Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 410
Judge denies Pittsburgh synagogue shooter’s request for new trial
A federal judge on Friday denied a request for a new trial filed by the man convicted of killing 11 people at a Squirrel Hill synagogue more than five years ago. U.S. District Judge Robert Colville used the terms “entirely baseless” and “meritless” when describing arguments from defense lawyers. Robert...
Greensburg man arrested, charged in connection with hit-and-run of 76-year-old woman
The Greensburg man wanted in connection with a December hit-and-run in Greensburg that seriously injured a 76-year-old woman while she was crossing Main Street using a wheeled walker was jailed Friday night. Christopher M. Degnan, 44, was charged with aggravated assault by vehicle, accidents involving injury and four summary counts...
Pittsburgh population holds steady amid regional declines, census says
According to new data from the U.S. Census, Pittsburgh’s population was … stable. The city added 300 people from 2020 to 2023, about a 0.1% increase, according to data from the bureau this week. The estimates show that the city grew from 302,955 people in 2020 to 303,255 in 2023....
Former patients reunite as professionals at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Dr. Matt Kocher was setting up an operating room during his anesthesia fellowship at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Lawrenceville when nurse Alexis Mamros asked if he had ever received anesthesia. He replied that he had, during his cancer treatment. Curious, Mamros asked for details. Kocher mentioned he remembered another patient...
1 killed, 1 injured in Duquesne Heights shooting
One person was killed and another injured in a shooting early Friday morning in Pittsburgh’s Duquesne Heights neighborhood, according to public safety officials. First responders were dispatched to the 200 block of Plymouth Street just before 4 a.m. after a resident called reported a man she didn’t know had knocked...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend, May 17-19
TGIF! Music, food and fun can be found around town this weekend. Here’s what you can do to unwind before Monday. Millvale Music Festival With 330 music acts, 28 stages, all within 0.6 miles, the Millvale Music Festival is back this Friday and Saturday — and it’s got more than...
Tim Benz: Many complaints over the Steelers’ schedule are preemptive excuse making
There sure seems to be a lot of complaining from Pittsburgh Steelers fans and media when it comes to how the NFL drew up the schedule for the Black and Gold. NFL has beef with the Steelers. 4/6 road games to open the year 5/7 road games between weeks 10-16...
Pancake tacos lead the lineup of sweet eats at G&G Restaurant in Vandergrift
A random plastic taco holder in Pittsburgh’s Strip District served as inspiration for a quirky, tasty twist on traditional pancakes at G&G Restaurant in Vandergrift. “I just looked at it and thought that would be cool to stick a pancake into,” said G&G co-owner Chris Kakias, creator of a variety...
Morning Roundup: Hopewell Area school bus driver suspended for alleged gun on board
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, May 17: Hopewell Area school bus driver suspended after alleged gun incident A Hopewell Area School District bus driver was suspended after he was accused of bringing a gun on a school bus while transporting students. Superintendent Jeff...
Bellevue man to face trial on charges that he raped 2 teenage girls
A Bellevue man will face trial on charges that on several occasions in March he raped two 14-year-old girls — one of them a runaway he met at a Downtown Pittsburgh bus stop. Deandre Steele, 34, was held for court Friday following a preliminary hearing. Police said Steele took the...
Report: Justice Alito’s home flew flag upside down after Trump’s ‘Stop the Steal’ claims
WASHINGTON — An upside-down American flag, a symbol associated with former President Donald Trump’s false claims of election fraud, was displayed outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in January 2021, The New York Times reported Thursday. A photo obtained and published by the newspaper shows the flag...
Severe storms kill at least 4 in Houston, knock out power in Texas and LouisianaVideo
HOUSTON — Fast-moving thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas for the second time this month, killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings, downing trees and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. Officials urged residents to keep off roads following Thursday’s...
