Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1582
DJ Don Imus, made and betrayed by his mouth, dead at 79
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Disc jockey Don Imus, whose career was made and then undone by his acid tongue during a decades-long rise to radio stardom and an abrupt public plunge after a nationally broadcast racial slur, has died. He was 79. Imus died Friday morning at Baylor Scott and...
Giant Eagle, Dollar General scramble to alert customers under 21 they can’t buy cigarettes, chew, vapes
Western Pennsylvania shoppers soon will spot signs popping up inside Giant Eagle grocery stores and GetGo gas stations alerting everyone to a new federal rule: People under 21 are barred from buying any tobacco products or vapes with liquid nicotine. “As a responsible retailer, Giant Eagle, Inc. takes seriously its...
Pittsburgh Public Schools taxes going up
Pittsburgh Public Schools property taxes will be going up, but the planned increase is half the 2.3% hike initially sought. The new rate of 9.95 mills was approved by a 6-3 vote after two hours of sometimes-heated debate among the nine board members. The board put itself in an unusual...
Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls increasing for 12th straight year
Motorists using the Pennsylvania Turnpike will pay more in tolls starting Jan. 5, marking the 12th straight year the Turnpike Commission has raised prices to help it cover state-mandated payments to PennDOT. The commission said tolls are going up 6% next year, but they’re actually increasing more because the commission...
Fire knocks out Comcast service in at least East Deer, Springdale, New Kensington
The fire that quickly consumed a home in East Deer and damaged two others has also burned through Comcast lines in the area, affecting service that was not restored until after 10 p.m. “This fire burned fiber of ours. We just got access to the site 15 minutes ago,” Comcast...
Uber test track adds to developments planned around Pittsburgh airport
Uber’s proposed test track promising up to 200 jobs in Findlay Township is an example of exponential growth happening with near lightning speed around Pittsburgh International Airport, an official said Friday. Uber Technologies last week closed on a $9.5 million deal with Moon-based Imperial Land Corp. to purchase 600 acres...
Gander Outdoors closes Greensburg location
Less than two years after reopening under the Gander Outdoors name, the Greensburg location has permanently shut its doors. A sign reads: “It is with great regret that we announce the closing of Gander Outdoors of Greensburg, PA. We have enjoyed serving our customers in the community and sincerely apologize...
Attorneys for suspected Tree of Life gunman argue death penalty is unconstitutional
Attorneys for accused synagogue gunman Robert Bowers have made a familiar argument in cases where the defendant faces the federal death penalty. The death penalty is unconstitutional, Bowers’s attorneys stated in a flurry of court filings this week. Bowers is accused of gunning down 11 congregants inside the Tree of...
Pittsburgh planning tight security during New Year’s Eve First NightVideo
Streets in Downtown Pittsburgh will begin closing as early as 10 a.m. Tuesday in preparation for the city’s annual First Night celebration. Public Safety officials plan to have an army of police officers from the city, state, Allegheny County and Port Authority of Allegheny County on the streets and monitoring...
Health department: Air pollution in Mon Valley exceeded federal levels over Christmas
Air pollution in the Mon Valley exceeded federal standards over Christmas, the Allegheny County Health Department reported. Based on preliminary results, the air quality monitor in Liberty showed PM2.5 pollution above the federal threshold of 35 micrograms per cubic meter from Saturday through Wednesday, the health department said. PM2.5 refers...
‘Tough year’ for measles and other infectious diseases in U.S.
NEW YORK — This year, the germs roared back. Measles tripled. Hepatitis A mushroomed. A rare but deadly mosquito-borne disease increased. And that was just the United States. Globally, there was an explosion of measles in many countries, an unrelenting Ebola outbreak in Africa and a surge in dengue fever...
Fire spreads to 3 East Deer homes after pickup crashes into gas meter
An East Deer couple and four children narrowly escaped a roaring, natural gas-fueled blaze that started Friday morning when a pickup crashed into a gas meter in front of their home. Aaron Ciccanti and fiancée Andrea Small got the children, ages 4 to 8, to safety by smashing out a...
