Regional category, Page 118
22 suspected drug dealers arrested in sweeping Western Pa. raid
Twenty-two of 24 men who federal prosecutors say sold cocaine and fentanyl in Western Pennsylvania have been arrested in a sweeping raid that began last month, according to court documents. Law enforcement began arresting suspects in late May following a nine-count federal indictment. They are accused of dealing 5 kilograms...
Fayette County Courthouse struck by bullet, judge’s chair hit
The Fayette County Courthouse was placed on lockdown Thursday after shots were fired and a bullet struck the building. Officials said a bullet went through a window and struck a judge’s chair while she was sitting in it. She was not injured, and there no reports of other injuries. The...
Response to fiery Ohio derailment frustrated by poor communication and incomplete information
OMAHA, Neb. — Firefighters who responded to February’s fiery train derailment in Ohio struggled to immediately identify the hazardous chemicals the train was hauling due to a lack of communication from the railroad, officials said Thursday. During a public hearing in East Palestine — where thousands of residents had to...
Injection rejection: Indiana County community pushes back against fracking residue well
When Judy Wanchisn was a few years into her fight to stop operation of a fracking injection well in her neighborhood, several people asked why she didn’t just move. “This is our family homestead,” she said, gesturing to the house and small building adjacent to her home on Sebring Road...
Pennsylvania House passes $15 minimum wage bill
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s Democratic-controlled House of Representatives approved a measure by a close vote Tuesday that would raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2026, fulfilling a long-held party campaign plank that has run up against Republican legislative majorities for years. The bill passed 103-100 with all but one...
Summer solstice in Pittsburgh region delivers over 15 hours of daylight
Fifteen hours, 4 minutes. That’s how much daylight the Pittsburgh region will see Wednesday during the summer solstice — the official start of summer and longest day of the year, when the sun takes the northernmost path through the sky. The result is short nights, early dawns and late sunsets....
A list of local farmers’ markets
Editor’s note: This list has been updated to correct the days, times and location for the Central Westmoreland Famer’s Market. Here is a list of selected farmers’ markets in the area (listed in alphabetical order): Baldwin Farmers Market Dates: Second and fourth Thursdays of each month through August, plus Sept....
Know how to shop at a farmers market
Shoppers come into markets hoping to gather fresh ingredients for their families and to support small businesses in the area. But shoppers shouldn’t walk into a farmers market thinking only of finding the freshest ingredients and nothing else. Just like any shopping trip, it’s important to go into a farmers...
Farm fresh? Yes, but farmers markets offerings are months in the making
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the days, times and location for the Central Westmoreland Farmer’s Market near Greensburg. Kira Karpinski’s farmers market offerings in June take root six months earlier in a sun-drenched room in her house. Not a greenhouse — her actual house. “I start...
Country’s Dierks Bentley brings Gravel & Gold Tour to Star LakeVideo
When the pandemic hit, many of country singer Dierks Bentley’s contemporaries hunkered down to work on new music. He did the opposite. “A lot of my friends were back in Nashville working on music, but I was not. I was not interested,” he said. “I was interested in doing all...
UPMC plans to acquire Washington Health System
UPMC is acquiring Washington Health System, adding to the Pittsburgh health care giant’s massive footprint. WHS announced the deal on Tuesday, saying the two health care providers have signed a nonbinding letter of intent to integrate the Washington-based health system into UPMC. “Our primary focus is to ensure the residents...
Remaining United Methodists look to religious life after disaffiliations
ERIE — As a fourth-generation United Methodist and pastor’s daughter, Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi’s roots in her faith run deep. Presiding over the disaffiliation of more than a third of the congregations from the United Methodist Church’s Western Pennsylvania Conference was personal. “It’s friends, family, persons that were formerly part of...
What is Juneteenth? A breakdown on what the holiday commemorates
Juneteenth is a federal holiday recognizing the emancipation of the last enslaved people in the United States. The word comes from a combination of “June” and “nineteenth” and pays homage to the first unofficial Juneteenth celebration, which took place June 19, 1866. It became a national holiday in 2021, when...
Local wrestling promoters and talent react to Iron Sheik’s passingVideo
Local wrestling promoters and talent are mourning the loss of pro wrestling legend — and one of the greatest bad guys of the 1980s — the Iron Sheik. The Iron Sheik, whose real name was Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, died June 7. The Iranian-born athlete was 81. Keystone State Wrestling...
Air quality alert issued for Pittsburgh region
The state Department of Environmental Protection has issued a code orange air quality alert for the greater Pittsburgh area on Monday. The alert is in effect until 4 p.m. for Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties. The code orange alert means that air pollution concentrations within the...
New Castle motorcyclist killed, teen hurt in crash with SUV
A 49-year-old New Castle man died and a teen was seriously hurt after the motorcycle they were on was hit by an SUV in Lawrence County on Saturday, according to state police. State police identified the man as Travis J. Bintrim. The 14-year-old male passenger was not identified. State police...
Myasthenia Gravis Association plans benefit golf outing on Sept. 24
Golfers can enjoy their sport and play for a good cause at the Myasthenia Gravis Association of Western PA’s annual MGA Golf Outing on Sept. 24 at the Pheasant Ridge Golf Club in Richland. Proceeds from the golf outing will benefit the organization’s free patient support services to people affected...
OSHA probes fatal workplace fall in Blairsville
Workplace inspectors launched an investigation Thursday into the accident that killed a man who fell through three stories of a dilapidated former Blairsville school on Wednesday, a federal official said. John W. Plunkett, 63, of Colfax, N.C., who died in the fall, was working with Ryan Nupp, 27, of Latrobe...
Water conservation urged as Pennsylvania declares drought watch
The Pa. Department of Environmental Protection issued a drought watch for all counties in the state. Residents and businesses statewide are asked to voluntarily reduce water use 5% to 10%. The assessment is based on information from public water suppliers and data on precipitation, stream and river flows, groundwater level...
Man dead, another injured after fall through 3 floors at Blairsville building restoration site
One man died and another was injured after the pair fell three floors into the basement of a dilapidated former school they were assessing for demolition Wednesday in Blairsville, borough officials said. John Plunkett, 63, of Blairsville, died at UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh from blunt force injuries related to...
Crime stoppers offers reward for information on disappearance of girl in 1987
Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information in the disappearance of a 15-year-old girl in Indiana County 36 years ago. Alicia Markovich has been missing since April 26, 1987 when she left her father’s home off Route 22 in Blairsville, just over the border from Westmoreland County....
Some Western Pennsylvania United Methodist churches make split official at conference
ERIE — The Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church is now more than a third smaller after a solemn and at times emotional meeting completed a more than yearlong process of disaffiliation for some congregations. There were 298 churches in the Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist...
UPMC contractor detects patient data breach
A contractor for UPMC said it discovered a data breach that could have impacted customer and patient information. Tennessee-based Intellihartx LLC said it found that its secure file transfer service provider, Fortra, “experienced a data security incident.” The company undertook an investigation to figure out the scope of the incident....
Pittsburgh population stable, outlying suburbs growing, per new census estimates
The greater Pittsburgh region is still declining, with suburbs closest to the city limits and the Mon Valley shrinking the most, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Still, new data breakdowns show a number of municipalities saw impressive growth and other surprises. The city of Pittsburgh’s population has remained stable...
Pennsylvania average gas price down 28% from record high set 1 year ago
One year ago today, drivers in Pennsylvania were paying about $1.42 per gallon more for gas than they are now. On June 12, 2022, Pennsylvania recorded what remains its highest average price for regular unleaded gasoline — $5.07 per gallon, according to AAA. Today, the statewide average is $3.65, about...
