Local category, Page 2687
Fugitive wanted for ‘numerous’ car chases found in Homewood
A Pittsburgh man who has led police on a multitude of car chases recently is in Allegheny County Jail after sheriff’s deputies made a concerted effort to arrest him while he wasn’t behind the wheel, authorities said. Chief Deputy Kevin Kraus said 19-year-old Michael Stuvaints was wanted for fleeing Stowe...
Ohio River, Buffalo Creek among nominees for Pennsylvania’s River of the Year
The five nominees for Pennsylvania’s River of the Year include the Ohio River and an obscure but environmentally unique waterway, Buffalo Creek in Armstrong and Butler counties. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the nonprofit Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers annually pick nominees for the honor....
Penn Hills couple loses home, 2 cats to fire
A Penn Hills couple was receiving help from the Red Cross Wednesday after a fire claimed their two cats and Ross Road home. Penn Hills Fire Marshal Chuck Miller said firefighters responded to the blaze at a modular home across from Ross Park around 10:10 a.m. A preliminary investigation indicated...
Community honors retiring county Commissioner Chuck Anderson and his wifeVideo
Chuck Anderson stepped back, a look of genuine surprise on his face. The luncheon at Lakeview Lounge had been advertised as the regular monthly meeting of the local chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, an event that typically draws about 30 retired military officers. On Wednesday, more than...
Former Munhall firefighter who set porch fires could spend 3 years in prison
A former Munhall firefighter who told police he set two porches on fire in December 2018 because he was bored will spend between 18 months and three years in prison and then serve seven years probation. Allegheny County Judge Randal Todd sentenced Ryan Laubham, 19, on Wednesday. A former volunteer...
Pittsburgh councilwoman Darlene Harris sues city over campaign finance ordinance
Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Darlene Harris on Wednesday sued the city, Mayor Bill Peduto and the Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board, contending the city illegally fined her for failing to file campaign finance reports with the ethics board during the spring primary. The board in September fined Harris, 66, of Spring Hill...
Greensburg man gets jail time for grabbing girl, 9, by throat
A Greensburg man pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge of child endangerment for a physical altercation in September with a 9-year-old girl. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani sentenced Roger E. Russell Jr., 64, to nine-to-23 months in jail as part of a plea bargain in which prosecutors...
Man gets probation for trying to run over ex-lover’s boyfriend in Derry Township
A former Greensburg man was ordered Wednesday to serve five years on probation for an attempt to run over a romantic rival with his car this year in Derry Township. Robert Kuszajewski, 28, now of Jeannette, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of simple assault, reckless endangerment and making terroristic threats...
Arnold adopts budget with no tax increase, seeks funding for sewer projects
Arnold Council on Tuesday adopted a $4.4 million budget for 2020 that does not change the property tax rate and increases spending just $10,000 over this year. The tax rate remains 43.5 mills, with 25 mills going toward general city services and 18.5 mills toward debt service. At that rate,...
Police: Knoxville woman tied dog to dumpster on cold morning
The girlfriend of the man who owned the emaciated dog found last week tied to a dumpster at an apartment complex in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood is charged with animal neglect and cruelty in connection with the incident. The dog, a female pit bull/boxer mix, is named Remy and was found...
No injuries reported when car crashes into Madison houseVideo
Dale Stinogle was jolted from his quiet afternoon looking out the kitchen window of his Madison apartment Wednesday when he “heard a big crash, like an explosion, and then the whole house shook.” “We have a few oxygen tanks stored in our basement, and it was so forceful, I first...
Stahlstown man watches childhood tree light up Rockefeller Center for NYC holiday tradition
When Mitch Schultz Jr. watched a rainbow of lights bring a holiday glow to this year’s Christmas tree at New York City’s Rockefeller Center, it added a stunning final chapter to his family’s 60-year history with a Norway spruce. “I trimmed it tons of times as it was growing,” said...
Police: Former Collier cop asked teenage girls for nude pictures
A former Collier police officer was arrested after two teenage girls told authorities that he requested nude pictures while he was still employed as a police officer, authorities said. Cory Hurka, 29, of Collier, was charged Tuesday with two counts each of unlawful contact with minors, criminal solicitation and corruption...
