Transgender woman sues over ‘false personation’ arrest
NEW YORK — New York City police officers charged a transgender woman with “false personation” and used pink handcuffs to mock her after they arrested her for walking through a park after hours, a lawsuit charges. Linda Dominguez says in her lawsuit filed Tuesday that she was hit with the...
Court picks Virginia redistricting plan that helps Democrats
RICHMOND, Va. — A panel of federal judges has chosen a redistricting map for Virginia’s House of Delegates that could shift some districts toward Democrats and help the party regain control in this year’s election. The judges ordered a new map after ruling that lawmakers had racially gerrymandered 11 House...
Man accused of stabbing dog in retaliation for chicken’s death, affidavit says
AUSTIN, Texas — A man accused of stabbing a dog that he said killed his chicken a year ago was arrested in northwestern Travis County, Texas, over the weekend, according to an arrest affidavit filed in Travis County on Tuesday. Owen Jay Pettit, 45, was charged with cruelty to animals...
Police: Drunken man took wrong Lyft to wrong home
CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — Police in Maine say a drunken man took the wrong Lyft and tried to get into a house he mistakenly thought was his home. Cape Elizabeth police say the Falmouth man mistakenly got into a Lyft summoned by a man who lived next door. Police say...
Youth basketball tournament to remember Highlands coach, support Callender family
The shock of the loss of a beloved Highlands coach is subsiding, but the need to help his family and keep his memory alive remains. The second annual Coach Tom Callender Memorial Basketball Tournament will bring people together to celebrate his life and help his family, said Kate Bielak of...
Could Kansas abandon daylight saving time?
TOPEKA, Kan. — Imagine no longer “falling back” or “springing ahead.” Imagine a world where you don’t have to figure out how to set your microwave or dashboard clock. If you live in Kansas, imagine it’s a day that may be closer than you think. A bill before state lawmakers...
Hempfield man accused of DUI twice in less than an hour
A Hempfield man was arrested twice in less than an hour Sunday for drunken driving, according to state police. The first time troopers pulled over William Brandon Bartley, 31, was at 1:22 a.m. on Route 130 in Hempfield near North Greengate Road. Police said in court papers that Bartley was...
White supremacist pleads guilty to NYC sword killing
NEW YORK — A white supremacist has pleaded guilty to killing a black man with a sword as part of a racist plot that prosecutors described as a hate crime. James Jackson admitted to fatally stabbing 66-year-old Timothy Caughman in 2017 after stalking a number of black men in New...
Downtown Pittsburgh’s Bea Taco Town allowed to reopen
Bea Taco Town in Pittsburgh’s Downtown has been allowed to reopen, according to Allegheny County Department of Health records. The Smithfield Street restaurant was ordered to close earlier this month after failing to have a valid health permit and issues with wastewater draining in to the basement, according to a...
Pittsburgh Diocese opens compensation fund for sexual abuse survivors
Five months after a scathing grand jury report detailed rampant allegations of clergy sexual abuse in Catholics diocese across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese has begun accepting compensation claims from clergy sexual abuse survivors. Church officials said they began reaching out this week to inform survivors who notified the church...
Parrot rescued after nearly 3 nights in storm drain
LOS ANGELES — An African Grey parrot is home after being trapped for nearly three nights in a storm drain in Los Angeles. Arturo Vasquez tells KABC-TV he turned to YouTube parrot advocate Marlene Mc’Cohen when no one would help him try to free his 10-year-old parrot Milly. Mc’Cohen says...
Shutdown makes it tough for groups to help endangered whales
PORTLAND, Maine — Rescuers who respond to distressed whales and other marine animals say the federal government shutdown is making it more difficult to do their work. A network of rescue groups in the U.S. works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to respond to marine mammals, including whales...
