
Chinese city stops outbound flights, trains to fight virus
BEIJING — The Chinese city of Wuhan shut down outbound flights and trains as the world’s most populous country battled the spread of a new virus that has sickened hundreds of people and killed 17, Chinese state media said early Thursday. The state-owned People’s Daily newspaper said no one would...
U.N. experts: Jeff Bezos phone hack shows link to Saudi prince
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The phone of Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos was hacked after receiving a file sent from an account used by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, United Nations experts said Wednesday. The two experts called for an “immediate investigation” by the United...
Study ranks Pittsburgh 5th best city for STEM professionals
The Pittsburgh metro area has been identified as one of the best markets in the country for people who work in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. The personal finance website WalletHub on Wednesday released results of a new study that has Pittsburgh ranked fifth overall, ahead of such...
Florida woman arrested at Pittsburgh airport checkpoint with stolen gun
A Florida woman was arrested after she was caught with a stolen handgun in her carry-on bag at the Pittsburgh International Airport, according to TSA. Diana Lynn Askew, 53, of Plantation, Fla., had a loaded .38 caliber handgun, police said. TSA officers on Monday detected the weapon at the airport...
Authorities investigating after 2 children found unresponsive in Wilkinsburg home
Two 5-year-olds were hospitalized Wednesday, and Allegheny County police are investigating why after the Wilkinsburg home they were found inside tested negative for carbon monoxide. Wilkinsburg police and Pittsburgh firefighters were called at 7:35 a.m. to the home in the 1100 block of Franklin Avenue for suspected carbon monoxide poisoning....
Caliente Pizza to open restaurant in Green Tree
Caliente Pizza & Draft House will open a new location in Green Tree this spring. Locally owned and operated, the Green Tree spot is Caliente’s sixth since opening in Bloomfield less than eight years ago. The 6,500-square-foot space is near the intersection of Mansfield Avenue and Noblestown Road, not far...
Legume Bistro in Oakland to close for a rebrand
Family-owned Legume Bistro, once a pioneer in Pittsburgh’s farm-to-table dining scene, is closing at the end of February. But the restaurant plans to reopen after retooling into something new. “It is with a mix of sadness, relief, and excitement that we announce Legume’s last service will be on February 29th,...
Robert Morris offers tuition breaks to 105,000 FedEx Ground workers
Robert Morris University is staking another claim in the increasingly competitive world of higher education, where government officials are encouraging colleges to tailor offerings to workforce needs. Officials at the private university located in Moon inked an agreement to provide tuition discounts to some 105,000 eligible FedEx Ground employees in...
A DUI in Pennsylvania could cost you your Second Amendment rights
A drunken driving conviction could mean losing the right to buy and own firearms in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Court of Appeals has decided. The precedent-setting opinion handed down Friday hinges on the federal government’s definition of a “serious crime” — the level a crime must reach to trigger an individual...
Trump lauds U.S. economy at Davos forum, slams impeachment
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — President Donald Trump is leaving the World Economic Forum in Switzerland with bullish talk on the American economy and lashing out at his Senate impeachment trial back in Washington. Trump called a surprise news conference Wednesday to mark a “tremendous two days” at the glitzy summit...
Awake? Senators struggle to stay focused on impeachment
WASHINGTON — Adam Schiff was still speaking — about witnesses, documents, future presidents and the impeachment of President Donald Trump. He’d said it all before, but five hours into the Senate trial, Schiff, the lead prosecutor, was saying it again. Suddenly, from the Republican side, Sen. James Risch of Idaho...
Rules set, Senate to hear case for pulling Trump from officeVideo
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate was poised to hear opening arguments Wednesday in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, with Democratic House managers set to make their case that Trump abused power and should be removed from office. After late-night deliberations over the rules that will govern the process, the trial...
New report shows liberal arts education has a higher return on investment
A new report shows that a private, liberal arts education may have a better return on investment than attending a public university — but it will take some time. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce found that bachelor’s degrees from private colleges typically have a higher return than...
Rate of new flu cases slows in Western Pennsylvania
Confirmed cases of the flu in Western Pennsylvania increased at a slower rate last week than in either of the previous two weeks, according to state Department of Health data. “While it is far too early to say that flu season has peaked, we have seen fewer cases over the...
