Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 978
Lifetime sex offender charged with failing to update address after moving from Tarentum apartment
A former Tarentum man who is on the state Megan’s Law list as a lifetime sex offender was accused by the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office of failing to inform authorities when he moved out of his home last fall. James Edward Sundberg, 66, who lived in the 200 block of...
Pittsburgh riverfront building formerly owned by Mark Cuban could house apartments
A developer wants to transform a vacant riverfront building formerly owned by celebrity billionaire Mark Cuban on Pittsburgh’s Fort Duquesne Boulevard into an apartment building with more than 100 units. Douglas Development Corp. of Washington, D.C., bought the Downtown building at 642 Fort Duquesne Blvd. Terms of the deal, which...
Pittsburgh officials say snow response will be better ahead of Sunday stormVideo
Pittsburgh officials said they’re planning for an improved response this weekend when a snow storm is expected to hit the region. Just days into Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration, the season’s first major snow event dropped between 1.5 and 2 inches of snow. Gainey joined Department of Public Works crews on...
Court puts hold on GOP inspection of county voting machines
An inspection of voting machines in a heavily Republican county in Pennsylvania had been poised to go forward Friday until an 11th-hour appeal to the state Supreme Court by lawyers for Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf put it on hold. The high court decision came hours after a state judge rejected...
State police warn of counterfeit $100 bills circulating in Westmoreland
Pennsylvania State Police are warning area businesses that some counterfeit $100 bills have been circulated in the area that appear to defy rapid detection using the standard counterfeit detector pens. “We’ve had two reports in the past few days of the counterfeits being passed locally. In over 20 years as...
Unity woman’s angel food cake snags red ribbon at Pa. Farm Show
A Greater Latrobe teacher brought home a second-place award from the Pennsylvania Farm Show this week with a specialty that has been a mainstay in her family — angel food cake. Abigail Mehalic, 36, of Unity said she picked up the light and fluffy dessert after her father would make...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Jan. 14-16
The weekend has arrived, including three days off for some with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. We’ve got some ideas of how to spend it. Lace up your skates CitiParks will host the annual “Mascot Skate” from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at Schenley Park Skating Rink....
2nd person charged with drug, gun offenses in connection with Upper Burrell traffic stop
A second person has been charged with drug and gun-related offenses in connection with a traffic stop by Upper Burrell police in late December. Shane Thomas Buccieri, 23, of Sixth Avenue in Tarentum is charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance and a count of illegal possession...
State audit raps North Huntingdon fireman’s relief group
State auditors reprimanded the North Huntingdon Volunteer Fireman’s Relief Association for incorrectly titling the ownership of two rescue vehicles to North Huntingdon EMS/Rescue and not to the association, as well as for not having someone serve as vice president. The auditor general’s review of the relief association’s finances for January...
12 cats die in Rostraver fire; foster homes needed for rescued pets
A dozen cats are dead after a fire Friday morning at a Rostraver home that also served as an animal shelter, a Westmoreland County 911 supervisor said. Emergency responders reported that the house was engulfed in flames when they arrived on scene shortly after 3:45 a.m., the supervisor said. The...
How Highmark and other insurers will cover at-home covid tests
Highmark will begin reimbursing its customers for at-home covid-19 tests this weekend and is looking to eliminate the need for customers to pay first, a vice president of the insurance company said Thursday. Under federal rules, Highmark and other private health insurers are required to cover up to eight over-the...
Police: Man shot in gunfight in Stowe
One man was shot in a gunfight Thursday night as a result of a bar fight in Stowe, Allegheny County Police said. A 28-year-old man was reported hospitalized in critical condition with gunshot wounds to the chest and legs, police said. The shooting was reported at about 7:30 p.m. in...
Wrong-way crash closes Route 30 bridge over Route 119
A multiple-vehicle crash on the Route 30 bridge over Route 119 in Southwest Greensburg on Thursday night closed the westbound lanes of Route 30 at the Cedar Street exit, according to a Westmoreland County Public Safety supervisor. The crash occurred when a motorist who was traveling east got onto the...
