Surgery patients return from Mexico with deadly superbug
Tamika Capone thought she was making a smart call by traveling to Mexico for bariatric surgery. Her doctor had urged her to have the procedure to reduce her out-of-control weight and blood pressure. But her husband’s health insurance would not cover the $17,500 bill. After a friend got the surgery...
Mon Valley residents, advocacy groups call for more action on air qualityVideo
A month after a Dec. 24 fire at the Clairton Coke Works knocked out equipment used to clean coke oven gas, Mon Valley residents and environmental groups are calling for a “hot idle” at the facility. “We don’t want to damage the plant, we want the damage to stop,” said...
Under fire, House Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee to step down from leadership roles
WASHINGTON — A senior Democratic congresswoman is stepping down as chair of a House subcommittee and the nonprofit arm of the Congressional Black Caucus amid claims that she fired an aide who planned to sue the nonprofit after she reported a sexual assault, lawmakers said Wednesday. The move, by Rep....
‘Stronger than Hate’ shirt maker helping furloughed federal employees, too
Some Pittsburgh area furloughed federal workers are getting their first pay in about a month from a Robinson company that continues to produce Stronger than Hate shirts. The 123shirt.com company, a small family-owned and operated custom clothing venture, is employing some of the workers, said Larry Barasch, who co-owns it...
Tony Award-winning Saint Vincent grad to speak about internet’s future
A Saint Vincent College graduate who has straddled the worlds of web-based technology and Broadway entertainment will return to the Unity campus March 14 to speak about new possibilities for the internet. In his presentation, “The Once and Future Internet,” Michael Kriak will discuss new, decentralized models for use of...
Missing autistic Forest Hills boy found unharmed in Pitcairn
Allegheny County officials said a 13-year-old boy missing from Forest Hills has been found safe and sound in Pitcairn. Police said Austin Kocher, who is autistic, was last seen around 4 p.m. Wednesday at his Forest Hills home. Authorities found him a little more than two hours later. Michael DiVittorio...
Western Pennsylvania municipalities will vie for landslide, flood relief
Matt Brown, emergency services chief for Allegheny County, Wednesday urged municipalities battered by landslides and recurring flooding to compete for a new pot of federal funding. Up to $10 million in hazard-mitigation grants has been made available statewide, despite the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s denying Western Pennsylvania’s request to declare...
Ramp from 40th Street Bridge to Millvale to be closed Thursday into Friday morning
The ramp from the 40th Street Bridge to northbound Route 28 in Millvale will be closed for at least 20 hours starting Thursday morning. The closure is happening so a Pennsylvania Water and Sewer Authority contractor can install an inlet to divert water away from the off-ramp. Work is scheduled...
White House seeks list of programs that would be hurt if shutdown lasts into March
WASHINGTON — White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney has pressed agency leaders to provide him with a list of the highest-impact programs that will be jeopardized if the shutdown continues into March and April, people familiar with the directive said. Mulvaney wants the list no later than Friday,...
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Laurel Region CEO announces resignation
The CEO and executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region announced her resignation Wednesday. Kelli Belanger, who served as CEO of the Greensburg-based organization for 14 years, said she has decided it’s time to move on from her position. “While I will always dearly treasure my...
California city approves 25-cent fee on disposable cups
SAN FRANCISCO — Patrons of restaurants and coffee shops in Berkeley, Calif., who don’t bring a reusable cup for their beverage will have to pay a 25-cent fee for a disposable cup as part of an ordinance approved by city officials to reduce restaurant waste. Berkeley’s City Council voted unanimously...
Uninsured rate under Trump surges to highest level since ‘Obamacare’ began
WASHINGTON — The percentage of American adults without health insurance surged upward in 2018, reaching levels not recorded since before President Trump took office, according to a new national survey that revealed widespread coverage losses over the past two years. At the end of 2018, 13.7 percent of U.S. adults...
