Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 883
2 people rescued from tank of chocolate at central Pa. Mars Wrigley factoryVideo
ELIZABETHTOWN — Two people were rescued after they somehow fell into a partially filled chocolate tank while doing maintenance work at a candy factory in Pennsylvania. The incident at the Mars Wrigley plant in Elizabethtown occurred shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday. The two people work for an outside contracting firm,...
Project to better connect Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood to Bakery Square
Local leaders announced the start of construction of a multi-modal corridor that will better connect the Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods of Larimer and Homewood with the Bakery Square development and shopping district. The $4.5 million project, called the Larimer-Homewood Connector, will include a tree-lined road complete with a pedestrian walk, bike lanes,...
Amid complaints, Pa. state lawmakers move to restrict fireworks
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania state lawmakers are advancing proposed new limits on fireworks in response to growing complaints after a 5-year-old state law greatly liberalized their sales and use. The House of Representatives voted 160-38 on Wednesday for legislation that would restrict their use to 10 a.m.-10 p.m. except during July...
Fourth of July plans at Point State Park include Zambelli fireworks, music
City officials on Thursday unveiled Pittsburgh’s plans for this year’s Independence Day celebration in Point State Park. The July 4 festivities, which will run from 4 p.m. till 10 p.m., include musical entertainment, family activities, line dancing and a performance of Squonk’s “Hand to Hand,” which the city touted as...
Gas hits $5 national average for first time, GasBuddy reports
The national average price of gasoline reached $5 per gallon Thursday for the first time, according to price-tracking service GasBuddy.com. The milestone comes after months of gas price increases across the country accelerated by the rise in seasonal demand during supply constraints brought on by the covid pandemic, according to...
Port Authority rebrands to Pittsburgh Regional Transit
After more than 60 years as the Port Authority of Allegheny County, the region’s largest public transportation provider announced a rebrand on Thursday to Pittsburgh Regional Transit. “We stand at the very beginning of a new era in public transportation,” said Pittsburgh Regional Transit CEO Katharine Kelleman at a press...
U.S. Military: 5 Marines killed in aircraft crash in desertVideo
SAN DIEGO (AP) — All five Marines on board an Osprey aircraft were killed when it crashed in the California desert near the Arizona border, the Marine Corps said Thursday, a day after the accident. No additional details regarding the cause of the crash were provided in the Marine Corps...
Mt. Lebanon mothers sue school district, teacher over gender identity lessons
Three Mt. Lebanon mothers are suing the school district, its leaders, its school board and a first-grade teacher for the alleged teaching of gender identity issues to elementary-age students, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court. The suit, filed by parents Carmilla Tatel, Stacy Dunn and Gretchen Melton,...
‘Enforce the laws’: South Side business owners fear for patron, employee safety after rash of shootings
Back-to-back shootings on and near Pittsburgh’s busy East Carson Street last weekend have prompted at least one business to close its doors permanently and left other owners struggling to understand why authorities cannot seem to keep control of the entertainment district. “One hundred percent of South Side residents and businesses...
Romanian men accused of planting credit card skimmers in Frazer, Monroeville now charged in Washington County
Two Romanian nationals accused last month of planting skimming devices at Sam’s Club stores in Allegheny and Butler counties were charged this week with targeting a store in Washington County. South Strabane police filed criminal charges against Colceag Constantin, 41, and Raul-Mihani Cojucaru, 40, after a skimmer was found on...
Bloomfield maintains traditions in a young, hip scene: A Pittsburgh guide
One of Pittsburgh’s largest neighborhoods, Bloomfield is best known for its Italian-American heritage and history. Despite seeing changes over the last couple of decades, the neighborhood is still home to a good variety of Italian-American staples, even if many of the neighbors are now millennial transplants. This combination provides an...
Export business owners spar with Westmoreland Heritage Trail officials over short extensionVideo
Using leftover state grant money to extend the Westmoreland Heritage Trail by 750 feet east in Export seemed like an easy decision for council members when it was proposed. That is no longer the case. “Westmoreland Coal Co. got hundreds of thousands of tons of coal through there, and now...
