Local category, Page 1550
Federal civil rights lawsuit filed against City of Pittsburgh in Jim Rogers’ death
The estate of a man who died in October a day after being tased by Pittsburgh police filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit Monday against the city and the officers on the scene that day. The complaint, filed by James Frierson, who is serving as the administrator of Jim Rogers’...
Flag-raising ceremony honors organ donation awareness at Allegheny Valley Hospital
A small crowd gathered Monday in the courtyard at Allegheny Valley Hospital to raise awareness about the gift of life. A flag-raising ceremony at 11 a.m. honored those who have donated organs and called attention to the need for more people to register, organizers said. The event was outside the...
70 cats recovered from Hempfield home after owner calls for help
It will take thousands of dollars to get 70 cats and kittens that were rescued Sunday from a Hempfield hoarding situation into adoptable condition, said Jen Johnson, president of Ninth Life Rescue Center. She and volunteers from As They Come Animal Rescue are hoping for some community support to rehabilitate...
Suspect arrested in South Side Flats shooting
Pittsburgh police have arrested a man in connection with an April 2 shooting on Pittsburgh’s South Side that left another man in critical condition. Julyan Richards, 25, who was not listed with an address in court records, has been charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and tampering with evidence. Shortly...
Jeannette man sent to jail for Excela break-in
A Jeannette man was ordered to serve up to 23 months in jail for the burglary of three medical offices at Excela Health in Greensburg. Travis Michael Gibson, 37, pleaded guilty this week to charges to felony burglary and trespassing offenses, as well as misdemeanor theft, criminal mischief and receiving...
Men who played role in Pittsburgh garbage collector’s death plead in state court
Seven members of a local gang involved in violence in Pittsburgh’s Hilltop neighborhood that led to the 2014 shooting death of a beloved garbage collector have pleaded guilty in state court. All seven men were members of the Zhoove gang, based in Beltzhoover, which at the time was fighting with...
Westbound Turnpike exit in Cranberry to close Monday night into Tuesday morning
The westbound Cranberry exit ramp from the Pennsylvania Turnpike will close at 7 p.m. Monday night and reopen Tuesday morning as work crews remove a disabled tractor trailer from the ramp, turnpike officials announced Monday. The closure of the westbound Exit 28 ramp will be from 7 p.m. Monday night...
Latrobe man paroled for Hollow Tavern arson accused of 2nd DUI since 2021 release
A man paroled just over a year ago after serving more than a decade in state prison for setting fire to the landmark Hollow Tavern in 2008 was arraigned Monday on DUI and related charges for a Christmas Eve motorcycle crash on Route 30 that injured his passenger. It is...
FBI: Sextortion of teenagers is growing problem
Teenagers, primarily boys, are being lured with the offer of money by “females” in return for sending sexually explicit photos and videos over social media, only to discover that they become victims in an elaborate extortion scheme seeking more money, according to the FBI in Pittsburgh. The FBI said Monday...
The Corner hosting events for business owners, entrepreneurs in New Kensington
Several free programs for those who own or are interested in starting a business will be offered this week at The Corner in New Kensington, including the introduction of a four-week “boot camp” open to business owners and entrepreneurs in New Kensington or Arnold. The events, beginning Tuesday night and...
Former Penn Monroe site in Monroeville to house Aldi, Key Bank, 2 restaurants
Work has begun on the site of the former Penn Monroe in Monroeville, after a proposed development there stalled several years ago. Key Development has proposed anchoring the property with a grocery store along with a bank, sit-down restaurant and drive-through restaurant. Steve Panko, representing Key Development, told Monroeville planning...
Hempfield man convicted in teen’s 2002 murder seeks early end to probation
A Hempfield man who as a teenager pleaded guilty to charges that he participated in the 2002 murder of a classmate’s older brother wants the 10-year probation term portion of his sentence, scheduled to begin this month, terminated to allow him to move to another state. Robert Laskowski, now 35,...
