Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1602
Petition wants to bring back giant rubber duck in honor of Steelers’ Devlin Hodges
Welp, it looks like Pittsburgh has a new cult hero in Devlin “Duck” Hodges. The third-string quarterback, who didn’t even make the final cut for the season but has recently been named a starter, is loved by some yinzers so much that they are calling for the 40-foot inflatable rubber...
Terrelle Pryor says he ‘stared death in the eye’ in hospital after stabbing
Terrelle Pryor declared he “was coded twice” before medical personnel brought him back to life while tending to the injuries he sustained from a Saturday morning stabbing on Pittsburgh’s North Side. TMZ shared a social media post Tuesday afternoon from the free agent NFL receiver that showed a full-body shot...
Allegheny County’s $1B budget includes no tax increase
Allegheny County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt the proposed $1 billion county budget for 2020. The budget does not include a property tax increase. The $959.8 million operating budget is $27.4 million larger than the 2019 operating budget of $932.4 million, a 2.9% increase. The $100.1 million capital budget...
FBI warns of holiday scams as Western Pa. victims cheated out of $1M in 2019
Don’t be fooled this holiday season by scammers posing as charities or fly-by-night websites offering surprisingly steep discounts on popular gifts, FBI officials in Pittsburgh warned Tuesday. “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Chad Yarbrough, FBI Pittsburgh assistant special agent in charge, said at the...
Unauthorized biography of first lady Melania Trump offers lurid details of life in the White HouseVideo
The unauthorized biography of first lady Melania Trump by CNN correspondent Kate Bennett that was released Tuesday provides details of her marriage of President Donald Trump. The title “Free, Melania: the Unauthorized Biography,” offers details of life inside the White House such as Melania and the president not only sleep...
Highmark First Night Pittsburgh invites people to share their vision for the futureVideo
A traveling public art installation known as the Dream Wall Project is a new addition to this year’s Highmark First Night Pittsburgh events on New Year’s Eve. The project, which promotes the idea of inclusion, is the work of artist and photographer Anna Schuliger, a Marshall native who lives in...
Handler of slain Pittsburgh police K-9 Rocco promoted to sergeant
The newest Pittsburgh police sergeant proved his ability as a leader on Jan. 28, 2014, when his partner, the police K-9 Rocco, was killed in the line of duty. Mayor Bill Peduto swore in Sgt. Philip Lerza on Tuesday. “The one thing I will always remember is your compassion,”Peduto told...
Aliquippa football coach Mike Warfield tapped as feds’ new law enforcement coordinator
The leader of Aliquippa High’s storied football program has a new day job. Mike Warfield recently completed his second year as the Quips head coach. On Monday, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady tapped Warfield, 50, of Center, to be the law enforcement coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the...
Pittsburgh man accused of ethnic intimidation, harassing 2 off-duty EMTs in Murrysville
Two black emergency medical technicians with Murrysville Medic One were first harassed after a farewell party and then nearly driven off the highway by a Pittsburgh man who tailed them in his pickup truck, according to police. Murrysville police on Tuesday charged Michael W. Klaus, 43, of West End, with...
Gun background checks are on pace to break record in 2019Video
Background checks on gun purchases in the United States are climbing toward a record high this year, reflecting what the industry says is a rush by people to buy weapons in reaction to the Democratic presidential candidates’ calls for tighter restrictions. By the end of November, more than 25.4 million...
Pittsburgh police find mystery cookie gifter
Pittsburgh police have found the source of an unexpected delicious delivery. “The Cookie Angel, as we have come to call her, has identified herself,” Pittsburgh Bureau of Police posted to their Facebook page Wednesday. The police on Tuesday posted to Facebook that “a kind woman delivered a significant amount of...
Pittsburgh council requires owners of alligators and other reptiles to register with cityVideo
Pet owners in Pittsburgh must register alligators and other dangerous reptiles with the city under an ordinance City Council approved on Tuesday. Councilwoman Darlene Harris, who represents the North Side and sponsored the bill, said the regulations are needed, particularly after several incidents this year of alligators being caught in...
