Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1756
New Hampshire authorities identify 3 bodies linked to suspected killer
CONCORD, N.H. — For more than 30 years, four suspected victims of serial killer Terry Peder Rasmussen remained unidentified — only decomposed bodies found in two barrels. But on Thursday, authorities were able to put a name three of them. The state attorney general’s office confirmed one of the victims...
Police arrest Murrysville man in connection with 2017 homicide of his estranged wife
A Murrysville man has been arrested by Allegheny County Police, accused in the 2017 murder of his estranged wife. Antonio Vecchiola, 34, was apprehended at a Monroeville strip mall Thursday afternoon. He is charged with homicide for the death of Jessica Vecchiola, 29, of Penn Hills. Police said she was...
Missing Pittsburgh woman, 86, found
Pittsburgh Police say an 86-year-old woman who had been missing Thursday afternoon has been found. Mary Savage was last seen near the East End Food Co-op around 1 p.m., police said. Police announced shortly after 6 p.m. that she has been found....
D-Day Pittsburgh commemoration: ‘I served my country, so I’m proud’
The beaches of Normandy, France, during the D-Day invasion 75 years ago have been called a “killing zone.” No one perhaps understands that better than Army veteran Glenn Kempf who as a medic during the invasion helped establish the first hospital on Omaha Beach for which he received the French...
Wolf tours Greensburg blight, touts proposed gas severance taxVideo
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf used his tour of blighted properties in downtown Greensburg on Thursday to tout his Restore Pennsylvania initiative, which relies heavily on a proposed natural gas severance tax. Standing at the corner of West Second Street and South Pennsylvania Avenue, Wolf said the severance tax would raise...
Fayette man accused of $20K in thefts while wearing ankle monitor from previous crimes
A man slated for trial next month on charges of theft and receiving stolen property from 2017 in Westmoreland County was arrested by state police in May for allegedly breaking into parked cars at a local repair shop with an electronic monitoring bracelet still attached to his ankle, according to...
Viral video catches man saving 500-degree pizza with bare handsVideo
A hot pizza was headed for the floor when a hero with fast hands saved the day. A Toppers Pizza Place employee was passing behind a coworker who was unloading a pie from a 500-degree oven. The two collided and the pizza went sailing through the air until Christian Alfaro...
ScareHouse on hiatus for 2019 but plans to return in new location for 2020
ScareHouse announced Thursday that its flagship haunted house won’t be opening this year on Locust Street in Etna. ScareHouse spent 12 Halloweens inside a 104-year-old building that formerly was a bank and Elks lodge and is stopping because it’s found a new, as-yet-undisclosed location and has big plans for the...
Florida man charged with pouring ketchup on girlfriend
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — A Florida man is facing a misdemeanor charge for allegedly pouring ketchup on his girlfriend while she slept. Court documents show Peter Wagman is facing a first-degree misdemeanor domestic battery charge for the encounter that took place last Sunday. According to an arrest report, Wagman’s girlfriend...
Road closures for Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Arts Festival
The Three Rivers Arts Festival begins Friday along with week-long road closures throughout Downtown Pittsburgh. The festival runs through June 16, and it overlaps with Pittsburgh Pride on June 7 to 9. Closures related to Pride weekend can be found here. Three Rivers Arts Festival road closures • 10 a.m....
Company ignites fury by naming unscented candle ‘Ohio’
Ohio residents might think this new candle stinks. Simple Nature, an Indiana candle company, is offering an unscented option that pokes fun at their neighboring state. “Not much to see. Not much to do. Welcome to Ohio, the unscented candle,” is the tagline for the aroma-free cylinder of white soy...
8-year-old on unicorn-shaped float rescued at sea
OAK ISLAND, N.C. — A volunteer water rescue team saved an 8-year-old boy who floated away from the North Carolina coast on a raft shaped like a unicorn. News outlets report that the Ohio boy was at the beach on Oak Island on Monday when a gust of wind blew...
