Megan Trotter stories, Page 4
School zone stop sparks foot chase, immigration arrest in Washington County
A traffic stop at an elementary school in Washington County led to a foot chase and a federal immigration arrest. On Tuesday, Greene Washington Regional police were patrolling the streets in an unmarked vehicle near Joe Walker Elementary School in South Franklin Township, when an officer saw a white Chevrolet...
Police charged Sewickley man arrested by ICE with making false statements while trying to buy gun
The Sewickley man and Brazil native arrested Sunday by immigration agents made false statements on federal paperwork when he tried to buy a gun in 2024, according to a criminal complaint. The complaint, filed in January by McCandless police, said Bruno Guedes da Silva had answered “no” to a question...
Aspinwall pharmacy owner pushes for fair shake for independent drugstores
Hours before the president’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, Aspinwall pharmacy owner Jonathan Akanowicz sat alongside U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio to advocate for reforms they say would rein in national monopolies and protect independent pharmacists from being squeezed out of the market. “We’re looking for a level playing...
Pittsburgh tourists find safety in Puerto Vallarta resorts amid unrest and violence
Barbara Melone saw “huge, black, billowing” clouds of smoke from her eighth-floor balcony at the Sunset Plaza Beach Resort & Spa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, at the start of the week. “It was a normal day, and we started realizing there were all these fires,” said Melone, 77, who grew...
Spring break plans scrapped as violence erupts in Mexico
Rising tensions in Mexico are forcing students to rethink their spring break getaways. Tina Devita, a mother of a Penn State University student, was already uneasy about her 19-year-old son’s planned trip to Puerto Vallarta. After watching political tensions escalate this week, she decided to tell him to cancel it....
Ice jams cause flood watch in 4 counties
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch alert Friday for areas north of Allegheny County as rain and warm temperatures cause river ice to break apart and jam the region’s waterways. The alert is in effect until 9 a.m. Saturday portions of northwest and Western Pennsylvania, including Armstrong, Butler,...
New Kensington welcomes ‘bigger & gayer’ Evanly Bakes
New Kensington bakery Evanly Bakes has made a sweet expansion under the slogan “bigger & gayer than ever.” Baker Evan Morgan-Newpher and his business partner, Kate Heller, joined New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo on Saturday to cut a red ribbon announcing the new location’s grand opening. Evanly Bakes, now at...
State audit to investigate Woodland Hills School District’s finances
Tensions surrounding the Woodland Hills School District’s finances are escalating after the state Department of Education announced plans to audit the district. The announcement came Wednesday evening in a Facebook post from state Rep. Abigail Salisbury, D-Swissvale, during a packed school board meeting to select a new board president. Last...
Woodland Hills board president resigns after felony charges
Woodland Hills School Board President Terri Lawson has resigned following controversy surrounding suspected misuse of nearly $10,000 in unauthorized purchases on a borough credit card. Lawson, former Rankin borough manager, was charged with felony counts of theft and fraud as well as misdemeanor counts of forgery and tampering with records...
Pittsburgh airport welcomes 5 new dining spots
Travelers who have Pittsburgh International Airport as part of their commute now can now dine at five new airside concessions. At a grand opening on Tuesday, Pittsburgh’s airport became one of more than 50 airports across the United States, Canada and Brazil to house dining options operated by SSP America,...
Graduation marks 5 years preserving Freedom House Ambulance Service in Pittsburgh
Shannon Smith developed a passion for helping others while caring for her father, whose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease made breathing difficult. Although Smith’s father died in August, the caregiving experience inspired the 39-year-old to begin working in home health care and enroll in a six-week program that introduces participants to...
Kingfly Spirits in Strip District abruptly closes
Distillery Kingfly Spirits has closed its doors for good after seven years of serving the Strip District. In a social media post on Wednesday, the distillery wrote “as of today, we are moving on to the next chapter of life,” stating that Kingfly would not be conducting future bottle sales,...
Longest cold case in Allegheny County solved using DNA
Allegheny County’s longest cold case for an unidentified victim has been solved using DNA technology. On Wednesday, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office announced the body of an unknown homicide victim discovered over 30 years ago — described as a 5-foot-10 white male, weighing 175 pounds — was identified as...
