Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 864
What is the independent state legislature doctrine, and why does it matter for Pa.?
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider a case that could reshape election policy across the country, including...
Graffiti vandals strike again in Vandergrift; artist offers to cover damage with mural
A homeowner dealing with ongoing vandalism issues in Vandergrift has an ally committed to combating negative art images in the borough with positivity. Deanna Whaley said it’s not the first time she has dealt with vandalism on her property, along the 200 block of Franklin Avenue, and she’s tired of...
Dashboard cameras, key evidence in Blawnox shooting, gain popularity with motorists
Dashboard cameras, once a mainstay mostly of law enforcement vehicles, have grown in popularity with motorists in recent years. While most often meant to add a layer of security for drivers during traffic stops and insurance claims, they can sometimes offer a detailed look at larger events, as they have...
5 members of Kiski Township Police Department resign, claiming harassment, intimidation
The Kiski Township Police Department is virtually dismantled after four of the township’s six officers, including former Officer in Charge Sgt. Thomas Dessell, and a police secretary resigned. “The walk-off is due to the harassment and intimidation brought on by township supervisors,” Dessell said. State police are handling emergency calls...
Center for Hearing & Deaf Services celebrating 100 years
Last month, Mattel released a Barbie doll with hearing aids. She wears a floral dress, pink boots and has her hair in a ponytail. Two over-the-ear hearing aids are visible. The assistive devices might seem like small accessories to some people, but they speak volumes to the hard of hearing...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: July 8-10
It’s the weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. Art crawl The Lawrenceville Art Crawl is from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday along Butler Street. The indoor and outdoor event will feature local businesses and venues with a collection of curated art and music. Organizers expect 10,000...
Biden signs order on abortion access after high court ruling
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday to protect access to abortion as he faced mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful on the subject after the Supreme Court ended a constitutional right to the procedure two weeks ago. The actions he outlined are intended...
Japan’s ex-leader Shinzo Abe assassinated during speech
NARA, Japan — Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated Friday on a street in western Japan by a gunman who opened fire on him from behind as he delivered a campaign speech — an attack that stunned the nation with some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere. The...
Emergency closure ordered for Washington Avenue Bridge in Swissvale
The emergency closure of a bridge in Swissvale on Thursday night has forced the rerouting of bus lines, Pittsburgh Regional Transit said. The Washington Avenue Bridge that was closed is owned by PennDOT and Norfolk Southern Corp., said Amie Downs, an Allegheny County spokeswoman. Washington Avenue connects Monongahela Avenue with...
‘Tidal wave’: Pittsburgh abortion clinics see influx of out-of-state patients
Crystal Grabowski gave herself only a few minutes to grieve on the morning of June 24 — phones were ringing off the hook at Planned Parenthood’s Pittsburgh clinic soon after news broke that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion. “It felt like...
7th suspect named in New Kensington murder
An 18-year-old Pittsburgh man has been arrested in connection with the killing Sunday of a New Kensington man, the seventh suspect to be charged in the case, authorities said Thursday. Raquan Carpenter was arrested Thursday in connection with the death of Jason D. Raiford, 39, of New Kensington, who was...
Mon incline to close in August for 4 months for upgrades
The Monongahela Incline will be closed for four months for a rehabilitation project, Pittsburgh Regional Transit authorities announced Thursday. Improvements include modernizing the mechanical controls and electrical systems as well as upgrades to the interiors of the upper and lower stations. PRT and its contractors will begin mobilizing this month....
New contract calls for some workers at Allegheny Valley Hospital to get raises up to 26% over next 3 years
Union workers at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison are lauding a new three-year pact that will raise the hourly wage of some employees by as much as 26% over the next three years. Members of Service Employee International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania began negotiations with Allegheny Health Network officials in early...
Pennsylvania budget would leave billions unspent, boost education funding
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania House, nearly a week into the state’s new fiscal year, began passing budget legislation Thursday to add billions into surplus accounts, significantly boost education spending and fund new environmental programs. The House passed the main budget bill with little debate on a 180-20 vote hours after...
IRS asks Treasury watchdog to probe James Comey, Andrew McCabe audits
WASHINGTON — The IRS commissioner has asked the Treasury Department’s internal watchdog to immediately review the circumstances surrounding intensive tax audits that targeted ex-FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, frequent targets of Donald Trump’s ire during his presidency. IRS spokesperson Jodie Reynolds said Thursday the agency...
Police: Mt. Lebanon school board member charged in Florida assault of teen
A Mt. Lebanon School Board member sexually abused a teenager while on vacation in Florida this week, telling arresting officers “this is not good” and “mistakes were made,” according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Andrew Freeman, 34, is charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor, Florida authorities said....
Allegheny County suing pharmacies, alleging large role in opioid epidemic
Allegheny County officials contend that several large chain drug stores had a hand in creating the deadly opioid epidemic that has killed thousands across the county, contending that the pharmacies pushed the potent painkilling opioids into communities and failed to monitor and restrict sales when red flags arose. In a...
Police officer who killed Tamir Rice leaves Tioga police position amid controversy
The small borough of Tioga in Northcentral Pennsylvania recently hired Timothy Loehmann, the former Cleveland police officer who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014. But following criticism from residents and outcry on social media, Loehmann has withdrawn from the borough’s police force, according to reports. Rice’s killing led...
Pa. bill allowing police to seize illegally operated dirt bikes, ATVs heads to Wolf’s desk
The state Senate passed a bill late Wednesday allowing police in urban municipalities to seize dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles from owners who illegally drive them on roads, and the measure now heads to the desk of Gov. Tom Wolf. The bill passed almost unanimously in the Senate last month,...
Former cop Derek Chauvin gets 21 years for violating George Floyd’s civil rights
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Derek Chauvin to 21 years in prison for violating George Floyd’s civil rights, a move that adds a few years to the time the former Minneapolis police officer is already serving for his murder conviction while transferring him to federal...
3 of 6 teens charged in New Kensington shooting death in custody
Three of the six teenagers charged in connection with a fatal shooting Sunday in New Kensington are in custody, including the 14-year-old police say was the shooter. Braedon Matthew Dickinson, 14, of Herminie; Amir Kennedy, 14, of New Kensington; and Jonathan Eugene Felder, 17, of Arnold are in custody. According...
Pittsburgh International Airport to get $20 million of FAA’s $1 billion for terminals and upgrades
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is giving nearly $1 billion to 85 airports to expand and upgrade terminals and other facilities, using money approved in last year’s huge infrastructure bill. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the projects will help meet future demand for travel and make flying safer and more...
Founder’s daughters revive Tropical Bungalow restaurant in Hempfield
Tom Papinchak said the smoothie was relatively new to Western Pennsylvania when he started selling the fruity concoction in the mid-1990s, first from a mobile thatched-roof kiosk and then at his Tropical Bungalow kiosks in Westmoreland Mall, downtown Pittsburgh and The Galleria in Johnstown. About 10 years later, he moved...
Symposium will help educators integrate Fred Rogers’ teachings into the classroom
Fred Rogers is renowned for the ways he taught and interacted with children — and this July, educators will have the opportunity to glean some of his wisdom during a virtual symposium. Saint Vincent College’s Fred Rogers Institute in Unity will host the two-day symposium on July 19 and 20....
One scandal too many: British PM Boris Johnson resigns
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation Thursday amid a mass revolt by top members of his government, marking an end to three tumultuous years in power in which he brazenly bent and sometimes broke the rules of British politics. Months of defiance ended almost with a...
