Regional category, Page 23
911 service restored in Pennsylvania; state official says investigation underway
911 service has been restored in Pennsylvania. Late Friday, 911 calls resumed routing as normal across the state and an investigation into what caused an hours long outage was ongoing, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. In a post on social media just before midnight, the agency reported 911...
VA insists veterans services remain robust in Pittsburgh despite staff departures nationwide
Pittsburgh-area veterans won’t see any interruption to their care or benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs claims, even as thousands of its employees head for the exits nationwide. The department is on pace to lose nearly 30,000 employees, or about 6% of its workforce, by the end of September. Already,...
AAA will host Monroeville event to replace peeling, illegible license plates
AAA East Central will host an event in Tuesday in Monroeville for drivers to replace license plates that have begun peeling. In Pennsylvania, drivers can be pulled over and fined up to $100 for an illegible license plate, defined as a plate where one or more characters cannot be recognized...
Morning Roundup: 2 pit bulls fatally attack smaller dog in Carrick
Here are some of the latest news items happening this morning, Friday, July 11: 2 pit bulls fatally attack smaller dog in Carrick A pair of pit bulls fatally attacked a smaller dog in Carrick, Pittsburgh police said Thursday via a social media post. Police and Animal Care and Control...
Safe to splash? State parks, watershed associations monitor rivers for E. coli contamination
When it rains, it pours E. coli. That’s what water quality testers across Western Pennsylvania might tell you right now. Every week during the summer months, volunteers and employees monitor the region’s public waterways for E. coli, which can flow into lakes and streams from agricultural and sewer systems overwhelmed...
Judge halts demolition of Homer City plant over contract dispute
Demolition at the site of a planned $10 billion project with a 4.5-gigawatt natural gas-fired plant near Homer City that would power a data processing center has been halted. Frontier Industrial Corp. of Buffalo, N.Y., was granted a preliminary injunction by Allegheny County Judge Philip A. Ignelzi. It prevents Homer...
Secret Service still reforming after Trump assassination attempt in Butler
After the Secret Service announced the suspension of six staffers over failures that led to the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump last year in Butler, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly commended the Secret Service’s new leaders for working to reform the agency. “I applaud Director (Sean) Curran and Deputy Director...
Morning Roundup: Police say convicted felon had drugs, guns during Kittanning traffic stop
Here are some of the latest news items happening this morning, Thursday, July 10: Police say convicted felon had drugs, guns during Kittanning traffic stop A man was arrested after police said they found drugs and guns in his duffel bag during a traffic stop in Kittanning. According to federal...
Pittsburgh travelers react as TSA ditches shoe removal at security
Traveler Katie Wethli knew before anyone at the airport had to tell her. Word got out through social media that she no longer had to remove her footwear when going through Transportation Security Administration screening on Wednesday at the Pittsburgh International Airport. “It was on social media,” the Cranberry resident...
Shapiro signs bill lifting ban on Sunday hunting
Hunters across the state soon could find themselves afield — legally — on almost any Sunday. Gov. Josh Shapiro on Wednesday signed a bill that lifts the state’s age-old ban on Sunday hunting, opening the door for the Pennsylvania Game Commission to build hunting seasons that include Sundays. “The Pennsylvania...
Pittsburgh man accused of stealing hundreds of identities to make Lowe’s, Giant Eagle purchases
A Pittsburgh man is charged with more than 200 counts of felony identity theft after authorities said he made $100,000 in unauthorized credit card purchases at area Lowe’s and Giant Eagle stores, then sold the merchandise. Cornelius P. Tucker, 33, of the city’s Hill District neighborhood, assumed the identities of...
Morning Roundup: Brookline vape shop robbed; pedestrian fatally struck in Mercer County
Here are some of the latest news items happening this morning, Wednesday, July 9: Police investigating after stolen car crashes into Brookline vape shop Pittsburgh police are investigating after a vehicle smashed through the doors of a Brookline vape shop as part of a robbery early Tuesday morning. Police were...
