Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1626
Weather expected to impact Westmoreland voter turnout on Tuesday
Beth Lechman, Westmoreland County elections director, predicted a turnout of 25% to 27% for the county, expecting voters to be deterred by the weather forecast of high winds and rain. The county has two Common Pleas judge positions up for election in addition to elections for county commissioner, sheriff and...
Cops: Mt. Pleasant Township man attacked workers with baseball bat over rental TV
A 55-year-old Mt. Pleasant Township man was so angry when two workers arrived to pick up an 82-inch television he had rented that he attacked them with a metal baseball bat, police said. State police say Gene R. Overly fled the scene after the Saturday afternoon incident, but eventually was...
Trafford police say driver accused of 6th DUI told them he used heroin, meth, cocaine
A 34-year-old man awaiting trial for his fifth DUI told Trafford police Sunday he was under the influence of heroin when his SUV swerved into the opposing lane. Tyler E. Thimons of Gibsonia was stopped about 1:30 a.m. Sunday after patrolman Zlatan Avdic said he watched Thimons’ 2008 Ford Escape...
Election HQ: Information on state, county, municipal races in Western Pa.
Election Day in Western Pennsylvania is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. To get information on the local races, candidates and issues that are on your ballot, see the list below. For more information on polling places, go to the official election pages for...
Small ATI locomotive leaves tracks but doesn’t block Norfolk Southern trafficVideo
A small locomotive used to pull rail cars between ATI’s two plants in Harrison left the tracks Monday. It was unclear how many people were aboard. No 0ne was injured in the mishap, according to ATI spokeswoman Natalie Gillespie. The front end of the shifter went off on the side...
Video, audio of foot chase, shooting of New Kensington officer played during murder trial
Brian Shaw, a wounded New Kensington police officer, called out for help moments after being shot three times in an alley where he chased a man believed to have run from a sports utility vehicle following a traffic stop. “I’ve been shot. I’ve been shot,” Shaw said into his radio...
Decorating early for Christmas makes you happier, expert says
There are two types of people: Those who decorate early for Christmas and those who hate those people. Sure there might be some shades of gray (or red and green), but generally there are two major camps. And both sides are passionate when it comes to defending their turf. What...
Police: Masked men robbed Mia Pizza in Bloomfield
Pittsburgh police are investigating an armed robbery that was reported at about 12:40 a.m. Monday at Mia Pizza on Baum Boulevard in Bloomfield. Two men wearing masks and hoods entered the store, pointed guns at two employees and forced them to open a cash register, according to police spokeswoman Cara...
2 arrested in Jeannette pistol exchange
Two men were arrested last week in Jeannette after police said they exchanged a pistol that had the serial number obliterated. Timothy Joshua Bertrand, 28, of Jeannette, and Joseph Raymond Thornton, 52, of Manor, are both being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bail. City police and agents from...
2 injured in East Huntingdon crashVideo
Medical helicopters took two people to the hospital after a Monday morning crash in East Huntingdon, according to Westmoreland County 911. The two-vehicle crash on Porter Avenue — also known as Route 819 — happened just before 7 a.m. One vehicle went over an embankment and was heavily damaged, with...
Saw Mill Run closed as PennDOT replaces Shaler Street Bridge using new techniqueVideo
The new Shaler Street Bridge was inched into place Monday afternoon over the course of several hours and the overall work to finish the bridge is expected to take about two weeks thanks to a new construction technique PennDOT is debuting. This is the first time PennDOT has used a...
Police investigate reported Downtown Pittsburgh robbery
Police are investigating a reported robbery that happened Sunday afternoon in Downtown Pittsburgh. A woman told police she was inside a business on the 400 block of Boulevard of the Allies around 1:45 p.m. when she was approached by a man who allegedly pistol whipped her and demanded her money,...
