Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1763
Just 1 Westmoreland County municipality grew over past decade, census update shows
As Westmoreland County municipalities continue the battle against declining populations, a single locale basks in the riches of growth. Since 2010, Manor has grown by almost 120 residents — to a population of nearly 3,360, according to 2018 estimates released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau. More than 75%...
Lower Burrell police seeking info on missing Penn Hills girl, 14
Lower Burrell police are seeking the public’s help in finding a 14-year-old girl who fled from Allegheny County Children and Youth Services officials on Thursday night. Police said Mykiah Alexander fled the custody of Allegheny County CYS around 8 p.m. near the intersection of Logans Ferry Road and Greensburg Road...
Trump hitting Mexico with 5% tariff in response to migrants
WASHINGTON — President Trump is preparing to threaten Mexico with sweeping new tariffs as part of an attempt to force the country to crack down on a surge of Central American migrants, administration officials said Thursday, a risky move that could rattle already jittery financial markets and imperil an impending...
State trooper: Accused Youngwood killer confessed in tears
A Youngwood man was crying and remorseful when he recounted how he stabbed another Youngwood man “a lot” during a fatal robbery for drugs and money in November 2017, a state police trooper testified Thursday. Trooper Brandon Yeager said Michael James Covington Jr., 22, broke down during his interrogation at...
Mixed verdict reached in Penn State frat-fall death case
BELLEFONTE — The former manager of a Penn State fraternity where a pledge fell during a night of hazing and drinking and later died has been convicted of hindering apprehension but acquitted of evidence tampering and obstruction. The Centre Daily Times reported a jury deliberated about five hours before issuing...
Horseshoes, yo-yos and speedcubing: Western Pennsylvania is home to unusual competitions
Pittsburgh may be known for its football, baseball and hockey, but the region’s competitive spirit goes much further. The East Coast Slingshot Tournament coming to East Huntingdon this weekend is just one of the area’s creative contests. Here’s a few more examples: East Coast Masters yo-yo championship Professional yo-yo players...
Commissioners approve $85K settlement for Sheriff Held lawsuit
Westmoreland County commissioners on Thursday approved the latest payment to settle a discrimination lawsuit against the county and Sheriff Jonathan Held. They agreed to pay part-time sheriff’s Deputy Jonathon Sutton $85,000 to settle the lawsuit, which he filed in March 2018 in the U.S. District Court for Western Pennsylvania. Sutton,...
After 36 years, KDKA-TV’s Jon Burnett set for final broadcast
The year was 1982, and a KDKA-TV producer named Jayne Adair was walking through the Nashville, Tenn., airport. Had she stopped to get something to eat or buy a magazine, she might have missed the moment when a young southern gentleman on a TV monitor caught her eye. The man...
Attorneys for accused Tree of Life gunman accuse FBI of meddling in case
Defense attorneys for accused the Tree of Life gunman Robert Bowers have alleged the FBI is discouraging witnesses from speaking with the defense, according to court documents filed Wednesday in the case. The attorneys have asked the judge in the case to order the government and federal agents to “cease...
Photo gallery: D-Day’s landscape in 1944 — and today
ON OMAHA BEACH, France — Warships, bombers, rubble, refugees. That was the Normandy landscape of 1944, as Allied forces fought to wrest France from Nazi control. Today, the region’s towns and beaches are startlingly calm, as still-grateful residents prepare to welcome veterans commemorating 75 years since D-Day. The Associated Press...
Sharpsburg man accused of racially motivated attack at T station
A Sharpsburg man is accused of throwing another man onto the tracks at the Wood Street T station over the weekend and telling the victim he’d kill him because he was white, according to charges filed this week. Two witnesses told police they saw a black man later identified as...
Pittsburgh couple adopt 6 siblings who spent nearly 5 years in foster care
A Pittsburgh couple have adopted six brothers and sisters who spent 1,640 days in foster care. Steve Anderson-McLean and Rob Anderson-McLean on May 23 officially adopted Carlos, 14, Guadalupe, 13, Maria, 12, Selena, 10, Nasa, 9, and Max, 7, reports Good Morning America. “The judge asked, ‘Do you understand at...
