Regional News category, Page 156
Ellwood City man whose wife pleaded guilty to involvement in Capitol riot now faces charges
An Ellwood City man whose wife pleaded guilty to being involved in last year’s U.S. Capitol riot has been charged with related counts. Brian Douglas Sizer, 47, surrendered to the FBI on Thursday morning. He was released on $10,000 unsecured bond after an initial court appearance Friday on charges of...
Section of Pa. Turnpike from Beaver Valley to Cranberry reopens after crash
A section of the westbound Pennsylvania Turnpike between the Beaver Valley and Cranberry interchanges was closed for much of the day Thursday after a crash, according to turnpike officials. The crash was reported at milepost 20.1 around 5 a.m. The highway reopened around 2 p.m. Traffic in the eastbound side...
‘Grabbing cats’: Small rescues run on limited resources, volunteers
Despite being a three-person volunteer organization, members of the Jeannette nonprofit Furry Felines snapped immediately into action when they were alerted to an animal hoarding case, with more than 60 cats and kittens living in unsanitary conditions. “We had no time to prepare for the situation at all. We got...
Butler County judge backs injunction against striking Post-Gazette workers; P-G contacts federal mediator
A Butler County judge on Tuesday backed an injunction against striking Pittsburgh Post-Gazette union members and their supporters, limiting how they can picket at the Butler Eagle where the newspaper has been printed during the strike. The court order, which the Butler County Prothonotary posted online Tuesday afternoon, allows only...
Fayette County House candidate assaulted amid warnings about election-related threats
A candidate running for a state House seat on Monday morning called 911 after being assaulted at his Fayette County home in what would be the third time in two weeks he has had to call police to his residence. Democrat Richard Ringer said he was bloodied and knocked unconscious...
Northeast bucks trend of falling gas prices on tight supply, analyst says
While the national average price of gasoline has come down for a third straight week, the Northeast, including the Pittsburgh region, is bucking the trend because of tight supply, an industry analyst said. The national average fell about 5 cents per gallon in the past week and was averaging $3.72...
Super-sized spookiness: Halloween displays go big for fun, and for charity
Considering how many Halloween decorations Susie and Delbert Long of Latrobe have already put up, you could forgive Delbert for thinking he could sneak a werewolf past his wife — even if it is a dozen feet tall. “That’s Zeke,” he said with a laugh, waving his arms to get...
Man killed in Washington County motorcycle crash
A Washington County man died Sunday evening after crashing the motorcycle he was driving just south of Finleyville, according to the Washington County Coroner. Frank Eckels, 54, of Carroll Township, was driving the motorcycle south just after 6:30 p.m. on Route 88 in Union Township when he crossed the center...
Surge in RSV cases causing longer ER wait times at UPMC Children’s Hospital
A spike in the number of babies suffering from the respiratory illness RSV is increasing the emergency room wait times at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, according to officials. Dr. Raymond Pitetti, director of the emergency department at Children’s, said the surge in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) began about six...
Homeowners brace for higher heating costs this winter
Miranda McDermott is dreading winter. With home heating costs forecast to reach their highest levels in more than 10 years, McDermott of Allegheny Township said her family can’t afford to pay monthly heating bills in full. “Our average heating bill is $800,” McDermott said. “We have wood chopped and ready...
Celebrity tribute artist channels his inner ElvisVideo
Don’t step on his blue suede shoes. He needs them. Professional Elvis tribute artist Kelly Hylton’s fancy footwork often wears out the heels of his shoes. “I go through dress shoes like crazy. I blow the soles off dancing too much,” Hylton said. Hylton, 51, lives in Rural Valley, Armstrong...
Deluzio, Shaffer square off in Pa.’s 17th Congressional District
Iraq War veteran and voting rights attorney Chris Deluzio faces former Ross Commissioner Jeremy Shaffer in a race to replace U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania’s newly redrawn 17th Congressional District. Deluzio, 37, of Aspinwall, earned the Democratic nomination to run for the seat in the Nov. 8 election, while...
