Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 869
3 arrested in theft of 34 catalytic converters from Salem dealership
Tips from the public helped state police identify three men who they believe were involved with the theft of 34 catalytic converters worth $50,000 from vehicles at a Salem RV dealer in October, according to court papers. Troopers said several people reported recognizing Kenneth L. Knight Jr., 43, of Jeannette,...
TV Talk: New faces to appear on Pittsburgh newscasts in July
Prepare to see several unfamiliar faces on local newscasts in the next month as stations restock their on-air ranks. Kristen Powers The most notable on-air addition is the arrival this week of WTAE’s new weekday anchor, who will sit alongside Mike Clark during the 11 p.m. newscast. With or without...
Biden backs filibuster exception to protect abortion access
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Thursday that he would support eliminating the Senate filibuster to protect access to abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. “If the filibuster gets in the way, it’s like voting rights,” Biden said during a press conference in Madrid, where he...
VALarena owners say goodbye as new owners continue roller skating rink tradition in North Apollo
After more than two decades of operating the successful VAL- arena in North Apollo, Fred and Debra Knepshield get to finally hang up their roller skates. The skating rink, named after the first letters of Vandergrift, Apollo and Leechburg, has been an entertainment institution in the Alle-Kiski Valley for 73 years....
About half say Trump should be charged for 1/6: AP-NORC poll
WASHINGTON — About half of Americans believe former President Donald Trump should be charged with a crime for his role in the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, a new poll shows. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 48% of U.S. adults...
Police sergeant alleges Kiski Township supervisor asked him to arrest resident suing the township
A Kiski Township police officer says a township supervisor asked him to arrest a resident who hadn’t committed a crime. The allegation was included in a deposition given by Sgt. Thomas Dessell in connection with a lawsuit the resident filed against the township. Dessell gave the deposition March 10 in...
McKeesport fire damages homes, sends 2 to hospital
A fire that broke out in McKeesport early Thursday injured two people, according to an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher. The extent of their injuries and the cause of the blaze were unknown, the dispatcher said. First responders were called to the 1800 block of Soles Street just after 2 a.m.,...
How Pennsylvania keeps its voter rolls clean and updated
This article is made possible through Spotlight PA’s collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. This article is available for reprint under the terms of Votebeat’s republishing policy. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s voter rolls have been a frequent target of conservative politicians who believe the...
Bills limiting LGBTQ instruction, trans athletes pass Pennsylvania Senate
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s GOP-controlled Senate approved legislation Wednesday that Republicans say will restrict sexually explicit content and classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools, mirroring partisan fights playing out in statehouses around the country. The bills passed nearly along party lines, and Democrats warned that Gov....
Pro-choice rally in Greensburg offers support for abortion rights, scorn for Supreme Court
Dana Hiteshue stood Wednesday along Main Street in downtown Greensburg, joined by some 70 other people who voiced their support for women’s reproduction rights and shouted their disdain for the male-dominated Supreme Court that last week overturned the constitutional right to an abortion. The mother of a daughter and grandmother...
Pittsburgh City Councilman Corey O’Connor poised to become Allegheny County’s controller
Pittsburgh City Councilman Corey O’Connor is slated to take over as Allegheny County Controller, the county’s top fiscal watchdog. The position opened up after former controller Chelsa Wagner was elected as an Allegheny County Common Pleas judge. O’Connor said he sent a letter to Gov. Tom Wolf earlier this year...
Jan. 6 hearings ‘poisoned’ jury pool, says attorney for Shaler riot suspect
An attorney for a former Shaler Area substitute teacher charged in the Capitol riot contends the Jan. 6 committee hearings in Washington, D.C., are poisoning the jury pool and producing evidence that must be turned over to the defense. In a motion to compel discovery filed Monday, the attorney representing...
Jan. 6 committee subpoenas Pat Cipollone, former White House counsel
WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection issued a subpoena Wednesday to former White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who has been linked to meetings in which lawyers debated strategies to overturn former President Donald Trump’s election loss. The committee said that it required Cipollone’s testimony after obtaining...
