Regional News category, Page 327
Former Penn State fraternity house manager sentenced to 2 years probation
BELLEFONTE, Pa. — The former house manager of a now-defunct Penn State fraternity where a pledge fell during a night of hazing and drinking and later died has been placed on two years’ probation on a hindering apprehension conviction. Braxton Becker, 23, of Niskayuna, New York, was also ordered to...
Coroner: Electrocution caused driver’s death in fiery Beaver County school bus crash
An Ellwood City man was electrocuted when the school bus he was driving struck a utility pole and caught fire Friday in North Sewickley Township. Beaver County Coroner David J. Gabauer has ruled Timothy VanKirk’s death accidental, caused by high-voltage electrocution. Beaver County dispatchers said the crash occurred around 2:45...
Bear steals delivery package of dog food from Pa. porchVideo
A family in Lackawanna County says the thief that stole a delivery package of dog food from their porch turned out to be a hungry young bear. Eighteen-year-old Aidan Newman tells WNEP-TV he was just arriving home to pack up for college when he saw the black bear in his...
3 drownings in past 3 years in public pools in Allegheny County
Allegheny County has had three drownings in public pools – one for each of the past three years – according to incident data obtained in a Right-to-Know request. The Tribune-Review requested the information as part of its examination of pool inspection reports in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. That report found...
Fayette nuns sell land for construction of WVU outpatient center
West Virginia University Medicine has purchased property from a Byzantine Catholic order of nuns in Uniontown for the development of an outpatient medical center, the university said. Sister Ruth Plante, provincial for the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great, said the sale involves 20 acres near the...
2-year-old drowns in Fayette County pool
A 2-year-old girl drowned in a pool in Fayette County on Thursday afternoon. The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. in a pool along Coolsprings Street in Hopwood, the Tribune-Review’s news partner, WPXI-TV, reported. State police could not be reached for comment. A representative of the Fayette County Coroner’s Office said...
Game wardens tranquilize 225-pound bear that stopped at beer distributor in Edinboro
The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) reported details today for tranquilizing a black bear roaming around town in Edinboro last week, including stopping at a beer distributor, according to the website yourErie.com. From the beer distributor, the bruin went into Edinboro Lake, and swam to shore where more residents spotted the...
Coroner: Charleroi woman struck, killed by train in Washington County
The Washington County Coroner said a 49-year-old Charleroi woman has been identified as the pedestrian struck and killed by a train Tuesday. Coroner S. Timothy Warco said Lisa M. Lees was hit by a Norfolk Southern train as she crossed railroad tracks near 7th Street and Railroad Way in Charleroi...
Pet of the Week: tuxedo cat Eve FrenchVideo
Everyone, meet Eve French! This pretty girl is up for adoption through Paws Across Pittsburgh and is being fostered by a family in Ross. Age: Between 6 and 8 years old Breed: Short-haired domestic tuxedo cat What she likes: She loves to cuddle and relax with you, and play with...
New Castle-area doctor pleads guilty to dealing fentanyl in Western Pa., Ohio
A Lawrence County doctor pleaded guilty to illegally prescribing and doling out fentanyl and other opioid painkillers while practicing at clinics in Western Pennsylvania and Ohio, federal prosecutors said . Dr. Thomas A. Ranieri, 66, took a plea deal in exchange for dropping 10 of the 24 counts filed against...
FBI looking for child exploitation victims of former Cranberry man
Authorities are asking for the public’s help identifying potential victims of Robert D. Caesar, a former Butler County resident awaiting trial for allegedly abusing underage children. Caesar, 56, most recently of Oxford, in Chester County, was charged by federal indictment in November with production, receipt and possession of child pornography...
Native fungi show promise to stop spread of spotted lanternfly
Penn State and Cornell university researchers found that a common soil-borne fungi can contain the spread of the spotted lanternfly, an invasive pest threatening the grape, tree fruit, hardwood and nursery industries. Although the spotted lanternfly is in the eastern part of the state, it’s on the move with its...
