TribLive stories, Page 14
McKeesport, Allegheny County to pay McKeesport trio who sued over civil rights violations
McKeesport will pay $127,500, and its police department will undergo training, as part of a settlement of a federal lawsuit by three residents alleging civil rights violations by police during a 2020 incident. Plaintiffs Courtney Thompkins, Ezra Dixon and Kim Neal will each receive $25,000 from McKeesport, while the American...
Former Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Darlene Harris dies
Former Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Darlene Harris, a proud North Sider and colorful character who zealously advocated for children, animals and labor unions during a long career in public service, has died. Her former council colleague Theresa Kail-Smith said Harris died Friday from cardiac arrest. She was 73. Current and former...
Police arrest 2 after multiple attempted burglaries in Murrysville, Penn TownshipVideo
Two men accused of burglarizing a home in Murrysville and another in Penn Township on Friday morning were jailed after being arrested in Monroeville, according to court documents. The suspects, Sebastian M. Montano 24, of Chicago, and Kevin D. Piza-Alzate, 24, of Reading, were both charged with burglary and criminal...
Congress’ updated NASA directive seeks to extend space station life to 2032
A revamped version of a congressional NASA authorization act moving through the U.S. Senate would add two more years of life to the International Space Station among a slew of new directives for the nation’s space agency. The NASA Authorization Act of 2026 passed the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Feb. 26-March 4, 2026
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, TribLive’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard. To have a photo considered as a “Scenes from the Valley” candidate, please...
Belle Vernon girls hit the road with confidence for PIAA opener
The Belle Vernon girls basketball team begins the PIAA playoffs Saturday, traveling over two hours northeast to Clearfield. The Leopards (22-4) are the fifth-place team out of the WPIAL and will face the District 9 champion Bison at 1 p.m. on their home floor at Clearfield High School. “We’re excited...
Joyce M. Davis: Iran’s martyrdom culture means this war could be America’s bloodiest yet
Few places on earth so revere martyrdom as Iran. I came to that conclusion during a visit to the country in 2002, not long after the Sept. 11 attack on the United States. In my book, “Martyrs: Innocence, Vengeance and Despair in the Middle East,” I open the chapter on...
Letter to the editor: Character development starts at home
Regarding the letter “Cellphones should be allowed in schools” (Feb. 21, TribLive): Schools should not be expected to develop citizens of good character, although they can certainly contribute to a student’s character. This primarily should be taught at home together with following rules and becoming responsible adults. Monica Yuhas Smock...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s motives
Did anyone seriously wonder whether President Trump would attack Iran? Likewise, does anyone think it was a coincidence that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House on Feb. 11? On Feb. 19, a Washington-based investigative outlet revealed that pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan apartment had an elaborate Israeli government-installed...
Fatal pedestrian crash shuts down William Penn Highway in Wilkins
A man was killed early Friday morning following a hit-and-run along William Penn Highway in Wilkins, according to the Allegheny County Police Department. At 4:43 a.m., dispatchers were notified of a body laying in the road in the 3400 block of the highway, according to police. First responders found the...
Trafford man wants to curl up, break own world weightlifting record
Antonio Collins should be considered armed and dangerous. The 25-year-old Trafford resident and avid weightlifter holds the drug-free strict curl world/national record of 221 pounds in the super heavyweight class. That’s a staggering amount of weight, but Collins believes he can top his best Saturday at the Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate...
Drug plan middlemen face new oversight push as Pa. pharmacies close
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Some Pennsylvania lawmakers want to give the state’s top prosecutor more power to take on pharmacy benefit...
The Stroller, March 6, 2026: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Easter bunny breakfast planned...
Laurels & lances: Raptors & rodents
Laurel: To flying high. The Tarentum Bridge carries about 36,000 vehicles a day across the Allegheny River. Soon it will also carry the weight of a $97.5 million rehabilitation project. But before construction begins in 2027, planners are making sure another set of residents is considered: the peregrine falcons nesting...
Letter to the editor: Democrats’ behavior reaches new low
In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump stated the first duty of members of Congress is the protection of the American people, as compared to protecting illegal immigrants. He asked them to stand if they agreed. Every Republican stood up. Every Democrat remained seated. About half the...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for March 5, 2026
High schools Basketball Boys First round Class 6A Saturday’s schedule Cedar Cliff (18-8) at Plymouth-Whitemarsh (22-4), 1 p.m.; Wilkes-Barre (13-10) at Bethlehem Liberty (17-10), 2:30 p.m.; Cheltenham (19-8) at Central York (22-3), 1 p.m.; Spring-Ford (18-8) at Father Judge (15-11), 2 p.m.; Garnet Valley (17-8) vs. Imhotep Charter (21-6) at...
High school roundup for March 5, 2026: Quaker Valley nets OT winner vs. Chartiers Valley
Matthias Lezama scored the winning goal 9:53 into overtime to give Quaker Valley a 3-2 victory over Chartiers Valley in the PIHL Class A Penguins Cup hockey quarterfinals Thursday night. Max Modrovich scored twice and Ian Lorang made 27 saves for Blue division second seed Quaker Valley (20-1-1), which will...
Analysis suggests school was hit amid U.S. strikes on Iranian naval base
The strike that hit an elementary school in the southern Iranian town of Minab is the deadliest known episode of civilian casualties since the United States and Israel attacked Iran — and no side has yet taken responsibility. But a body of evidence assembled by The New York Times —...
U.S., Venezuela agree to restore diplomatic ties, 7 years after they were cut off
The United States and Venezuela have agreed to restore diplomatic and consular relations, reopening a formal channel between Washington and Caracas for the first time since ties were severed in 2019. The decision marks a significant step in the cooperation framework that has emerged between the two governments following the...
Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin gets slashing major, tossed from game vs. Sabres
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin was assessed a bevy of penalties during a home game against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, including a game misconduct. Early in the second period, at the 38-second mark, Malkin and Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin engaged in a physical battle resulting in penalties for...
20 WPIAL wrestlers march into quarterfinals at PIAA girls championships
HERSHEY — There’s a song that says the waiting is the hardest part. Tom Petty did not have the PIAA girls wrestling tournament in mind when he sang it, but it is nevertheless true for Moon’s Haley Smarsh. Smarsh had no problem recording her 13th consecutive pin Thursday afternoon at...
Montana senator helps officers forcibly remove protesting veteran from hearingVideo
Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., helped Capitol Police officers forcibly remove an anti-war protester from a Senate hearing in a physical struggle that was captured on video. The protester, Brian McGinnis, a Marine Corps veteran and a Green Party candidate for Senate in North Carolina, said on social media that his...
Robert T. Smith: Our planet’s doom is not so imminent
As the means of communicating its administration of the nation’s environmental laws to the public, on Feb. 18, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Final Rule in the Federal Register stating that the prior action by the EPA regarding the control of greenhouse gases, called the Endangerment Finding,...
Justin Callais and Clay Routledge: The economic common ground America isn’t talking about
These days, it can feel like Americans across the political divide cannot agree on much of anything. But there is encouraging news: When it comes to the economic foundations of human progress and flourishing, we are not as divided as we might think. Political polarization has become a defining feature...
Gallery: Around the world or close to home, the world in focus on March 5, 2026
Every photograph tells a story. From the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania to far-flung corners of the globe, TribLive’s gallery brings those stories to life — moments of connection, place and the quiet beauty of everyday life. It’s more than a look at Western Pennsylvania. It’s a view of the...
