Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1664
Local U.S. Attorney Scott Brady appointed to federal advisory committee
U.S. Attorney Scott Brady of the Western District of Pennsylvania has been named to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, one of nine U.S. attorneys to be appointed by U.S. Attorney General William Barr. “The U.S. Attorneys who comprise the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee play a critical role in carrying out...
U.S. air defense forces are being deployed to Saudi Arabia
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced Friday that U.S. air defense forces will be sent to Saudi Arabia. “The president has approved the deployment of U.S. forces, which will be defensive in nature,” Esper said at the Pentagon. The announcement is a response to the Sept. 14 attack on...
Former New Castle police officer accused of violating man’s rights
A former New Castle police officer has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of deprivation of civil rights. Ronald Williams, 40, of New Castle is accused of depriving an individual of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure in connection with an incident in April 2018....
Greensburg joins in Global Climate StrikeVideo
Xander Davis, a senior at Hempfield Area High School, is concerned about climate change. “I’m worried for a future about which I once had hopes and dreams,” said Davis, one of several young people who spoke Friday outside the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg. More than 100 people joined in...
Cops: 4 ‘dragged’ man suffering overdose into Greensburg street instead of calling for help
Four people who were inside a Greensburg home when their friend overdosed allegedly dragged the unconscious man into the street instead of calling for help, city police allege in court documents filed Friday. Deborah A. Carnes, 57, and Timothy J. Fairman, 52, of Greensburg; Matthew T. Caldwell, 45, of Mt....
Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez ordered to be arraigned in Westmoreland in teen sex case
Felipe Vazquez, the suspended Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher who is accused of sexually assaulting a former Scottdale teenager, will be moved from the Allegheny County Jail to Westmoreland County next week to be arraigned on criminal charges. President Judge Rita Donovan Hathaway signed an order Friday authorizing sheriff’s deputies to...
Pittsburgh public safety director criticizes company after Carrick water main breakVideo
Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich was upset early Friday with the Pennsylvania American Water Co. over what he described as a “lack of communication” during a major water main break in Carrick. At one point, Hissrich, who was on the scene shortly after the break was reported at 5...
Officials: Tour bus crash near national park in Utah kills 4
SALT LAKE CITY — A tour bus carrying Chinese-speaking tourists crashed near a national park in southern Utah, killing at least four people and critically injuring up to 15 others, authorities said Friday. The morning wreck near Bryce Canyon National Park, known for its distinctive landscape of narrow red rock...
Minibus bombing outside Iraq’s Karbala kills 12, injures 5
BAGHDAD — Iraqi security officials said the death toll in an explosion on a minibus Friday outside the Shiite holy city of Karbala has climbed to 12. According to the officials, five passengers were also wounded in the blast, which occurred as the bus was passing through an Iraqi army...
Pittsburgh-area students participate in Global Climate StrikeVideo
Local students joined peers across the country and around the world Friday as they demonstrated in Downtown Pittsburgh in support for action on climate change. “Communities in Western Pennsylvania are screaming and shouting for help, and are being ignored,” organizer Leandra Mira, 18, told a crowd at the City-County Building...
Walmart to stop selling electronic cigarettes at its stores
NEW YORK — Walmart says it will stop selling electronic cigarettes at its namesake stores and Sam’s Clubs following a string illnesses and deaths related to vaping. The nation’s largest retailer said Friday that it will complete its exit from e-cigarettes after selling through current inventory. It cited growing federal,...
‘House Hunters’ host Suzanne Whang dies at 57
Suzanne Whang, whose smooth, calm voice provided the narration for HGTV’s “House Hunters” for years, has died. She was 57. Her Tuesday death was confirmed Friday by her longtime agent, Eddie Culbertson. Whang first gained fame as the on-screen host of the show, where anxious home buyers are shown trying...
