Megan Guza stories, Page 36
Pa. Turnpike drivers without E-ZPass face 45% higher tolls next year
Turnpike travelers who have not made the switch to E-ZPass will face a hefty increase in the cost of tolls beginning next year. The 45% average increase for drivers who use the toll-by-plate option is necessary to cover the high cost of collecting those tolls, Pennsylvania Turnpike Chief Executive Mark...
Walmart shopper in northeast Pa. accused of spitting on fellow shopper who asked him to wear a mask
A northeastern Pennsylvania man is accused of spitting in the face of a fellow shopper inside a Wayne County Walmart after she asked him to follow the store’s mandatory mask policy. The incident happened Monday when Evan Spangenberg and his girlfriend were shopping in the Texas Township store without face...
Ex-West Penn employee accused of videotaping co-workers in bathroom
A former West Penn Hospital employee spied on co-workers in the bathroom by using a small video camera he taped to a chair and then downloaded the recordings to his personal laptop, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office alleges in charges filed Friday. The camera footage led to the arrest...
Mother of Duquesne University student who fell to his death is still seeking answersVideo
On Freedom Corner in the Hill District, Dannielle Brown sits, as she has for days, surrounded by photos of her late son and his bright smile. She’s on a hunger strike as she pushes for answers and changes, both of which she’s been fighting for since her son’s death Oct....
From masks to buses to recess, Pa. unveils guidance for schools finalizing reopening plans
State officials released a slew of recommendations Thursday regarding how Pennsylvania schools can safely reopen in the fall, addressing everything from lunch and recess to busing and extracurricular activities. Whether in-person classes resume will be left to each individual school district, all of which have been charged with creating a...
Man charged with Pittsburgh vandalism now charged with encouraging rioting in Butler
A Butler man charged last month for his alleged role in Downtown Pittsburgh vandalism during a protest now faces charges in his home county alleging he encouraged others on social media to rob, loot and riot at a Diamond Park protest. Jordan Erdos, 20, allegedly used social media in the...
Whitehall man accused of making homemade explosives facing federal charges
A Whitehall man accused of making online threats and homemade bombs now faces federal weapons charges after a grand jury returned a five-count indictment against him. Kurt Cofano, 32, originally was wanted by Whitehall police last week in connection with a mental health warrant, according to police. Cofano said online...
Kennywood nixes no-mask zones
Kennywood’s mask-free break areas were short-lived, as the park has done away with them after its first weekend of the season, a spokesman for the park said Tuesday. “(The signs and areas) have been removed as the attention paid to them detracted from the intensive health and safety measures that...
Allegheny County assistant district attorney in critical condition with covid-19
An Allegheny County assistant district attorney remained in critical condition Tuesday, a week after he was hospitalized with covid-19, his family’s attorney said. Russ Broman, 65, is not on a ventilator but family attorney Lawrence Bolind told Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV that “it could be a possibility.” Mike Manko, spokesman...
Safety net maker not responsible for ex-UPMC executive’s injuries caused by foul ball at Pirates game, court rules
A jury was correct in exonerating the maker of the safety net behind PNC Park’s home plate in the case of a former UPMC executive who was struck by a foul ball in 2015, a Superior Court judge has ruled. Wendy Camlin, who at the time she was injured was...
Duquesne University will give police file to mother of student who fell to his death
Duquesne University will release the investigative file related to the 2018 death of student Marquis Jaylen Brown, whose mother has spent nearly a week on hunger strike in a push for an independent investigation. Brown fell 16 stories from Brottier Hall on Oct. 4, 2018, after other students called 911...
More than 560 people died of overdoses in Allegheny County in 2019
Overdose deaths in Allegheny County rose slightly in 2019, and combinations of fentanyl/cocaine and fentanyl/heroin remained the deadliest combinations — a grim reminder that the opioid epidemic continues to rage on. Across the county, drug overdoses killed 564 people last year, up from 492 in 2018. Fentanyl was found in...
