Regional category, Page 90
States and Congress wrestle with cybersecurity after Iran attack on Aliquippa water utility
HARRISBURG — The tiny Aliquippa water authority in western Pennsylvania was perhaps the least-suspecting victim of an international cyberattack. It had never had outside help in protecting its systems from a cyberattack, either at its existing plant that dates to the 1930s or the new $18.5 million one it is...
Airport security breaches remain a major concern for authorities responsible for air safety
A combination of technology and personnel dedicated to making air travel safe has created a system that makes it all but impossible for a gun to slip through the Transportation Security Administration’s screening and onto a plane. But it has happened. On Oct. 21, Jeff Wilson, a Republican state senator...
2024 look-ahead: News to watch in the upcoming year
From the presidential election to school construction projects, Western Pennsylvania has plenty on tap in the year ahead. TribLive compiled a look at notable storylines to keep an eye on in 2024. Politics Southwestern Pennsylvania is expected to be at the epicenter of national politics. As was the case in...
Record year of guns seized at nation’s airports prompts calls to revamp carry permit laws
A state lawmaker’s proposal to raise the stakes for negligent gun owners caught at airport security checkpoints by revoking their concealed carry permit comes after decades of efforts by aviation security officials to address the threat to public safety. Formed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks,...
Husband in case of Uniontown woman’s death taken into custody in Las Vegas
A woman reported missing last week was found dead Monday at her Uniontown home and police said they are charging her husband with criminal homicide and aggravated assault, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. Nicole Zambrano, 26, was reported missing by coworkers at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort after she had not...
Hundreds take icy dip in the Yough to celebrate 2024
Instead of a morning snooze, 2024 began, for several hundred people, with a dip in the ice-cold Youghiogheny River. “It’s a good way to start the new year,” said Shawn Hayes, 44, of Dawson as he waded into the river carrying his 2-year-old daughter, Paisley, on his shoulders. Hayes, who...
Free tax preparation program seeking volunteers for Western Pa. sites
Jason Werner didn’t know much about taxes when he volunteered to help prepare them for others. The Atlanta native, attending the University of Pittsburgh in pursuit of a finance degree, had worked in high school and done summer jobs. But his parents always did his taxes. “I had no prior...
3 injured in Uniontown stabbing
Three people were injured in a stabbing incident reported Saturday morning in Uniontown. One person was taken to a hospital while two others were treated in the 60 block of Butler Street, according to a Fayette County 911 supervisor. The injury to the person who was hospitalized was not life-threatening...
Peoples Gas seeks state approval of rate hikes in 2024
Peoples Gas is proposing base rate increases for customers that could take effect in September if approved by Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission. If the entire increase is approved, residential customers who annually use 80,000 cubic feet of gas and are served by the company’s Peoples Natural Gas division will see...
Pittsburgh set to record 2nd least snowy year since 1880
On Friday, the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh issued an advisory for 2 to 4 inches of snow Saturday in eastern Preston and Tucker counties in West Virginia. It’s something meteorologists there haven’t had to do often. This year is on track to be the second-least snowy year on record...
West Virginia starts distributing funds from the settlement of opioid lawsuits
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia is issuing the first checks from a fund established by the settlement of opioid lawsuits in the state, which has by far the nation’s highest drug overdose death rate. The Kanawha County Commission said Thursday it received a $2.9 million check and plans to discuss...
Slippery Rock University’s marching band set to perform in London’s New Year’s Day Parade
The tubas – five in all – went first. They and other large brass and percussion instruments, plus enough band gear to fill a 26-foot box truck, had to be packed up and shipped overseas weeks before members of the Slippery Rock University Marching Pride band boarded flights for London....
Western Pa. animal shelters scramble to keep up with influx of surrendered pets
Toni Younkin’s phone rings at all hours of the day. As director of Pet Adoption League, a small-scale animal shelter, Younkin knows people need help even outside of business hours. She starts her day early to feed, socialize and take care of the dogs at her organization’s New Stanton-area facility....
