Westmoreland County commissioner Anderson won’t seek re-election
Westmoreland County Commissioner Charles Anderson announced Tuesday he will retire at year’s end and will not run for re-election this year. Anderson, a Hempfield Republican, was first appointed to commissioner in 2008 and served a four-year stint as board chairman until the GOP lost its majority in 2015. “I’ve been...
Oceania cruise crewman smuggled cocaine in his pants and sandals, feds say
MIAMI — Federal agents noticed something was weird with the way a crew member walked off Oceania Cruises’ Riviera cruise ship at the Port of Miami the day after New Year’s Day. Wilford Thobourne had a “stiff gait as he walked on the dock” that was likely caused by the...
Russian lawyer who met Trump Jr. charged in unrelated case
NEW YORK — A Russian lawyer who became a focal point of the investigation into whether there was collusion between Russians and President Donald Trump’s election campaign was charged with obstruction of justice Tuesday in an unrelated case in New York. Natalya Veselnitskaya was accused in an indictment of submitting...
Man accused of hiding video camera inside women’s room at North Huntingdon plant
A 32-year-old Irwin man was arrested this week for allegedly hiding a motion-activated video camera inside a women’s restroom of the North Huntingdon electrical parts manufacturing plant where he worked. Nicholas R. Traill was arraigned before District Judge Wayne Gongaware on charges of invasion of privacy, burglary, possession of obscene...
Boston Marathon bombing survivor who lost her leg is struck by car
A young woman who lost her leg in the Boston Marathon bombing faces another long recovery after being struck by a car Saturday night in Boston in an accident that has left her “in disbelief” and asking, “how does this even happen?” Adrianne Haslet was in a Commonwealth Avenue crosswalk...
What’s next for Pittsburgh’s controversial gun-regulation proposals
The armed protest Monday outside the City-County Building in Pittsburgh’s Downtown remained peaceful but pointed to an emotional and protracted battle ahead as the city clashes with gun rights activists. City Council has introduced a series of bills banning semi-automatic rifles and some firearms, ammo and accessories within city limits....
Florida woman accused of fatally beating husband with a cane
PACE, Fla. — Investigators say an 86-year-old Florida woman fatally beat her 89-year-old husband with a walking cane. Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Officials say Ramona Maxine Lund is charged with murder and is being held in the jail’s infirmary on $250,000 bond as authorities work together to evaluate whether she...
Right place, right time: Jeannette first responders save man’s life during training exercise
Don Mahoney was right where he needed to be. The Butler County man’s interest in space made him a perfect fit to offer his time at the Heinz History Center’s Destination Moon exhibit. But little did he know, the 65-year-old man was about to get help from Jeannette EMS and...
Networks to air Pelosi, Schumer rebuttal to Trump
NEW YORK — Television networks airing President Donald Trump’s Oval Office speech on his proposed border wall and the partial government shutdown have also committed to airing the Democratic response to the president. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer say they will make the case themselves....
She bragged to a man on a dating app about poaching deer. He was a game warden.
As a game warden for Oklahoma’s Department of Wildlife Conservation, Cannon Harrison is used to working on investigations that take months and months. Catching poachers – whose illegal deeds often take place under the cover of night, in remote areas far from any road – frequently means relying on anonymous...
DA: Girl made video of dad coaching her to lie about assault
A terrified 13-year-old girl secretly recorded video of her father coaching her to lie about having been physically assaulted by him — and managed to slip the evidence to prosecutors on the eve of his trial in Pennsylvania, authorities said Tuesday. The videos show Deyon Taylor, 56, instructing his daughter...
Kevin Hart sorry for homophobic tweets: ‘We thought it was OK to talk like that’
The long-running Oscars controversy continued Monday when Kevin Hart apologized to the LGBTQ community for his homophobic tweets. The funnyman dropped out as Oscars host after past tweets were revisited on social media less than a month ago. Hart has since made public statements about his remarks, but Monday’s comments...
