Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 987
Kentucky storm brings flooding, lost power, possible tornado
HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency Saturday as powerful storms ripped through the state causing flash floods, power outages and property damage, including from a possible tornado in Hopkinsville. There were no immediate reports of any injuries or deaths. The storms come just three...
Irwin man charged with homicide in woman’s death at a Monroeville hotel
An Irwin man accused of killing a woman in a Monroeville hotel told police he “made a mistake” and “didn’t like murdering a woman” but he “had to do what I had to do,” according to the charges filed against him. Matthew Gribschaw, 37, is charged with homicide, abuse of...
Outgoing Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto reflects on time in office, what’s next
When outgoing Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s political career began about three decades ago, the city was far different from the one he said he’s leaving Mayor-elect Ed Gainey. Peduto said he started out working in “a city that was in a depression, a city that had been left for dead...
Meet Kai Vigna of Harrison City — Allegheny Health Network’s 1st baby born in 2022
When Crissy Torres checked into Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, she certainly wasn’t expecting to be holding the first baby born in 2022 in the Allegheny Health Network. That’s because she initially checked into the hospital four days ago. But at 1:56 a.m. on New Year’s Day — and after labor...
National Weather Service says meteors are likely to blame for New Year’s Day boom in Pittsburgh
The National Weather Service said the loud boom and shaking ground reported Saturday by people across a large swath of suburban Pittsburgh likely was caused by an exploding meteor. Shannon Hefferan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon Township, said a flash was reported on satellite data about...
Pittsburgh City Council approves plan to designate 6 greenways as city parks
Six greenways, spanning more than 300 acres, will now become parks, after city council on Tuesday approved a measure to add the green spaces to Pittsburgh’s park system. The new park space will be created in neighborhoods including Allentown, Beechview, Brookline, Glen Hazel, Greenfield, Hazelwood, the Hill District, Mount Washington,...
Conspiracy theories paint fraudulent reality of Jan. 6 riot
Millions of Americans watched the events in Washington last Jan. 6 unfold on live television. Police officers testified to the violence and mayhem. Criminal proceedings in open court detailed what happened. Yet the hoaxes, conspiracy theories and attempts to rewrite history persist, muddying the public’s understanding of what actually occurred...
Updated plans for Jeannette’s former Monsour property could come in 2022, developer says
Kathie Tanyer looks at the Colony Holding commercial developments ongoing in North Huntingdon and hopes something similar can be replicated at the old Monsour Medical Center property in Jeannette. The local resident wants city officials to press developer Don Tarosky Jr. on his plans for redevelopment at the Route 30...
1 in critical condition, 2 others shot following early New Year’s fight on the South Side
Three people were shot on Pittsburgh’s South Side in the early-morning hours of New Year’s Day, including one who is in critical condition, according to city police. Officers responded to the 1700 block of East Carson Street around 2 a.m. for a report of shots fired. they found a man...
Trail book great resource for Great Allegheny Passage hiking, biking
If your New Year’s resolution is to get into shape and lose weight — a perpetual wish for many Americans — by hiking, biking or jogging along parts of the 150-mile trail that connects Pittsburgh with Cumberland, Md., there’s a new book that will enhance your time doing it. In...
Derry native killed in 1993 battle of Mogadishu in line for Army’s Distinguished Service Cross
A Derry native, who was killed in action 28 years ago while serving in Somalia, is in line to posthumously receive the Army’s second-highest decoration. Sgt. First Class Earl Fillmore Jr. was 28 on Oct. 3, 1993, when he was fatally wounded in the battle of Mogadishu while fighting his...
Looking ahead to 2022: Pandemic continues, campaigns heat up, new mayor for Pittsburgh and more
The New Year in Southwestern Pennsylvania is expected to carry over storylines popular in 2021 — especially in how the pandemic will play out in its third year and intense political races among the crowded field of candidates vying for U.S. Senate and governor as well as those slugging it...
