Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1649
Sen. Iovino wants to restore arrest rights to sworn school police
A new law that stripped school police officers of the authority to make arrests and issue detention and citation orders may be on its way out the door. The law, intended to enhance school security, passed earlier this year and accidentally stripped school police officers of powers they have had...
Allegheny County 2020 budget proposal includes no tax increase
Allegheny County residents would not see a property tax increase in the nearly $1 billion budget for 2020 proposed by County Executive Rich Fitzgerald at a meeting of Allegheny County Council on Tuesday. The $959.8 million operating budget is a $27.4 million, or 2.9%, increase over the 2019 operating budget...
Police: Woman tries to carjack off-duty sheriff’s deputy
Police arrested a 19-year-old woman accused of trying to carjack an off-duty sheriff’s deputy Tuesday afternoon in the city’s East Liberty neighborhood before leading police on a car chase into Penn Hills. No one was injured, Public Safety spokesman Chris Togneri said. Ajanay Watson faces several charges including robbery of...
Lower Burrell police Chief Tim Weitzel to step down but remain on force
Lower Burrell police Chief Tim Weitzel will step down as the city’s top officer and return to his former position of lieutenant next year in a move that he said would insulate him from being ousted over politics. “I have to watch my back in 2020,” Weitzel said at a...
White House vows total halt to impeachment probe cooperationVideo
WASHINGTON — The White House declared Tuesday it will halt any and all cooperation with what it termed the “illegitimate” impeachment probe by House Democrats, sharpening the constitutional clash between President Donald Trump and Congress. Trump attorneys sent a lengthy letter to House leaders bluntly stating White House refusal to...
1 injured in crash on Route 28 near Harmar exit
One person was hurt in a crash that snarled northbound traffic along Route 28 near the Harmar exit during Tuesday’s afternoon rush hour, officials said. Police and medics responded to the crash, which was reported at 5:12 p.m., an Allegheny County 911 shift commander said. One person was taken to...
Jeannette murder victim had more than 100 wounds, pathologist says
Khalil Parker sustained more than 100 different injuries that caused him to bleed to death, a Westmoreland County jury was told Tuesday. Forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht testified in the fourth day of the first-degree murder trial of Crystal Belle, 39, that Parker, found dead June 11, 2016, in Belle’s...
Allegheny County DA collects, destroys 700 guns from police evidence rooms
About 700 guns that had been gathering dust in evidence rooms across Allegheny County were rounded up and ground to pieces this week. The District Attorney’s Office collected the firearms Monday from local police departments that no longer need them. It’s an annual turn-in event, and the total number collected...
Daily Download: Remembering Tree of Life, Jaylen Samuels’ knee surgery and free-tree giveawayVideo
Remembering the Tree of Life shooting victims, how to get free trees and Steelers running back Jaylen Samuels’ knee surgery highlight today’s Daily Download headlines. Each day, TribLIVE reporters and editors will break down the biggest news of the day, with video highlights of the people and places making headlines....
Report: Home heating bills will be slightly lower this winter
The U.S. Energy Information Administration is predicting a cheaper winter when it comes to home heating bills. The agency said households that primarily use electricity or natural gas as their heating source can expect to spend slightly less than last winter. Households that use heating oil can expect to spend...
Beaver County man accused of robbing Cranberry PNC bank
A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted a Beaver County man for allegedly robbing a Cranberry bank in August, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced. The one-count indictment, returned last week and unsealed Monday , accused Michael Ryan Neppach, 40, of Patterson Township of robbing the bank. The government...
Dick’s Sporting Goods destroyed $5 million worth of guns, CEO Edward Stack saysVideo
Dick’s Sporting Goods destroyed $5 million worth of assault rifles instead of returning them to their manufacturers, the Findlay-based company’s CEO told CBS in an interview. CEO Edward Stack spoke to CBS national correspondent Lee Cowan in an interview that aired on “CBS Sunday Morning.” “If we really think these...