Ingram woman who got house arrest in child sex abuse case accused of violating probation
Trista Price pleaded guilty on March 24 to endangering the welfare of children for her role in her then-husband’s sexual and physical abuse of their two children 12 years ago. The plea agreement called for Price, 38, of Ingram, to serve seven years of probation with two years on house...
Judge names outstanding citizens for Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair
Moving to Bethel Park must have awakened John Oakes’ sense of community spirit. “Once we got here and he started volunteering, I thought, who are you? He was just involved in everything,” his wife, Amanda, said. “He has a heart of gold, and he just really loves to help everybody....
PNC Park getting enhancements in advance of Pirates’ season opener
Pirates fans will see something new at PNC Park for the home opener April 12 — starting at 4:12 p.m. to mirror the 4/12 date — against the Chicago Cubs. In what the team is calling “the continued evolution of PNC Park,” there will be new social gathering spaces in...
Former Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto joining Carnegie Mellon University
Former Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is joining Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy as a Distinguished Executive in Residence, the university announced Monday. Peduto will serve as a guest lecturer, and co-teach a course, university officials said. “We are proud to welcome former Mayor Peduto...
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre to perform ‘Swan Lake’ with new staging
It’s been nearly a century-and-a-half since Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed the ballet “Swan Lake.” Today it’s one of the most popular ballets of all time. So, why mess with it? A production of “Swan Lake” by the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre is debuting next month and features new staging by artistic...
As air travel picks up in Pittsburgh, TSA reminds travelers: ‘Know what’s in your bag’
As air travel picks up again, Transportation Security Administration officials at Pittsburgh International Airport are reminding travelers to double check their carry-on bags for some of the more innocuous items that can cause headaches at security checkpoints. Across the country, TSA officers are screening between 2 and 2.3 million passengers...
Lower oil prices reflected in falling gas prices, analysts say
The release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is causing oil prices to pull back and bringing down gasoline prices, according to AAA. The national average for a gallon of gas is now $4.19, down 6 cents from last week, AAA reported. That’s still 35 cents higher than a...
Bethel Park music teacher receives state citation of excellence
Bethel Park School District’s Jeff Knell has received the 2022 Pennsylvania Music Educators’ Association District 1 Citation of Excellence in Teaching, an award that is offered biennially. He is a music teacher at Neil Armstrong Middle School, along with William Penn and Benjamin Franklin elementary schools. Colleague Rachel Skilone,who has...
Tractor-trailer overturns on turnpike ramp near Cranberry
A tractor-trailer overturned Monday morning at the Cranberry exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Marshall that links the toll road to Interstate 79, a turnpike official said. The accident happened on the deceleration ramp of the turnpike around 9:30 a.m., said turnpike spokeswoman Susan Jones. Cranberry firefighters were dispatched to...
DA’s office to seek death penalty in slaying of McKeesport woman and unborn child
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s filed notice Friday that it will seek the death penalty against a man accused of killing a woman and their unborn child in September in McKeesport. Isaac Christopher Smith, 26, is accused of killing Karli Short, 26, on Sept. 13 in an alley behind the...
Pittsburgh nonprofits can apply for CBDG grant money through May
Pittsburgh’s Office of Management and Budget announced last week that it has launched the annual Community Development Block Grant Public Service grant program. The CDBG program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Grants are intended for nonprofits serving low-income Pittsburgh residents. Nonprofit organizations can apply...
Police deploy ‘stop sticks’ to end 8-mile pursuit in Westmoreland County
A 38-year-old Herminie man was jailed on multiple charges including DUI and fleeing police following an 8-mile chase that ended when he lost control of his van and drove off the highway in the Hempfield village of Darragh, according to court documents. Christopher D. Troutman was taken into custody near...
Bach Choir presents ‘Frankenstein Re-Imagined’ in Oakmont
The Bach Choir of Pittsburgh will present “Monster: Frankenstein Re-Imagined,” an original pop-funk-R&B score compiled by artistic director Thomas W. Douglas and collaborator Jaron Crawford. The show will take place April 23 and 24 at the Oaks Theater, 310 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. The original 1931 “Frankenstein” film, directed by...
