Regional category, Page 145
Pa. fisherman pleads not guilty to charges in tournament scandal
CLEVELAND — Two men accused of stuffing five walleye with lead weights and fish fillets during a lucrative fishing tournament on Lake Erie pleaded not guilty to cheating and other charges on Wednesday. Jacob Runyan, 42, of Broadview Heights, Ohio, and Chase Cominsky, 35, of Hermitage, Mercer County, made no...
Judge hears closing arguments in federal bird poisoning case
Defense attorneys for two men accused of poisoning dozens of birds at a Lawrence County farm in 2020 because the birds were damaging their soybean crop said that the government’s theory of the case doesn’t make sense. “We’re supposed to believe Robert Yost was so spiteful he just laid that...
State police say Indiana County man was kidnapped, killed
State police are investigating after they say a 19-year-old man was kidnapped and killed in Indiana County. Hayden Robert Garreffa was first reported missing from his East Wheatfield Township home on Thursday. Police found Garreffa’s body early Saturday morning in a remote, wooded area of Brush Valley Township. Indiana County...
Two men on trial in federal court for poisoning dozens of birds
When state Game Commission Officer Byron Gibbs found 25 dead birds near wetlands on a Lawrence County farm in the summer of 2020, he immediately suspected they had been poisoned. Along a trail of yellow corn about 100 yards long, there were 17 Canadian geese — including at least two...
Pa. National Guard soldier from New Castle killed at Fort Indiantown Gap
A service member killed in a Fort Indiantown Gap training accident that injured three others has been publicly identified. Spc. Mackenzie L. Shay, 20 of New Castle, was killed Saturday in an accident that involved multiple service vehicles, according to the Pennsylvania National Guard. The New Castle News reported that...
Pittsburgh, national gas prices continue seasonal decline
Average gas prices have come down for a second straight week, and many regions could see declines again this week, as a drop in demand is normally seen in the fall, an industry analyst said Monday. In the Pittsburgh area, average prices fell 3.5 cents per gallon in the past...
West Virginia spring’s waters still drawing devotees
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Every couple weeks, Lauren Lee stuffs a few dozen gallon jugs into a big black laundry bag. She brings it to a covered pavilion right in the middle of Berkeley Springs State Park, which itself is right in the middle of downtown Berkeley Springs, West Virginia....
Bus driver recruitment continues to challenge school district transportation contractors
Transportation company First Student is advertising school bus driver openings for several area districts the company serves, including Norwin, Jeannette City and Hempfield Area. But applicants have not been flocking to replenish the ranks at area school bus terminals. Driver shortages have been an issue for many districts in recent...
Pa. casino revenue jumps to $448 million in September
Pennsylvania casinos saw an increase in revenues last month, state regulators said, a jump from the gradual decrease felt across the industry since the record-breaking month of March. In all, casinos generated $448.4 million in September, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. That’s one of the...
Penn State researchers engineer protein that could be used to develop 1-dose covid vaccine
Despite receiving one of the three covid-19 vaccines available in the U.S., many Americans continue to become infected with the virus. Penn State researchers hope recently engineered proteins could put an end to that cycle. The proteins, called immunogens, could protect people from new covid-19 variants — and other coronaviruses,...
Chilly temps, snow dust Pittsburgh area but warmer weather ahead
Halloween may be a week and-a-half away but it’s beginning to look like Christmas in the area. Snow was falling in places north of Pittsburgh Wednesday morning and temperatures were as much as 15 degrees below normal, with wind chills in the 20s according to the National Weather Service. A...
1 taken by helicopter from Washington Township crash
One person was hurt in a crash Monday evening in Washington Township, according to Armstrong County emergency officials. First responders were called to the 100 block of Upper Limestone Road around 8:20 p.m. for a report of a one-vehicle crash. A medical helicopter was called to transport one person to...
Gasoline prices turn lower as diesel, heating oil rise on low inventories
After rising sharply over the past few weeks, the national average price of gasoline has taken an abrupt, but expected, downturn while diesel prices have soared, an industry analyst said. The national average fell 5.4 cents per gallon in the past week and stands at $3.86, according to price-tracking service...
