Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 968
Howard Hesseman, star of ‘WKRP in Cincinnati,’ dies at 81
NEW YORK — Howard Hesseman, who played the radio disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati” and the actor-turned-history teacher Charlie Moore on “Head of the Class,” has died. He was 81. Hesseman died Saturday in Los Angeles due to complications from colon surgery, his manager...
Trump dangles prospect of pardons for Jan. 6 defendants
CONROE, Texas — Former President Donald Trump is dangling the prospect of pardons for supporters who participated in the deadly Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol if he returns to the White House. “If I run and if I win, we will treat those people from January 6th fairly,”...
Housework or sleep? Study says it depends when you were born
When Gen Xer Amy Rottier went shopping for her young children two decades ago, she drove to a mall and browsed for what she needed. Her millennial daughter, Helen, who is studying for a doctorate and doesn’t have children, buys anything she needs with a click on her iPad. The...
2 men shot outside Greensburg bar
Greensburg police are seeking the public’s help in connection with a shooting early Sunday that sent two men to area hospitals. Police Det. Justin Scalzo said the shooting occurred just before 2 a.m. along Pennsylvania Avenue outside the Rialto Cafe bar. “Neither of the injuries are life threatening. We’re asking...
2 reported injured in row house fire in Beltzhoover
Two people including a firefighter were injured by a fire in a row house in Pittsburgh’s Beltzhoover neighborhood Saturday, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety officials. Firefighters and emergency response crews were called to a row house fire in the 300 block of Boggston Avenue just before 5 p.m. The fire...
Jerry Weber, founder of Jerry’s Records in Pittsburgh, dies
Jerry Weber, the beloved Pittsburgh purveyor of vinyl, has died. Weber owned Jerry’s Records on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill — a haven for vinylheads and a kingdom of records. “We are devastated to hear of Jerry’s passing,” the record store wrote Saturday on Facebook. “Our beloved founder and Pittsburgh’s...
Lawmakers react to Frick Park bridge collapse
One of the Pittsburgh area’s congressmen is pointing to Friday’s bridge collapse as proof of the need for the nation’s latest infrastructure spending plan. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, praised the “brave and rapid response” of first responders and wished those who were injured speedy recoveries. “It was a miracle...
Holding onto hope inside a covid ICU: ‘It’s like working in a war zone’Video
Inside a room in the intensive care unit at Allegheny Health Network’s Jefferson Hospital, a covid-infected man lies prone on his stomach, hooked up to a ventilator that is breathing for him. The room is noisy, even though the man can’t speak. Chimes and beeps are accompanied by the constant,...
Lower Burrell man accused of threatening Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert online
A 55-year-old man accused of making threats on social media to harm Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert and his family was taken into custody after a search of a home in Lower Burrell on Saturday. Matthew A. Betts was found hiding in a storage locker at a residence on Lori...
Pa. hospitals wrestle with nursing shortages as pandemic drags on
The stress of a two-year pandemic combined with an aging workforce and shortage of teachers has led to a critical staffing shortage among nurses. Joy Peters, chief nursing officer for Allegheny Health Network’s Jefferson Hospital, said staffing levels in almost every department at Jefferson are down 30% to 40% from...
‘It’s a resource problem’: 1 in 8 bridges in Pa. rated in ‘poor’ condition, records show
A bridge that collapsed in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park is one of hundreds of bridges rated in similar “poor” condition throughout the region and one of thousands across Pennsylvania. Ten people were injured Friday morning when Fern Hollow Bridge, which carries Forbes Avenue over Fern Hollow Creek, collapsed, sending a Port...
Ligonier firefighters secure ownership of 85-year-old borough building at auction
There was little drama during Saturday’s auction of the former Ligonier Borough Municipal Building. Ligonier Volunteer Hose Company 1 made the winning $315,000 bid that will allow the fire company to keep using it. Winning the public auction of the 85-year-old building at 112 N. Fairfield St. was a big...
Cleanup, investigation begin in aftermath of Forbes Avenue bridge collapse in Frick ParkVideo
The cleanup and investigation into the collapse of the Forbes Avenue bridge over Fern Hollow in Frick Park began in earnest Saturday, the first steps of what likely will be a long and arduous process, federal officials said. “Over the coming weeks we are going to put this bridge under...
