Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 908
‘It’s an absolutely seismic event’: Western Pa. legal experts shocked by Supreme Court leak
Legal experts in the Pittsburgh region view the leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that could overturn Roe v. Wade as unprecedented — in its substance, in the potential impact it could have on other privacy rights and in the very leaking itself. While there have been leaks of information...
Even as covid cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved
NEW YORK — An increase in covid-19 infections around the U.S. has sent more cities into new high-risk categories that are supposed to trigger indoor mask wearing, but much of the country is stopping short of bringing back restrictions amid deep pandemic fatigue. For weeks, much of upstate New York...
Teen charged with homicide in connection with deadly Wilkinsburg shooting
County police arrested a teen Tuesday in connection with the killing of a man in Wilkinsburg two days prior, according to Allegheny County homicide detectives. Devin Lee Martin, 16, of Pittsburgh, is charged with homicide in the death of 37-year-old Cornell Lee. Police initially responded to a call for shots...
Text message, jail phone calls lead Pittsburgh police to suspect in Carrick killing
Text messages and coded calls made from the Allegheny County Jail helped lead Pittsburgh police to a man they allege shot and killed another man in Carrick last month, according to the criminal complaint in the case. Elijah Terry-Smith, 23, is charged with one count of homicide in connection with...
‘Still in shock’: Abortion defenders, foes stunned by Supreme Court leak
The owner of an Alabama abortion clinic was flying home from a conference with other abortion providers Monday night when a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion began ricocheting around the world. As Dalton Johnson read it, he was struck by the harshness of the language that would end the constitutional...
Pittsburgh region could gain $14.5M a year through payments from nonprofits, report says
A program designed to receive payments from the area’s largest nonprofit entities could raise a “baseline” of $14.5 million per year, according to a report released Tuesday by Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb and Allegheny County Acting Controller Tracy Royston. As of 2021, almost 10% of all property in Allegheny...
Tanker truck crashes off road, down hillside near Rankin Bridge
A section of River Road near the Rankin Bridge was temporarily closed this morning while emergency crews worked to remove a tanker truck that went over a hillside. The crash was reported at about 9:50 a.m. along Route 837, or River Road, in Whitaker, according to an Allegheny County 911...
Fall election could determine future of abortion rights in Pennsylvania
The future of legal abortion access in Pennsylvania could hinge on the outcome of the general election in November after a draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court suggests the court is poised to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case. On Monday, Politico published a story containing a leaked...
Retired pastor charged with stealing more than $350K from North Side church
The retired pastor from a North Side Presbyterian church is accused of stealing more than $357,000 from it. The Rev. Wayne Peck, 70, of Highland Park, is charged with theft and receiving stolen property. He turned himself in to detectives from the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office on Tuesday. His...
Tree of Life unveils new design, plans for site
Part memorial, part museum and part worship space, the renovated site of the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill will also include an institute aimed at what leaders on Tuesday called the world’s oldest disease: antisemitism. Leaders with the architecture and design firms contracted to help renovate and rebuild...
Ukrainian fighters: Russian forces storming Mariupol plant
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — Russian forces Tuesday began storming the steel mill containing the last pocket of resistance in Mariupol, Ukrainian defenders said, just as scores of civilians evacuated from the bombed-out plant over the weekend reached relative safety in Ukrainian-held territory. Osnat Lubrani, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, said...
New Kensington Redevelopment Authority continuing efforts to develop industrial park
It has been almost two years since Affival moved into New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park. The move from Plum has worked out well for the business, which supplies the steel industry with cored wire products used to change the properties of steel. “A move anywhere was going to be a...
Report: Supreme Court set to strike down abortion rights
WASHINGTON — A draft opinion suggests the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a Politico report. A decision to overrule Roe would lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states and could have huge...
Police: Catalytic converters cut from vehicles at Hempfield auto shop
State police are investigating the theft of catalytic converters — more specifically the precious metals they contain — from a Hempfield auto repair shop last week. Police said catalytic converters were stolen from three vehicles at Arona Auto Care on Arona Road, between the evening of April 27 and morning...
Mobile trailer to sell CBD edibles in Pittsburgh region
A new mobile trailer is hoping to bring CBD edibles — cookies, brownies, and pastries infused with non-THC products — to shoppers all over Pittsburgh later this summer. Moodedibles is a company that produces small-batch edibles infused with CBD, Delta 8 and other minor cannabinoids. All edibles contain below the...
Westmoreland teachers targeted by nationwide jury duty scam
A nationwide jury duty scam using the name of a fictitious sheriff’s deputy is targeting school teachers in Westmoreland County, according to state police. Scammers are using the name “Deputy Wayne Farley” — which has been linked to phone scams around the country — and calling a school district to...
Hempfield substitute teacher accused of passing ‘lewd’ poem to high school student
A former substitute teacher at Hempfield Area High School was released from the Westmoreland County Prison on $50,000 bond over the weekend after being arrested for allegedly passing a “lewd” poem to a female student. State police arrested Troy T. Perkins, 41, on Friday, charging him with disorderly conduct and...
Gas prices in Pittsburgh area jump 18 cents since last week; diesel costs could drive further increases
Gasoline prices are rising again, but a jump in the cost of diesel fuel might be the bigger concern, an industry analyst says. The national average price of gasoline increased by about 7 cents per gallon in the past week, and by nearly 18 cents per gallon in the Pittsburgh...
Pitt says ‘thousands’ have supported university as debate over funding continues
Thousands of Pennsylvanians have answered the call to support the University of Pittsburgh’s campaign to keep tuition discounts for in-state Pitt students, school officials report. The campaign began after some House Republicans indicated they might not support Pitt’s nonpreferred appropriation bill that typically passes in the Pennsylvania budget. The bill...
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey signs inclusionary zoning expansion for Bloomfield, Polish Hill
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Monday signed legislation that expands inclusionary zoning into the city’s Bloomfield and Polish Hill neighborhoods. The measure earned City Council approval two weeks ago, after community advocates had pushed for the measure for years, said Councilwoman Deb Gross, who represents the neighborhoods. Community groups in...
Countdown begins for Pennsylvania Real ID requirement
Pennsylvanians have one year until the Real ID requirement for domestic air travel in the United States goes into effect. After two years of pandemic-driven delays, the federal requirement will be put into place May 3, 2023. “Although a year seems like a long time to get ready, the deadline...
Westmoreland County Senior Games return after 2-year hiatus
The Westmoreland County Senior Games return to action this week, following a two-year pandemic hiatus. County parks coordinator Chris Panichella couldn’t be happier. “This has been a big part of Westmoreland County events, and we got a lot of calls last year asking if we could find some way to...
Police: Tarentum couple arrested on drug charges after bills used in sting found during raid
A Tarentum couple was arrested on felony drug charges after police raided a home where they were living and found heroin and cash that included bills marked for an undercover drug buy, police said. Michael Joseph Spears, 29, and Kelly Flemming, 28, of the 100 block of Curtis Street, were...
No one reported hurt after shot fired during fight at McKee Stadium in Jeannette
No one was reported hurt when a shot was fired into the ground during an argument at Jeannette’s McKee Stadium on Saturday, according to Police Chief Donald Johnston Jr. Officers learned two men got into an argument at the Park Street stadium at 10:15 a.m. when one of them fired...
3rd location for Mineo’s Pizza House opens in Hampton
The black-and-white photo of a man wearing a white apron with his right hand about to open a pizza oven is the first image guests see as they enter. It’s more than a picture. The image is of Giovanni Mineo Sr., who founded the family business — Mineo’s Pizza House...
