Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 805
Pennsylvania school district cancels Halloween parades due to inclusivity, safety concerns
A Pennsylvania school district in Montgomery County has decided to cancel Halloween parades at elementary schools and it’s due to safety and inclusivity concerns, according to reports. The Lower Merion School District has hosted Halloween parades for more than 50 years, but that might have at least temporarily come to...
Code Orange Air Quality Action Day declared for Liberty-Clairton area Tuesday
The state Department of Environmental Protection has declared Tuesday a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for fine particulate matter for several Mon Valley communities. Officials said areas impacted include Clairton, Glassport, Liberty, Lincoln and Port Vue. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index provides standardized color codes for...
Former Allegheny County Jail captain wins nearly $1M verdict in retaliation lawsuit
A federal jury has awarded a former captain at Allegheny County Jail almost $1 million in damages in a lawsuit he said filed after being fired for reporting racist comments by a supervisor. Jeffrey Kengerski filed suit against the county in August 2017 alleging retaliation. Five years later, after the...
As suicides rise, U.S. military seeks to address mental health
WASHINGTON — After finishing a tour in Afghanistan in 2013, Dionne Williamson felt emotionally numb. More warning signs appeared during several years of subsequent overseas postings. “It’s like I lost me somewhere,” said Williamson, a Navy lieutenant commander who experienced disorientation, depression, memory loss and chronic exhaustion. “I went to...
Social Security boost will help millions of kids, too
WASHINGTON — Seventy-year-old Cassandra Gentry is looking forward to a hefty cost-of-living increase in her Social Security benefits — not for herself but to pay for haircuts for her two grandchildren and put food on the table. The three live in a Washington apartment building that houses 50 “grandfamilies” —...
Pittsburgh Public Schools students encouraged to explore career options without leaving city
Freshmen from six Pittsburgh Public high schools visited the City-County Building last month to meet with representatives from the district’s Career and Technical Education program and city employees from various departments to learn about potential career paths. Students had the opportunity to talk with students and teachers from 16 Career...
5 things we learned: With loss to Bills, Steelers find themselves at bottom of AFC
5 things we learned from Bills 38, Steelers 3: 1. Bottom of the barrel No matter what transpires in the “Monday Night Football” game, the Steelers will enter Week 6 with the worst record in the AFC. It’s just a matter of whether they will be the sole 1-4 team...
Why doesn’t James Franklin show up on Penn State’s list of highest-paid employees?
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for our regional newsletter, Talk of the Town. The Penn State Transparency Tracker is an ongoing effort by Spotlight PA to document and...
Richland man accused of having child porn faces 52 felony counts
A Richland man was charged with 52 felony counts after agents from the state Attorney General’s office said they found child pornography on a computer drive when they raided his home. William R. Blair, 71, of the 700 block of Parkview Drive was charged Oct. 6 with 52 counts of...
State Rep. Tony DeLuca dead at 85
State Rep. Anthony M. “Tony” DeLuca, D-Penn Hills, the longest serving current member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives died Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, at home after a brief battle with lymphoma. He was 85. DeLuca represented the 32nd Legislative District for 39 years. The district includes Penn Hills, Verona,...
OPEC production cut behind 3rd straight week of rising gas prices, analyst says
Average gasoline prices in the Pittsburgh area have increased by about 10 cents per gallon in the past week, while the national average has gone up about 14 cents, according to price tracking service GasBuddy. The average in the Pittsburgh area is $3.99, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 731 stations....
Mark Madden: The Steelers stink, and a fix could be years away
The Pittsburgh Steelers stink, and the horse manure is flying. Mike Tomlin threatened changes after Sunday’s 38-3 loss at Buffalo, be it to personnel or staff. But any change Tomlin makes will be to something he put in place. Kenny Pickett’s performance in his first NFL start is being overrated....
Steelers vs. Bills: What they’re saying in Buffalo after rout
Not much to say in Buffalo. The Bills are looking to a premier matchup next week with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Steelers? A mere speed bump. If that. “Bring on coach Andy Reid and his keep-defenses-guessing play-calling,” wrote Ryan O’Halloran of the Buffalo News. “Can we please, please, please...