Washington County is charging people to search court documents — an unusual and undue burden, experts say
This story first appeared in Spotlight PA’s Investigator newsletter, which offers behind-the-scenes looks at our reporting and a roundup of the best accountability journalism from across Pennsylvania. Sign up for free. HARRISBURG — A Western Pennsylvania county is imposing a $10.50 “search fee” on public requests for court documents, a...
State employees to get 20% discount for online courses from PennWest University
PennWest University will offer a 20% online tuition discount for all of Pennsylvania’s state employees offered through its PennWest Global Online. The reduction, announced Thursday, will be available on about 150 programs under a partnership with the state, effective for the 2023 spring semester. The discount applies for undergraduate and...
Design work to begin on $22M expansion of IUP’s growing Academy of Culinary Arts
Design work for a $22 million project in Punxsutawney to expand and renovate Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Academy of Culinary Arts is expected to start now that funding to develop drawings has been approved. The $2.9 million for that work, included in the State System of Higher Education’s recently adopted...
AG’s office announces sex charges against 4 men; Butler suspect kills himself before arrest
A Butler County man who was about to be arrested Thursday morning on charges of rape and sexual abuse killed himself in the bathroom of his home, officials said. Eric E. Eleam Sr., 61, of Butler, was one of four men facing charges in connection with a statewide investigating grand...
2 Washington County school districts among those benefit from $1B in federal grants for electric buses
WASHINGTON — Nearly 400 school districts spanning all 50 states and Washington, D.C., along with several tribes and U.S. territories, are receiving roughly $1 billion in grants to purchase about 2,500 “clean” school buses under a new federal program. The Biden administration is making the grants available as part of...
Pa. fisherman pleads not guilty to charges in tournament scandal
CLEVELAND — Two men accused of stuffing five walleye with lead weights and fish fillets during a lucrative fishing tournament on Lake Erie pleaded not guilty to cheating and other charges on Wednesday. Jacob Runyan, 42, of Broadview Heights, Ohio, and Chase Cominsky, 35, of Hermitage, Mercer County, made no...
Judge hears closing arguments in federal bird poisoning case
Defense attorneys for two men accused of poisoning dozens of birds at a Lawrence County farm in 2020 because the birds were damaging their soybean crop said that the government’s theory of the case doesn’t make sense. “We’re supposed to believe Robert Yost was so spiteful he just laid that...
State police say Indiana County man was kidnapped, killed
State police are investigating after they say a 19-year-old man was kidnapped and killed in Indiana County. Hayden Robert Garreffa was first reported missing from his East Wheatfield Township home on Thursday. Police found Garreffa’s body early Saturday morning in a remote, wooded area of Brush Valley Township. Indiana County...
Two men on trial in federal court for poisoning dozens of birds
When state Game Commission Officer Byron Gibbs found 25 dead birds near wetlands on a Lawrence County farm in the summer of 2020, he immediately suspected they had been poisoned. Along a trail of yellow corn about 100 yards long, there were 17 Canadian geese — including at least two...
Pa. National Guard soldier from New Castle killed at Fort Indiantown Gap
A service member killed in a Fort Indiantown Gap training accident that injured three others has been publicly identified. Spc. Mackenzie L. Shay, 20 of New Castle, was killed Saturday in an accident that involved multiple service vehicles, according to the Pennsylvania National Guard. The New Castle News reported that...
Pittsburgh, national gas prices continue seasonal decline
Average gas prices have come down for a second straight week, and many regions could see declines again this week, as a drop in demand is normally seen in the fall, an industry analyst said Monday. In the Pittsburgh area, average prices fell 3.5 cents per gallon in the past...
West Virginia spring’s waters still drawing devotees
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Every couple weeks, Lauren Lee stuffs a few dozen gallon jugs into a big black laundry bag. She brings it to a covered pavilion right in the middle of Berkeley Springs State Park, which itself is right in the middle of downtown Berkeley Springs, West Virginia....
Bus driver recruitment continues to challenge school district transportation contractors
Transportation company First Student is advertising school bus driver openings for several area districts the company serves, including Norwin, Jeannette City and Hempfield Area. But applicants have not been flocking to replenish the ranks at area school bus terminals. Driver shortages have been an issue for many districts in recent...
