Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 570
Fatal shooting stuns Indiana County community as police search for suspects
Tears welled up in Lillian Clemons’ eyes as she stopped her vehicle in front of the Chevy Chase Community Center. With a cup of coffee in her hand, she took in the yellow police tape surrounding the building and recounted how much the residents rely on the center, which regularly...
Knights of Columbus groups serve local communities despite controversial namesake
The legacy of 15th-century Italian explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus has sparked controversy in recent years, but there remain about 100 Knights of Columbus councils in Western Pennsylvania. “When you join the Knights of Columbus, you swear to do charitable works,” said Albert Borgony, grand knight for a Westmoreland council....
Fate of Schenley Park Columbus statue unknown as legal case continues
More than three years after the Pittsburgh Art Commission voted to remove it, a large statue of 15th-century Italian explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus still stands, partially shrouded in tattered plastic sheeting in a plaza at Schenley Park. The fate of the hotly debated statue remains unknown pending the conclusion...
Pittsburgh Mills mall owner optimistic about property’s future, but mum on details, after averting sheriff’s sale
After paying off millions in delinquent assessment fees for the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer, owner Namdar Realty Group says it’s looking forward to the mall’s future but, so far, hasn’t said what that future will be. The Mills mall was scheduled for sheriff’s sale last week, but Namdar paid...
Feats of Strength/Airing of Grievances: Steelers’ splash plays outweigh offensive struggles to beat Ravens
All week long, it’s been hard to explain how the Pittsburgh Steelers lost 30-6 to the Houston Texans last week. Now it might be even harder to explain how they beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The boos and “Fire Canada” chants were cascading down from the Acrisure Stadium seats...
Local Jewish leaders reviewing synagogue security in wake of Hamas attack on Israel
Local Jewish leaders are taking steps to ensure the security of worshippers at Pittsburgh-area synagogues in the wake of Saturday’s surprise attack on Israel by Hamas militants. The director of community security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh said Sunday that, while there have been no threats made against...
Vigil attendees, IUP students express shock, fear over nearby off-campus shooting
Indiana University of Pennsylvania student Christine Berry of Pittsburgh’s North Side had a “sense that something (bad) might happen” at a homecoming party Saturday night at a local community center a couple of miles from campus. Berry said she told friends not to go the party, not to walk the...
Fatal Indiana County shooting marks 540th mass incident this year, according to gun violence group
White Township joined the likes of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg as communities struck by a mass shooting when gunfire erupted early Sunday morning at a party at the Chevy Chase Community Center. One person died and at least eight others were wounded in a chaotic scene that state police described...
Steelers stage late rally to stun Ravens, move into tie for 1st place in AFC North
It was a game the Pittsburgh Steelers needed to win if they wanted to take some positivity into their bye week. They ultimately did, although it was difficult at times to fathom how exactly they exited Acrisure Stadium on Sunday with a 17-10 victory against the Baltimore Ravens. Outplayed for...
Off-campus shooting near IUP the latest for university community to endure
The shooting at a party near the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus early Sunday morning marked the latest in a string of incidents involving IUP students in the past decade. IUP spokeswoman Michelle Fryling confirmed that the party at the Chevy Chase Community Center was not affiliated with the university,...
U.S. will send a carrier strike group to Eastern Mediterranean in support of Israel
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday he has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to sail to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel after the attack by Hamas that has left more than 1,000 dead on both sides. Americans were reported to be among those...
Westmoreland Coroner: Salem man killed in Route 22 crash
A Salem man was killed in a crash on Route 22 in Murrysville on Saturday evening after a suspected impaired driver ran a red light and hit his car broadside, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office and municipal police. Michael D. Poholsky, 65, was driving a Chrysler Concorde on...
Powerball jackpot up to $1.55 billion as lottery losing streak continues
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.55 billion after no one matched the game’s six numbers Saturday and won the giant prize. The numbers drawn Saturday night were: 47, 54, 57, 60, 65 and red Powerball 19. The $1.55 billion prize is for a sole...
