Local category, Page 2684
Cooling U.S.-Iran tensions bring lower oil, gas prices, analyst says
Gasoline prices fell in Pittsburgh and across the nation in the past week as oil prices fell along with tensions between the U.S. and Iran, according to price tracking service GasBuddy. “With Iran and the United States de-escalating rising tensions last week, oil prices plummeted back under $60 per barrel,...
Turf field would reduce water runoff in Leechburg, officials say
A proposed artificial turf field at Leechburg’s Veterans Memorial Stadium would reduce water runoff to neighboring streets, according to an architect and the company that makes the turf. Drainage from the field was a concern of at least one Veterans Avenue resident, who said runoff from the current grass field...
Philadelphia man gets 6 to 12 years for raping 2 girls in Harrison
A Philadelphia man accused last year of sexually assaulting two girls in Harrison was sentenced to prison after accepting a plea bargain Monday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Willie James Porter III, 46, was sentenced to six to 12 years for rape of a child and five years of...
Jury selected in trial of Penn Hills man accused in deadly Jeannette shooting
Opening statements are expected to begin Tuesday in the murder trial of a Penn Hills man accused of killing a man in Jeannette. A 12-member jury and two alternates were seated Monday at the Westmoreland County Courthouse to hear evidence in the case against Darrelle Tolbert-McGhee, 30. He is charged...
2 injured in crash on northbound Route 28 near Harrison
Two people were injured in a crash on Route 28 near Harrison during Monday’s afternoon commute, initial reports indicate. Emergency dispatchers received a report of the crash involving multiple vehicles in the highway’s northbound lanes about 2:50 p.m., an Allegheny County 911 shift commander said. Medics and police responded. Two...
Bill Cowher’s Hall of Fame nod a winner in his hometown of CraftonVideo
The 1.14 square miles of space that is Crafton felt much bigger Monday. Residents of former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher’s hometown beamed with pride as they discussed Cowher’s ascension into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. From the borough’s public library to Bob’s Barber Shop, they lauded the hometown...
County commissioners leaning toward reopening Westmoreland’s 2020 budget
Westmoreland County commissioners said Monday they still plan to reopen the county’s 2020 budget in hopes of nixing a 2.4% property tax increase, but they concede there isn’t much time left to do so. State law allows a newly constituted board of commissioners to recast budgets approved by the previous...
United Methodists talk more about potential split over same-sex marriage, gay clergy
As Methodists in Western Pennsylvania consider the future of their denomination, a group that has proposed an amicable split explained the proposal in more detail Monday. Known as the “Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation,” the proposal allows for the formation of a new “traditionalist” Methodist denomination that would...
Solar co-op schedules Westmoreland meetings, seeks members
A nonprofit that organized solar power co-ops in Allegheny and more than a half dozen other Western Pennsylvania counties scheduled three informational sessions for prospective members of a similar co-op that is forming in Westmoreland County. Solar United Neighbors of Pennsylvania set the first meeting for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at...
Scottdale man given house arrest in fatal crash involving crane truck in Pine
A 72-year-old Scottdale man accused of texting on a cellphone minutes before the 43,500-pound crane truck he was driving crashed into three other vehicles on Route 910 in Pine, killing a Sewickley man, reached a plea deal Monday. Charles Hunter will be on house arrest and probation for causing the...
2nd bankruptcy hearing canceled after no-show by Pittsburgh regatta promoter
The owner of a Ross company blamed for last year’s Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta cancellation and his attorney failed to show for a bankruptcy hearing Monday in federal court, prompting the hearing to be canceled. Rosemary C. Crawford, court-appointed bankruptcy trustee for LionHeart Event Group LLC, said she would file...
2 guns confiscated at Pittsburgh airport security
Two guns were confiscated at the Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoint in a span of three days, the Transportation Security Administration reported Monday. A woman from Cartagena, Colombia, was caught Saturday with a .38 caliber handgun. Then an Ohio woman was caught Monday with a .22 caliber handgun loaded with...
