Regional category, Page 28
As Rite Aid collapses, customers and other pharmacies bear the impact
It takes Kathy Younkins just a few minutes to walk to her neighborhood Rite Aid. The 67-year-old has picked up her prescriptions at the company’s Harrison location since the 2000s. But now the Philadelphia-based pharmacy empire is crumbling. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this month, blaming “the...
Pittsburgh population grew by nearly 3,000, census shows
Pittsburgh’s population is on the rise, new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed. The city added 2,902 people from 2023 to 2024, bringing the total population to 307,668 — an almost 1% increase, according to census figures. Chris Briem, regional economist at the University Center for Social & Urban...
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee reintroduces resolution for reparations
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee introduced a resolution Thursday that would effectively provide reparations to the descendants of Black American slaves amid a flurry of actions by President Donald Trump and a Republican-led Congress to remove what they term “woke” policies. Lee, a Swissvale Democrat who represents parts of Allegheny and...
McDonald’s to hire 375K new employees
This summer, McDonald’s said it will hire 375,000 employees across the United States. The plan marks one of the fast-food chain’s largest hiring pushes in years, Today reported. McDonald’s hopes to open 900 new restaurants in the U.S. by 2027 and plans to serve more customers during summer months. Specifically,...
Morning Roundup: Body found in Mon; car crashes into house in Derry
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, May 15: Body found in Monongahela River A barge operator found a man’s body in the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh on Wednesday afternoon, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. The unidentified man was found near the Brownsville...
‘Heartbroken,’ ‘gut-wrenching’: Penn State communities grapple with recommended campus closures
Penelope Morrison hoped to retire one day from her job as an associate professor at Penn State New Kensington. Now she has come to the realization that might not be possible after Penn State acknowledged this week that New Kensington is one of seven branch campuses recommended for closure. “None...
Judge in Johnstown becomes 1st in U.S. to uphold use of Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans
A federal judge in Johnstown on Tuesday ruled the government may remove Venezuelan citizens thought to be members of a violent gang under the Alien Enemies Act — but only if they are given 21 days notice and “an opportunity to be heard.” The 43-page opinion, written by U.S. District...
Pa. human relations commission wants to hear about your ‘Beloved Community’
While working on Robert Casey Sr.’s 1986 gubernatorial campaign, Democratic strategist James Carville once famously said that “between Paoli and Penn Hills, Pennsylvania is Alabama.” Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Executive Director Chad Lassiter never believed that. “You have counties full of people who love their children, their families and their...
Reports: Trump’s planned EPA overhaul jeopardizes Energy Star appliance program
Any budget-aware, environmentally conscious consumer scouting out new appliances knows to look for the Energy Star label. The familiar blue-and-white logo – stuck on refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, heat pumps, washers, dryers, water heaters and air conditioners – signifies cost savings and efficiency. But the program, run by the U.S. Environmental...
Penn State disappointed but doesn’t refute report on narrowed campus closure list
Penn State officials expressed disappointment over — but failed to refute — a report that disclosed seven commonwealth campuses are slated to be eliminated as part of a university austerity plan. The Fayette and New Kensington campuses in Southwestern Pennsylvania were among the seven. “It is regrettable that our communities...
Eberly family disheartened over PSU Fayette campus potential closing
Robert Eberly Jr. is keenly aware that part of his family’s legacy hangs in the balance as a decision looms about the future of the Penn State campus named for his father. Renamed Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus in 2004, the site in the largely rural county is among...
2 teens critically hurt in Butler County crash
Two teens were flown to Pittsburgh hospitals after a single-vehicle crash in Butler County Sunday, according to state police. According to state police, the crash happened around 7 a.m. on West Sunbury Road near Aggas Road in Center Township. State police said the vehicle, a pickup, went off the road...
