Regional News category, Page 116
State’s sheriffs on board with renewed effort to stop guns at airport checkpoints with possible loss of carry permits
Airline passengers who enter a security checkpoint with a gun in their carry-on luggage are being put on notice — again — by federal authorities and county sheriffs. For the second time in two years, authorities said they will seek to revoke permits to carry a firearm. “It is simple:...
Plan ahead when ‘packing’ to avoid steep fines, potential loss of gun carry permit
A renewed statewide initiative aimed at getting airline passengers to stop bringing guns to airport checkpoints by asking county sheriffs to revoke concealed carry permits will add to the stiff fine gun owners already face when caught. Depending on circumstances, the federal penalty for bringing weapons to a security checkpoint...
Who approves concealed-carry permits in Pennsylvania? And what does that entail?
More than 1.6 million Pennsylvania residents are licensed to carry a gun concealed on their body or vehicle, according to state police. But who approved those licenses? And what goes into the determination process? Citizens who are 21 or older can apply for a concealed-carry permit at their county sheriff’s...
Self-driving vehicle testing in Pittsburgh area shifting gears to focus on trucking industry
Not long ago, cars topped with a futuristic apparatus could regularly be seen cruising along Pittsburgh’s streets, testing technology that allowed the vehicles to get around without a person steering the wheel. But such car sightings have become rare as the autonomous vehicle sector has refocused from the hype of...
Does the 2010s stink bug invasion hold any spotted lanternfly lessons?
Tracy Leskey remembers when the brown marmorated stink bug became “explosively invasive” in the early 2010s. “We had significant crop losses, some homeowners had thousands trying to overwinter in their houses,” said Leskey, a research entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Appalachian Fruit Research Station in West Virginia. Leskey...
Sewickley Bridge to close tonight from 8 until about midnight
The Sewickley Bridge will shut down in both directions for about 4 hours tonight while repairs are made, PennDOT announced at about 4:45 p.m. this afternoon. The bridge will closed 8 p.m. to about midnight. All bridge traffic will be detoured: From Sewickley • Motorists will take Route 65 southbound;...
Pitt trustees OK $100 million in campus renovations
University of Pittsburgh trustees on Friday elected a new chairman, received their first full report from Chancellor Joan Gabel on university progress and approved $100 million in campus building renovation projects. Board members meeting in the William Pitt Union in Oakland also encountered protests. They ranged from a boisterous but...
Coroner identifies 1 of 2 people killed in I-79 tractor-trailer crash
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office on Friday afternoon identified one of the two people killed in Thursday’s tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 79 as Butler County resident Frank L. Tupper, Jr. Tupper, 54, of Butler City, died at 12:50 a.m. Thursday at the scene of the crash, I-79’s northbound lanes...
How a government shutdown would impact Western Pa.
Time is running out for the federal government to avert a shutdown. The Republican-controlled House had been unable through Friday afternoon to pass funding bills that accommodate the demands of the party’s far-right faction, and a Saturday deadline looms. If a funding bill package is not reached and approved by...
Punxsutawney man wanted for shooting in Indiana County
State police are seeking a Punxsutawney man in connection with a shooting Thursday in Indiana County. Storm Michael Armagost, 27, is charged with possession of a firearm without a license, reckless endangerment of another person, assault and harassment. An arrest warrant was issued Friday before District Judge Guy Haberl. Troopers...
Indiana County man faces additional drug charges
Additional charges were filed this week against an Indiana County man already facing drug charges. An arrest warrant was issued Thursday for Sterling Friel, 25, of Indiana. Friel was released on $10,000 bond on drug charges that were held for court on Sept. 14. Friel was the target of a...
PennWest University unveils its plan to seek a new president
PennWest University announced that it is embarking on a search for a successor to president Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, who stepped away from the job in February, effective immediately. “When I say embark, I mean we’re at the very, very beginning stages. We will communicate more as we go along,” PennWest Council...
