Regional News category, Page 178
Nonprofit calls research into recent U.S. book bans ‘shocking’ as Franklin Regional parents express support for restrictions, warnings
The graphic novel “Persepolis” might be back on the list of approved books for freshman honors English students at Franklin Regional, but the parents and residents pushing for its removal do not plan to stop there. “That, I believe, is only the tip of everything going on,” said Gretchen McGee....
Fredericktown boy, 13, dies in Washington County car accident
A 13-year-old boy died and two others were injured in a car crash on Friday in Washington County. At around 4:30 p.m., the driver lost control of their car while going around a curve on Sunset Drive, West Pike Run Township, according to the Washington County Coroner’s Office. The boy,...
Another lawsuit filed against Brighton Rehab and Wellness in connection with covid-19 outbreak
The family of a Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center employee who died from covid-19 after they said he contracted the illness at work filed a wrongful death suit against the owners on Thursday. Kevin Carroll, 54, worked as part of the housing and laundry staff at the facility in Brighton...
Parks Township couple creates way to comfort dads after loss of a baby
The tiny footprint is protected by wings. It belongs to Molly Rose, whose mom and dad have memorialized her making a mark in this world on the back of a black T-shirt. She will never walk on this earth, but her parents hope the image will become part of the...
Pittsburgh Black leaders celebrate Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation
History was made Thursday as Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and will become the nation’s first Black woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. The confirmation was met with applause from many across the country, including many Black leaders in the Pittsburgh region. Jackson...
Avian influenza has historically spared Pennsylvania, but farms remain wary as outbreaks spread
Pennsylvania’s commercial poultry has remained untouched by highly pathogenic avian influenza for nearly 40 years, but poultry producers in the area remain on high alert because of the devastating effects it can have on flocks once it begins to spread. “A lot of chickens and turkeys have been depopulated this...
PennDOT plans I-70 closure in Speers, lane restrictions farther east
Work on the Interstate 70 corridor will detour motorists in Washington County and restrict traffic to the east in Westmoreland County. A full closure of I-70 in both directions in Speers is scheduled Thursday and Friday, beginning at 8 p.m. each day and continuing until 6 a.m. the following morning....
Hopelessness springs eternal for Pirates fans
It’s been a winter of discontent for Pirates fans. It started Dec. 1 when the Pirates traded catcher Jacob Stallings, a player beloved by fans and his teammates, not long after he won a Gold Glove award for his excellent 2021 season. It was perceived by the Pirates faithful as...
Feds announce disruption of Russian malware attack in operation aided by Pittsburgh FBI, U.S. Attorney’s office
The U.S. Department of Justice announced a series of measures Wednesday to combat Russian criminal activity, including an operation to disrupt a malware program that officials said would have allowed the Russian government to control thousands of infected security devices around the world. The operation to disrupt the “Cyclops Blink”...
Pa. Game Commission restricts rock climbing at 2 Fayette state game lands
While rock climbing has become increasingly popular at two state game lands in Fayette County, state game commission officials are restricting it to the animals that grew up there. The Pennsylvania Game Commission and state Fish & Boat Commission announced the closure of all rock-climbing activities at State Game Lands...
Victim in fatal Butler crash identified
A 47-year-old woman was the victim in a fatal crash near Slippery Rock in Butler County early Tuesday morning, state police at Butler said. Ruth A. Alben of Slippery Rock was killed when the vehicle she was driving eastbound on Branchton Road went through a flashing red traffic signal without...
Pittsburgh region’s economy remains slow to recover from pandemic downturn
The Pittsburgh region’s economy continues to lag behind its pre-covid levels from 2020, when there were 64,000 more nonfarm jobs in the seven counties and 54,600 more people in the labor force, according to the February employment report released Tuesday. “It may take us years to get back to pre-pandemic...
Week in pictures: March 28-April 3
A selection of the best photos from Tribune-Review photographers from around the Pittsburgh region from the week of March 28-April 3....
