Regional News category, Page 339
Tornado confirmed in Indiana County, 4th in less than a month
Indiana County saw damage from its fourth tornado in less than a month on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Moon. A damage assessment team visited Green Township on Wednesday and determined that the EF1 tornado — capable of moderate damage — touched down at 7:55 p.m. The...
Safety program set for Conemaugh River Lake this weekend
A festival to promote outdoor safety and raise awareness about the Conemaugh River reservoir, bordering Indiana and Westmoreland counties, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Conemaugh River Lake, 1665 Auten Road, Conemaugh Township. Tours of the dam, children’s activities, safety demonstrations and a free lunch...
State to audit gun instant background check system
Pennsylvania’s auditor general is launching a review of the state’s instant background check system for firearm purchases. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale is conducting the review at the request of a bipartisan group of state lawmakers, but not as the result of problems or complaints about how the system is operated....
Dreary June weather sinks attendance at Pittsburgh area pools
Sylvan Pool manager Nancy Tarella said the Harrison pool typically attracts more than 200 people a day during the summer swim season. But this June has been anything but typical. Lately, Sylvan’s attendance hasn’t been breaking 30 people. “This is not a good pool season so far,” she said. “June...
MediaNews plans to cut 81 jobs at Reading Eagle
The new owners of the Reading Eagle plan to lay off more than a third of the staff after they assume control of the 150-year-old newspaper and the company’s other assets later this month. MediaNews Group stepped forward to buy the Reading Eagle Co. for $5 million after the family-owned...
Police: Dump truck may have crossed center line in Fayette crash that killed 3
State police are attempting to determine whether the driver of a tri-axle dump truck crossed into oncoming traffic Tuesday and hit a pickup head-on, killing three people who are members of the same family. Investigators identified the victims as Kayla Nicole Burwell, 21, of Smithfield; Ronald Burwell, 53, of Uniontown;...
Woman charged in death of infant found in paint can
A woman has been charged in the death of her newborn son, whose body was found in a paint can in her eastern Pennsylvania home. The Lehigh County district attorney said Wednesday that 30-year-old Ashley Caraballo of Allentown is charged with criminal homicide, concealing the death of a child and...
Landslide shuts down part of Route 168 in Beaver County
Route 168 in Midland, Beaver County, will stay closed for the next few days after a landslide early Wednesday. Mud, rock and debris slid down a hillside and covered the roadway, according to PennDOT. The road is closed in both directions between Woodlane and Summit and Columbus avenues. The slide...
Flash flood watch issued for Western Pa. through Thursday evening
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for the western Pennsylvania region. Repeated periods of heavy rainfall are possible through 8 p.m. Thursday, according to the weather service in Moon Township. The flood watch covers Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Beaver, Fayette, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties as well...
Beaver County man confessed to robbing 4 Western Pa. banks of more than $26K
A Beaver County man confessed to robbing four banks across Western Pennsylvania of more than $26,000, federal prosecutors said. Patrick Acierno, 34, of Freedom pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery. The banks were robbed between September 2018 and March of this year, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said....
3 killed in Fayette County crash
A man, a woman and a 4-year-old child were killed Tuesday afternoon when their pickup truck collided with a tri-axle truck along Route 21 in Fayette County, state police said. Officials weren’t able yet to identify the victims, but Fayette County Coroner Phillip Reilly indicated they were related, including an...
Allegheny National Forest ranks as No. 2 camping destination in U.S.
The Allegheny National Forest in Northwestern Pennsylvania was among the top camping destinations in the country during the past year, according to Hipcamp.com. The state’s only national forest ranked second on a top 10 list of camping destinations, being beat out for the top spot by Cape Cod, Mass. The...
Trio charged by state police in Western Pa. cocaine, marijuana sting
State police raided a clandestine drug preparation facility and confiscated more than two pounds of cocaine and 20 pounds of marijuana during a 15-month investigation into an alleged southwestern Pennsylvania distribution network, according to court records. Investigators used confidential informants and surveillance that resulted in the arrests of a Fayette...
