Michigan man pleads guilty to 6 murders in 2016
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A Michigan man charged with killing six strangers between picking up rides for Uber pleaded guilty to murder on Monday, just before attorneys were set to interview jurors for his trial. Jason Dalton’s surprise move came more than three years after shootings, which occurred over the course...
Smoking at record low in U.S., but benefits aren’t shared equally
Cigarette smoking is at an all-time low in the United States, but the benefits of this public health achievement are not being shared equally by all Americans. A new analysis of health data from the nation’s 500 largest cities shows that the people who live in neighborhoods with the highest...
Dave & Buster’s holding job fair for 200 openings at new North Hills site
Dave & Buster’s is hosting a job fair on Tuesday to recruit the 200 employees needed for the opening of its second location in the Pittsburgh area in February. The job fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the new Dave & Busters being developed at...
‘No regrets’ for Greensburg police in all-out search for ‘missing’ couple
Despite an around-the-clock push to locate a Greensburg-area couple who appeared to vanish late last week becoming all for naught after police discovered the pair was in South Carolina on a “spontaneous vacation,” city police said they have no regrets in how they handled the situation. “It was the result...
Baby’s body found in portable cooler in Georgia
LAGRANGE, Ga. — Authorities say a baby’s body was found in a portable cooler bag on the side of a Georgia road. News outlets report the newborn’s body was found Sunday afternoon. According to the Troup County Sheriff’s Office, witnesses said the cooler had been on the side of a...
Ross man who strangled ex-lover pleads guilty to murder
A Ross man who ended his relationship with a married woman and then killed her pleaded guilty Monday morning to murder, authorities said. Robert Metz, 69, pleaded guilty in front of Common Pleas Judge Thomas Flaherty to one count each of third-degree murder and abuse of a corpse for the...
BeBalanced center to host free women’s health programs in Murrysville
A Lancaster-based women’s health franchise has opened the first of three locations in the Pittsburgh area. BeBalanced Hormone Weight Loss Center is now open in Murrysville, with additional locations planned for the Wexford and South Hills areas. “Like many women over age 35, an active lifestyle and closely monitoring calories...
Kevin Spacey ordered to stay away from accuser
NANTUCKET, Mass. — Kevin Spacey must stay away from the young man who accused him of groping him at a Massachusetts bar in 2016, a judge ordered Monday. The disgraced actor was arraigned on a charge of felony indecent assault and battery during a hearing at Nantucket District Court. He...
Season’s first cold blast making its way to Western Pa.
Enjoy the warmer temperatures while they last: After Tuesday, the region likely won’t see temperatures above freezing for at least a week. Pittsburgh winter will make a comeback this week, according to the National Weather Service. After daytime highs in the 50s, temperatures are expected to drop Tuesday night as...
Dry January: A time to reassess your relationship with alcohol
January is the time to put those resolutions into practice. New year, new you — right? One practice that’s come along in recent years is Dry January, a month for people to abstain from and reassess their relationships with alcohol. The idea is that even a brief time-out can benefit...
Police: Son fatally beat father over cell phone before setting Hempfield house fireVideo
State police believe Douglas F. Novak beat his elderly father to death over a missing cell phone and then set his house on fire in an attempt to cover his tracks, according to court documents. Authorities on Monday charged Novak, 40, with homicide in connection with the Dec. 20 death...
Ginsburg missing Supreme Court arguments for 1st time
WASHINGTON — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is missing arguments for the first time in more than 25 years as she recuperates from cancer surgery last month, the Supreme Court said. Ginsburg was not on the bench as the court met Monday to hear arguments. It was not clear when she...
Falling gas prices expected to end in February, analyst says
Despite rallying oil prices and a “brief hiccup” that saw the nation’s average gas price rise for two days last week, the overall trend remains in favor of lower gas prices, said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. “The window for cheap gas prices continues to close, however,...
Troopers seek information on New Year’s Day fire in Fayette County
State police in Uniontown are seeking information on a New Year’s Day fire that destroyed an out building in rural Fayette County, killing two horses. Fire marshal Craig Soltis said the 5 a.m. fire destroyed a building on the 600 block of Buchanan Avenue, Springfield Township, owned by Arm Land...
U.S., Turkey set for negotiations on fate of Kurds
ANKARA, Turkey — U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton is set to press Turkey for assurances that it won’t attack the Kurdish fighters in Syria, which he said is now a condition for the withdrawal of American troops from northeastern Syria. Bolton arrived Monday for negotiations with the NATO ally...
Police: South Butler student posted shooting video captioned ‘training for prom walk’
A Butler County judge has increased the bond for a teen accused of allegedly making an online threat to shoot students in the South Butler County School District. Jason Bowen, 18, of Middlesex Township, is charged with terroristic threats, causing catastrophe, possession of drug paraphernalia and a weapons offense. District...
Traffic still snarled on Route 28 southbound after early-morning crash
Traffic backups remain during the morning commute on Route 28 southbound after a three-car accident on Monday. An Allegheny County 911 dispatcher said the crash, which happened near the Fox Chapel exit, was cleared by around 9 a.m. and no one was injured. Traffic cameras showed traffic was still backed...
Police: Pitcairn man set house fire to ‘scare’ people who kicked him out
A Pitcairn man was arrested Sunday evening after police said he set a fire at a borough house earlier that day. Michael Zachary Cruse, 23, told investigators he started the fire on the Wall Avenue home’s back porch to scare a group of people he had been drinking with, according...
New England kidnapping, sex suspect caught in Pennsylvania
HARTFORD, Vt. — A man forced a woman and her child into a car in New Hampshire, drove to Vermont, sexually assaulted the woman, and was apprehended in Pennsylvania after a manhunt and car chase, authorities said. Everett Simpson, 41, forced a woman and her child into their car outside...
Democrats plan more pressure on Trump to reopen government
WASHINGTON — With no weekend breakthrough to end a prolonged partial government shutdown, President Donald Trump is standing firm in his border wall funding demands and newly empowered House Democrats are planning to step up pressure on Trump and Republican lawmakers to reopen the government. Trump showed no signs of...
Man shot while walking from one bar to another in Downtown Pittsburgh
A man was in critical condition Monday morning after being shot in Downtown Pittsburgh, according to the city public safety department. The man was shot along Liberty Avenue near Smithfield Street around 2 a.m. as he walked from one bar to another, police said. He was taken to a hospital...
Longtime Habitat volunteer from Lower Burrell does more than build houses
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley people and the notable things that they do. Longtime Habitat for Humanity Allegheny Valley volunteer Glenn Nordmark is much more than a builder. “He’s first to come and last to leave on build sites,” said Habitat Executive...
Hundreds of protesters, many armed, expected to rally in Downtown Pittsburgh
Hundreds of protesters are expected Monday in Pittsburgh’s Downtown to rally against proposed restrictions on guns and ammunition. The rally starts at noon on Grant Street in front of the City-County Building. The bills would ban semi-automatic rifles and certain ammunition and firearms accessories within city limits. Pittsburgh City Council...
Antique fishing, hunting gear up for grabs at Tri-County show
Yes, there are $1,000 antique fishing reels to be had as well as vintage lures, the largest selection of hunting and fishing books and more for the first major sportsman show of the year. The Tri-County Trout Club Sport Show & Flea Market will be held Saturday from 9 a.m....
Faded history buried in Potter’s Field at Westmoreland County Prison
The markers are uneven, jutting from the grass like crooked teeth. Each represents a person, who was once loved, but now is identified only by a letter and number. The identification corresponds with a small handwritten notation in a decades-old book stored in the annals of the Westmoreland Manor. It’s...
