Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 629
Morning Roundup: Risk of severe weather rising into Thursday
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, July 12: Severe weather risk forecast Thursday The likelihood of severe weather will increase around the Western Pennsylvania area from Wednesday into Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. Forecasters say there is a marginal risk...
Don’t touch the thermostat: Experts advise against cranking down AC during high heat
When it’s hot outside, the instinct of some is to lower the temperature on the household thermostat. But local HVAC repair experts advise against dropping the settings too low. “Air conditioning controls humidity, not temperature,” said David Demilio, owner of Demilio Heating and Cooling in South Greensburg. “In the long...
New amphitheater will bring entertainment to West Deer in summer 2024
By this time next year, entrepreneur Charlie Vrabel says, there will be a new entertainment outlet in West Deer. The township supervisors approved plans last month to build an amphitheater at his business, No Offseason Sports, at 940 and 982 Little Deer Creek Valley Road in the township’s Russellton neighborhood....
Review: Weezer drives through greatest hits in sold-out Pittsburgh concert
At one point Tuesday night, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo mentioned that the band had recorded hundreds of songs in their 30+ years together. Weezer’s 90-minute set at a sold-out Stage AE leaned heavily on their first two albums as they rolled through most of their crowd-pleasing greatest hits from those...
GOP hails him as Hunter Biden whistleblower; Feds say he was really Chinese agent who brokered Iran arms and oil deals
A think tank director and energy analyst hailed by Republicans as a Hunter Biden whistleblower illegally advanced Chinese interests in the U.S. and violated laws barring him from selling Chinese weapons and arranging Chinese purchases of Iranian oil, Manhattan federal prosecutors say. Gal Luft, 57, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, has...
Carson City Saloon owner says South Side violence an ‘absolute nightmare’
Brian Vetere, co-owner of the South Side’s Carson City Saloon, said his decision to temporarily close the popular Pittsburgh bar has been mounting for two years. “My staff is scared to death every time they come to work,” he said Tuesday. “So am I. My wife is terrified for me...
Teen jogger details her struggle to avoid abduction in Ligonier Township
Madeline Smith knew she had little choice but to fight her attacker as he attempted to force her at gunpoint into his car on a cold Sunday morning in January. “I figured I might as well fight. I was terrified. I knew he was going to get me into his...
Editorial: South Side violence closes more doors as little changes
On Monday, Carson City Saloon announced it was closing its doors — at least temporarily. A sports bar on the South Side doesn’t do that lightly. It isn’t a new business. It has been around for 17 years. It’s baseball season. But right now crime season is taking the spotlight....
Police: Items believed connected to Pa. jail escapee still being found; reward increasesVideo
WARREN — Authorities searching for a homicide suspect who used bedsheets to escape from a northwestern Pennsylvania jail last week say items found in the last 24 hours lead them to believe he is still in the area. Authorities added that reward money in the case has more than doubled....
Commonwealth Court orders Allegheny County to provide autopsy reports to journalists, public
A state court has ruled that Allegheny County must release a medical examiner’s full autopsy report to journalists or members of the public when they request it, reversing an earlier court decision. An attorney for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association called the decision “a great win for public access.” In a...
Leslie Van Houten, follower of cult leader Charles Manson, released from California prison
LOS ANGELES — Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten walked out of a California prison Tuesday after serving more than 50 years of a life sentence for her participation in two infamous murders. Van Houten “was released to parole supervision,” the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a...
A surging river floods Vermont’s capital as crews rescue more than 100 peopleVideo
ANDOVER, Vt. — A storm that dumped up to two months of rain in two days in Vermont and other parts of the Northeast brought more flooding Tuesday to communities marooned by water, including the state capital, where officials kept watch on a dam just upstream. There were signs of...
Pittsburgh’s URA to receive $62.5M from city to help fund housing programs
Pittsburgh City Council approved a plan Tuesday to provide $62.5 million to the Urban Redevelopment Authority to help fund affordable housing programs. This comes despite concerns from several council members about the financial impact on the city and the URA’s lack of a spending plan. “All of us have some...
