Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1861
‘Snow, Hey Oh’: School principals croon cold-weather announcements
By the time late February rolls around, the drudgery of snow days is enough to spark creativity by even the most jaded school superintendents. Wednesday morning’s snowfall forced hundreds of Western Pennsylvania schools to cancel classes, from Jeannette to Ambridge, Greensburg Salem to Laurel Highlands. The National Weather Service office...
13 Pittsburgh-area Payless stores among those closing nationwide
About a dozen Payless ShoeSource stores in the Pittsburgh region are among the 2,300 closing nationwide. Payless officials announced the closures last week and locations — including Westmoreland, Ross Park, Robinson and Monroeville malls — have started liquidation sales, according to a notice on the company’s website. Merchandise is between...
South Dakota sex offender arrested at Pittsburgh homeless camp
Deputy sheriffs nabbed a man at a Pittsburgh homeless camp who had been convicted of child pornography charges in South Dakota and violated his parole requirements there, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office reported. Deputies received information that Gregory Davis, 58, who was born in Pittsburgh and lived in Sioux Falls,...
Highlands School District nixes new security agreement approved by school board
The Highlands School District will not be going forward with hiring a new security firm as the school board had approved on Monday, a district spokeswoman said Wednesday. The school board approved a contract between the district and Olympia Security Group, of Chartiers Township, Washington County, after voting to terminate...
Pittsburgh Public Schools and a few others didn’t close Wednesday. Here’s why.
Woodland Hills Superintendent James P. Harris hears complaints about every weather-related decision he makes in the district. That made Wednesday a tough morning for Harris, who had until about 5:30 a.m. to make the call whether to cancel school, delay it or operate classes on the normal schedule as a...
Google forgot to notify customers it put microphones in Nest security systems
The worst kind of microphone is a hidden microphone. Customers were caught off guard in early February when Google announced its home security system, Nest Secure, would be able to act as an AI-powered Google Assistant after a recent update. “With the flip of a switch in the Nest app,...
Designs unveiled for $1.1 billion Pittsburgh airport terminal
Airport officials unveiled concept designs Wednesday for a new landside terminal at the Pittsburgh International Airport — a $1.1 billion overhaul project proposed in 2017. The bright, airy, two-level design was inspired by Pittsburgh’s rolling topography. It features high ceilings, big windows and lots of greenery and natural light, said...
Pennsylvania must keep up on voting systems, lawmakers told
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s top elections official is warning that failing to replace voting machines by 2020 could make the state the only one without a voter-verifiable paper trail. Kathy Boockvar, Pennsylvania’s acting state secretary, also told senators Wednesday during an Appropriations Committee hearing that election-security experts agree that moving to...
Video captures Pittsburgh bald eagle shaking off snow while incubating eggs
The bald eagles in Pittsburgh’s Hays neighborhoods became “snowbirds” Wednesday morning. Not missing a beat, even when covered in the snow, the birds continued to incubate their three eggs, with the female covered in snow early in the morning. The mother eagle was mostly buried in snow, but she stood...
2 men accused of multiple burglaries in Bell Township
Kiski Valley state police arrested two men this week in connection with a series of burglaries in which a utility vehicle, go-carts, cans of fuel, tools and auto parts that were reported stolen in December in Bell Township. Michael Lint, 36, of Armstrong County and David “Ziggy” Ziegenhagen, 36, an...
Family of Covington teen sues Washington Post for $250 million
The family of the Kentucky teen who was involved in an encounter with a Native American advocate at the Lincoln Memorial last month filed a defamation lawsuit against The Washington Post on Tuesday, seeking $250 million in damages for its coverage of the incident. The suit alleges that The Post...
Morning snow turns to rain across Pittsburgh region, prompting flood watchVideo
Snow has turned to rain across much of the region, leading the National Weather Service to change its morning winter weather advisory to a flood watch until midnight. Rain will continue through the night and is expected to taper off by Thursday morning, with temperatures staying above freezing, said meteorologist...
Pennsylvania among top third of states in taxpayer accuracy
A little under 6 percent of Pennsylvania taxpayers are spot-on when it comes to figuring their federal income tax. That is, when they file their returns with the IRS, they’re neither due a refund nor required to submit a payment. That’s not a very big percentage, but it’s enough to...
