Regional category, Page 92
As substance abuse rises, need for additional programs comes into focus, experts say
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As substance abuse rises, need for additional programs comes into focus, experts say
Jillian Hauser spent more than a decade addicted to drugs, went through six rounds of rehab, did time in jail and lost custody of her two daughters. She hit bottom when Westmoreland County Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio offered her one last chance to regain control of her life through the county’s...
Ex-congressman: Lawmakers must do more to protect children of addicted parents
When Jim Greenwood was a Bucks County child welfare caseworker, he was haunted by the images of babies born addicted to drugs. When he became U.S. Rep. Jim Greenwood, he did something about it. As a six-term Republican congressman from eastern Pennsylvania, the now-retired Greenwood penned a federal law requiring...
Experts tell firsthand stories of children harmed by addicted parents
Dr. Bill Jenkins thought he had seen most of what life could throw at people during his years as an emergency room physician and medical director of Greensburg-based Mutual Aid, one of the state’s largest ambulance services. In the past three decades, he has tended to patients with drug overdoses,...
‘Frightening rate’ of children dying due to parents’ drug abuse
Four days after Christmas 2020, Hannah Moore felt horror like no other when she awoke to find her 2-month-old daughter’s cold, lifeless body nestled next to her in bed, inches away from her other two children. Traces of blood trickled from Avery Davis’ mouth and nose as Moore frantically dialed...
Illinois man pleads guilty for role in multi-county catalytic converter theft ring
An Illinois man was ordered to serve up to 10 years in prison for his role in a multi-county theft ring that police said was responsible for stealing dozens of catalytic converters from vehicles. Stewart Hinton IV, 37, pleaded guilty racketeering, theft and conspiracy offenses in connection with allegations he...
Sen. John Fetterman says he is ‘not a progressive’
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman says that he is “not a progressive” amid criticism from some of his supporters. Fetterman gained fame, especially in progressive circles, for his backing of issues like single-payer health care, recreational marijuana, LGBTQ rights and progressive politicians like U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. But he told NBC...
Man accused of robbing Homer City bank caught
A Homer City man was arraigned Friday morning and jailed on $250,000 bail in connection with a bank robbery in the borough earlier this week. Dylan Robert Clark Rider, 28, who lives within walking distance of the S&T Bank branch on North Main Street, was spotted Thursday afternoon in Wilkinsburg...
Morning Roundup: Jeannette Rite Aid set to close; stranded sea turtles recovering at Pittsburgh Zoo
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Dec. 15: Jeannette Rite Aid to close The Rite Aid on Clay Avenue in Jeannette is set to close Jan. 11, according to a company spokesperson. The closure will add to others in Westmoreland County and the region...
Jury begins deliberating in Western Pa. federal nursing home fraud case
Federal prosecutors said the criminal case against two nursing care facilities and five people who worked there is about lies and greed. “It’s not complicated,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Gal-Or. “It’s very simple. The defendants lied. They lied about patients … just to squeeze as much money as possible...
Pa. lawmakers free up funding for community colleges, public libraries
Lawmakers in Harrisburg agreed Wednesday night to release almost $262 million for the state’s 15 community colleges that had been held up for almost six months, plus $70 million for public libraries. The breakthrough on the last scheduled day for legislators to meet this calendar year also means K-12 school...
Morning Roundup: Small fire at Norwin football stadium; state police car damages vehicles in traffic stop
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Dec. 14: Small fire extinguished at Norwin football stadium A small fire was extinguished Thursday morning in the visitor side concession stand at Norwin School District’s football stadium in North Huntingdon, according to Lauren Steiner, district director of...
Beaver County police officer charged in 2022 death of bystander at shooting scene
A Beaver County police officer accused of assaulting a man who later died is facing an involuntary manslaughter charge, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. A grand jury recommended charging former Center police officer John J. Hawk, 37, with involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment and perjury....
State police seek suspect in Indiana County bank robberyVideo
State police are looking for a suspect who robbed a bank Wednesday afternoon in Indiana County. No one was injured in the 12:20 p.m. robbery at the Homer City S&T Bank branch, according to Trooper First Class Cliff Greenfield, public information officer for the state police. He said a male...
Seven Springs slopes to open this weekend, close for week
Area snow sport fans need wait no longer as Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Somerset County will open its slopes this weekend. The slopes will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, according to Anna Weltz, senior communications manager...
After shooting trooper, Damian Bradford gets additional 10 years in killing of Mercer County urologist
A Pittsburgh man formerly of Beaver County will have to spend another 10 years in federal prison for killing a Mercer County urologist in 2005 while having an affair with his wife. The additional time was imposed on Damian Bradford, 42, after a judge determined that he violated his release...
Morning Roundup: Police say woman used Taser on pregnant woman; man shot in Pittsburgh; 73-year-old scammed
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Dec. 13: Police say woman used Taser on pregnant woman A Greensburg woman is accused of using a Taser stun gun on a pregnant woman on the stomach Saturday, according to court papers. City police said Lillian G....
Company proposes underground limestone mine in Washington County
A Clarion County company is hoping to expand its limestone mining operations in Washington County. A public meeting will be held Wednesday night to discuss a proposal for the underground facility. The 336.7-acre mine, proposed by Neiswonger Construction Inc., would be dug beneath the Maggie Lynn Quarry that the company...
Washington County Controller April Sloane accused of starving her dog to death
Washington County Controller April Sloane faces felony charges of aggravated cruelty to animals after police said she starved her dog to death. The dog, Thor, had been adopted in April 2021. Police said they found his body in the garage of Sloane’s home on Dec. 6. He had been dead...
Holidays usher in flu season: When should you visit doctor or ER?
This time last year at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Chief of Emergency Services Dr. Raymond Pitetti and his team were overwhelmed with sick children. At the beginning of December 2022, the department saw a spike in activity from a combination of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), covid-19 and flu cases,...
3 girls escape from Baldwin facility, lead police in chase on turnpike
Three teenage girls are facing charges after state police said they escaped from a Baldwin facility and led troopers on a chase on the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Somerset. A trooper on patrol Dec. 1 around 8 a.m. noticed a work van driving erratically eastbound in Somerset County. The driver of...
Morning roundup: Woman found after going missing from Knoxville; fire at Beaver County manufacturing business
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Dec. 12: Missing woman A woman who went missing from the Knoxville area was found safe after four days, according to Pittsburgh police. Caitlin “Cait” Hilpert had last been seen around 10 p.m. Saturday. Police put out a...
National average gas cost falls for 3 months straight, at lowest level this year
The national average gasoline price has fallen for three straight months and is at its lowest level this year as oil prices continue to respond to cooling demand, an industry analyst said. “With nearly 80,000 gas stations in the U.S. now priced below $3 per gallon, and 23 states also...
Audubon Christmas Bird Count adds Mon Valley research area for 2023
Western Pennsylvania residents participating in the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count will have a new place to spot them this year. “We’re adding a circle in the Mon Valley, a 15-mile radius centered on White Oak Park,” said Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania Community Conservation Coordinator Ben Kehoe. The...
Morning roundup: Fire in Washington County; man accused of firing AR-15 outside club; man charged with raping child
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Dec. 11: Fire in Washington County One person was evaluated by paramedics after a fire in Washington County on Sunday night, according to TribLive news partner WTAE-TV. The fire was reported a little before 11:30 p.m. in the...