VisitPittsburgh opens applications for $15K grant in event marketing
Tourism company VisitPittsburgh is offering $15,000 worth of marketing to four mid-sized cultural festivals or events planned between the end of spring through winter. On Monday, applications for the Festivals & Cultural Events Fund (FCEF) opened, with new parameters surrounding the grant. Derek Dawson, VisitPittsburgh’s vice president of Strategic Initiatives,...
Don’t get heartbroken by Valentine’s Day scams, FBI warns
Falling in love is easy. Falling for a scam? The FBI warns it’s shockingly even easier. Christopher Giordano, FBI Pittsburgh assistant special agent in charge, said people regularly fall victim to romance scams, but teens and older adults are the most common targets. The upcoming Valentine’s Day ups the ante....
Ice dams can build as temperatures rise, putting homes at risk for water leaks
Roof repair and replacement company Roof Gutter Now keeps busy in the winter, fielding 60 to 80 calls a day to melt piles of snow, ice and water sitting on top of homeowners’ rooftops. But owner Nathaniel Davis says the calls should pick up even more on Tuesday as warmer...
Federal bill sends $7M to Western Pa. transportation projects
Nearly $7 million in federal funding is headed to eight Western Pennsylvania communities for transportation and development projects. On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed the spending bill, which will provide more than $6.8 million for projects in Penn Hills, Mt. Lebanon, Carnegie, Aspinwall, Crafton, Churchill, Sewickley and Ben Avon. In...
Super Bowl ad features Cam Heyward, group of Boys & Girls Club of Western PA
Cheri Green signed her now 10-year-old daughter up for the Northern Area Boys & Girls Club of Western PA two years ago, never expecting it would lead to a role in a national Super Bowl ad. When the invitation came to have CiAnna Green appear alongside Steelers defensive lineman Cam...
Make-A-Wish grants Super Bowl dream for Pittsburgh teen
Connor Hennick, a 14-year-old, has dreamed of going to the Super Bowl for as long as he can remember. Now, the self-declared lifelong Steelers fan is headed to the San Francisco Bay Area for the Super Bowl LX through Make-A-Wish. The Hennick family, of McCandless, arrived at their hotel around...
After $82K Pittsburgh airport cash seizure, woman takes TSA to court
Six years ago, security officers at Pittsburgh International Airport seized $82,000 from Rebecca Brown’s carry-on luggage as she tried to fly home to Boston to set up a bank account for her father. What began as a daughter trying to help her father spiraled into a legal battle with the...
Former Allegheny County public defender Matt Dugan to help lead Pennsylvania Prison Society
The Pennsylvania Prison Society has named Matt Dugan, a former chief public defender for Allegheny County, as its first Western Pennsylvania region director. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the Prison Society is a nonprofit advocacy group for incarcerated people. The only organization in the state with legal authority to visit any prison...
Renderings show how NFL Draft will take over Downtown Pittsburgh and North Shore
The NFL, VisitPittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday offered the first glimpse of the official 2026 NFL Draft site renderings. The images offer a preview of how the city’s largest tourism event will unfold, revealing a two-site draft campus stretching across Pittsburgh’s North Shore and Downtown for the April...
Pittsburgh Public Schools building closure plan discussions back on the table
The Pittsburgh Public Schools board unanimously voted to reopen the discussion on a reconfiguration plan, which had raised the possibility of closing nine schools. On Wednesday, the Future-Ready plan was reintroduced by Eva Diodati, school board director for District 7. “I didn’t want to delay any longer than necessary. There’s...
Classic arcade gallery opens in former Duquesne church
Pittsburgh’s retro gamers have a new place to play as The Church Arcade in Duquesne will open its doors on Saturday for a two-day grand opening featuring tournaments, craft beers, food trucks, music and of course, arcade games. Operated by the Pittsburgh Arcade Collective – a group of classic arcade...
What to know about police cooperation with ICE in Pennsylvania
Jaime Martinez has mourned with Pittsburgh’s immigrant community since he saw 14 people arrested at a Mexican restaurant in Marshall. Since those June arrests, he has witnessed four additional detainments by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As executive director of the immigrant advocacy group Frontline Dignity, he’s seen tensions escalate...