Police: Man arrested in Mt. Lebanon had 30 improvised bombs, detonators in car
A man arrested Thursday night in Mt. Lebanon in connection with online threats had more than 30 improvised bombs in his Mercedes along with homemade detonators and chemicals used to make explosives, investigators said in a criminal complaint. Kurt James Cofano, 32, of Whitehall, faces felony charges related to weapons...
Pittsburgh Public Schools to offer online-only option to students in the fall
There is still no concrete plan for how Pittsburgh Public Schools will reopen in the fall — or what brick-and-mortar learning will look like — but administrators on Thursday said parents will have the option of all-online learning for the 2020-21 school year. Superintendent Anthony Hamlet said during a virtual...
Ban on evictions, foreclosures in Pa. extended until Aug. 31
Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday extended a moratorium on evictions amid the covid-19 pandemic until Aug. 31, protecting renters and homeowners who are unable to pay their rent or mortgage from losing their homes. Wolf originally signed an executive order pausing evictions earlier this year as millions of Pennsylvanians lost...
Lawsuit claims UPMC, doctors failed to get proper patient consent for procedures
A federal lawsuit alleges health care giant UPMC and several doctors failed to get proper patient consent for surgeries and participation in clinical trials and then filed false insurance claims for the procedures. The lawsuit’s plaintiffs include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare &...
Lawsuit: Pennsylvania lifers should have chance at parole
Three women and three men serving life sentences in Pennsylvania prisons sued the state Board of Probation and Parole on Wednesday, alleging the state’s refusal to allow a chance at parole to those serving life sentences is tantamount to a death sentence. The lawsuit challenges a provision in the state’s...
Police: Woman who went missing and was thought to be in West Mifflin found safe
A woman thought to be in West Mifflin who was reported missing from San Francisco has been found, West Mifflin police said. Dawn Manson was last seen in California, and West Mifflin police over the weekend reported that she might be in the area. She wasn’t, police said. She was...
Duolingo co-founder threatens to move jobs from Pittsburgh to Toronto over immigration policies
A founder of Pittsburgh’s prized tech startup, Duolingo, indicated Monday that harsh immigration policies could force him to move the company – and its jobs – to Canada. Luis von Ahn wrote on Twitter that the Trump administration’s moves could cost Pittsburgh. “I’m proud that Duolingo, the most valuable startup...
For $50, you can rent a movie theater for you and 19 of your friends
For $50, you and 19 of your closest-yet-socially-distant friends can watch a classic movie in the luxury seats at the Waterworks Cinema – a new promotion from MovieScoop meant to help people get out of the house and the heat but still stay safe amid the covid-19 pandemic. The offer...
State police seize $5.7 million worth of drugs in past 3 months
Pennsylvania State Police seized more crack cocaine in the past three months than they did in the 12 months prior, according to data released Monday. The 13.07 pounds of crack cocaine seized by state troopers from April 1 to June 30 far outweighs the 9.5 pounds picked up by troopers...
Fireworks spark 85 complaints to Pittsburgh police in 1 night
Fireworks likely caused the roof fire at a vacant North Side school building — an incident that was just one of 85 fireworks complaints Pittsburgh police responded to Thursday night alone, authorities said. Though aerial fireworks within the past several years were made legal in Pennsylvania, it is still against...
Allegheny County reports 177 new covid-19 cases, 5 new hospitalizations
Allegheny County Health officials reported 177 new covid-19 cases Friday, representing a slight dip after a record-setting 233 on Thursday, but still far above what the county was seeing just two weeks ago. Five more people were hospitalized since Thursday’s 11 a.m. data was released. The running county case-count stands...
2 North Hills School District students test positive for covid-19 following hockey tryouts
Two North Hills School District students who participated in hockey tryouts Saturday have tested positive for covid-19, district officials said Thursday. The North Hills Hockey Club held the tryouts at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center — tryouts that were not sanctioned by the school district, according to a...
Penn State student dies from coronavirus
A Penn State student died from covid-19 this week, the university’s first known student death connected to the coronavirus, according to officials. Juan Garcia, 21, of Allentown died Tuesday, 10 days after he tested positive for the virus, officials said in a statement. An earth and mineral sciences student, Garcia...
