Lawsuit: Pennsylvania officer coerced 2 women into sex to avoid arrest
ASHLEY — Two women who say they were coerced into sex with a Pennsylvania police officer have filed a federal lawsuit alleging he violated their constitutional rights. The Citizens’ Voice reports 29-year-old Mark Icker, of Dickson City, is facing sexual assault, official oppression and related charges alleging he pressured the...
Trump health chief asks Congress to pass drug discount plan
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s top health official asked Congress on Friday to pass its new prescription drug discount plan and provide it to all patients, not just those covered by government programs like Medicare. The plan would take now-hidden rebates among industry players like drug companies and insurers and...
Palestinians, Israeli troops clash in West Bank, Gaza
JERUSALEM — Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops skirmished Friday as hundreds demonstrated against violence by Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and thousands more against a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade in the militant Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. In Gaza, mass demonstrations along the perimeter fence with Israel have been a weekly...
Deer Lakes postpones plays until next weekend
Due to the inclement weather, Deer Lakes School District has postponed this weekend’s performances of, “You Can’t Take It With You.” The play is rescheduled to be at 7 p.m. Feb. 8 to 10 in the high school auditorium, 163 East Union Road, West Deer. Admission is $8....
Port Authority’s ConnectCard kiosks repaired; free rides end Friday afternoon
Two days of free rides using the Port Authority of Allegheny County public transit system came to an end Friday afternoon. With temperatures climbing and the authority’s ConnectCard kiosks no longer malfunctioning, regular fare collection resumed at 2 p.m., said Port Authority spokesman Adam Brandolph. The outdoor kiosks had malfunctioned...
Pittsburgh police arrest 2 men suspected in Downtown burglaries
A Pittsburgh police officer arrested a man suspected in a Downtown burglary Friday morning after spotting him near the scene of another heist. Stephen Lamm, 48, of Johnstown, is charged with both burglaries, one at a business on Liberty Avenue and one at a business on Wood Street. A second...
Parents accused of abandoning 3 children in Greensburg home to avoid arrest
A Greensburg couple allegedly abandoned their three children — a 16-year-old boy and 5-year-old twins — for more than a week to avoid being served arrest warrants, Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department deputies allege in court documents filed Friday. Ryan J. Mason, 39, and Destany Stamps, 36, were arrested at a...
‘Empire’ actor defends himself in 1st comments since attack
CHICAGO (AP) — “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett is disputing rumors circulating on social media that he has been less than cooperative with the investigation into a racially-charged attack in which he says two masked men beat him and wrapped a rope around his neck in downtown Chicago. In his first...
Appeals court upholds DUI suspension of Jeannette man who claims he was passenger
A state trooper’s word was enough to justify the 2016 drunken driving arrest of a Jeannette man who claimed he wasn’t behind the wheel at the time, a three-judge panel ruled this week. Trooper Kimberly Zubovic’s statement to Trooper Thomas Dohey, the arresting officer, that Richard McBeth appeared intoxicated provided...
State awards funding for Armstrong transportation projects
Nearly $765,000 in state funding will be coming into Armstrong County for transportation projects, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday. The money from the Multimodal Transportation Fund is included in $44.5 million being used on 50 highway, bridge, transit, aviation, bike and pedestrian projects in 23 counties. PennDOT evaluated applications and...
The tips are coming back to Hershey’s Kisses
The Hershey’s Kisses tips are on their way back, thanks, in part, to an inquisitive Greensburg baker. Debbie Sheetz noticed when she was making peanut butter blossoms for Christmas the missing tips. She contacted the company. “Who thought my concern for Hershey and the Kisses would have such an impact?”...
PWSA faces 161 criminal charges for lead water line violations
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Friday charged the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority with potentially endangering the health of 161 households by failing to notify residents when the agency replaced lead water lines. Shapiro said investigators found no evidence that anyone working for PWSA intended to harm Pittsburgh residents,...