Pa. priest accused of stealing nearly $100K from parish
A Pennsylvania Roman Catholic priest is accused of stealing nearly $100,000 from his parish and spending it on a beach house and men he met on dating apps. The Chester County District Attorney’s Office says 56-year-old Monsignor Joseph McLoone was arrested Wednesday for theft from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in...
Police: Fired worker at Pa. poultry plant kills boss, himself
NEW OXFORD, Pa. — Police in Pennsylvania say a recently fired employee at a poultry processing facility returned to the business, shot and killed his former boss and then himself. Officers with the Eastern Adams Regional Police Department were dispatched to Plainville Farms distribution facility in New Oxford at around...
Author slated to speak at Flight 93 National Memorial: ‘One of the great honors of my career’
The author of the newly published “Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11” calls United Airlines Flight 93 an “extraordinary part of the the story.” Mitchell Zuckoff, a Boston University journalism professor who covered the September 11 attack while he was with the Boston Globe, will deliver the keynote speech...
Person hit, killed by train in Charleroi
A person trying to cross railroad tracks Tuesday night in Charleroi was hit by a train and killed, according to the Washington County coroner. The person was killed at 10 p.m. on the tracks near Seventh Street and Railroad Way. The person was hit by a Norfolk Southern train and...
Divers recover body of swimmer who drowned in Yough River
Rescue teams recovered the body of a male swimmer who apparently drowned in the Youghiogheny River Tuesday evening in Perry Township, Fayette County. Fayette County Coroner Dr. Phillip E. Reilly confirmed that divers recovered the body of the victim, who “was swimming across in an area and went under.” He...
FBI: Reports of ‘underaged’ massage parlor workers led to probe linked to Western Pa.
A federal investigation that culminated in the arrest of a Florida man accused of operating a human trafficking ring through massage parlors from the Sunshine State to Pennsylvania, including five in Western Pennsylvania, began in 2017 after complaints made to a national hotline, according to court documents. David C. Williams,...
Report: Pittsburgh area home prices rise, sales slow slightly
Pittsburgh area home prices continue to rise, according to the latest RE/MAX National Housing Report. Although lower interest rates are helping affordability, the area has seen two straight months of accelerating price increases. If the trend continues, it’s not an encouraging development for Pittsburgh-area buyers, according to the July National...
Former Cleveland judge pleads guilty in ex-wife’s stabbing death
CLEVELAND — A former county judge in Cleveland pleaded guilty Tuesday to fatally stabbing his ex-wife moments after she had dropped off their two daughters last November. Lance Mason, 51, told a visiting judge in a Cuyahoga County courtroom that he wanted to “take responsibility for my crimes,” adding, “There...
Ex-coach who chased Chardon High School shooter seeks Ohio House seat
COLUMBUS, Ohio — An educator who chased away the teenager who fatally shot three students at an Ohio high school says he’ll campaign for a state House seat. Frank Hall tells Cleveland.com he wants to join the Legislature to advocate for school safety and rural Ohio . Hall drew national...
Brownsville ambulance treasurer accused of stealing $132K
A Fayette County man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations that he took $136,000 from the Brownsville Ambulance Service Inc. while working as the organization’s treasurer, according to U.S. Attorney Scott Brady. Edward T. Stevenson, 62, of Newell is accused of mail fraud and theft in...
Pittsburgh, national gas prices continue fall
Gas prices have continued to fall in the Pittsburgh region and across the nation, according to the price-tracking website GasBuddy.com. “For a surprising fifth straight week, the national average has declined, ushering in lower gas prices to every state and providing relief to consumers who’ve watched the stock market tank,...
State to hold hearing on rail passenger and freight service in Western Pa.
Riders of Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian train between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg have long been limited to one morning and one evening train, but a hearing in Altoona on Aug. 28 is expected to explore the possibility of adding another train to the daily schedule. “If we can improve passenger service in western...
Allegheny Health Network acquires Grove City Medical Center
Allegheny Health Network will acquire Grove City Medical Center, the network announced Monday. The Mercer County facility will be AHN’s ninth owned hospital and will extend the network’s reach to the north of Pittsburgh. Pending government approval, AHN plans to seal the deal in the next few months. The amount...