Fire breaks out at Beaver County pizza shop
Crews responded to a fire Monday morning at a Fox’s Pizza Den along Sixth Street in Midland, Beaver County. The call came in before 5 a.m. A 911 operator told Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV that there is an apartment on the second floor, but firefighters did not find anyone inside....
Municipal leaders say code enforcement is key to fighting blight across Western Pa.
There are 17,000 fewer people in Westmoreland County than there were 20 years ago, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Business and cultural shifts have pushed shopping and industrial centers out of downtowns and into what once were open spaces. Today, abandoned homes and structures dot communities throughout the county,...
Snowflakes Tuesday morning could tie record for earliest snowfall in Pittsburgh region
Say it ain’t snow. The first snowfall of, well, fall could happen early Tuesday across the Pittsburgh region. According to the National Weather Service, snowflakes then would tie the record for the earliest snowfall of the season in Southwestern Pennsylvania. On Oct. 18, 1972, 1.8 inches of snow was recorded...
Pa. plan for electric vehicle supercharger stations becoming reality
Davie Huddleston wasn’t looking for an electric vehicle. He loves his gas-powered Nissan Murano convertible. But his two daughters kept insisting, and he finally bought one. “They should sell electric vehicles,” he said of his daughters. “It was constant. And they had a point for my every objection. But it...
Washington County DA shuts down Finleyville bar, citing ‘drug nuisance activity’
A longstanding neighborhood tavern in Washington County has been shut down by authorities after being labeled a “nuisance” bar. Police taped a sign to the front door of Bob’s Tavern on Friday, alerting customers of a temporary injunction filed on behalf of Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh, according to...
Shell Pipeline Co., contractor fined $670K for repeated chemical releases
The Shell Pipeline Co. and a contractor will pay $670,000 for violations that released chemicals into local waterways, including the Ohio River. The state Department of Environmental Protection, Shell and its contractor, Minnesota Limited, agreed to the settlement. The DEP said in a release that 67 inspections showed repeated violations...
Trib takes home 8 awards from Society of Professional Journalists
The Tribune-Review won eight awards from the Pennsylvania chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for work published in 2021. The awards were presented this week at the Keystone News Conference in Harrisburg. The awards recognize excellence in written, audio and video journalism across the state. In the Spotlight category,...
PennDOT job fair near Donegal seeks to fill posts in Westmoreland, 3 other counties
PennDOT will hold a job fair Tuesday near Donegal for those interested in applying for open positions in Westmoreland and three other counties. The event is set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Turnpike stockpile at 183 Claypike Road, Acme, which is located in Mt. Pleasant Township....
Trib CEO Jennifer Bertetto named Publisher of the Year
Jennifer Bertetto, president and CEO of Trib Total Media, has been recognized as Publisher of the Year by Editor & Publisher, the leading trade publication for the newspaper industry. Editor & Publisher names its Publisher of the Year annually to honor a publisher “who has risen above the rest and...
Man enters guilty plea in Beaver County care home abuse case
A Beaver County man entered a guilty plea Thursday to federal charges accusing him of abusing physically and intellectually disabled residents at a care home. U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan said he will reserve his decision to accept the plea until after he receives a presentence report on Zachary...
Kittanning woman faces charges after police say she dropped newborn baby on head
Police said they arrested a Kittanning woman who dropped a baby on her head. Police were dispatched to Oak Avenue on Tuesday for reports of a baby dropped on her head around noon. Police said Sarah Lugo of Kittanning was responsible for the newborn’s injuries, but she fled the scene...
Pa. Turnpike reopens after crash closes eastbound lanes between New Castle, Cranberry exits
A crash early Thursday involving two tractor-trailers shut down all eastbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike between the New Castle and Cranberry exits for several hours. A 911 emergency dispatcher said the crash happened around 4:40 a.m. Turnpike officials said all eastbound lanes had reopened just after 8 p.m. Officials...