Fawn woman strikes it big with $1 million lottery winning ticket
As is routine, Kimberley Adamik stops in Willy’s Beer & Beverage in Harmar every Thursday as she works her garbage truck route. She plays some scratch-off games and goes on her way. But the “$1 Million? Seriously” game she played June 22 stopped her in her tracks. “I went over...
Central Pa. Festival of the Arts set to take over State College
With more than 300 juried sidewalk artist booths, a juried exhibition, multiple activity stations, eight entertainment stages, six locations to buy food and thousands of people milling about, the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts is a lot to take in. This year, organizers are making it easier for attendees...
Defense tries to discredit expert witness who says Pittsburgh synagogue attacker isn’t mentally ill
Robert Bowers’ defense attorneys tried Tuesday to discredit the government’s final expert witness on mental health by questioning him about his billing rates, a 20-year-old case where he was investigated for perjury, and presentations he’s made in the past. The defense cross-examined nationally renowned psychiatrist Dr. Park Dietz for three...
Pittsburgh moves ahead with plan to tear down poorly rated bridge
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a measure that will allow the city to plan for the demolition of a poorly rated bridge that is at the center of an ongoing lawsuit. The bridge crosses over Saw Mill Run Boulevard near Woodruff Street, linking the city’s Bon Air and...
‘A childhood dream come true’: Watt brothers featured on iconic Wheaties box
NFL players and brothers T.J. Watt and J.J. Watt are the first duo and first brothers to be featured on the iconic orange Wheaties cereal box. “Built around a uniting love for football, the Watt family is grounded in perseverance, togetherness, and a commitment to doing the right thing when...
Morning Roundup: Police say driver pulled gun in road rage on Turnpike in Hempfield
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, July 11: Police: Gun pulled in road rage on turnpike in Hempfield Pennsylvania State Police said a person was arrested after a road rage incident in which a gun was pulled on the turnpike in Hempfield. In a...
Hempfield book policies up for future vote with further revisions
School libraries would be required to post a list of requested new books a month ahead of time for the public and school board to review under new proposed revisions to book policies at Hempfield Area School District. The policy revisions for acquiring new school library materials and challenging the...
Greensburg promotes new detective sergeant, hires new officer
Greensburg city officials promoted one member of their police department and hired a new one Monday night. Detective Justin Scalzo was promoted to the rank of detective sergeant, and council voted to hire Jonathan Stevenson as the department’s newest officer. Both moves came by unanimous vote. Scalzo has been with...
Trial begins for Bolivar man accused of trying to kidnap, kill jogger
Surveillance video and tire tracks helped investigators find the man accused of attempting to kidnap and kill an 18-year college student who was out for her morning run, a Westmoreland County detective testified Monday. Detective John Swartz told jurors that evidence led police to the Bolivar home of Frank Springer,...
Carson City Saloon in Pittsburgh’s South Side temporarily closes amid recent shootings
A popular nightspot in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood has temporarily closed after recent gun violence. Carson City Saloon announced Monday on Facebook that it will shut its doors for a while “for the safety of our staff and patrons alike.” It is the first such closure in the sports bar’s...
Republican’s hold on nominations leaves Marines without confirmed leader for 1st time in 100 yearsVideo
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Marine Corps is without a confirmed leader for the first time in a century as Gen. David Berger stepped down as commandant on Monday and a Republican senator is blocking approval of his successor. Berger took over as the 38th commandant in July 2019, and is...
Pirates load up on college players on 2nd day of MLB Draft with 1st baseman, 7 pitchers
When the Pittsburgh Pirates made a run on college pitchers by selecting seven consecutive on the second day of the MLB Draft, it was influenced by their scouting and the success of a 2022 pick. Call it the J.P. Massey Effect. The Pirates took Massey out of Minnesota in the...