Washington County ‘Ghostbusters’ restaurant nationally recognized
This is one haunt the Ghostbusters should definitely respond to. Angelo’s II, a restaurant in Monongahela, Washington County, has received recognition from Today Food for its festive Halloween decorations — an inflatable Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and inflatable green tentacles. “They love it,” owner Ryan Dzimiera told Today Food, part...
Editorial: During Yom Kippur, a message for all to hear
May you be sealed in the Book of Life. G’mar Chatima Tova. That is the traditional greeting for Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, the holiest of the faith’s Holy Days. It is a time of fasting and reflection, dedication and prayer. It is a time the observant strive...
Pittsburgh council declares Oct. 27 ‘Remember Repair Together Day’ to honor Tree of LifeVideo
One of Pittsburgh’s darkest days will be officially known as “Remember Repair Together Day.” Pittsburgh City Council and the mayor issued a proclamation Tuesday marking Oct. 27, the day in 2018 a lone gunman entered a synagogue in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood and opened fire, killing 11 people and...
Inspection finds dead mice at Braddock Hills golf club
Allegheny County health inspectors found mouse droppings on croutons and dead mice on the floor after a complaint prompted them to inspect the Restaurant at Grand View Golf Club, records show. The inspection, done Monday, turned up multiple other violations, including a walk-in cooler with temperatures too high to safely...
Pittsburgh institute expects rise in Newman interest, visits after sainthood
The Catholic Church’s newest saint may soon be attracting people to Pittsburgh. Cardinal John Henry Newman, an Anglican churchman who converted to Catholicism in 1845, will be canonized in Rome on Sunday. Among those attending the canonization Mass will be Ryan Marr, director of the Oakland-based National Institute for Newman...
Ellen DeGeneres defends her friendship with George W. BushVideo
That Ellen DeGeneres. She just wants everyone to get along. And that includes even those who don’t agree with her. On Sunday, the feel-good talk-show host was spotted at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, watching the Dallas Cowboys play the Green Bay Packers. And sitting next to her, sharing a...
Fan’s letter says Penn State player should cut his dreadlocksVideo
A letter about athlete’s appearance addressed to a Penn State football player has gotten a strong response from fellow players and the school. Penn State defense tackle Antonio Shelton posted a letter he says was sent to a teammate to his Twitter account on Monday and asked, “One of my...
Man accused of indecent exposure outside Westmoreland Mall
Charges were filed Monday against a Hempfield man who state police said was seen touching himself outside of Westmoreland Mall. Brennan Touchet, 29, is charged with indecent exposure, open lewdness and disorderly conduct. Two women reported seeing Touchet allegedly performing what appeared to be a sex act on himself in...
Ohio man charged with murder in police cruiser crash that killed 6-year-oldsVideo
DAYTON, Ohio — An Ohio man accused of stealing a police car near Dayton and causing a crash that killed two 6-year-old cousins has been indicted on nearly two dozen charges including murder. Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck said on Monday while announcing the charges that evidence shows 32-year-old Raymond...
White House to fight impeachment by stalling and attackingVideo
WASHINGTON — As House Democrats fire off more subpoenas, the White House is finalizing a high-stakes strategy to counter the impeachment threat to President Donald Trump: Stall. Obfuscate. Attack. Repeat. Trump aides are honing their approach after two weeks of what allies have described as a listless and unfocused response...
Dense fog could slow morning commute; advisory issued
An advisory for dense fog is in effect until 10 a.m. Tuesday. The dense fog could result in visibility being reduced to a quarter-mile or less in many areas, according to the National Weather Service in Moon. The fog is widespread across the entire region, including most of southwestern Pennsylvania...
Harmar figure skating coach trains students from across the countryVideo
Editor’s note: Building the Valley tells stories of businesses big and small and the employees who make them special. If you know of any standout employees, bosses or companies with a great story to tell, contact reporter Madasyn Lee at mlee@ tribweb.com. Barbara Gahagen isn’t just a figure skating coach. She’s...
Allegheny County releases partial data on swimming pool incident victims
The Allegheny County Health Department has released previously redacted information on victims involved in swimming incidents over the past three years. The Tribune-Review sought the information in a Right-to-Know request. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records decision was a partial win for the newspaper, which sought basic information on 61...
