Regional category, Page 91
Too warm: Plants, insects, people likely to pay the price for warm winters
The active milkweed bug Chris Kubiak found this week is not a good sign. The harmless-to-humans bug was out and about at Beechwood Farms Nature Preserve in Fox Chapel, where Kubiak is director of education. It, like most other insects native to the region, should be inactive, waiting out winter...
Taylor Swift fans in region gear up for Swiftie-themed Super Bowl parties
Bianca Bodde plans a Swiftie twist to her Super Bowl party decorations this weekend. Fans of Taylor Swift — Swifties for short — are prepared to show up in full force with themed gatherings to watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers this Super Bowl Sunday....
FAFSA angst sweeps across Western Pa. for prospective college students
Many prospective college students and their parents are feeling angst over delays associated with the federal financial aid application, known as FAFSA, that millions rely on. An update to the application system last year has resulted in delays this year. As a result, it could be mid-March before colleges receive...
Pitt trustees discuss ways to raise national profile
University of Pittsburgh trustees Thursday heard an update on the university’s five-year strategic initiative dubbed “Plan for Pitt” and elected a new board chairman. Their meeting was punctuated by a noisy but peaceful pro-Palestinan protest outside the Assembly Room in the William Pitt Union. The demonstrators numbering a few dozen...
EPA grant sends 75 electric school buses to Pittsburgh, Southwestern Pa.
Getting to school for thousands of students in Southwestern Pennsylvania is getting a bit quieter and a lot cleaner. Three school districts in Southwestern Pennsylvania will receive 75 new electric school buses thanks to funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Pittsburgh Public Schools, the largest district in the region,...
Police investigate crash in Washington County that killed McMurray man, Venetia woman
A McMurray man and a Venetia woman died when their vehicles collided Thursday afternoon in Washington County. The motorists were dead at the scene on Route 837 in Carroll Township, according to a report from the county coroner’s office. That office has identified one of the crash victims as Michael...
PennWest University embarks on search for new president
Efforts to identify PennWest University’s next president are advancing this week after the school finished assembling a 25-member search committee. Members are a mix of State System of Higher Education leaders and representatives from the California, Clarion and Edinboro campuses, which were merged in 2022 to create Western Pennsylvania’s largest...
I-70 westbound reopens in Washington County after crash
A portion of I-70 westbound in Washington County has reopened after it was closed early Thursday morning because of a crash involving a tractor-trailer and a vehicle. The wreck happened just after 2 a.m. near the 13.1 mile marker near the Taylorstown ramp, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. One...
Morning Roundup: Man injured in Homewood shooting; home invasion in Knoxville
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Feb. 8: Man injured in Homewood shooting A man was injured Wednesday night in a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood. Pittsburgh police and EMS were dispatched to the 7200 block of Frankstown Avenue for an eight-round ShotSpotter alert...
Animal welfare groups warn pausing city spay/neuter program will lead to more homeless cats
Jackie Cafaro works day and night to rescue cats left abandoned on Pittsburgh streets. She’s developed Catcalls Rescue, the nonprofit she co-founded in 2021, into an operation that saves, spays or neuters and puts up for adoption 40 to 60 cats a month — with the help of about 30...
NTSB to release cause of fiery Norfolk Southern derailment in eastern Ohio at June hearing
Federal investigators say they will determine the cause of last year’s fiery Norfolk Southern derailment in eastern Ohio at a hearing in East Palestine this June. The National Transportation Safety Board announced Wednesday that it will hold the hearing at East Palestine High School on June 25 to approve the...
Interest in local police work drops in Western Pa. despite jump in state police academy applicants
While the Pennsylvania State Police force is seeing increased interest from people wanting to become troopers, many suburban and rural departments in Western Pennsylvania are facing a challenge trying to attract new officers. Last year, Murrysville received 18 applications from people interested in becoming police officers for the municipality —...
Brownsville couple accused of keeping 6-year-old girl in dog crate
A Brownsville couple was jailed Tuesday for allegedly keeping a 6-year-old girl in a locked dog crate, restraining the child with plastic zip ties and beating her with a broom on multiple occasions, according to a criminal complaint filed by state police. The alleged abuse at the hands of Jacob...