Mt. Pleasant man gets house arrest, probation for role in Capitol riot
Samuel Fox was inside the U.S. Capitol for only two minutes during the riot there on Jan. 6, 2021. He didn’t engage in any violence. He didn’t take anything. He had no weapons, no tactical gear and a barely charged cellphone. For those reasons, a judge ruled Tuesday, the Latrobe...
At least 1 killed in crash on Route 8 in Butler County
At least one person was killed early Tuesday in a two-vehicle crash involving a log-hauling truck along Route 8 in Slippery Rock Township, according to Butler County 911. The crash happened just after 6 a.m. at the intersection of Branchton Road, said Butler County Emergency Management Coordinator Robert McLafferty. A...
FBI: Sextortion of teenagers is growing problem
Teenagers, primarily boys, are being lured with the offer of money by “females” in return for sending sexually explicit photos and videos over social media, only to discover that they become victims in an elaborate extortion scheme seeking more money, according to the FBI in Pittsburgh. The FBI said Monday...
Lower oil prices reflected in falling gas prices, analysts say
The release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is causing oil prices to pull back and bringing down gasoline prices, according to AAA. The national average for a gallon of gas is now $4.19, down 6 cents from last week, AAA reported. That’s still 35 cents higher than a...
Tractor-trailer overturns on turnpike ramp near Cranberry
A tractor-trailer overturned Monday morning at the Cranberry exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Marshall that links the toll road to Interstate 79, a turnpike official said. The accident happened on the deceleration ramp of the turnpike around 9:30 a.m., said turnpike spokeswoman Susan Jones. Cranberry firefighters were dispatched to...
2nd mask requirement lawsuit filed against Kennywood, Sandcastle, Idlewild
Parents of three children filed a lawsuit Friday in Westmoreland County against Kennywood, Sandcastle Waterpark and Idlewild & SoakZone, claiming they were improperly excluded from the amusement parks in 2020 for not wearing masks. The claims follow nearly identical allegations raised in a still-pending federal lawsuit filed by the same...
Lawsuit settled against Fayette County, state police in wrongful conviction of man imprisoned for 26 years
David Munchinski spent nearly 26 years incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit. He then waited nearly a decade more to go to trial in the federal lawsuit he filed against the men he said wrongfully convicted him on two counts of first-degree murder. In December, Munchinski, who had long...
Region’s school districts leading the way in opportunities for female superintendents
Women long have played a central role in education, but they often are left out of central administration. Women make up up 3 in 4 public school teachers nationwide but account for only about 1 in 4 superintendents, both in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Still, there have been inroads over the...
Female superintendent salaries near parity with male counterparts
Male superintendents may outnumber their female counterparts 3-1, but the gender pay gap is nearly nonexistent. Female superintendents make about 96% of what male superintendents make, according to a study released recently by the AASA, the School Superintendents Association. That’s significantly higher than the average for all women in all...
Lamb revives gun incident to attack Fetterman in Senate race
Conor Lamb is accusing rival John Fetterman in Pennsylvania’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary of skipping candidate forums to avoid talking about a 2013 incident when shotgun in hand, he confronted a Black man because he suspected the man was involved in gunfire nearby. The accusation marks a sharp escalation in...
Moratorium lifted on Pennsylvania utility shutoffs; services can be interrupted beginning Monday
It’s no April Fools’ joke — utility companies across Pennsylvania can begin turning off services for delinquent customers beginning Monday under state regulations lifting a ban on winter shutoffs. “There are still a substantial number of at-risk residential and business customers” although the number of accounts in arrears has continued...
MMA returns to Monroeville with ‘Brawl in the Burgh 11’
It’s been a while since Andrew Evans needed to worry about being picked on at school. “I was an out-of-shape kid, and in ninth grade, I got really tired of it and decided to go down to an MMA gym and start training,” said Evans, 19. On April 16, the...