Pittsburgh moving hearing on gun ban to first floor of City-County Building, Downtown
Citing public safety concerns, Pittsburgh officials Wednesday announced a change of location for Thursday’s highly anticipated public hearing on a proposed gun ban. The hearing will be held on the first floor of the City-County Building on Grant Street, Downtown, but the city will provide seating only for disabled people,...
Ligonier bead class helps people see their valueVideo
Making jewelry from beads is a hobby for some. For Nettie Wray, 47, of Ligonier, it has helped her heal. Wray began crafting with beads after an accident left her unable to continue her job as a truck driver. She found the craft gave her a renewed sense of value...
North Huntingdon store top Sheetz site for fundraiser for needy children
The Sheetz Inc. convenience store at Ronda Court in North Huntingdon will offer free coffee and fountain drinks Thursday as a reward for customers and employees raising more money for a charitable fundraising initiative in December than any of its 583 other stores in Pennsylvania and five other states. The...
State AG: School threat reporting system gets hundreds of tips in its first week
A statewide school-based anonymous reporting system for threats of potential violence fielded 615 tips in its first week of operation, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. The Safe2Say Something Anonymous Reporting System is a program enabling students, teachers, school administrators and others to detect and report potential threats of violence...
Navy SEAL commander arraigned in alleged Iraq war crime cover-up
SAN DIEGO — A general court martial began with the arraignment of a Navy SEAL platoon commander Tuesday for allegedly failing to report war crimes that prosecutors say were committed by another SEAL under his command. Lt. Jacob X. Portier was in a San Diego military courtroom where he was...
In a surprise move, Pennsylvania is throwing the door open for industrial hemp production
In a surprising turn, Pennsylvania is throwing the door wide open for industrial hemp production — something the state, or the country for that matter, has not seen since before World War II. State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said Tuesday that Pennsylvania submitted a plan to the Department of Agriculture...
Allegheny County Sheriff dog tracks down suspect in Munhall shooting
A Pittsburgh man suspected in a recent Munhall shooting was arrested Wednesday morning by Allegheny County Sheriff’s deputies. Santonyo Lewis, 44, of the city’s North Side, tried to elude deputies but was tracked down by the sheriff’s police dog, Woody. Lewis was wanted on charges stemming from an incident Jan....
Ruffsdale man pleads guilty to drunk driving, causing crash
A Ruffsdale man will serve up to five years in prison for causing a vehicle crash along the railroad tracks in East Huntingdon that severely injured his two passengers. John Woodward, 39, pleaded guilty this week to drunk driving and two counts of causing a crash resulting in injuries. Police...
Parts of Flight 93 memorial remain open during federal government shutdown
While not all features are accessible at the Flight 93 memorial near Shanksville, visitors who want to honor the men and women who lost their lives Sept. 11, 2001, can still do so during the government shutdown. “Weather permitting, the gates were left open, so you can still come in...
Police: 5 fatally shot inside Florida bank, suspect arrested
SEBRING, Fla. — A gunman opened fire Wednesday inside a Florida bank, killing five people before surrendering to a SWAT team, police said. The shooter called police to report that he had fired shots inside the bank in Sebring, about 80 miles southeast of Tampa. Negotiations failed to persuade the...
Greensburg state trooper suspended after allegedly threatening wife with handgun
A state trooper working out of the Greensburg station has been suspended without pay after he was arrested for allegedly threatening his wife with a handgun at their Plum home. Scott Mang, 32, broke down two doors in the house and threatened to kill his wife and himself with her...
Threats, image of Monessen trial witness posted on social media
A Westmoreland County prosecutor Wednesday said an investigation is underway to learn who took a courtroom photograph of a witness during an attempted murder trial last week, an image that was posted online with an apparent threat. Assistant District Attorney Adam Barr said it appeared the photo of the alleged...
Anglers to get back Tarentum bait and tackle shop, along with its knowledge
After an October blaze shut down the only local bait and tackle store between Harmar and Kittanning, Allegheny Angler in Tarentum will soon be back in business. The owners, who will be in their 31st year of selling minnows, shiners, worms and rods and reels of all kinds — as...