Sharpsburg officials considering decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana
Sharpsburg officials are exploring the possibility of decriminalizing possession of marijuana and related paraphernalia. Specifically: a small amount of all forms and varieties of cannabis, as well as the smoking of it in public spaces. Mayor Brittany Reno cast the deciding vote at Thursday night’s council meeting. The move allows...
Pennsylvania Democrats deadlock on endorsing in Senate race
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s Democratic Party committee members deadlocked Saturday in suburban Harrisburg on a vote to endorse in the party’s hotly contested primary race for U.S. Senate, giving Conor Lamb by far the most votes, but not enough for the party’s backing. Winning an endorsement was a high hurdle to...
Over 40 bridges in Alle-Kiski Valley are rated the same as span that collapsed in Pittsburgh
In a town aptly dubbed the “City of Bridges,” Friday morning’s collapse of a span carrying traffic over Fern Hollow Creek in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park while cars and a Port Authority bus were on it might very well be the worst nightmare a local motorist could imagine. The early morning...
Fired West Mifflin Area superintendent hired by Woodland Hills
Woodland Hills School District officials have selected Daniel Castagna as their acting superintendent, district officials announced Friday. Castagna, who was fired in 2019 by West Mifflin Area School District after two DUI arrests, will serve as Woodland Hills’ top administrator until a more permanent superintendent can be found. Castagna at...
Engineering expert: ‘Poor’ ratings don’t mean Westmoreland bridges are unsafeVideo
A collapse is the most dramatic outcome in a bridge’s lifespan. But it’s just the potential worst-case scenario for the 143 state-inspected bridges in Westmoreland County that are rated in poor condition and are likely to need attention sooner or later, if they haven’t already been closed. PennDOT lists a...
‘It is outrageous’: Pittsburgh leaders, residents seek answers after poor-rated bridge collapses
First responders formed a human chain just before dawn Friday to reach down and rescue motorists and passengers who fell more than 100 feet when a bridge over Pittsburgh’s Frick Park collapsed down an icy ravine. Most of those caught in the collapse were not severely injured and were able...
Editorial: Pittsburgh bridge collapse shows infrastructure failings
Pittsburgh is more than a city of steel. It is also the City of Bridges. It has more of them than Venice, Italy — a city that is most easily traveled by boat. Venice has 443 bridges. Pittsburgh had 446. Today it has 445. That last bridge, where Forbes Avenue...
Pittsburgh’s East Enders come to terms with the ‘unbelievable’ collapse of Frick Park bridge
Jon Danzek was still tucked in bed on a cold, snowy Friday morning when he heard a noise he thought might be the trash truck in an adjacent alley from his residence in the 600 block of South Braddock Avenue. “The noise was exceptionally loud,” he said, “and it disturbed...
Former Alabama man pleads to sex trafficking in Pittsburgh
A man accused of bringing a woman from Alabama to Pittsburgh to prostitute her pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to sex trafficking charges. Anthony Juskowich, 23, who was living in Oakland at the time of his arrest, faces a mandatory prison term of at least 15 years. He...
Springdale woman runs home bakery, teaches cookie decorating classes
Taking a cookie decorating class three years ago has led a Springdale woman to open her own home bakery business. Amanda Monnich was an on-and-off teacher for 10 years before finding her passion in baking. She practiced baking and decorating her own cookies at home. While she was teaching, she...
Pa. Commonwealth Court strikes down mail-in voting; State AG’s office already filed notice of appeal
Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court on Friday ruled that the state’s system of mail-in voting, passed in 2019, is unconstitutional and the only way to implement it is by constitutional amendment. The court’s opinion said the decision “explains how a system of no-excuse mail-in voting may be constitutionally implemented in the commonwealth...
Man suspected in Derry Township hit-and-run surrenders to authorities
The suspect in a Derry Township hit-and-run that left a Latrobe woman seriously injured surrendered to authorities Friday morning. Bobby Paul Bryer, 30, posted $50,000 bail through a bail bondsman. He is charged with aggravated assault by vehicle, accidents involving death or personal injury and several related offenses, including speeding....