Pittsburgh celebrates New Year’s Eve, rings in 2022 with First Night activities
Thousands of people flocked to Downtown Pittsburgh on Friday night to ring in 2022. Among the main attractions of the night was a 50-foot inflatable rabbit, and three smaller, similar creatures, courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Joining the giant rabbits for the New Year’s Eve festivities was a full...
3 popular Oakmont restaurants have new owner; The Chelsea Grille to go Mexican
The end of 2021 also became an end of an era as three beloved Oakmont restaurants have been sold. Hoffstot’s Cafe Monaco, The Chelsea Grille and Oakmont Tavern were purchased by Oakmont resident and entrepreneur John Keefe. Keefe owns three other eateries in Oakmont — The Lot at Edgewater, Pub...
Nutting family completes sale of Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, Laurel Mountain to Vail Resorts
The Nutting family and Vail Resorts have completed the sale of Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Hidden Valley Resort and the Laurel Mountain Ski Area for $118 million. “Looking back over the past 15 years, I am proud to be leaving all three properties much better than we had found them,”...
Betty White dead at age 99
Betty White, whose saucy, up-for-anything charm made her a television mainstay for more than 60 years, whether as a man-crazy TV hostess on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” or the loopy housemate on “The Golden Girls,” has died. She was 99. People and the Washington Post reported White’s death. She...
Notable deaths in Pittsburgh and Western Pa. in 2021
A look back at some notable Pittsburgh-area people the world lost in 2021. Joanne Rogers, a concert duo pianist and wife of the late Fred Rogers “She wasn’t going for the spotlight but she was very happy to respond to the national and worldwide interest in what Fred was offering...
Surging covid prompts some Pittsburgh-area restaurants to cancel holiday service
As covid-19 cases skyrocket, many Pittsburgh-area restaurants and bars have temporarily closed their doors for safety issues after staff illnesses. At Roundabout Brewery in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood, owners made the decision to move to take-only over the weekend. Co-owner Dyana Sloan said a staff member tested positive last weekend. All...
Pittsburgh unveils large electric vehicle charging depot for city fleet
City officials on Thursday unveiled a new electric vehicle fleet charging depot at Pittsburgh’s Second Avenue Parking Plaza and announced plans to buy new electric recycling trucks. The charging station, housed in the Pittsburgh Parking Authority’s lot in the city’s Bluff neighborhood, is the largest in Western Pennsylvania, according to...
Penn State announces in-person spring semester classes despite omicron
Despite covid-19 surging throughout the country, and with health experts warning of challenging weeks ahead, Penn State announced Thursday night that it will start the spring semester in person, as planned, because it feels it can do so “safely but carefully.” Still, according to the university, conditions around University Park...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Dec. 31, Jan. 1-2
Happy New Year. Here are some ways to welcome in 2022. First Night Highmark First Night Pittsburgh will kick off Friday at 6 p.m. The event which welcomes the new year will feature four large inflatable rabbits, part of an art installation called “Intrude” by Parer Studio. There are indoor...
Hope springs eternal: Community leaders look forward to better 2022
Seen in a meme: “The fact that 2021 is almost over proves that time also flies when you’re NOT having fun.” Wasn’t 2021 supposed to be the year that life returned to normal — or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof? At the beginning of the year, it seemed as...
2 of the 3 people found shot dead in Homewood South have been identified
Pittsburgh police responded to a report of shots fired early Friday and discovered three people shot and killed inside a home in the city’s Homewood South neighborhood, according to a spokesman for the department of public safety. Police said officers were dispatched to the 7500 block of Hamilton Avenue around...
Westmoreland County stories of the year in 2021Video
The covid-19 pandemic continued to make news locally in its second year, from continued illness and deaths to vaccinations and heated discussions and demonstrations about how best to keep children safe at school. But life in Westmoreland County continued in 2021, and other important and newsworthy events happened — including,...
North Apollo vintage stainless steel Yak Diner hits the road for move to new home
There’s more than meatloaf and homemade mashed potatoes keeping the old stainless steel Yak Diner in North Apollo going. The manufactured 1955 O’Mahony diner is a movable prefab building, and it has to go. The new diner owners will hook the Yak to a semitrailer Monday to move it just...
