Elderly Westmoreland woman scammed out of $58K
An elderly Westmoreland County woman was scammed out of $58,000 this month after handing over prepaid gift cards and cash to a person she knew only as “Dave” in Hempfield Township, according to state police. Troopers said the suspect identified himself as a Publishers Clearing House executive when he contacted...
Gina Cerilli to seek another term as Westmoreland County commissioner
Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli announced Monday she will seek a second term in office. The Democrat from Hempfield was the top vote-getter in 2015 when she won in her inaugural attempt for public office and became the first woman in four decades to serve as chairwoman of the board...
On patrol with Washington’s plastic-straw cop
WASHINGTON — Warning letters in hand, Zach Rybarczyk patrolled the food court at Union Station, looking for offenders. Past Auntie Anne’s, past Johnny Rockets. At Lotus Express, a Chinese food joint, Rybarczyk peeled the wrapper from a red straw and bent the end — the telltale giveaway. Plastic. Washington has...
Peoples Gas wants to raise rates by 14 to 19 percent to pump $95M into replacing pipelines
Peoples Natural Gas is seeking permission from state regulators to increase rates for its customers by 14 to 19 percent so the utility can pump $95 million into replacing aging pipelines, officials said Monday. Typical residential customers would see an increase of about $10 per month, or 14 percent, under...
Small Florida city honors 5 bank shooting victims with vigil
SEBRING, Fla. — Residents in a small Florida city gathered Sunday and held a vigil to honor the five women killed in a SunTrust branch mass shooting. People lit flashlights and cell phones instead of candles to honor the victims because heavy rain in Sebring pushed the vigil to an...
Auschwitz survivors pay homage as world remembers Holocaust
WARSAW, Poland — The world marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Sunday amid a revival of hate-inspired violence and signs that younger generations know less and less about the genocide of Jews, Roma and others by Nazi Germany during World War II. As survivors of Auschwitz marked the 74th anniversary...
Treasury lifts sanctions against 3 Russian companies
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department on Sunday announced it was lifting sanctions on three companies connected to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. The move comes despite an effort in Congress to block the action with many lawmakers concerned that the Trump administration is not being tough enough on Russian President Vladimir...
Arctic air mass ushering in below-zero wind chills this week
This morning’s frigid temperatures will inch above freezing during the day before giving way to frigid Arctic air that is set to hang around for several days, according to local meteorologists. “We’re going to have a pretty good little bit of warming through Monday with highs right around 38 degrees,”...
Roger Stone says he will ‘testify honestly’ when asked if he would consider cooperating with Mueller
Roger Stone said he will “testify honestly” when asked whether he would consider cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller after he was charged with lying, obstruction and witness tampering in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. “That’s a question that I’d have to determine after my attorneys...
Cinderella Ball welcomes 13 young ladies into Pittsburgh society
Each young woman dressed in a gorgeous white gown emerges from behind the curtain, curtseys, reaches for her father’s hand, walks down the steps and makes her formal debut into Pittsburgh society. The 93rd Cinderella Ball, Pittsburgh society’s debutante ball, is the oldest charity event in Pittsburgh and the second-longest...
Sen. Kamala Harris says the powerful seek to divide America
OAKLAND, Calif. — Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said Sunday that those in power are trying to turn people against each other, which she says is “not our America.” Harris, a first-term U.S. senator from California who announced her candidacy last Monday, rallied supporters outside City Hall in Oakland, her...
Woman, dogs rescued as firefighters face frigid temps, ‘hoarding’ to battle McCandless blaze
Firefighters battled bitter cold outside and difficulties getting around the inside of a McCandless home to rescue a woman and several dogs Sunday afternoon, according to authorities. The fire began at the home on Parkedge Drive just before 3:30 p.m., according to a 911 dispatcher. Multiple dogs were pulled from...
Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley shows off its larger shelter as renovations beginVideo
Visitors got a last glimpse of the former child care center on Church Street in New Kensington on Sunday before renovations begin to turn the vacant building into an animal shelter. The plans to move Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley from its 3,000-square-foot home on Linden Avenue to the Church...