PennDOT: Northbound Route 28 ramp to Delafield Avenue reopened to traffic
The Route 28 northbound ramp to Delafield Avenue has reopened to traffic after being shut down seven weeks for construction, PennDOT announced on Wednesday. Work on the northbound Exit 7 ramp is part of a $15.32 million project to improve a 3.5-mile stretch of Route 28 between the Delafield Avenue...
A viral reprise: When covid-19 strikes again and again
For New York musician Erica Mancini, covid-19 made repeat performances. March 2020. Last December. And again this May. “I’m bummed to know that I might forever just get infected,” said the 31-year-old singer, who is vaccinated and boosted. “I don’t want to be getting sick every month or every two...
Pittsburgh revenues bouncing back from pandemic, controller says
Pittsburgh’s revenues are rebounding after the covid pandemic, City Controller Michael Lamb said Wednesday. Lamb’s analysis comes as his office released its popular annual financial report, which he described as “the layman’s version” of the comprehensive annual report he released in April. “It really is a good overview of where...
Wigle Whiskey ordered to pay $39K for making workers share tips with managers
The owners of Wigle Whiskey were ordered by the U.S. Department of Labor to repay nearly $39,000 to 41 employees after an investigation showed that servers were required to share tips with managers and supervisors. The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division said Pittsburgh Distilling Co., which operates as...
Singer R. Kelly sentenced to 30 years in sex trafficking caseVideo
NEW YORK — R&B star R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday for using his superstardom to subject young fans — some just children — to systematic sexual abuse. The singer and songwriter, 55, was convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking last year at a trial that...
Court says Port Authority ban on Black Lives Matters masks unconstitutional
A federal appeals court on Wednesday said that a Port Authority policy prohibiting its employees from wearing Black Lives Matters masks was overbroad and violated their First Amendment rights. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an earlier decision by U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. “The government may...
Tree of Life shooting suspect could stand trial next year
The federal judge presiding over the case involving the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018 anticipates a 2023 trial. During an hour-long status conference in the criminal case against Robert Bowers on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Robert Colville said that a date spanning March through May...
Monkeypox case diagnosed in Pittsburgh
A case of monkeypox has been detected in Pittsburgh, the infected patient’s primary care office said Wednesday in a statement. The individual received testing for monkeypox at Central Outreach Wellness Center on the North Side, according to the statement, and the state Department of Health confirmed the result Tuesday. The...
$90K worth of raw fentanyl seized, man arrested after bust in Ligonier Borough
About $90,000 worth of raw fentanyl in powder form was confiscated from a Cambria County man Tuesday after an arrest in Ligonier Borough, according to authorities. Cortez M. Haselrig, 25, who lives near Johnstown, is being held at Westmoreland County Prison on charges of drug possession, criminal use of a...
Asphalt prices pinching municipal paving budgets
Municipalities in the midst of summer paving programs across the region are feeling the impact of the rise in asphalt prices. “It is definitely putting a strain on our budget, what we are able to do in-house,” said Tom Bell, Greensburg’s public works director. The city budgeted asphalt at $51...
Fireworks, parades, festivities planned to celebrate Fourth of July
As the Fourth of July weekend approaches, there are many local celebrations to choose from to spend the holiday with family and friends. Here’s a list of fireworks displays, parades and festivities: ALLEGHENY COUNTY Brentwood On July 3, Brentwood will hold its Street Fair and the Battle of the Barrel,...
Thunderbolt, Steel Curtain at Kennywood temporarily closed for maintenance
Two roller coasters have come to a halt at Kennywood, at least temporarily. The Thunderbolt and Steel Curtain are closed for maintenance, the West Mifflin park confirmed on Wednesday. “We appreciate our guests’ patience as we work closely with the ride’s manufacturer to reopen Steel Curtain as soon as possible,”...