Westmoreland Courthouse construction project on pace for October completion
Demolition work to expose and remove the underground parking structure at the Westmoreland County Courthouse will continue through July, officials said on Wednesday. Public Works Director Greg McCloskey said the $7 million project to rebuild the two-level dilapidated garage remains on schedule and is on pace for completion in October....
Hearings guide: What to know as the Jan. 6 panel goes publicVideo
WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol will hold the first in a series of hearings laying out its initial findings Thursday night, a highly anticipated look at evidence the panel has been gathering for the last year. With the televised hearings, the...
About 1,100 W. Pa. residents still without power; forecast has sunshine returning
Electric utility crews had restored power to all but about 1,100 Western Pennsylvania residents Thursday evening after severe thunderstorms blew through the region late Wednesday, according to area utility companies. At 7:30 p.m., West Penn Power reported 666 customers without power in a nine-county region while Duquesne Light Co. reported...
Bill that would ask Pa. voters whether to privatize liquor system advances in House
Giving voters the power to decide whether to get the state out of the liquor business in Pennsylvania advanced on Wednesday to the full state House of Representatives for consideration. The House Liquor Control Committee voted 14-10 along party lines to approve a proposed constitutional amendment to privatize the liquor...
House passes gun control bill after Buffalo, Uvalde attacks
WASHINGTON — The House passed a wide-ranging gun control bill Wednesday in response to recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, that would raise the age limit for purchasing a semi-automatic rifle and prohibit the sale of ammunition magazines with a capacity of more than 15 rounds....
Mehmet Oz wins Pa. Senate primary ahead of showdown with Fetterman
HARRISBURG — Dr. Mehmet Oz, the celebrity heart surgeon endorsed by former President Donald Trump, won Pennsylvania’s Republican U.S. Senate primary on Wednesday, narrowly defeating former hedge fund CEO David McCormick after a dayslong recount. Oz will face Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in November in a race that could...
New Jersey man gets 2 years for throwing firecracker during George Floyd protests Downtown
A New Jersey man who admitting throwing a firecracker toward police officers during the 2020 protests Downtown over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis will serve two years in federal prison. Nicholas Frank Lucia, 27, of Long Beach Township, was sentenced via video conferencing on Wednesday by U.S. District...
Kenny Chesney fans dock boats along Allegheny River as concert approaches
Country music star Kenny Chesney is a boater. His song “Guys Named Captain” begins: “Guys named Captain are always characters … Livin’ by the water, somewhere in the Americas South or Central or some Virgin Island.” Or Pittsburgh? Beginning three weeks ago, boaters have been anchored along the Allegheny River...
Ross woman gets 14 days incarceration, 2 years probation for entering U.S. Capitol during riot
A Ross woman who admitted to entering the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riots will serve 14 days incarceration and two years probation. Jennifer Heinl, who turns 45 on Thursday, was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan via video conference. She must also serve 50...
‘I don’t want it to happen again,’ Uvalde student Miah Cerrillo says as gun laws debatedVideo
WASHINGTON — Miah Cerrillo gave lawmakers a horrifying firsthand account of the school massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde as she described covering herself in her friend’s blood to play dead while the shooter gunned down her classmates. The fourth grader testified Wednesday via a pre-recorded video in which...
World War II, ‘Top Gun’ aircraft among weekend Westmoreland air show attractions
Forget the movie theaters. The real action will be in the Westmoreland County skies this weekend. The Shop ’n Save Westmoreland Airshow on Saturday and Sunday will be like a real-life version of “Top Gun: Maverick,” a sequel released last month to the 1980s action flick featuring Tom Cruise. Fighter...
DNA match from Greensburg man leads to arrest in Hempfield bank robbery
Authorities used DNA gathered from an index card to charge a Greensburg man with a Nov. 24 bank robbery in Hempfield, according to court papers. Jonathan Smith Jr., 29, wore a distinct red “DoorDash” covid-19 mask and dark ski cap in an attempt to hide his identity when he passed...
The best places in Western Pennsylvania to see mountain laurel in full bloom
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2018. Pennsylvania’s official state flower, the mountain laurel is in full bloom throughout the Pittsburgh region. Although most people are familiar with the laurel’s relatives — rhododendron and azaleas — the official state flower is plentiful but in select environments, mostly rocky,...