Mother and child killed in crash on I-70 in Washington County identified
The woman and her child who died Sunday afternoon after being thrown from their car in a crash on Interstate 70 in Washington County have been identified. Abdul-Salami Touray, 4, of Columbus, Ohio, was a rear-seat passenger and one of three occupants of a vehicle that crashed around 1 p.m....
For American Gold Star Mothers, Mother’s Day holds extra meaning
When Kathleen Hanley sits on her red folding chair among the rows of graves that stand tall in freshly manicured green grass at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Cecil, she doesn’t notice the sounds of cars rushing by on the highway or the funeral processions driving through. She’s...
For American Gold Star Mothers, Mother’s Day holds extra meaning
Kathleen Hanley sits on a red folding chair among the rows of headstones that stand in perfectly aligned rows at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Cecil. She doesn’t notice the sounds of cars rushing by on the highway or the funeral processions driving through. She is focused on...
Lead 400 times beyond safe drinking level found in Laurel Ridge creek
A high amount of lead contamination has been found in a Laurel Ridge stream known for its pristine conditions. The finding in Blue Hole Creek, at the border of Fayette and Somerset counties, poses a danger to wildlife and humans, as it is a popular spot for fishing and to...
Retail revival: What it takes to bring shopping plazas back to life
Hyde Park Plaza in Allegheny Township was on the ropes a few years ago. A shuttered Kmart was eating up 85,000 square feet of retail space. Only six of 16 storefronts were filled. Label Shopper, a discount clothing retailer in the vein of Marshalls and TJ Maxx, was the closest...
Police charge 6 in Pens, Pirates ticket scam conspiracy targeting charity for kids
The tickets to Pittsburgh Penguins and Pirates games and other events were supposed to go to disadvantaged or at-risk kids as an act of charity. Instead, according to a grand jury investigation, they were intercepted by unscrupulous people who exploited a nonprofit trying to help underprivileged children. Pennsylvania State Police...
Take the TribLive weekly news quiz: May 9
The following is a regular feature from TribLive: A weekly news quiz:...
Area Catholics laud Pope Leo XIV, confident he’ll be a ‘bridge builder,’ serve the poor, marginalized
Area Catholics lauded the selection of Pope Leo XIV, not just because he’s American born, but because they’re confident he’ll be a “bridge builder,” dedicated to serving the poor and marginalized. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, originally from the Chicago area but serving the church for decades in South America, was...
Morning Roundup: 2 injured in Apollo fire; Pennsylvania Attorney General warns of scams after storms
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, May 8: 2 injured in Apollo fire Two people were taken to the hospital after a fire in Apollo early Thursday morning. The blaze started around 1:10 a.m. Thursday in the 400 block of Kiski Avenue, according to...
Prosecutors: Ex-bar association leader stole $315,000 for lavish vacations, plastic surgery
The former head of the Cambria County Bar Association is accused of stealing more than $300,000 from the organization to lavish herself with trips to Mexico, cosmetic procedures and a timeshare property. Robin Hagins, 56, of Upper Yoder was charged Wednesday with theft, receiving stolen property, forgery, criminal use of...
Ex-Hillandale Farms executive sentenced for embezzling $6.8M
A Canonsburg man who embezzled nearly $7 million from Hempfield-based Hillandale Farms over more than 13 years is going to federal prison. Jonathan Weston, 60, was ordered to serve 27 months incarceration when he was sentenced Wednesday before U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy. Weston was indicted May 26, 2021,...
Canonsburg man sentenced for embezzling nearly $7M from Hillandale Farms
A Canonsburg man who police said embezzled nearly $7 million from Hillandale Farms Co. has been sentenced to more than two years in prison. Jonathan A. Weston, 60, was sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay $6.87 million in restitution to Hempfield-based Hillandale Farms, as well as...
About 40,000 Pennsylvanians to receive unclaimed property letters this week
More than 40,000 Pennsylvanians are set to receive letters this week indicating they’ll be receiving money because of unclaimed property, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced Wednesday. Unclaimed property can include dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten stocks, insurance policies, tangible property like the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes and...