Cops: Bronx man with bricks of heroin led trooper on 100 mph chase on Route 22
A Bronx, N.Y., man who led a state trooper on a five-mile chase that reached over 100 mph along Route 22 in Salem on Wednesday was found to be transporting more than 23 bricks of heroin, state police reported. Holiday L. Vaughn, 35, was arrested just before 7 p.m. after...
Testing shows no Legionella contamination at Greensburg’s Redstone Highlands
Water tests conducted at Redstone Highlands in Greensburg have revealed that there is no Legionella contamination at the skilled nursing facility. CEO and President John Dickson said he got the test results on Thursday. “To ensure the continued safety of our residents, staff and visitors, we are proceeding with additional...
Photo circulates of KKK flag displayed in Sewickley Township public works building
A Sewickley Township supervisor is blaming a political enemy for helping share an old photograph of a Ku Klux Klan flag hanging inside the public works garage, though he downplayed the impact of the attack in his sound primary election defeat. “It was a ploy to get (something) started,” said...
Police warn residents about bear spotted in North Versailles
North Versailles police are warning residents about a black bear spotted in their community. Police said residents in the Green Valley area should be especially alert because the bear was seen there. Police said the bear was last seen entering the wooded area behind the fire department and the Pennsylvania...
Reward offered for information on missing Whitehall woman
A reward is being offered to anyone with information on the location of a Whitehall woman missing since April who is presumed dead. Elizabeth “Betsy” Wiesenfeld, 67, has been missing since April 30, when her daughter reported her missing after her mother failed to show up for work. Police have...
Pittsburgh climbers hope for government action over Mount Everest deaths
Sushil Acharya thought the image of a logjam of hikers snaking a wicked ridge along Mount Everest was Photoshopped. “I’ve never seen a picture like that,” said the Robert Morris University professor, who was born in Kathmandu. “I thought it was fake news.” The now-iconic photograph exposed the stunning sight...
Farmers face a historically delayed planting season amid extreme weather
In Kendell Culp’s corner of northwest Indiana, the relentless rain began falling on his farm months ago, saturating the ground his family has nurtured for generations and delaying the kickoff of their planting season by more than a week. It eased up briefly at the end of April, enough time...
Pittsburgh’s ‘Amazing Race’ contestant still in hunt for $1M prize
During Wednesday night’s episode of CBS’ “The Amazing Race,” Pittsburgh native Becca Droz and her teammate Floyd Pierce ranked third, keeping them in the running for next week’s primetime reality TV show, according to the GoldDerby website. Droz and Pierce, known as “Team Fun,” are among seven teams currently vying...
Pennsylvania ranked among 10 worst states for job seekers
Pittsburgh may well be among the nation’s top cities for new college grads. A study last month by personal finance tech site SmartAsset put the city among the top 10 in the nation for grads looking to market their new degrees. But another study released Thursday — by WalletHub, a...
Trial begins for East Hills mom whose toddler ingested fentanyl
The trial continues Thursday for an East Hills woman who told police she had “no clue” how the deadly opioid fentanyl ended up in her toddler daughter’s sippy cup. Jhenea Pratt, 23, is charged with homicide in the April 5, 2018, death of 17-month-old Charlette Napper-Talley. Her trial started Wednesday...
Extras needed for Titanic film ‘Unsinkable’ in McKees Rocks
Extras are needed to play passengers on the Titanic for the next round of filming for an independent film about the sinking of the ship and its aftermath. The actors and actresses will work in pivotal 1912 scenes that will be filmed in McKees Rocks next week for “Unsinkable,” according...
New Kensington-Arnold holds the line on taxes
The New Kensington-Arnold School Board has approved a nearly $38 million preliminary budget that includes no increase in real estate taxes for the fifth consecutive year. School directors voted 7-0 on Wednesday to approve the spending plan, which would keep the tax rate at 85.27 mills. The preliminary budget has...
NBC’s ‘The Voice’ to hold Pittsburgh auditions
Got a good voice? Don’t hog it all to yourself, Pittsburgher. NBC’s “The Voice” will be in town on June 19 to hold auditions — maybe it’s your voice they’re looking for. The network’s reality competition has announced the private, invite-only session on its website. Those seeking a slot must...