Westmoreland dog owners warned of website selling fake dog licenses
Westmoreland County Treasurer Jared Squires on Wednesday warned residents to avoid a fraudulent website that is selling bogus dog licenses. Squires said the state Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement identified the bogus site as selling fake Pennsylvania dog licenses. Operators of the sham site paid internet search...
Woman killed in Hampton Route 8 crash identified
A woman killed in a two-car crash on Route 8 in Hampton Wednesday afternoon has been identified. Rebecca Lynn Koorsen, 28, of Glenshaw was pronounced dead at the scene around 3:30 p.m. along the 5000 block of William Flynn Highway (Route 8), the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office reported. Authorities...
Pittsburgh council kills proposal to name soccer field after former Mayor Ravenstahl and family
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday effectively killed a resolution seeking to name a North Side soccer field after former Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and his family. North Side Councilwoman Darlene Harris, who has long sought to dedicate the field in Riverview Park after the former mayor, proposed the resolution in the...
Pittsburgh council can nix park tax, but members expect it to pass
Pittsburgh City Council can nullify the November ballot referendum that called for a 0.5 mill property tax increase to fund city park improvements, but members polled on Wednesday said they would likely approve the levy early next year. Council must approve the tax in order for it to go into...
Bailey the therapy dog helps Deer Lakes 3rd graders readVideo
As Kayla Paschel read to Bailey, a 14-year old Yorkshire terrier Maltese mix, she felt like the dog could understand her. “I could feel him listening to me,” said Kayla, 9, of West Deer, who read one of her favorite books, “Michelle the Winter Wonderland Fairy.” “It was really fun...
Police respond to suspicious box at Pittsburgh Goodwill store
A suspicious box at the Goodwill on Banksville Road prompted a large police response to the store at about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, Pittsburgh police said. The building was evacuated by the staff of the Goodwill and police closed Banksville Road between Potomac and Wenzell avenues as authorities including the bomb...
Police release photos of suspect in Nov. 29 Downtown robbery
Pittsburgh police released photos of a man suspected in a Nov. 29 robbery and assault on Strawberry Way near Smithfield Street in Downtown. A group of men pushed a man to the ground and stole items from his pockets, Pittsburgh police said in a Facebook post. In the post, police...
Trio accused of selling methamphetamine from Salem Township house
Informants helped break up an alleged crystal methamphetamine distribution network operating out of a Salem Township home, according to court documents. Brian D. Dumnich, 35, his girlfriend, Heidi J. Altman, 32, and Victoria Nave, 34, all of the Forbes Road section of Salem, are charged with drug-related counts after agents...
Mac Miller Fund will support Pittsburgh music programs
Even in death, Mac Miller continues to inspire and support youth music programs in his native Pittsburgh. A $100,000 grant established to honor the rapper’s legacy will go toward music programs for teens and young adults at the Homewood-Brushton YMCA, according to officials at the Pittsburgh Foundation. The Mac Miller...
Tuberculosis case at Pittsburgh school isn’t cause for panic, health department saysVideo
A confirmed case of tuberculosis at Arsenal 6-8 school in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood doesn’t pose a risk of the disease spreading through the community, health officials said Wednesday “There is absolutely no reason for the general public or the parents at the school to worry,” said Dr. Kristen Mertz, an...
Outrage grows over Pennsylvania deer-torture video as investigation continues
A video showing two teens torturing an injured deer has rocked a small Western Pennsylvania community while generating outrage far and wide, including online where nearly 600,000 people have signed a petition calling for criminal charges. As of midday Wednesday, authorities had not charged the teens, who can be seen...
Pittsburgh’s East End Brewing celebrates 15 years of beerVideo
East End Brewing Company in Larimer turns 15 on Thursday and its owner is celebrating by honoring local craft brewers this week. “When I first started this business I didn’t think I would last 15 hours or 15 days let alone 15 years,” founder and owner Scott Smith said. “It...