Irwin martial arts expert inducted into hall of honor
An acclaimed martial arts expert from Irwin has been inducted into a martial arts hall of honor — at the age of 25. “It was quite an honor,” said John Morgart Jr., who was inducted into the Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honor last weekend in Atlantic City, N.J....
Whole Foods recalls 365 Everyday Value brand tortilla chips in U.S., Canada
Whole Foods Market has recalled 365 Everyday Value White Corn Tortilla Chips, the FDA said Friday. The chips were recalled and removed from Whole Foods Market shelves because the product might contain undeclared milk that was not listed on the product label. “People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity...
Lenten fish fry sponsors need permits, health department says
Those sponsoring Lenten fish fries will need health permits to operate, the Allegheny County Health Department said Friday. “Operation of a food facility, whether temporary, seasonal or permanent, requires a valid health permit,” the department said. This year, the Lenten season runs from March 6 to April 20. Sponsors without...
Lawsuit: Dorney Park’s Halloween monsters went too far
ALLENTOWN — A woman and her teen daughter are suing a Pennsylvania amusement park, saying the costumed ghouls at its Halloween attraction were too terrifying. The (Allentown) Morning Call reports that Shannon Sacco and her daughter are seeking more than $150,000 from Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom and its parent...
Mister Rogers subject of Tarentum library’s ‘Who Knew?’ program
Mister Rogers will the subject of upcoming “Who Knew?” programs at the Community Library of Allegheny Valley in Tarentum in February. A session on Fred Rogers is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 19 and will be repeated on Wednesday, Feb. 20. Both will start at 6 p.m. at the library at...
Plum man accused of having, sharing child pornography
A Plum man was arrested Thursday after authorities reported finding child pornography videos and images on his computer, according to court papers. Antonio Raffale Pampena, 35, allegedly shared the files in December and January through a peer-to-peer network with an agent from the state attorney general’s office who is based...
Highlands stalls on releasing name of employee placed on unpaid leave
The Highlands School District is not identifying an employee recently placed on unpaid leave. The school board approved that action, and a statement of charges, against the unidentified employee at its Jan. 21 meeting. The employee was referred to only as “employee #7121,” and no information on the charges was...
Pittsburgh poised to pay interest on employee contributions to pension plans
Non-union Pittsburgh city employees may soon receive interest on contributions they made to their pensions if they leave their jobs before they are eligible for them. Unionized employees already receive interest on pension contributions. City Council is poised to amend an ordinance governing employee pensions after learning that 78 former...
U.S. announces pullout from key arms treaty with Russia
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Friday it is withdrawing from a treaty that has been a centerpiece of superpower arms control since the Cold War. Some analysts worry the move could fuel a new arms race. President Donald Trump said in a statement that Russia, “for far too long,”...
Teen held after apparent school shooting joke involving Siri
VALPARAISO, Ind. — Authorities say a 13-year-old Indiana boy is charged with intimidation after he told Apple’s digital assistant Siri that he planned a school shooting and posted an iPhone screenshot of the response on social media as an apparent joke. The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports the middle school student...
What will Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction be?
If history is any indicator, Punxsutawney Phil will not foresee an early spring when he emerges from his burrow Saturday. Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter 104 times since 1887, records show. The furry forecaster has called for an early arrival of spring just 18 times, most recently...
Sen. Cory Booker joins the 2020 presidential race
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said Friday that he will seek the Democratic nomination for president, adding his name to a growing and increasingly diversified field of 2020 candidates intent on taking on President Trump. Booker made his announcement via an email and video to supporters, and he had...
Missing Maryland man found dead in West Virginia
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Police in Hagerstown, Md., say a missing man has been found dead in Berkeley County, W.Va. News outlets report Hagerstown police say the body 27-year-old Christopher Turner was found Wednesday. Police say the manner and condition of the body indicated that Turner was killed. Police say Turner’s...