Twitter, Meta among tech giants subpoenaed by Jan. 6 panel
WASHINGTON — Months after requesting documents from more than a dozen social platforms, the House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection has issued subpoenas targeting Twitter, Meta, Reddit and YouTube after lawmakers said the companies’ initial responses were inadequate. The committee chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, demanded records Thursday from the companies...
Pittsburgh activist found not guilty of obstruction in 2019 incident
A well-known Pittsburgh activist was found not guilty Thursday of obstruction in connection with a 2019 incident in Wilkinsburg. Nicky Jo Dawson, 28, had been charged with obstruction, disorderly conduct and jaywalking. A criminal complaint filed against her said Wilkinsburg police were conducting a traffic stop on Peebles Street just...
Supreme Court blocks vaccine-or-test rule for U.S. businesses
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has stopped the Biden administration from enforcing a requirement that employees at large businesses be vaccinated against covid-19 or undergo weekly testing and wear a mask on the job. At the same time, the court is allowing the administration to proceed with a vaccine mandate...
6-8 inches of snow expected to hit Western Pa. starting Sunday
The couple of inches of snow that hit the Pittsburgh region last week was minor compared to what is likely headed our way this weekend. As of Friday morning, the National Weather Service in Moon was predicting heavy snow will begin falling in Southwestern Pennsylvania sometime Sunday afternoon and continue...
Oath Keepers head charged with Jan. 6 seditious conspiracyVideo
WASHINGTON — Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group, and 10 other members or associates have been charged with seditious conspiracy in the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, authorities said Thursday. Despite hundreds of charges already brought in the year since pro-Trump rioters...
Biden all but concedes defeat on voting, election billsVideo
WASHINGTON — All but acknowledging defeat, President Joe Biden said Thursday he’s “not sure” his elections and voting rights legislation can pass Congress this year. He spoke at the Capitol after a key fellow Democrat, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, dramatically announced her refusal to go along with changing Senate...
Roberto Clemente Jr., family members sue Allstate, alleging discrimination by insurer
The Roberto Clemente Jr. Family Agency filed a federal lawsuit this week against Allstate and several people affiliated with the insurer, alleging breach of contract and claims they were discriminated against and ultimately shut down. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Roberto Clemente Jr. and his wife Kailee Clemente,...
Pittsburgh man gets a year of house arrest for actions during Downtown George Floyd protests
A Pittsburgh man who used his skateboard to break the window of a city police vehicle during the 2020 George Floyd protests Downtown will serve one day in custody and one year on house arrest. Joseph Craft, 29, of Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood, must report to U.S. marshals on Friday morning....
Arbitration records reveal Penn Hills’ termination of Officer Robert Gowans was in violation of probationary agreement
Court documents revealed that Penn Hills’ decision to terminate police Officer Robert Gowans in May 2021 violated protections of his probationary status with the department. “As a probationary police officer, he was statutorily entitled to civil service protections during his one year of probationary employment,” arbitrator Jane Desimone said. Gowans...
Biden to double free covid tests, add N95s, to fight omicron
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the government will double to 1 billion the rapid, at-home covid-19 tests to be distributed free to Americans, along with the most protective N95 masks, as he highlighted his efforts to “surge” resources to help the country weather the spike in coronavirus...
Pitt assistant professor finishes 2nd on ‘Jeopardy!’
It was “Weird Al” Yankovic who recorded the parody song “I Lost on Jeopardy.” But it doesn’t seem fair to apply it to Ally Bove, an assistant professor in the University of Pittsburgh’s school of health and rehabilitation sciences. Bove fulfilled a lifelong dream when she appeared on the television...
Ligonier Ice Fest plans new designs, old favorites for 31st year
Organizers of the Ligonier Ice Fest are keeping a weather eye out, so to speak, for the Jan. 22-23 forecast. So far, conditions look to be favorable for the 31st annual event, with highs hovering around 30 degrees, some clouds and maybe a snow shower, according to weather.com. “I say...