Food and Drug Administration considering CBD regulations
It seems like CBD products are available on every street corner, but the industry’s unregulated heyday may not last much longer. A federal Food and Drug Administration working group is gathering information and crafting regulations for the cannabis-derived substance. “We recognize that there is significant public interest in these products,...
Health officials: Algae bloom along Lake Erie shoreline dangerous to pets, kids
Health officials are warning visitors to Lake Erie that algae blooms in the waters along the shoreline are a danger to pets and young children. Algae in the water “exceeds dog safety thresholds” at eight swimming areas, according to the Erie County Department of Health. The algae blooms can produce...
McKeesport man accused of torching Brooklyn rabbi’s house has ‘hate’ tattoo
A McKeesport man accused of setting a fire at the home of a Brooklyn, N.Y., rabbi last week that injured 13 people had a history of threatening the religious leader, according to published reports. The victims, including a 6-week-old baby and three first responders, were injured in Thursday morning’s fire,...
Harsh winds, rain rip through Butler County knocking down trees, wires
Harsh winds and pouring rain cascaded through Butler County and other parts of Western Pennsylvania on Sunday evening. The National Weather Service Pittsburgh branch issued a tornado warning for the area through 6:45 p.m. Butler County dispatchers said multiple trees and wires came down with the hardest hit areas along...
Tornado warning for Butler, Mercer counties has expired
The National Weather Service has let tornado warnings for northeastern Butler County and southeastern Mercer County expire. The warning was issued through 6:45 p.m. Sunday. Authorities said the tornadic thunderstorm could impact West Sunbury, Hooker, Eau Claire, Harrisville and Cherry Valley among other rural areas of those counties. Folks in...
Pittsburgh region to stay wet over the next few days
Commuters are in for a soggy drive Monday morning as two storm systems settle over the area. “Right around 5 a.m. to about 8 a.m., we could see some pretty heavy rain showers maybe some thunderstorms,” said John Darnley, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon Township. Areas south...
Roller coaster at Cedar Point malfunctions mid-ride, passengers stuck for short time
Cedar Point officials say weather caused a roller coaster to get stuck midway through its course, trapping riders Wednesday. The GateKeeper malfunctioned shortly before the Sandusky, Ohio amusement park was set to close. Passengers were stuck for more than 90 seconds. “The train came to a stop on a section...
General Carbide CEO Mona Pappafava-Ray named regional Entrepreneur of the Year
Mona Pappafava-Ray, president and CEO of Hempfield-based General Carbide Corp., is a finalist for the national Entrepreneur of the Year Award after being named East Central Entrepreneur of the Year last week. Now in its 33rd year, the competition recognizes entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who excel in areas...
Cops: Fayette County parents charged after infant found to have 13 fractures
An examination at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh last month revealed an infant boy from Fayette County suffered 13 fractures throughout his body, state police in Uniontown allege in court documents filed Friday. After a two-week investigation, troopers charged the boy’s parents, John T. Clark, 29, and Tiffany L. Clark,...
Motorcyclist killed in I-79 crash in Washington County
Authorities have not released the identity of a driver of a dirt bike who was killed Thursday after his motorcycle left the roadway and struck a guardrail in North Strabane in Washington County. State police in Washington said the accident occurred along Interstate 79 North by the North Strabane exit...
It took 26,000 Post-It notes to make this Pride mural on a Cincinnati skyscraper
It took 26,000 Post-It notes to spell the word “PRIDE” on the face of an Ohio office building. More than 100 Cincinnati Bell employees on Wednesday stuck five colors of the sticky office products to the inside of 96 windows, reports WLWT-TV. Cincinnati Bell Pride Post-It Note drone shot from...
2 Western Pa. doctors found not guilty of alleged Suboxone scheme
Two Allegheny County doctors are not guilty of illegally prescribing medication used to treat addiction to narcotic painkillers, a West Virginia jury found Thursday. Dr. Krishan Kumar Aggarwal, 75, of Moon Township, and Dr. Cherian John, 66, of Coraopolis, were acquitted on all charges of health care fraud, conspiracy and...