White House blocks release of Biden audio as Republicans move ahead with Garland contempt charge
WASHINGTON — The White House on Thursday blocked the release of audio from President Joe Biden’s interview with a special counsel about his handling of classified documents, arguing that Republicans in Congress only wanted the recordings “to chop them up” and use them for political purposes. Hours later, the House...
Josh Shapiro, other governors seek return of residents held on popular vacation island
Gov. Josh Shapiro and the governors of Virginia and Oklahoma are calling on the leader of Turks and Caicos Islands to reconsider ammunition charges filed against a Pennsylvania man and two others being detained in the Caribbean territory. In a letter to the islands’ Gov. Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, the governors ask...
U.S. proposes ending new federal leases in nation’s biggest coal region
BILLINGS, Mont. — The Biden administration on Thursday proposed an end to new coal leasing from federal reserves in the most productive coal mining region in the U.S. as officials seek to limit climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions from burning the fuel. The Bureau of Land Management proposal would affect millions...
Burrell School District now considering 5.8% increase for property owners
Burrell School District is now thinking of a 5.8% tax increase in its proposed budget for the upcoming school year. The district released a proposed budget that includes an increase of 6.5 mills, which would account for future bond payments for capital improvements and construction, said Finance Director Jennifer Callahan....
Former Valley High School music teacher to remain in jail pending new sentence
A former Valley High School music teacher who pleaded guilty in 2022 to sending sexually themed text messages to two teenage students will remain in jail while he awaits a new sentencing hearing. Westmoreland County prosecutors said Sean Timothy O’Neil, 37, of North Apollo could face a potential state prison...
Justice Department formally moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug in historic shift
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Thursday formally moved to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift in generations of U.S. drug policy. A proposed rule sent to the federal register recognizes the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledges it has less potential for abuse than some...
Register of wills yet to turn over $500K in revenue to Westmoreland County
As much as $500,000 in revenue generated through fees and other payments made to Westmoreland’s Register of Wills Office during the first four months of 2024 has yet to be turned over to the county treasury, officials said Thursday. Controller Jeffrey Balzer said the register of wills and other county...
Teen’s journey from Cameroon to Pittsburgh reflects city’s refugee influx
When Reol Audhasse and his family fled Cameroon for Pittsburgh last year, surging ethnic violence had displaced more than 1 million residents of the central African nation. Boko Haram, the Islamic terrorist group, had slaughtered thousands of civilians near the country’s northern border with Nigeria. Conditions were dangerous, and so...
Texas governor pardons ex-Army sergeant convicted of killing Black Lives Matter protester
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a full pardon Thursday for a former U.S. Army sergeant convicted of murder for fatally shooting an armed demonstrator in 2020 during nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice. Abbott announced the pardon shortly after the Texas Board of Pardons and...
Memorial service honors police in Westmoreland who’ve died in the line of duty
They never knew him, but Ernest C. Johnson’s sacrifice weighed heavily on the minds of four of his granddaughters Thursday. The women grew up hearing stories about the Arnold police sergeant and the scar his April 2, 1953, line-of-duty death left on their family. All four were born after his...
Lower Burrell school property won’t revert to original owners if school closes
Historians and officials say if Stewart Elementary School in Lower Burrell closes and goes up for sale, the land would not revert back to the Stewart family, despite rumors to the contrary. Lower Burrell historian Ray Rieser said, despite popular belief, the Burrell School District purchased the land from the...
Pittsburgh Riverhounds, developers plan $30M sports complex in North Huntingdon
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer club is working with two North Huntingdon business partners in planning a $30 million sports complex on township-owned property off Route 30, they announced Thursday. Five outdoor fields and a multi-purpose indoor facility will be built over the next six years at the 42-acre parcel. The...
Stuntpig parks food truck for permanent shop in Squirrel Hill
Stuntpig has announced it is trading in its food truck wheels for a more permanent location — a sandwich shop in Squirrel Hill. The announcement came this week on the food truck’s social media pages, eliciting many reactions from excited Pittsburghers. The shop will be located at the former Bull...