Alec Baldwin pleads guilty to harassing motorist
NEW YORK — Alec Baldwin has pleaded guilty to harassing a man during a dispute over a parking spot last fall. The 60-year-old actor appeared in a New York City courtroom Wednesday. He agreed to complete a one-day anger management class to resolve the criminal case. The charge is a...
Lower Burrell police warn of man asking for gas money in the city
Lower Burrell police are warning residents about a suspicious man allegedly going around the city, asking residents for gas money. Police shared information about the situation on Facebook on Wednesday, asking residents to call 911 if they are approached by the man. “There is a local Facebook post circulating about...
Using banned pesticide that sickened family nets man prison
WILMINGTON, Del. — The ex-manager of a pest-control company in the U.S. Virgin Islands has been sentenced to a year in prison for poisoning a Delaware family with a banned pesticide. The News Journal reports 59-year-old Jose Rivera was charged with knowingly using methyl bromide in the St. John condominium...
Greensburg-based government workers file suit to leave union
Three Pennsylvania state employees based in Greensburg are suing their union after trying unsuccessfully to resign their membership last year. The employees, all three of whom work for the state Department of Labor & Industry, say they have U.S. Supreme Court precedent on their side, including last year’s controversial 5-4...
Allegheny County Executive Fitzgerald nominates his economic development director to airport authority
Allegheny County Economic Development Director Lance Chimka has been nominated to fill a vacancy on the county Airport Authority board of directors. County Executive Rich Fitzgerald’s nomination was presented at a county council meeting Tuesday. The nomination will now be reviewed by the council’s committee on appointment review before a...
Threat at Chartiers Valley High School not credible, say police, district officials
A threat made against the Chartiers Valley High School on Wednesday was not credible, according police and officials at the district. Evening activities at the school will happened as planned, but Superintendent Johannah Vanatta urged parents to check with coaches. The school will be open Thursday. “As always, the security...
N.Y. enacts new protections for abortion rights
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York state enacted one of the nation’s strongest protections for abortion rights Tuesday, a move that state leaders say was needed to safeguard those rights should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade. The Democrat-led Senate and Assembly passed the bill Tuesday, the 46th anniversary...
Amid wall debate, pope says fear of migration ‘makes us crazy’
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis said Wednesday that fear of migration is “making us crazy” as he began a trip to central America amid a standoff over President Donald Trump’s promised wall at the U.S.-Mexico border and a new caravan of migrants heading north. Francis was asked by reporters about...
Pennsylvania drivers can bring documents to PennDOT to pre-verify for ‘REAL ID’
Pennsylvania drivers are getting information in the mail about pre-verifying for “REAL ID.” The identifications, in the form of a new driver’s license or photo identification card, will be available this spring, according to the postcard PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said the agency is sending to all customers. REAL ID-compliant...
Body found encased in frozen Pa. pool
NEW HOPE — Police say a body was found incased in ice in a pool in Pennsylvania. Authorities say the body was discovered Tuesday at a business in New Hope. Police say the body had to be cut from the pool, and they are investigating the victim’s identity and cause...
Covington Catholic reopens amid criticism over videotaped encounter
PARK HILLS, Ky. — A Catholic boys’ school widely criticized after a confrontation at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington is reopening under the watchful eye of law enforcement in Kentucky. News outlets reported that a letter sent to parents details extra safety measures being taken as classes resume at Covington...
Galveston police capture pair of runaway emus
GALVESTON, Texas — Police in coastal Texas have captured a pair of runaway emus that had been on the lam for a day after escaping their owner’s backyard. Emus aren’t permitted in Galveston, but police say a man recently brought the large, flightless birds to the island after the death...
Crash with injuries reported in same spot as fatal vehicle crash in Hazelwood
At least one person was injured in a multi-vehicle crash Wednesday morning around the border of Hazelwood and Greenfield, Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV reported. The crash was reported shortly before 7:30 a.m. at Irvine Street and Greenfield Avenue, Allegheny County 911 dispatchers said. It is the some spot where a...
