Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 923
Attorneys for accused Tree of Life gunman say they won’t be ready for trial before late 2023
Federal prosecutors say the man accused of killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill should go to trial in the fall. But defense attorneys for the accused gunman, Robert Bowers, told the newly assigned judge in the case Wednesday that they don’t anticipate being...
No charges to be filed in Jeannette man’s 2019 killing, district attorney says
No criminal charges will be filed in connection with the October 2019 shooting outside a Jeannette home that left one man dead, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli announced Wednesday. Mariell McGowan, 29, an aspiring rapper and former basketball and football star at Jeannette High School, was killed and two...
Pittsburgh poised to adopt ban on plastic grocery bags
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday advanced a measure to ban plastic grocery bags, after amending the legislation to drop the costs of paper bags for low-income individuals. The legislation, introduced by Councilwoman Erika Strassburger in November, would ban single-use plastic bags in most instances. Shoppers would instead have to bring...
Pirates to serve up Pittsburgh food and drink this season at PNC Park
The Pirates and PNC Park teamed with restaurants and chefs to bring a taste of Pittsburgh into the stadium this baseball season. New menu items include Fat Head’s beer from the South Side, a burger from Station in Bloomfield, and a Reuben hot dog topped with house-made corned beef from...
Feds announce disruption of Russian malware attack in operation aided by Pittsburgh FBI, U.S. Attorney’s office
The U.S. Department of Justice announced a series of measures Wednesday to combat Russian criminal activity, including an operation to disrupt a malware program that officials said would have allowed the Russian government to control thousands of infected security devices around the world. The operation to disrupt the “Cyclops Blink”...
Westmoreland DA says solving Cassandra Gross case from 2018 remains a priority
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said solving the 2018 disappearance of Cassandra Gross is a priority for prosecutors. “This is one of the cases that was at the forefront of my mind when I took office (in January),” Ziccarelli said. “We are very committed to this case.” She’s had...
Trial for New Florence man accused of assault of deputy sheriff delayed
The trial of a former New Florence man previously acquitted of killing a police officer and now accused of assaulting a Westmoreland County deputy sheriff has been delayed until at least June. Ray Shetler Jr., 37, appeared in court this week for a procedural hearing to determine if his trial...
Victim in fatal Butler crash identified
A 47-year-old woman was the victim in a fatal crash near Slippery Rock in Butler County early Tuesday morning, state police at Butler said. Ruth A. Alben of Slippery Rock was killed when the vehicle she was driving eastbound on Branchton Road went through a flashing red traffic signal without...
Mariupol’s dead put at 5,000 as Ukraine braces in the east
ANDRIIVKA, Ukraine — The mayor of the besieged port city of Mariupol put the number of civilians killed there at more than 5,000 Wednesday, as Ukraine collected evidence of Russian atrocities on the ruined outskirts of Kyiv and braced for what could become a climactic battle for control of the...
Trib Total Media to co-host political debates ahead of Pa. primary election
Trib Total Media, in partnership with Spotlight PA and its founding members, will co-host debates this month featuring candidates for Pennsylvania governor and the state’s open U.S. Senate seat ahead of the spring primary. The gubernatorial debate features Republican candidates Joe Gale, Charlie Gerow, Melissa Hart and Nche Zama. It...
Future of covid boosters comes down to crucial meeting of FDA advisers
An all-star panel of covid-19 experts will convene this week to hash out how and when vaccines should be updated to address future variants as the virus continues to rapidly mutate. The meeting of U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisers should provide some of the first hints of its strategy...
Woman taken to hospital after car goes into Monongahela River in Braddock
Braddock police reported that a woman’s car went into the Monongahela River from a boat launch ramp late Tuesday night. Police said they are investigating the incident that occurred around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday but declined to discuss details. The woman was rescued and taken to an area hospital, a police...
Oklahoma state House approves bill to make abortion illegal
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma House gave final legislative approval on Tuesday to a bill that would make performing an abortion a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. With little discussion and no debate, the Republican-controlled House voted 70-14 to send the bill to Republican Gov. Kevin...
