Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 412
Officer injured, suspect in custody following Downtown Pittsburgh foot chase
Following a foot chase Tuesday afternoon in Downtown Pittsburgh, police arrested a man and recovered a stolen vehicle and firearm. Authorities said officers on foot patrol near Wood Street spotted a stolen vehicle just after 4 p.m. Officers got behind the vehicle in a patrol car and on bicycles near...
Morning Roundup: 4th person charged in Rivers Casino roulette scheme
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, May 15: 4th person charged in Rivers Casino scheme Pennsylvania State Police on Tuesday announced a fourth person was arrested in connection with a scheme to rig electronic roulette betting at Rivers Casino. Police in March announced two...
Plum recognizes first responders to Rustic Ridge tragedy
What Peter Troxell remembers most about the August day when a house exploded in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood is that it was hot. As a fire police officer with the Holiday Park Volunteer Fire Department, it was Troxell’s job to make sure the first responders who needed to get to...
Immune therapy drugs show promise in treating esophageal cancer
Gary Hines didn’t want to lose his hair. The Harrison resident, diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2021, worried about looking his best for his son’s wedding. “I was all worked up,” said Hines, 60, retired after 30 years with the Harrison Township Water Authority. “Turns out, I never lost one...
Biden administration is sending $1 billion more in weapons, ammo to Israel, congressional aides say
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it would send more than $1 billion in additional arms and ammunition to Israel, three congressional aides said Tuesday. But it was not immediately known how soon the weapons would be delivered. It’s the first arms shipment to Israel to be...
GOP advances Senate candidates in West Virginia, Maryland who could flip Democratic seats
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Republican voters advanced strong Senate contenders in Maryland and West Virginia on Tuesday, giving the GOP a big boost in its push to claim control of Congress’ upper chamber. At the same time, Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump sought to project strength in...
Man driving with 3 children struck by bullet in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood
A man was caught in a crossfire by at least one bullet as drivers in two vehicles reportedly shot at each other Tuesday in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. Public Safety spokeswoman Emily Bourne said officers were dispatched shortly before 5 p.m. to the 6300 block of Morrowfield for reports of...
Chartiers Valley still looking for superintendent as candidate withdraws name
Deanna Fink and Michelle Jesko drove to the Chartiers Valley School Board meeting Tuesday from Saltsburg to watch the CV board consider action on hiring its superintendent, Philip Martell of the River Valley School District. “We were excited he was going to move on from (River Valley),” Jesko said. The...
Zappala fights release of quadriplegic prison inmate supported by Shapiro
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday tried to thwart at every turn a request for compassionate release by a quadriplegic man serving a life prison term, despite Gov. Josh Shapiro and several state representatives throwing their weight behind the effort. Ezra Bozeman, 68, was convicted of second-degree murder...
Justice Department: Boeing violated deal that avoided prosecution after 737 Max crashes
WASHINGTON — Boeing has violated a settlement that allowed the company to avoid criminal prosecution after two deadly crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft, the Justice Department told a federal judge on Tuesday. It is now up to the Justice Department to decide whether to file charges against the aircraft...
Gainey aide defends administration over controversial contractor payments
The top spokeswoman for Pittsburgh’s mayor acknowledged Tuesday that city employees broke in-house rules by using a municipal credit card to charge thousands of dollars in payments to a former worker after he became a private contractor, but she rejected suggestions that the hiring itself violated the state’s ethics law....
Whistleblower questions delays and mistakes in way EPA used sensor plane after fiery Ohio derailment
The U.S. government has a specialized plane loaded with advanced sensors that officials brag is always ready to deploy within an hour of any kind of chemical disaster. But the plane didn’t fly over eastern Ohio until four days after the disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment there last year. A whistleblower...
If it seems like more tornadoes are striking Western Pa. — they are
A spate of tornadoes have spun up in Western Pennsylvania with unprecedented frequency this spring. The National Weather Service in Moon’s coverage area, which includes Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and Northern West Virginia, has already seen 14 tornadoes in 2024, which is more than double the annual average of six...