Handmade Arcade Winter Market debuts in Market Square
Handmade Arcade will extend the holiday shopping season, hosting its first open-air market in the Peoples Gas Holiday Market site in Pittsburgh’s Market Square. The winter market will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 28-31. The holiday market closed for the season on Dec. 23. According to Handmade...
Greensburg denies age discrimination in response to lawsuits
Greensburg officials said two former city employees were dismissed because of job performance, not their age, according to court filings in age discrimination lawsuits. Barbara Ciampini, 58, and Frank Lehman, 59, who respectively worked as planning director and recreation director, filed their federal lawsuits in October. The city finally filed...
Remains of 6 people found after Hawaii helicopter crashVideo
HONOLULU — The remains of six people have been found after a helicopter heading to one of the most rugged and remote coastlines in Hawaii crashed at the top of a mountain on the island of Kauai, authorities said. Officials said Friday that there are no indications of survivors and...
Hempfield Area band headed to London for New Year’s Day parade to be broadcast live
All those Hempfield Area band hoagie sales are finally paying off. High school band members leave Saturday for London to perform in its 2020 New Year’s Day parade after months of practices and intensive fundraising efforts. More than 150,000 hoagies were sold to raise money for the $640,000 trip, said...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Dec. 27-29
It’s the final weekend of 2019, and there’s plenty to do — from getting close up with a dinosaur to reconnecting with a childhood favorite. ‘Adventure’ time “Dinosaur Adventure,” a traveling exhibit, will make a stop at the Monroeville Convention Center from Friday through Sunday. It features 80 realistic dinosaurs...
5 things to do in and around Westmoreland County: Dec. 27-29Video
This whole week may have seemed like a weekend to some of us. Those lucky enough to wrap up school and work commitments early are probably ready for a little rest and relaxation after all of that partying and celebrating, right? Nah, its Friday. Maybe you’ve got house guests to...
2 rescued, 15 homeless after North Versailles apartment fire
Three people were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and 15 left homeless after a fire at Versailles Castle Apartments on Lincoln Highway in North Versailles, according to West Wilmerding Volunteer Fire Department Chief Merle Pusey The fire started around midnight. Two people were trapped on the second floor....
Man killed in Marshall Township crash with mail truck
A 53-year-old man was killed in a crash between an SUV and a tractor-trailer on Route 19 in Marshall Township early Friday morning, according to the Northern Regional Police Department. The tractor-trailer was carrying bulk mail. The SUV went under the mail truck, and the driver of the SUV was...
5 Pittsburgh schools among state’s highest in arrests, citations as security debate continues
Five Pittsburgh schools are among the top 25 in the state for arrests and citations, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The figures are fuel to the fiery debate over school security and police officers in the buildings. “I don’t believe there should be police presence in...
Unity woman touts importance, ease of donating stem cellsVideo
While attending a Goo Goo Dolls concert at the Palace Theater in 2016, Cassandra Nedelco of Unity didn’t think twice about getting her cheek swabbed at a booth run by nonprofit DKMS, an international group that seeks to match stem cell and bone marrow donors with patients in need. It...
Uber to open self-driving test track in Findlay Township
Months of speculation have come to an end after Uber Technologies announced the purchase of an almost 600-acre parcel in Findlay Township that will be used for a self-driving test track. Uber spokeswoman Sarah Abboud confirmed the purchase via email to the Tribune-Review, adding that she does not have “further...
Hockey game to raise awareness for suicide prevention at Deer Lakes School District
The Deer Lakes Hockey Club wants more people to be more aware of suicide and how it can be prevented. On Sunday, the club will host its inaugural Maura C. Rupprecht Alumni Hockey Game at the Frozen Pond Arena in Middlesex Township. All proceeds will be used to fund additional...
Man in critical condition after stabbing in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood
A man was rushed to the hospital Thursday after he was stabbed in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood, officials said. Emergency dispatchers received a report of the incident near Baum Boulevard and Morewood Avenue shortly before 5 p.m., an Allegheny County 911 shift commander said. Responding officers found a man with a...