Peruvian national charged with issuing hoax bomb threats to schools, synagogues in Pa., 4 other states
A Peruvian national is charged with sending more than 150 hoax bomb threats in September to schools, synagogues and other institutions across Pennsylvania and four other states. Federal authorities allege that Eddie Manuel Nunez Santos, 33, sent the threats via email or online contact forms between Sept. 15 and 22,...
Duquesne Light says backup plan in place as union authorizes strike
If contract negotiations are not successful with Duquesne Light, workers represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers say they are prepared to walk off the job. As a public utility, Duquesne Light is required to have continuity plans in place that are approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission....
Youghtoberfest aims to raise money for Ohiopyle Borough
Officials in Ohiopyle, the small Fayette County borough surrounded by Ohiopyle State Park, estimate they need $650,000 to fix the local sewage treatment plant and make related repairs. State officials say Ohiopyle’s sewage system takes in more wastewater than it can handle. But the town has fewer than 30 permanent...
For millions, the return of federal student loan payments brings angst
Marin Exler, who grew up in Crafton, held no illusions that her college education would be free, nor did she procrastinate paying down the debt of almost $120,000 that she incurred at Case Western Reserve University. She worked multiple campus jobs, made bigger-than-required loan payments after graduating, refinanced double-digit interest...
Nursing home operator says without sale of some W.Pa. facilities, they may close
The embattled operators of 15 nursing homes in Pennsylvania said if they are not permitted to go through with the proposed sale of seven facilities in Western Pennsylvania, they may be forced to shut down, potentially displacing hundreds of residents. Attorneys for Comprehensive Healthcare said in a court filing this...
Updated covid vaccines can be covered for uninsured by federal Bridge program
Uninsured individuals can get an updated covid vaccine at no cost through a new federal program. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Bridge Access Program, a new public-private partnership, works to maintain access by providing free covid vaccines to adults who are underinsured or uninsured. Covid vaccines were free...
State troopers investigate burglary in Indiana County
State police are investigating after they say a man stole items from an Indiana County gas station early Wednesday morning. A man broke the front glass windows and entered the One Stop convenience store, 90 Indiana Street, Armagh, at 1:28 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. He stole...
At White House meeting, Trib CEO urges support of bill to save local news
Trib Total Media President and CEO Jennifer Bertetto met Wednesday with White House officials to advocate for legislation that would allow local news outlets to negotiate for fair compensation from large digital platforms that use their content. The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act would allow news publishers to collectively negotiate...
Duquesne Light employees authorize strike
A workers union representing Duquesne Light employees voted Tuesday night to authorize a strike. The 711-14 vote triggers the process for a potential walkout Saturday. The union members’ current contract expires at the end of September, and the union is working to negotiate. In a statement, Duquesne Light said it...
PPG leadership to transition officially in October
PPG is officially handing leadership of the Pittsburgh-based specialty coatings company to Tim Knavish, effective Oct. 1. The board of directors unanimously elected Knavish, 58, as president and CEO, succeeding Michael McGarry, 65, who served as chairman and CEO from 2016 to 2022 and is retiring as executive chairman. Knavish...
Pittsburgh had record low unemployment rate in August, state says
The number of people applying for unemployment benefits in the seven-county Pittsburgh region hit a new low in August. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the area fell one-tenth of a percentage point over the month to a record low of 3.6%, the lowest level since record-keeping began in 1976,...
Morning Roundup: 2 accused in Hill District carjacking; police say Pittsburgh man ran over neighbor after fight
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Sept. 26: Police arrest 2 juveniles accused in Hill District carjacking Two juveniles were arrested after an armed carjacking in the Hill District, according to Pittsburgh police. Officers responded to the 2100 block of Webster Avenue just before...
Apple harvest time: Wild swings in weather, slow spring start impact production
The fruits of the Simon family’s labors are on display for all to see at the Simon’s Apple Orchard store in Mt. Pleasant Township. The sweet smell of freshly harvested apples permeates the air as bags of apples are made ready for sale. “It was decent. Not a full crop...