Pennsylvania court blocks governor’s carbon emissions plan
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania court on Tuesday blocked the centerpiece of Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to fight climate change, the latest challenge to the Democrat’s effort to make Pennsylvania the first major fossil fuel state to adopt a carbon pricing policy. Commonwealth Court, in a one-line unsigned order, said it...
Pittsburgh teen, 13, reported missing since Saturday
Pittsburgh Police are seeking the public’s help with locating a missing teen. Jordan Boyd, 13, was last seen in Observatory Hill around 6 p.m. Saturday. Authorities described the boy as standing 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 160 pounds with brown eyes and black hair, and possibly wearing black clothing...
Martell Covington, Aerion Abney poised to replace Ed Gainey, Jake Wheatley in state legislature
Voters in two special election races Tuesday chose who would replace new Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and his chief of staff, Jake Wheatley, in the state legislature. Preliminary election results showed Aerion Abney and Martell Covington, both Democrats, with strong leads in the 19th and 24th legislative districts, respectively. Abney...
Sneakers, jacket and car trouble lead to charges in Fox Chapel, O’Hara burglaries
Police said they used a Squirrel Hill man’s distinctive Adidas shoes and North Face jacket to link him to a series of burglaries in Fox Chapel and O’Hara over the course of a year, according to charges filed Tuesday. Andrew Clinton, 20, faces more than a dozen charges, including burglary,...
Chester police: Gun handled by 2-year-old boy in car killed girl, 4
CHESTER — A 2-year-old boy was handling a gun in a parked vehicle at a gas station pump near Philadelphia when it discharged, killing a 4-year-old girl, police said. Chester police said the shooting happened shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Eagle Save Mart. Police said adults at the...
Kiski Area student found with bullets on school bus
Kiski Area School District officials and police are investigating after an elementary student was found with bullets on a morning bus route. Superintendent Misty Slavic alerted families in a letter, saying the student had two bullets but an initial investigation showed “no evidence to suggest malicious intent” and no evidence...
Pittsburgh region’s economy remains slow to recover from pandemic downturn
The Pittsburgh region’s economy continues to lag behind its pre-covid levels from 2020, when there were 64,000 more nonfarm jobs in the seven counties and 54,600 more people in the labor force, according to the February employment report released Tuesday. “It may take us years to get back to pre-pandemic...
Pa.’s broken ‘compassionate release’ law, by the numbers
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. In Pennsylvania prisons, thousands of people are aging behind bars, suffering from chronic health conditions, and requiring regular medical care that...
Former Westmoreland Coroner Ken Bacha hired as chief operations officer at Mutual Aid
Kenneth Bacha, who served as Westmoreland County’s coroner for 20 years until he was defeated in the 2021 election, has taken a new job with Mutual Aid Ambulance Service Inc. as its chief operations officer. Bacha, 60, of Greensburg, began his new job last week. “I’m really excited about it....
Irwin man accused of killing estranged wife’s boyfriend in North Versailles
A 40-year-old Irwin man is charged with homicide after police say he shot and killed a man in North Versailles last month before shooting himself in the head. Samuel Trusso, who police said is expected to survive, is charged with criminal homicide and firing a gun into an occupied structure...
Upcoming PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh season showcases powerful women
The 2022-23 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Series has a strong theme of female empowerment. “From ‘Six,’ which allows King Henry VIII’s wives to tell their stories, to the all-female creative team of ‘Hadestown,’ to iconic leading ladies like Elsa, Tina Turner and Tracy Turnblad, this season shines a light on...
Man accused in regional bail scam to stand trial on conspiracy charges for Hempfield case
After a Hempfield woman handed over $5,000 to a man she was led to believe was a bail bondsman, she wasn’t able to get in touch with a person who claimed to be her daughter’s attorney. Darlene Johnston, 60, testified Tuesday that she got a phone call on Feb. 28...