Flu shots during pregnancy help shield babies from severe illness, study finds
If you’re pregnant, getting your flu shot will help protect you and your baby from ending up in the hospital with a severe case of the flu, according to a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Pediatricians from UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh were part of the study, which found...
Morning Roundup: Rivers Casino manager accused of stealing $20K; 58 animals seized from Butler home
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Dec. 28: Rivers Casino theft arrest State police said they made an arrest in a $20,000 theft from Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino on Dec. 4. Police said the casino’s security director reported the crime on Dec. 23. After reviewing...
Covid, flu, RSV on the rise amid holiday gatherings
Covid-19 struck Beth Green just in time for Christmas, upending her annual holiday gatherings. She planned on hosting her extended family at her Derry Township home on Dec. 23. She was especially excited because it’s difficult to get two of her adult sons together with their hectic schedules. Green, an...
Western Pa. welcomed new restaurants in 2023, said goodbye to some old favorites
Pittsburgh was once hailed nationally as a foodie destination because of its booming culinary scene. Whether that’s still the case could be up for debate. But there certainly wasn’t a dearth of news on the restaurant front this year. Here were the comings and goings of 2023. Yes, we’re open...
White Township man dies after being struck by truck
A White Township man died of injuries suffered when he was hit by a truck early Wednesday morning. Indiana County Coroner Jerry Overman Jr. said Noah M. Chappell, of Winding Lane in White Township, was riding a bicycle southbound on the 500 block of Old Route 119 North when he...
State troopers investigate nearly 44% fewer Christmas weekend crashes than 2022
Westmoreland and Allegheny counties saw a decrease in crashes during the holiday weekend from last year, according to state police. State police covering Westmoreland, Allegheny and six other counties responded to 62 crashes from Saturday to Monday, down nearly 44% from 2022. The crashes resulted in 17 injuries, which matches...
Monongahela River fishermen find car stolen 15 years ago
Two men fishing in the Monongahela River on Sunday found a car that had been reported stolen 15 years ago. The men were fishing near the Point Marion boat launch in Fayette County when they noticed the outline of a vehicle on their fish finder, state police said. On Tuesday,...
From novices to experienced musicians, Western Pa.’s open stages offer chance to shine in the spotlight
When Riley Galloway gets up to sing at the weekly acoustic open stage at Yellow Bridge Brewing in Delmont, you’d never know that she’s been playing in public for only a few months. The 16-year-old Irwin resident’s voice fills the space with the confidence of someone who has been performing...
State Rep. Frankel crafting measure to revoke gun permits when people get caught at airport checkpoints
Pennsylvanians with a permit to carry a concealed gun can lose that privilege if they are convicted of crimes ranging from shoplifting and writing a bad check to marijuana possession or committing bigamy. But if they walk up to an airport security checkpoint with a loaded gun in their carry-on...
2 dead in Christmas Eve fire in Donora
A man and woman died Sunday morning after being trapped in a structure fire on the 1000 block of McKean Avenue in Donora, according to the Washington County Coroner’s Office. The fire was reported to Washington County 911 just before 5 a.m. Sunday. Clifford Honabarger, 38, and Tracy Honabarger, 41,...
Santa’s sleigh is on its way; track him with NORAD and Google
It’s Christmas Eve in America but Santa’s journey has already begun across the globe. Guided by his nine reindeer, Santa was heading toward Iwo Jima, Japan just before 9 a.m. – and had already delivered more than 1 billion gifts. The jolly old soul can be tracked online by the...
‘Cease fire now’: Pittsburgh locals gather for global solidarity vigil in support of Palestine
“Free Palestine!” and “Cease fire now!” chants could be heard in Pittsburgh’s Friendship Park on Saturday as about 100 people gathered for a solidarity vigil in support of Palestine. Hosted by two groups — Jewish Voice for Peace Pittsburgh and Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Pittsburgh...