3 wines to enjoy in the relaxed moments of January
With the hectic holiday season behind us, January’s more relaxed pace creates perfect moments to enjoy casual homemade dinners. Try pairing the following traditional New Year dishes with these delicious wines: American Southern tradition calls for enjoying “Hoppin’ John” in the new year. This scrumptious delicious dish features black-eyed peas...
The reality on the border: How much will a wall really help?
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says there is a security crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border that can be addressed only by spending $5.7 billion on a wall. Democrats have flatly refused to agree to the funding. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the wall an “immorality.” Trump will address the nation...
Europe’s top rights court to hear Belgian euthanasia case
LONDON — Europe’s top human rights court has agreed to hear a case being brought against Belgium by a man whose mother was euthanized in 2012 for depression, the second case that implicates one of Belgium’s leading euthanasia doctors. In a statement Tuesday, lawyers for Tom Mortier said they brought...
Eyeing 2020, Kamala Harris addresses prosecutorial past in memoir
WASHINGTON — As she nears a decision on whether to seek the presidency, Sen. Kamala Harris is taking on what could be a hurdle in a Democratic primary: her past as a prosecutor. In her memoir published Tuesday, the California Democrat describes herself as a “progressive prosecutor” and says it’s...
What to know ahead of Trump’s prime-time address on border wall
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will argue to the nation Tuesday night that a “crisis” at the U.S.-Mexico border requires the long and invulnerable wall he’s demanding before ending a partial government shutdown that has hundreds of thousands of federal workers fearing missed paychecks on Friday. Here is some of...
U.S. cancer death rate hits milestone: 25 years of decline
NEW YORK — The U.S. cancer death rate has hit a milestone: It’s been falling for at least 25 years, according to a new report. Lower smoking rates are translating into fewer deaths. Advances in early detection and treatment also are having a positive impact, experts say. But it’s not...
In Italy, UPMC will expand transplant facility, build 2nd hospital
UPMC’s hospital in Palermo, Italy, will be expanding and a new hospital is in the works as part of a 10-year renewal of the hospital’s partnership with the Region of Sicily. ISMETT, the UPMC-operated transplant hospital, will expand the number of beds from 78 to 114. Plans also include a...
‘Don’t feed the fatberg’: Huge mass blocks English sewer
LONDON — A British official says a giant “fatberg” has been found blocking a sewer in southwestern England: a mass of hardened fat, oil and baby wipes measuring 210 feet long. Andrew Roantree of South West Water says it will “take our sewer team around eight weeks to dissect this...
Wife of Ohio pastor going to trial accused of witness tampering
TOLEDO, Ohio — Federal prosecutors say the wife and stepdaughter of a minister charged with child sex trafficking in Ohio abducted one of the victims and tried to talk her out of testifying at his trial. A federal complaint says the two women went to the victim’s apartment in Toledo...
Gov. Wolf sets goals for Pennsylvania to cut greenhouse gases
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf is stepping up the fight against climate change and setting targets to slash Pennsylvania’s greenhouse gas emissions over the coming decades. Wolf, a Democrat, said Tuesday that he’s issuing an executive order that commits his administration to meeting certain targets. The Center for Climate and...
3 passengers, driver injured when Port Authority bus crashes in Lawrenceville
Four people were hurt after a crash involving a Port Authority of Allegheny County bus Tuesday morning in Lawrenceville, according to authority spokesman Adam Brandolph. Port Authority police are investigating the crash, which happened about 7:45 a.m. Tuesday at the 62nd Street Bridge and Butler Street. The bus was outbound...
Air travelers start to feel effects of government shutdown
DALLAS — The partial government shutdown is starting to affect air travel. Over the weekend, some airports had long lines at checkpoints, apparently caused by a rising number of security officers calling in sick while they are not getting paid. Safety inspectors aren’t even on the job. A Federal Aviation...
Dregs of Rivertowne’s brewpub chain for sale again in bankruptcy saga
Two closed taverns that once belonged to bankrupt Rivertowne Brewery Co. are for sale again after a deal to sell the Verona property fell through and the North Huntingdon site never attracted a buyer at auction. Fybo Management Inc., one of the interlocking bankrupt companies that operated Rivertowne’s Murrysville brewery...