WPIAL sets hearing date for Connellsville, Allderdice to address racial, anti-gay slurs
Representatives from Connellsville and Allderdice will meet next week to address allegations that the schools’ boys soccer teams used racial and anti-gay slurs. The WPIAL scheduled the hearing for Wednesday afternoon in a meeting room at the Pittsburgh Plaza Hotel, executive director Tim O’Malley said. The WPIAL board voted unanimously...
Report: Antonio Brown sent ‘intimidating’ texts to accuser
A woman who alleges former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown made an unwanted sexual advance toward her said she received what she described as intimidating text messages from a number associated with Brown, according to Sports Illustrated. Sports Illustrated published an article this week detailing a few allegations against Brown,...
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Sept. 20-22Video
The kids are back in school, vacations are wrapping up, but the autumn fun is just getting started. Festivals and other events are popping up all over the region this weekend, and the good times are rollin’. Get outdoors and grab some grub, listen to some tunes, meet up with...
Residents recount horror of rising water from massive Carrick water main breakVideo
Wendy Gitzen woke early Friday to what she thought was the sound of rain outside her Carrick home. She quickly realized it was no passing shower. “It sounded like the Ohiopyle out there,” said Gitzen, 46, who, in a few seconds, discovered her house was surrounded by water. She woke...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Sept. 20-22
Summer officially ends this weekend. Say farewell in Pittsburgh by enjoying some pierogies, listening to blues music or visiting the birds. Here’s what’s going on: Potato and cheese and more The annual Pittsburgh Pierogi Festival at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin is Sunday. This will be the third year the...
Fire started by candle causes heavy damage to Millvale house
A Millvale house was heavily damaged by a fire early Friday morning that authorities said was probably started by a candle. Firefighters from 10 departments responded to the blaze at 144 Logan St. shortly after 5 a.m. and were on the scene for more than 2 1/2 hours, said Millvale...
Woman’s body recovered from Mon River
Authorities say a woman’s body was recovered from the Monongahela River Thursday morning. According to Pittsburgh police, officers went to the Homestead Grays Bridge around 10:15 a.m. in response to a report of an unoccupied, possibly disabled vehicle in the southbound lanes. Around the same time, a person called 911...
Pittsburgh scientists set their sights on longer-lasting Narcan to combat opioid overdosesVideo
Two Pittsburgh scientists are trying to keep emergency medicine a step ahead in what’s become an opioid arms race. Saadyah Averick, a chemist at the Allegheny Health Network’s Research Institute, and his colleague, Benedict Kolber, a neurobiologist at Duquesne University, are working to develop a type of naloxone that will...
Missing: Nearly 3 billion birds that used to live in North America
North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970, according to a new analysis of bird survey and radar data. The sharp decline, described in a study in the journal Science, is not just bad for birds. It also bodes ill for the ecosystems those birds inhabit, and points...
Stabbing incident in Pittsburgh injures 2 women
Pittsburgh police are investigating a stabbing incident that resulted in injuries to two women. Authorities said the incident occurred around 2 p.m. Thursday along the 2300 block of East Hills Drive. Police found two injured women, including one with multiple lacerations to her face. They were transported to a local...
Westmoreland transit authority to seek bids for bus and shared ride operatorVideo
The Westmoreland County Transit Authority will not renew its contract with the operator of its bus and shared ride system in 2020 because the authority could not reach an agreement with that company on the rates for next year. National Express LLC, wanted to charge rates the transit authority considered...
Cleveland man pleads guilty to robbing Clarion gas station, raiding Brookville gun store
A Cleveland man who prosecutors say burglarized a Jefferson County gun store in 2017 pleaded guilty to robbery and firearms charges in federal court this week. Rayshawn Patterson, 20, also admitted to two robberies that occurred in Clarion County and Cleveland, respectively, prosecutors said. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said...
More than 1,000 rescues, evacuations as Imelda soaks TexasVideo
CHINA, Texas — The slow-churning remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda dangerously flooded parts of Texas and Louisiana on Thursday, scrambling rescue crews and volunteers with boats to reach scores of stranded drivers and families trapped in their homes during a relentless downpour that drew comparisons to Hurricane Harvey two years...
