Woman who helped Lower Burrell cop killer gets parole
A Lower Burrell woman convicted of helping a fugitive evade police in the days before he shot and killed a police officer was released from jail Thursday. Westmoreland County Judge Christopher Feliciani granted parole to Amanda Walters, who had been behind bars since last summer following an arrest for possession...
Westmoreland County ups fees for filing civil, family court documents
Fees to file civil and family court documents in Westmoreland County will increase beginning Friday. The move will raise about $30,000 in new revenues for the county, Prothonotary Christina O’Brien said. The money is expected to balance her department’s budget and cover rising personnel and equipment costs. “We have to...
Catholic leaders in Texas name 286 accused of abusing minors
DALLAS — Catholic leaders in Texas on Thursday identified 286 priests and others accused of sexually abusing children, a number that represents one of the largest collections of names to be released since an explosive grand jury report last year in Pennsylvania. Fourteen dioceses in Texas named those credibly accused...
Man sent to prison for up to 40 years for raping Delmont girl
An Indiana County man will serve up to 40 years in prison for raping a Delmont girl, starting when she was 10. A Westmoreland County jury, following a three-day trial in May, convicted Bryan Harrold, 51, of Saltsburg, of 13 counts including rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse,...
Wisconsin high court candidate’s blog posts called ‘extreme’
MADISON, Wis. — The only conservative running for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat kept a personal blog more than a decade ago in which he opined on hot-button issues of the day, including that he thought a U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a Texas anti-sodomy law could lead to...
Pittsburgh man sues Greyhound, accuses driver of racial discrimination
A Pittsburgh man is suing Greyhound Lines Inc., accusing a driver of racial discrimination during a trip in early January from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. William Anderson, 46, of Homewood, who is black, contends in the federal lawsuit that the white driver accused him several times of vaping during the...
Bernie Sanders proposes estate tax of up to 77 percent for billionaires
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders is proposing to expand the estate tax on wealthy Americans, including a rate of as much as 77 percent on the value of estates above $1 billion. Sanders of Vermont, who’s considering a second run for president, said in a statement that his plan would apply...
Art Institute of Pittsburgh to close by March 31
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh will close March 31, according to a filing from the school’s parent company to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The plan, submitted to the state Jan. 28, will allow 286 of the 2,154 students enrolled in the school to complete their programs before it closes....
Jeannette woman wants to change guilty plea in boyfriend’s death
A Jeannette woman who faces a potential 40-year prison sentence wants to withdraw her guilty plea for the murder of her teenage boyfriend. The lawyer for Crystal Belle, 39, filed court documents Thursday in which she now contends someone else was responsible for the beating death of Khalil Parker, 19,...
Heating problem closes Vandergrift Public Library
Vandergrift Public Library was forced to closed for the day Thursday due to a heating malfunction. The first floor heating system is not working so it is too cold to open to the public, according to a library Facebook post. Friday and Saturday hours may vary. To check the hours,...
1 shot, 5 escape Baldwin home invasion
Two men opened fire during a home invasion Thursday in Baldwin Borough, critically injuring one man while five others escaped unharmed, according to police. The shooting happened shortly after 10 a.m. at the Leland Point housing complex on Macassar Drive, according to Allegheny County police Inspector Andrew Schurman. Paramedics transported...
Watching the Super Bowl isn’t the only thing to do Sunday
The National Football League’s biggest game — Super Bowl LIII — kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday night on CBS. Not everyone will be watching. First of all, The Steelers aren’t in it. Secondly, you may not like football or the teams playing, hint: Patriots. You might want to...
Trump says State of the Union address to stress ‘unity’
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says “unity” will be the theme of his State of the Union address next week, and says he respects Stacey Abrams, who will give the Democratic response. Trump told reporters Thursday that he’s familiar with Abrams from the 2018 Georgia governor’s race, which she narrowly...
New Vandergrift Dollar General grand opening set for Feb. 16
The new Dollar General, replacing the former Sprankle’s market at 523 Franklin Ave. in Vandergrift will hold a grand opening Feb. 16. The grand opening celebration will begin at 8 a.m. with free gift cards and giveaways, according to Angela Petkovic, spokeswoman for Dollar General. Store hours will be 8...
Man found with wife’s dismembered body convicted of felonies
OLATHE, Kan. — A man arrested at a Kansas storage unit with two of his children and his dismembered wife’s remains has been convicted of three felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Jurors Thursday found 36-year-old Justin Rey guilty of the felonies, as well as misdemeanor counts of...
Who’s the daddy? Surprise in Swiss orangutan paternity test
BERLIN — A paternity test on a baby orangutan has come back with a surprising result. Basel Zoo in northwestern Switzerland said Thursday the test showed 5-month-old Padma wasn’t fathered by the male in her enclosure. Keepers routinely take DNA samples from newborn orangutans because the endangered great apes are...
Infant Ibuprofen medicine added to recall
A recall of medicine for infants sold at three popular pharmacies has added to a recall of the medicine. New Jersey-based Tris Pharma initially recalled some of its Ibuprofen Oral Suspension Drops in November and expanded the recall this week to include six more batches. The medicine is sold at...
U.S. Steel anticipates $40M in losses from Clairton Coke Works fire
U.S. Steel is anticipating $40 million in costs during the first quarter of 2019 related to the Dec. 24 fire at Clairton Coke Works, according to earnings reports released Wednesday. Between $15 million and $20 million will be related to physical repair costs, U.S. Steel Chief Financial Officer Kevin Bradley...
Trump ‘disappointed’ FBI can’t find motive in Vegas shooting
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is “disappointed” the FBI couldn’t figure out what specifically motivated a gunman to carry out the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history. Trump’s comments Wednesday to The Daily Caller came a day after the FBI released its final report on the 2017 Las Vegas shooting...
Private criminal complaint filed against Bill Peduto, officials over gun bills
A Kennedy Township man filed a private criminal complaint Wednesday against Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, seven members of City Council and the city solicitor over a proposed gun ban, but the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office says it contains no grounds for prosecution. Mike Manko, spokesman for District Attorney Stephen...
Frigid air freezes Port Authority ConnectCard kiosks, free rides for those affected
Outdoor Port Authority ConnectCard kiosks malfunctioned Thursday in the frigid temperatures, according to authority officials. The Port Authority said via Twitter that most of the outdoor machines were offline, and technicians would be out to make repairs. Riders who were unable to load their cards can ride free until the...
Nevin Arena finalist in Penguins’ ‘Renovate the Rink’ contest
The Kirk S. Nevin Arena, Greensburg’s home for hockey and ice skating, is one of three finalists in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ “Renovate the Rink” contest. The facility could win $100,000 in renovations if it garners enough votes to claim the grand prize. Online voting continues through Feb. 22. The other...
Lower Burrell police warn of speaker scam
Lower Burrell police are asking people to be on the look out for a man allegedly approaching people in parking lots, trying to sell speakers that are actually rocks. “Apparently there’s a white male (who) is approaching people in parking lots … telling him that he has speakers for sale,”...
Fans of Everson native B. Smith lash out at her husband for dating while she fights Alzheimer’s disease
While Everson native and well-known model, author and television host Barbara Smith — widely known as B. Smith — battles Alzheimer’s disease, her husband is catching flack after announcing a new relationship on social media. The Southmoreland High School graduate got her start after attending a modeling school in Pittsburgh,...
Newark Airport parking garage fire damages numerous vehiclesVideo
NEWARK, N.J. — Authorities say a parking garage fire at an airport right outside New York City has severely damaged more than a dozen vehicles. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says the fire at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey started on the rooftop of...