EPA delays pollution limits, drawing jeers from environmentalists, cheers from U.S. Steel
The Trump administration is delaying mandates that would have forced steelmakers U.S. Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs to cut toxic emissions, drawing industry praise and environmentalist dismay. A July 1 order from the Environmental Protection Agency postpones until April 2027 stricter emissions standards for the country’s integrated steel mills, all of which...
Fireworks confrontation leads to Beaver Falls shooting, police say
A tossed firework led to a shooting Friday in Beaver Falls, authorities said. Police were called at 10:30 p.m. Friday to the 300 block of 12th Street where they found a 47-year-old man shot twice in the leg. He was taken to a local medical facility before being flown by...
Pittsburgh region ‘staycation’ suggestions offer alternatives to traditional summer vacations
While a record number of people are traveling this Fourth of July holiday weekend — and travel appears to be increasing in general, year over year — costs have also increased. “Drivable beach locations have been strong,” said Ian Petrulli, vice president of Holiday Travel International in North Huntingdon. “Most...
‘Pittsburgh’s hidden gem’: Allegheny Islands provide escape in the river
For Jack Lachendro, you don’t have to go far from Downtown Pittsburgh to feel like you’re “truly in nature.” In fact, you need to head only 14 miles up the Allegheny River, said Lachendro, the environmental education specialist at Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). There, visitors will...
Flight 93 Memorial organization seeks up to $500K for 25th observance
Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial has plans for several projects and a fundraising campaign with a goal of between $300,000 and $500,000 in preparation for the 25th anniversary of 9/11 next year. United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a former Somerset County strip mine on Sept. 11, 2001, after...
State’s outdoor recreation plan sets template for millions of dollars in upgrades at parks
Visitors to Southwestern Pennsylvania’s state parks — from the highly visible to the less visited — will see improvements over the coming months and years. Regular upgrades are an important part of park management, a collaborative effort led by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “This approach helps...
2 injured, suspected shooter dead in Somerset County domestic incident
A 23-year-old man who shot two people in Somerset County early Saturday morning was found dead from apparent gunshot wounds, state police said. State police responded to a reported domestic disturbance involving gunfire at a residence on Crestview Drive in Somerset Township around 1:10 a.m. According to state police, a...
Morning Roundup: Police investigate shootings in Swissvale, Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar
Here’s a look at some of the news events for this morning: - Shooting sends one to hospital Pittsburgh police are investigating after a man riding an e-bike in the city’s Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar section was shot late Thursday. Emergency crews were called just before 9 p.m. to the 1300 block of...
There’s just 1 Relay for Life left in the Alle-Kiski Valley, but cancer fundraising goes on
Jim Larko was an active participant in the Highlands Relay for Life for 17 years. The event, the Natrona Heights resident said, served as a remembrance for all the people he’s lost to cancer. “My wife and I first got involved with the Relay when a close friend of ours...
Western Pa. Republicans see hope, Democrats doom in passage of Trump policy bill
Republicans in Western Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation celebrated the passage of President Trump’s domestic policy package Thursday afternoon, touting measures to extend and expand tax relief enacted in 2017, secure the nation’s southern border and expand domestic production of oil, coal and natural gas. Democratic leaders warned the package will be...
Fourth revelers reminded to be mindful of neighbors with PTSD
For some veterans, the Fourth of July can be more of a struggle than a celebration. “When I first got back it took me quite a few years to really feel at ease with the fireworks,” said Cliff Warner, an Iraq Army veteran deployed from 2005-2006. Loud noises emitted by...
Annual butterfly count will take place in Monroeville
There are more than 120 species of butterflies in Western Pennsylvania, and the North American Butterfly Association wants residents to keep an eye out for all of them at the 25th annual North American Butterfly Count, which takes place Saturday, July 12, in Monroeville. But many common species are far...
Great Allegheny Passage ranked among best sunset spots in U.S.
The Great Allegheny Passage has been named one of the best sunset spots in the United States. Running from Cumberland, Md. to Pittsburgh in the Appalachian Mountains and through the Laurel Highlands, the Great Allegheny Passage consists of 150 miles of biking and hiking trails. The Great Allegheny Passage was...