Police investigate man’s death after head trauma in Sharon
Police are investigating the death of a man in Sharon, Mercer County, on Monday. Police said they were called just after 8:20 p.m. for reports of a trespasser on the 700 block of New Castle Avenue, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. That’s where police say they found the victim...
Morning Roundup: Kennywood sets opening date; vehicle strikes pedestrian in Butler
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Feb. 6: Kennywood announces 2024 schedule Kennywood is scheduled to open its 126th season on April 20. The amusement park released its schedule for the season on its website. Ticket prices start at $39.99. Kennywood also is hiring...
Study finds elevated levels of forever chemicals in rivers near Western Pa. wastewater plants
Wastewater treatment plants in Western Pennsylvania are dumping what’s known as forever chemicals into Pittsburgh’s rivers, a new study shows. The report from the nonprofit Women for a Healthy Environment focuses on per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), man-made chemicals used in many industrial and consumer products. It found a higher...
North Strabane man pleads guilty to killing bald eagle, half of ‘magical’ pair
For 18 years, Linda Carnevali stood almost every day at the kitchen window of her Washington County townhouse and watched a pair of bonded bald eagles who lived in the tree across from her home. They would soar from their large nest, swoop into the lake to fish and rebuild...
Fayette County man charged in fatal Redstone Township stabbing
A Fayette County man was jailed Thursday in connection with a fatal stabbing in Redstone Township. State police said Sylvester K. Conaway Jr., 54, of East Millsboro, is accused in the death of Shawn Hriscisce, 24, at a home in Redstone Township. Conaway was denied bail. He is charged with...
Worthington man killed in 2-vehicle crash in Manor Township
Officials have identified a man killed Friday night in a two-vehicle accident along Route 66 in Manor Township. The victim was Herbert Wagner, 76, of Worthington, according to Armstrong County Coroner Brian Myers. Myers said an autopsy will be performed Monday. Wagner was killed “when the vehicle he was driving...
Duquesne woman to stand trial on charges of killing infant son
A Duquesne woman who police say tried to blame her infant son’s death on her 3-year-old daughter will face trial on charges that she killed the baby during a night of drinking. Alisha L. Parker, 26, was held for court Friday on homicide and child endangerment charges after a preliminary...
Campaign cash flows in for Summer Lee, other progressives, amid Middle East stance
Money is surging into the campaigns of progressive lawmakers like U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, who are facing competitive races and have been outspoken in calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East. Federal campaign filings show Lee, D-Swissvale, raised over $1 million during the the last three months of 2023....
Deepfake images continue to cloud social media. Can they be stopped?
Ari Lightman admits he probably would fall for a deepfake. “I cannot spot a deepfake,” he said. That might be considered alarming, as Lightman is a Carnegie Mellon University professor of digital media and marketing who teaches classes measuring the impact of emerging technologies. Yet even he says he is...
Lawsuit over reimbursement fees a factor in independent pharmacy struggles, expert says
In light of two local pharmacies shuttering their doors Wednesday, some are pointing to an ongoing federal lawsuit industry experts say was set into motion by alleged wrongful penalties for prescriptions. The fees are called pharmacy direct and indirect remuneration fees. They’re charged to pharmacies under Medicare Part D regulations...
No shadow! Punxsutawney Phil predicts early springVideo
Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow Friday morning and delivered the news the crowd was hoping for: no shadow and an early spring. Upon the announcement, a loud cheer burst from the thousands gathered around Gobbler’s Knob for the annual Groundhog Day prediction. The groundhog club said this year might...
Pittsburgh engineering firm settles pay discrimination allegations with U.S. Labor Department
An international engineering and consulting firm with roots in Beaver County has entered into a settlement to resolve allegations of pay discrimination against female employees. Michael Baker International, headquartered in Pittsburgh, agreed to pay more than $120,000 in back wages and interest, after a routine compliance review by the U.S....