Pittsburgh Council advances plans for North Side pedestrian bridge
Pittsburgh is moving forward with plans to build a pedestrian bridge in place of the North Side’s demolished Davis Avenue Bridge. City Council on Tuesday unanimously authorized the Mayor’s Office to apply for a $1.8 million grant from PennDOT’s Multimodal Transportation Fund and pledge matching funds totaling $772,943 for the...
House releases report on evidence for Trump impeachment
WASHINGTON — The House released a sweeping impeachment report Tuesday outlining evidence of what it calls President Donald Trump’s wrongdoing toward Ukraine, findings that will serve as the foundation for debate over whether the 45th president should be removed from office. The 300-page report from Democrats on the House Intelligence...
Man accused of exposing himself in busy Hempfield shopping plaza parking lot
A 40-year-old video game enthusiast exposed himself in the parking lot of a busy Hempfield shopping plaza Saturday, state police reported. Gregory M. Galek of Hempfield is charged with indecent exposure and disorderly conduct in connection with the 11:45 a.m. incident in the parking lot of Hempfield Square, according to...
Survey: Pa. greenhouse gas emissions dropped 19% from 2005 to ’16
Pennsylvania’s net greenhouse gas emissions dropped nearly 19% from 2005 to 2016, according to a new inventory prepared by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Pennsylvania was responsible for 235 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2016, which represented an 18.8% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions from the...
Kamala Harris suspends Democratic presidential bid
WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris told supporters on Tuesday that she was ending her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. “I’ve taken stock and looked at this from every angle, and over the last few days have come to one of the hardest decisions of my life,”...
Drake is Spotify’s most streamed artist of the decade
NEW YORK — Drake is the king of streaming: the rapper has been named Spotify’s most-streamed artist of the decade. Spotify announced Tuesday that Drake has been streamed 28 billion times in the past 10 years. Ed Sheeran came in second, while Post Malone, Ariana Grande and Eminem round out...
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin says ‘Duck’ Hodges to start against CardinalsVideo
Coach Mike Tomlin will have Devlin “Duck” Hodges ready to take flight when the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Arizona for the first of three road games they will play in the final quartile of the NFL season. Hodges will make his third career NFL start, and second on the road,...
Coast Guard still investigating cause of barge crash into Smithfield Street Bridge
There are no long-term impacts after empty barges hit the Smithfield Street Bridge late Sunday night on the Monongahela River, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Investigators have yet to determine how many barges hit the bridge at about 11:20 p.m., Ensign William Russell said. There were 15 empty barges...
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet CEO, founder dies at 61
BALTIMORE — The founder and CEO of Ollie’s Bargain Outlet has died at the age of 61. A statement from the company’s board of directors says Mark Butler died unexpectedly Sunday while spending time with his family for Thanksgiving. Butler founded the outlet chain with Mort Bernstein, Oliver “Ollie” Rosenberg...
Police: Man used bed sheet to strangle cellmate at state prison in Mercer
A man serving time at the state prison in Mercer County is accused of strangling his cellmate with pieces of a torn bed sheet, according to state police. Investigators say Darl Heverly, 35, will be charged with criminal homicide and other crimes in connection with the Dec. 2 murder of...
Man shot multiple times in Wilkinsburg
A 37-year-old man was injured in a shooting overnight in Wilkinsburg, according to Allegheny County police. Wilkinsburg officers responded to a report of shots fired at 1 a.m. Tuesday in the 1300 block of Singer Place. They found the man hiding under a vehicle. Police said he was shot multiple...
Hempfield golf course hosting auction as it goes out of business
Golf balls will be auctioned by the bucket next week, along with other items at Valley Green Golf & Country Club in Hempfield. Valley Green, located between Armbrust Brinkerton and Albrights Lake roads, will close Dec. 31 after operating for 54 years — a decision owner Linda Rusnock attributed to...
4 Republican state lawmakers from Westmoreland County seeking re-election
Four Republican state lawmakers representing Westmoreland County this week announced their joint candidacy for their respective seats. Reps. George Dunbar, Eric Nelson and Mike Reese and state Sen. Kim Ward are seeking re-election. Dunbar, 59, of Penn Township, represents the 56th District, which includes Penn Township, North Huntingdon, Trafford, Irwin,...