Finleyville shooting victim identified as Monessen man
A Monessen man was found dead of a gunshot wound in Finleyville early Monday, according to the Washington County Coroner. First responders were called to the 3600 block of Washington Avenue around 2:40 a.m. to respond to the incident, 911 dispatchers said. Police found Jaisen A. Irwin, 29, of Finleyville...
Harmar police nab attempted homicide suspects after Route 28 chase
Shortly after Pittsburgh police called off a chase on Route 28 early Sunday afternoon, Harmar police said they apprehended the two men — who are accused of attempted homicide — just past the Fox Chapel exit on the highway. After Harmar officers caught the suspects, Pittsburgh police interviewed and arrested...
Airing of Grievances: Blame for every aspect of Steelers as they get ‘smashed’ in Buffalo
So much for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “spark” with Kenny Pickett. That didn’t last very long, did it? Actually, it didn’t even last through the fourth quarter of the New York Jets game. But in Sunday’s 38-3 defeat in Buffalo, the Steelers never found a spark at all. Never lit a...
Woman found shot in car in Homewood
A woman found shot in a car in Homewood was in critical but stable condition late Sunday afternoon, according to a Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman. Police were alerted just after 4:15 p.m. to the shooting. They found the woman in a car on Brushton Avenue near Frankstown Avenue, according to...
These women effected change to spur radon laws in their statesVideo
For Gail Orcutt, what began as a cough and a bit of wheezing ended with a baffling diagnosis of lung cancer one day short of her 57th birthday. She never smoked, always watched her diet and never missed a chance to exercise. While recovering from surgery to remove her left...
For children, radon risks outweigh that for adultsVideo
In Dr. Ned Ketyer’s opinion, there is no doubt that schools should test for radon — and test regularly. “The way radon works when it gets in the body is it damages DNA, and so that’s why radon is associated with cancer, especially lung cancer,” said Ketyer, a pediatrician with...
Some say radon legislation in Pa. comes down to politics; others say it’s the money
State Sen. Wayne Fontana didn’t mince words. When it comes to getting a law passed requiring radon testing in schools, “I think it’s going to take a tragedy of some sort,” said Fontana, a Democrat from Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood. He was alluding to a 2019 fatal fire at an Erie...
Putin calls Kerch Bridge attack ‘a terrorist act’ by Kyiv
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday called the attack that damaged the huge bridge connecting Russia to its annexed territory of Crimea “a terrorist act” masterminded by Ukrainian special services. The Kerch Bridge, which holds important strategic and symbolic value to Russia in its faltering war in...
Invisible danger: Most Western Pa. schools don’t test for radon, despite high levels in the state
As a father of four, Tim Briggs considered it common sense that schools would test for radon. As a state lawmaker, he was appalled that every school doesn’t, and he has made it his mission to do something about it. A monthslong Tribune-Review investigation found that most schools in Southwestern...
Local haunted attractions range from the super-scary to family-friendly
If there was any doubt the holiday season begins with Halloween, one need look no further than the investment of time, energy and money being put into ways to amuse area residents with spooky haunted houses and spine- tingling scare zones. From Kennywood Park in West Mifflin to Castle Blood...
Film crew finds Harmony businessman’s body in Allegheny River
A Harmony-area businessman was found dead in the Allegheny River on Saturday afternoon. Tod DiMinno, 54, who owned the Harmony Emporium, was last seen Sept. 28, according to the Zelienople Borough Police Department. More than a week after he went missing, his body was found in a submerged car in...
‘Take Bigelow’: Boulevard is open after emergency removal of pedestrian bridge
You can take Bigelow again. Bigelow Boulevard in Pittsburgh is moving in both directions on Saturday after crews completed the emergency demolition of the Finland Pedestrian bridge. The pedestrian bridge was struck by a crane boom, warping a metal beam of the bridge, on Friday and caused the closures of...