Beaver Area School District head recommended as Hempfield Area’s new superintendent
Former McKeesport Area and current Beaver Area Superintendent Mark Holtzman is set to become Hempfield’s top school official. Holtzman will be recommended for appointment as superintendent of Hempfield Area School District at a special board meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to a letter sent to parents Tuesday from the...
Salary surcharge pitched to cover Westmoreland register of wills conservator pay
The nearly $90,000 annual salary paid to Westmoreland Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton could be used to finance costs for a court-appointed conservator for the office, county officials said Tuesday. Controller Jeffrey Balzer said a policy approved in 2020 by commissioners allows the county to hold elected row officers...
TikTok content creators sue the U.S. government over law that could ban the popular platform
Eight TikTok content creators sued the U.S. government on Tuesday, issuing another challenge to the new federal law that would ban the popular social media platform nationwide if its China-based parent company doesn’t sell its stakes within a year. Attorneys for the creators argued in the lawsuit that the law...
2 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre dancers perform onstage with their daughters in ‘Cinderella’
Audiences at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s production of “Cinderella” will get to share in some sweet family memories. Two dancers — William Moore and Danielle Downey — will perform with their young daughters in the production, which runs Friday through Sunday. Even more poignant, both dancers have just announced their retirement...
Greensburg man admits to going on nude walks at Twin Lakes Park, police say
A man who described himself as a nudist showed up at the Westmoreland County Park Police station on Hempfield’s Donohoe Road last month wearing only socks, sneakers and a ball cap, according to court papers. Turns out, police said they had been looking for a man who reportedly had been...
Community mourns passing of McCandless firefighter
Firefighter, family man and well-known member of the McCandless community Daniel Stack passed away unexpectedly on May 10 at age 51. Many knew Stack from his 35 years of service fighting blazes in the local area, most recently with the Highland Volunteer Fire Department for the past 18 years, according...
IUP prepares for academic overhaul with proposed college name changes
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is poised to undergo an academic restructuring that would include name changes for three of its five colleges, discontinuing low-enrolled programs and identifying areas for future growth. Those moves and others will be reviewed by the State System of Higher Education in Harrisburg in the coming...
Police charge McKees Rocks teen in Stowe killing
Police have arrested a McKees Rocks teen who they say fatally shot a Stowe man on Thanksgiving eve. Cy-Miar Amari Woods, 16, was charged as an adult Thursday in the Nov. 22 death of Michael Dean. Dean, 26, was killed at his house in the 800 block of Benwood Avenue,...
Sudden Little Thrills music festival canceled
The Sudden Little Thrills music festival, which was slated to take place Sept. 7 and 8 at Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood Green, has been canceled. “We were excited to bring a new world-class music festival to Pittsburgh. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, the Sudden Little Thrills festival will not take...
Leechburg woman dies in house fire
A Leechburg woman died Tuesday morning in a fire at her home. Armstrong County Coroner Brian Myers identified the victim as 60-year-old Betty Bail. The state police fire marshal’s office said pets also perished in the fire in the 300 block of Logan Avenue. In a release, Myers said the...
Check stubs, fake receipts, blind loyalty: Michael Cohen offers inside knowledge in Trump’s hush money trial
NEW YORK — It wasn’t until after a decade in the fold, after his family pleaded with him, after the FBI raided his office, apartment and hotel room, Michael Cohen testified Tuesday, that he finally decided to turn on Donald Trump. That decision led to a 2018 guilty plea to...
Online dashboard helps track tickborne illnesses
The Pennsylvania Department of Health this week announced a new online dashboard that will provide people with information about tickborne illnesses. The dashboard will show people where ticks are prevalent so they can take appropriate precautions while outdoors, officials said. It also will display the latest tickborne disease activity, tracking...