Sahara Restaurant & Grill set to open soon under new ownership from previous Istanbul Sofra
Sahara Restaurant & Grill should open within the next week in Regent Square, replacing the controversial Istanbul Sofra, the new owner told the Tribune-Review on Tuesday. Istanbul Sofra began faltering after its previous owner, Adnan Hilton Pehlivan, was arrested on rape and stalking charges. “I was a little nervous about...
Kennywood, Sandcastle and Idlewild looking for 2,700 summer workers
The dead of winter is upon us, but here’s a reason to think about sun, swimming and roller coasters. Kennywood, Sandcastle Waterpark and Idlewild & SoakZone, family fun attractions in Western Pennsylvania, are accepting applications for the summer operating season. They’re looking to fill 2,700 jobs. The new employees could...
Pirates owner Bob Nutting says club is ‘positioned to take another meaningful step forward’
BRADENTON, Fla. — Pittsburgh Pirates chairman Bob Nutting defended the club’s payroll, called it “critical” for MLB owners to address the treatment of minor-league players and said he hopes to change the public perception of the club toward its fan base. Nutting met with reporters for a 48-minute interview Tuesday...
Riverview junior proposes solution to combat parking woes near Oakmont Bakery
Riverview High School junior Molly Collins wants to make sure her fellow students have a place to park while Oakmont Bakery officials work out some traffic issues. She launched an online petition to have about 30 spaces at Riverside Park, next to the high school, be designated student parking from...
Penn Hills in line to hike taxes more than 6 percent
Penn Hills School District officials moved one step closer to raising real estate taxes by more than 6 percent and becoming one of the highest taxing districts in Allegheny County. Board members Tuesday approved their 2019-20 preliminary budget and authorized the district to seek pension and special education exceptions to...
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey on Trump wall: ‘I am concerned’Video
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey said Tuesday he and his staff are working to determine whether President Trump has the authority to declare a state of emergency over funding for a border wall. Speaking with the Tribune-Review in his Downtown Pittsburgh office, Toomey said he agrees with Trump that some physical...
I-70 cleared after disabled vehicle snarls traffic
A disabled delivery truck caused major traffic backups on I-70 westbound near the 56 mile marker near New Stanton Tuesday night, according to Westmoreland County 911. The disabled vehicle was originally reported as a crash around 7 p.m., but first responders were unable to find any evidence of one, instead...
Storm prompts vehicle, speed restrictions on PA turnpike, interstates
State transportation officials will prohibit some commercial vehicles and all motorcycles and recreational vehicles from a section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike on Wednesday morning as a winter storm could bring a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to challenge travelers. Beginning at 6 a.m. Wednesday, the following traffic will...
Man pleads guilty in rape, murder of Pennsylvania teen
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. — A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty on Tuesday in the rape, murder and dismemberment of a 14-year-old girl, and the victim’s adoptive mother has agreed to plead guilty and serve a life sentence. Jacob Sullivan, 46, pleaded guilty to all charges in the 2016 death of Grace Packer....
Greensburg fires longtime city planning director
Barbara Ciampini, who has run Greensburg’s planning and development department for decades, has been fired. Greensburg City Council met Monday in a special session to handle the matter, Mayor Robert Bell confirmed. Council’s decision was unanimous, he said. Bell said he could not immediately discuss the reason for the firing,...
Brackenridge officials eye restoration of honor roll memorial in wake of vandalism
Someone’s ill-advised attempt to improve the honor roll memorial in Brackenridge Memorial Park will speed up its proper restoration. Borough officials are considering going ahead with a full restoration of the 54-year-old memorial’s bronze and stone, including removing unwanted silver paint that was recently applied to it. The memorial, featuring...
Latrobe among 50 small towns Travel Channel dubs ‘most charming’
It likely comes as no surprise to those who claim bragging rights to Latrobe as their hometown, adopted or otherwise. Travel Channel includes the Westmoreland County town as among “50 of the Most Charming Small Towns in America.” The city gave birth to Fred Rogers, the banana split and Rolling...