Israel declares war and bombards Gaza as fighting rages for 2nd day after Hamas attack
TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli government formally declared war Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas for its surprise attack, as the military tried to crush fighters still in southern towns and intensified its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The toll passed...
New Kensington celebrating 70th anniversary of Willie Thrower’s ‘1st Snap’
In the world of sports, New Kensington’s Willie Thrower cemented his place in history when he became the first Black quarterback to take a snap in the NFL in 1953. In his hometown, he was known as a humble, hardworking and family-oriented man, said Melvyn Smith, a longtime friend of...
Tenants unknown as new ‘tech flex’ building breaks ground at RIDC Armstrong Innovation Park
Armstrong County officials are mum on identifying possible tenants for a new 30,000-square-foot tech development project at RIDC Armstrong Innovation Park in South Buffalo Township. The news of construction commencing on a “tech flex” building was announced Wednesday in a news release issued by Darin Alviano, the executive director of...
Seton Hill students target Greensburg’s empty storefronts as part of regional initiative
If Greensburg eventually finds a way to fill vacant storefronts in downtown, the city may have three Seton Hill students to thank. Jake Starek, 20, of Harrison City is one of the trio at Seton Hill University participating in an initiative designed to study the potential for a health care...
Unsustainable funding model, shrinking workforce leave ambulance services in critical condition
Emergency medical services across Western Pennsylvania have found themselves on life support, despite being in the business of saving lives. Minimal state and municipal funding, combined with sluggish private donations, has leaders scraping by and some services on the brink of folding. “It costs us $150 an hour to operate...
1 dead, at least 8 others injured in mass shooting at Indiana County party
Moments after Pennsylvania State Police troopers on horseback arrived at the Chevy Chase Community Center in Indiana County expecting to engage in crowd control after midnight on Sunday, dozens of gunshots rang out. More than 150 people began streaming out of the White Township building. “They exited that building in...
Coroner identifies drag racer who died during event at Derry track
A man who died while competing in an event Saturday afternoon at Keystone Raceway in Derry has been identified by authorities. The victim was identified as Ronnie John Ruggiero, 37, of Irwin, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Ruggiero was drag racing a pickup when he failed to stop...
Penn Hills man accused of violating parole by beating, running over woman
A Penn Hills man accused of violating his probation after police say he beat a woman and drove over her leg as he fled has been taken into custody, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office announced. Dayon Damon Caldwell, 25, of the 300 block of Fielding Drive pleaded guilty in 2020...
Witnesses to FBI hunt for Civil War gold in Elk County dispute its story
PENFIELD — In the heart of Pennsylvania elk country, Eric McCarthy and his client, Don Reichel, woke before sunrise to scour the forest for so-called “brown gold,” a rack of freshly shed antlers to add to Reichel’s collection. One hill over, a team of FBI agents also was hunting for...
5 things to know about Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel
JERUSALEM — Without warning Saturday, Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers attacked Israel by air, land and sea. Millions of Israelis in the country’s south awoke to the searing sound of incoming rockets and the inevitable thud of impact. Air raid sirens wailed as far north as Tel Aviv. Israel’s anti-rocket interceptors...
Local Jews, former Pittsburghers in Israel react to ‘unprecedented’ attacks on the Jewish State
Squirrel Hill native Josh Weinberg was praying in a Jerusalem-area synagogue around 10 a.m. local time Saturday when sirens alerting Israelis of incoming missile strikes started to wail. The synagogue in the West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Adumim has no bunker, so Weinberg, a real estate attorney who left Pittsburgh...
Proposal would raise Lawrenceville parking rates for infrastructure updates
Legislation before Pittsburgh City Council would increase rates and hours of metered parking in Lawrenceville and reinvest the money made into mobility improvements in the community. The measure would create what officials call a mobility enhancement district in Lawrenceville. It would allow the city to charge more for parking spots...