Police: Burglary call turned into potential hostage situation in the Hill District
A burglary call prompted a response by SWAT for a possible hostage situation Monday afternoon in the Pittsburgh’s Hill District, according to public safety spokesman Chris Togneri. The burglary was reported at about 12:25 p.m. in the 300 block of Miller Street in the Crawford-Roberts section of the Hill District....
Gary Van Horn officially out at Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh
The volunteer leader of one of the Pittsburgh region’s LGBTQ advocacy groups has resigned as he awaits a hearing on charges he billed himself as a first responder and forged documents to back it up. Gary Van Horn, 40, of Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood, resigned Monday afternoon as president of the...
Men plead guilty in thefts of rare books from Carnegie Library
The two men accused of stealing and reselling more than $500,000 worth of rare books, maps and other artifacts from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh reached a plea deal Monday with prosecutors who agreed to drop most of the charges they faced. Still, the men could be sentenced to more...
Police seek man accused of removing welder, equipment from Unity store
State police in Greensburg are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who entered a farm supply store in Unity and left without paying for several hundred dollars worth of welding equipment. Troopers said the theft occurred Dec. 28 when a white male, wearing a denim shirt and...
10 jurors selected in Wilkinsburg mass shooting case
Attorneys on Monday selected two more jurors — Nos. 9 and 10 — to hear the case against two men charged in the 2016 mass shooting at a backyard cookout in Wilkinsburg. A younger white woman who works in social media marketing and a white man who is a teacher...
Ghost Town Trail named 2020 Trail of the Year by state conservation officials
The Ghost Town Trail that runs from Blairsville to Ebensburg has been named Pennsylvania’s 2020 Trail of the Year by the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Built initially as a 12-mile trail in 1994, Ghost Town Trail was the first in the state constructed using transportation enhancement funding....
Jeannette man accused of choking cop serving him with mental health warrant
A Jeannette man who spent time in jail for unlawfully restraining his mother is accused by police of choking an officer who was taking him into custody on a mental health warrant, according to court papers. Neal M. Hubish, 39, also tried to grab a Taser from a Jeannette officer,...
Police: Charges pending after 2-year-old seen using vaping device on video in St. Clair
Charges of child endangerment are pending against two people who police said allowed a 2-year-old boy to use a vaping device while they were baby-sitting him in St. Clair Township. A video of the New Florence boy using the device was recorded Thursday and posted to Snapchat, Trooper Cliff Greenfield...
Franklin Regional Junior Olympics wrestlers take top spot at Kiski dual meet
The Franklin Regional Junior Olympics wrestling team brought home a first-place finish at the annual Kiski Youth Duals, going 5-0 at the Dec. 21 meet. Team recruitment coordinator Mike Ruane said the team is still getting its bearings early in the season. “This was only our second dual of the...
Service planned for Apollo cop killed 40 years ago during Kill for Thrill spree
A memorial service will be held Sunday in honor of Apollo Police Officer Leonard C. Miller, who was killed 40 years ago during the Kill for Thrill murder spree. The service will start at 2 p.m. at Apollo First Lutheran Church and be open to the public, police officers and...
Police: Homeowner shoots, kills man during attempted robbery in Baldwin
A homeowner shot and killed an intruder Sunday while his fiance and 10-month-old child were inside the Baldwin Borough apartment, according to police. Joshua Brandon Long, 22, was pronounced dead at the scene after he allegedly tried to rob the apartment using a handgun shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday evening....
Police: Delmont man claimed to be a firefighter as he tried to rob house
A Delmont man remained in jail Monday after police say he tried to rob a house over the weekend while identifying himself as a firefighter and medical personnel. Charles Beiter, 33, is accused of forcibly entering a Mt. Pleasant home Saturday evening. He admitted to police that his plan was...
Kennywood’s Steelers Country ranks among top 10 best new attractionsVideo
Steelers fans have yet another reason to cheer: Kennywood’s Steelers Country recently received a national recognition. Steelers Country, which opened at the West Mifflin park over the summer, was named ninth on USA Today’s 10 Best New Amusement Park Attractions of 2019. “Kennywood Park and the Pittsburgh Steelers teamed up...