40 years later: Mt. Pleasant tie to Iran hostage crisis revisitedVideo
Editor’s note: Portions of a first-person account from Janice Steinhagen, formerly Janice Malego, appear in italics throughout this article. Janice Steinhagen’s story based on an exclusive interview with former Iran hostage Jerry Miele sits in a box with 40 years’ worth of newspaper clippings. But as a story, it looms...
Emotions high as trial of New Kensington officer’s accused killer begins
Rahmael Sal Holt insists he didn’t kill New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw two years ago, but his lawyers won’t have to prove or say who did, according to a legal expert who identified a potential defense strategy for the capital murder trial slated to start Monday morning. Bruce Antkowiak,...
Lawyer: Whistleblower willing to take written GOP questionsVideo
WASHINGTON — A lawyer for the whistleblower who raised alarms about President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine said Sunday his client is willing to answer written questions submitted by House Republicans. The surprise offer, made to Rep. Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, would allow Republicans...
As wildfires burn across California, Trump lashes out at the state on TwitterVideo
LOS ANGELES — Autumn in California now comes not only with fierce, wind-driven wildfires but with routine claims from President Donald Trump that the state’s leaders are to blame for the disasters, followed by assurances from experts that the president doesn’t know what he’s talking about. The cycle renewed again...
Editorial: Show volunteers they are valued
We can’t afford to lose the people who keep us safe. But we are. In Pennsylvania, there are 2,463 fire companies. More than 90% of them are staffed by volunteers. According to state Rep. Bob Brooks, R-Murrysville, the number of firefighters had been falling for 30 years or so when...
McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook steps down because of relationship with employee
NEW YORK — McDonald’s chief executive officer has left the company after violating company policy by engaging in a consensual relationship with an employee, the corporation said Sunday. The fast food giant said former president and CEO Steve Easterbrook demonstrated poor judgment. McDonald’s forbids managers from having romantic relationships with...
Woman beaten during Penn Hills home invasion dies
Police are looking for two men in connection to an October home invasion in Penn Hills where a woman was beaten so severely that she died. The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. Oct. 30 in a home in the 900 block of Cimarron Drive. Penn Hills police were called to...
Steelers win 3rd in row after Adam Vinatieri shanks potential winnerVideo
It took the most productive kicker in NFL history missing a 43-yard field goal Sunday for the Pittsburgh Steelers to reverse the type of late-game misfortune that defined the first part of their season. When Adam Vinatieri shanked his go-ahead attempt wide left with 1 minute, 14 seconds left, the...
Pittsburgh Promise scholarship fund grows by $4.8 million
The Pittsburgh Promise scholarship fund grew by $4.8 million in new contributions this year, Executive Director Saleem Ghubril announced Friday. About $1.2 million of that total was raised through a fundraising gala, “A Night of Promise,” held Saturday evening. The event featured a performance by Grammy and Tony winner Leslie...
How ‘do us a favor’ led to Trump impeachment inquiry
WASHINGTON — The words from one president to another, somewhat casual in tone, were not casual at all in meaning: “I would like you to do us a favor, though.” Those words have now prompted deployment of the ultimate political weapon, an impeachment process enshrined in the Constitution as a...
1 Year Out: A divided nation lurches toward 2020 election
WASHINGTON — One year from Sunday, voters will decide whether to grant President Donald Trump a second term in office, an election that will be a referendum on Trump’s vision for America’s culture and role in the world. Much is unknown about how the United States and its politics will...
Chick-fil-A backs Sunday’s National Sandwich Day – oops!
ATLANTA — Everyone who is a fan of Chick-fil-A knows that the chicken chain is closed on Sundays, in keeping with its founder’s Christian faith. But the Georgia-based fast-food chain apparently forgot when it sent an email to some of its loyalty members this week. “Calling all sandwich lovers,” the...
Gretchen Carlson wants to speak freely about Fox News tenure
NEW YORK — When Gretchen Carlson heard that NBC News was considering letting people out of their non-disclosure agreements involving alleged sexual misconduct at the network, she couldn’t help but think of the NDA she signed with Fox News before her departure three years ago. “It would be nice to...