Heavy snow to push across Upper Midwest, bitter cold follows
MINNEAPOLIS — A winter storm pushing across the Upper Midwest is expected to dump more than a foot of snow in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The National Weather Service reports blizzard conditions Sunday in parts of eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. Officials have issued a travel alert for...
37th State Senate special election pits Democrat Pam Iovino vs. Republican D. Raja
Democrat Pam Iovino and Republican D. Raja will face off during the April 2 special election for the empty state Senate seat in the 37th District. The seat was left empty when Guy Reschenthaler, 35, of Peters Township, Washington County, bested retired auto industry executive Bibiana Boerio, 64, of Unity,...
Search for Brazil dam survivors renews amid growing despair
BRUMADINHO, Brazil — Brazilian officials on Sunday resumed the search for hundreds of missing people in the wake of a massive dam collapse, with firefighter crews returning to mud-covered areas after a several-hour suspension over fears that a second dam was at risk of breach. Authorities evacuated several neighborhoods in...
Bomb blasts at cathedral in southern Philippines kill at least 20
MANILA — Explosions Sunday morning at a cathedral in Jolo, in the Philippine region of Mindanao, killed at least 20 people and wounded dozens of others, just after a landmark vote to form a new Muslim autonomous region here following decades of unrest. The blasts underscore how elusive peace remains...
Duke medical school apologizes over complaint about Chinese
DURHAM, N.C. — Duke University’s medical school has issued an apology and launched a review after an administrator admonished students over speaking Chinese in a school building. Megan Neely, who served as graduate studies director in the biostatistics master’s program, wrote an email Friday urging students to “commit to using...
Omaha zoo uses compost farm to manage animal waste
OMAHA, Neb. — Elephants poop 12 times a day. Each massive pachyderm eats 100 pounds of hay every day. They spend 18 hours a day eating or pooping. Somebody has to clean up that mess, 20-pound pitchfork scoops at a time. Anyone who owns a dog knows that nature doesn’t...
Former Leechburg police chief released from county jail after serving sentenceVideo
Former Leechburg police chief Mike Diebold walked out of the Westmoreland County Prison a free man just before noon Sunday. Diebold, 41, wearing a white T-shirt, cargo shorts and a baseball cap, said community members shouldn’t be concerned about his release. “I don’t think they have anything to worry about...
Trump sets odds of reaching deal on wall at less than 50-50
WASHINGTON — President Trump said Sunday that the odds congressional negotiators will craft a deal to end his border wall standoff with Congress are “less than 50-50.” As hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal workers prepared to return to work, Trump told The Wall Street Journal that he doesn’t think...
Military recruits getting Made-in-the-USA athletic sneakers
NORRIDGEWOCK, Maine — Thanks to congressional intervention, military recruits are going be outfitted in Made-in-the-USA goods right down to their sneakers used for physical fitness training. New Balance in New England, along with two companies based in Texas and Missouri, is producing Made-in-the-USA running shoes for military recruits — bolstering...
Workers still cautious as post-shutdown government reopens
MINNEAPOLIS — Park rangers were once again greeting visitors at some national parks across the United States and flight operations at major airports were returning to normal, one day after a partial government shutdown came to an end. While there were signs on Saturday that some government machinery was grinding...
Suspect in Louisiana shooting deaths caught in Virginia
DONALDSONVILLE, La. — A man suspected of killing his parents and three other people - including a girl he was dating - has been captured after an intense manhunt spanning several states, authorities in Louisiana said Sunday. Dakota Theriot, 21, was located in Virginia early Sunday after fleeing the day...
Analysis: Give first round to Pelosi over Trump in shutdown skirmish
WASHINGTON — In the year’s first test of divided government, give round one to Nancy Pelosi. And it wasn’t really competitive. When the record 35-day partial federal shutdown began before Christmas, Pelosi was just a month removed from her vote-by-vote struggle for enough Democratic support to become House speaker. To...