Pirates broadcaster Steve Blass: ‘I don’t have to defend myself’
Steve Blass didn’t have much to say publicly about the controversy over remarks he made regarding Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. during a telecast of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ game Tuesday night at PNC Park. But he did want to make something clear to those who have known him during...
UPMC preserves access to Hillman Cancer Center for all Highmark-insured patients
Days before a Commonwealth Court showdown against Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, UPMC announced Thursday that it will preserve access at in-network rates for Highmark-insured patients who seek oncology care from Hillman Cancer Center’s 60 locations across Western Pennsylvania and Ohio. The decision applies not only to seniors and people...
Obamas to produce exclusive podcasts for Spotify
LOS ANGELES — Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company is teaming up with Spotify to produce exclusive podcasts for the platform. Under the Higher Ground partnership announced Thursday, the former president and first lady will develop and lend their voices to select podcasts. The Obamas launched Higher Ground in 2018...
German police raid dozens of homes over online hate speech
BERLIN — Police have raided dozens of homes across Germany as part of a nationwide law enforcement campaign against online hate speech. The Federal Criminal Police Office said the raids took place Thursday in 13 of Germany’s 16 states. Police targeted people suspected of posting anti-Semitic insults, insulting officials or...
Man accused in police chase near Westmoreland air show faces over 40 charges
A Jeannette man who caused a scene at the Westmoreland County Airshow May 26 led troopers on a vehicle pursuit that reached speeds of 92 mph before he was arrested in the woods near the airport in Unity, according to court documents. Among the most serious of 47 charges filed...
Pa. Supreme Court says state candidates can’t be nominated by 2 parties
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court has upheld a ban on state-level or federal candidates being nominated by more than one political party for the same office, a rule that helps the two major parties. The decision Wednesday said state Rep. Chris Rabb was properly prohibited from getting on the ballot...
German nurse who murdered 87 patients given life sentence
BERLIN — Niels Hoegel liked to bring about cardiac arrests in his patients by injecting them with overdoses of heart medication and other drugs because he enjoyed the feeling of being able to resuscitate them. Sometimes he succeeded in bringing them back, but in at least 87 cases they died,...
West Point cadet killed, 22 injured in training rollover
WEST POINT, N.Y. — A vehicle loaded with West Point cadets on summer training overturned on a dirt road Thursday, killing one cadet and injuring 22 other passengers, according to the U.S. Military Academy. Twenty cadets and two soldiers were injured when their light medium tactical vehicle overturned at about...
Pope Francis approves major change to The Lord’s Prayer
Pope Francis has officially approved a major change to the most famous Christian prayer: The Lord’s Prayer. The UCatholic reports that more than 1 billion Catholics will have to adjust to some new wording in the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples. On May 22, during the General Assembly of...
Stressed out? Your dog may feel it too, study suggests
NEW YORK — When dog owners go through a stressful period, they’re not alone in feeling the pressure — their dogs feel it too, a new study suggests. Dog owners experiencing long bouts of stress can transfer it to their dogs, scientists report in a study published Thursday in Scientific...
Trump tells D-Day veterans they’re among greatest AmericansVideo
COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — President Donald Trump on Thursday lauded the heroism of American and Allied service members who participated in the D-Day invasion that changed the fortunes of World War II, saying they “are among the very greatest Americans who will ever live.” Trump joined other world leaders at Normandy...
Police investigating robbery of McKnight Road hotel in Ross
A Ross hotel was robbed early Thursday. Police said they were called to the Comfort Inn on McKnight Road around 3:30 a.m.. According to police, a man went into the hotel through the front door and confronted the clerk. The man said he was robbing him but did not display...
Inner Groove Brewing in Verona promises suds and sounds
A new brewhouse in Verona promises to be the place for sounds and suds. Inner Groove Brewing along East Railroad Avenue is expected to open at noon on June 15 with eight beers on tap. It’s located in a former interior design shop near the borough building and owned by...
