Top Local and National News Stories category
‘We were given nothing’: Relatives of North Side shootout victims feel robbed of justice
Bridgette Mehalic settled wearily into the wooden chair of a Downtown Pittsburgh courtroom in January expecting justice. Instead, she got heartache. Mehalic was sure jurors would convict the man charged with killing her daughter Jacquelyn, 33, at a North Side bus stop during a wild shootout more than three years...
Drones increasingly a necessary tool in policing, experts sayVideo
David King predicts that over the next decade, every police cruiser may come equipped with its own drone. His guess is arguably better than many. King is owner of Carnegie-based Steel City Drones, which he says is the largest drone supplier in the region. The firm partners with more than...
Pittsburgh Controller Rachael Heisler serves as vocal watchdog amid financial woes
Rachael Heisler warned time and again that Pittsburgh was heading for trouble. The mayor’s office kept insisting the city’s 2026 budget was fine — no need for a tax hike, no need to cut services. But Heisler, the city controller, wasn’t convinced. So she did what any responsible elected official...
Offbeat Pittsburgh: Meet Johnny Pittsburgh, a local influencer on the riseVideo
A day after Bill Mazeroski died in February, I made my way to the famed Forbes Field wall. It’s there that I met Johnny Pittsburgh. If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, chances are you’ve seen him — an ever-present Pittsburgh influencer on the rise. One day, Johnny...
Sight of upside-down flag triggered response from Army veteran at Westmoreland courthouse, attorney says
A man accused of robbing an activist outside the Westmoreland County Courthouse was undergoing treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his time in the Army, his attorney said Thursday. When Justin Corey Bowser, 47, saw the upside-down American flag the activist was holding March 17, it triggered...
Highlands assistant principal alleges toxic culture among district leadership, requests formal investigation
Highlands High School Assistant Principal Kaitlyn Selfridge has resigned, firing off accusations of a hostile work environment, inequitable hiring practices and other ethical concerns. Selfridge submitted a letter of resignation April 13, saying she would not return to the building before her departure is effective at the end of the...
Witnesses suggest frying pan was used in fatal assault of 5-year-old Delmont boy
The aunt of a 10-year-old boy told a Westmoreland County jury Friday that her nephew saw Lauren Maloberti strike her adopted son, Landon Maloberti, in the head with a frying pan. “He said he saw what happened. They were in the kitchen and that she picked up a pan and...
Proposed Sheetz in Banksville faces scrutiny over gas station rules
Is Sheetz more of a gas station or convenience store? The answer could decide whether the Altoona-based chain expands into Pittsburgh city limits. Sheetz is proposing to demolish a vacant Rite Aid in Pittsburgh’s Banksville neighborhood and replace it with a roughly 5,000-square-foot convenience store and five multi-pump fuel dispensers....
Wilkinsburg man accused of threatening Trump, senator remains detained after hearing
A Wilkinsburg man who characterizes himself as a non-violent Quaker but, officials say, left voicemails for a U.S. senator calling for the death of billionaires, ICE agents and Donald Trump will be held in custody pending trial. Raymond Eugene Chandler III, 40, is charged in federal court in Pittsburgh with...
New policy restricting minors from Market Square met with mixed reactions
Sasha Machel has watched huge crowds of teenagers in Pittsburgh’s Market Square grow unruly. In the past few weeks, she’s heard a teenager scream that he had a gun, watched young kids wander the square with no supervision and felt uneasy as dozens of young people have sought to “cause...
Greensburg officials deny Ligonier Country Market’s proposed move to Lynch Field
Greensburg’s Lynch Field will not become the new home for the Ligonier Country Market. Mayor Robb Bell said Friday that city officials turned down the request after Ligonier Country Market had sought to relocate to Greensburg. “It was just too much in such a short period of time,” he said....
Southwest Greensburg mom wins $1M lottery prize
When Beth Dudley of Southwest Greensburg stopped at the Crabtree Gas & Go along Route 119 while on her way to visit her parents April 21, she did what she typically does and bought a Pennsylvania Lottery ticket. She spent $10 for Win Win Win, a new scratch-off lottery game...
‘She was not alone’: Stranger comforted Fort Duquesne Bridge crash victim after fatal wreck
Danielle Jackman’s hand was still warm Wednesday when a stranger reached into what was left of the Churchill woman’s car — its hood smashed and doors mangled in a five-car wreck — to grab hold of it. Jackman’s face was covered in so much blood, one couldn’t tell if she...
A pair of Pittsburgh residents charged with drugs, firearms violations following Carrick investigation
Pittsburgh police say they recovered multiple guns and drugs and charged two city residents in connection with an investigation outside of a Carrick business. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz reported officers were conducting an investigation early Friday morning along the 1600 block of Brownsville Road. It resulted in the arrests...
Trib Total Media launches Pittsburgh-based investigative newsroom led by Andrew Conte
A new investigative newsroom focusing on original accountability reporting launches this month at Trib Total Media, the latest step in its expansion in the Pittsburgh market, Trib officials announced Thursday. The newsroom, which will be based in Pittsburgh’s North Shore, will be directed by award-winning journalist Andrew Conte, who is...
Video captures moments before deadly crash near Fort Duquesne BridgeVideo
Seconds before a five-car crash killed two people Wednesday afternoon near the Fort Duquesne Bridge, a McKees Rocks man was stunned by how fast a black SUV zipped and weaved through the traffic around him on Route 65. “He was flying as soon as he merged onto the highway,” Nicholas...
Fetterman says he has no plans to switch parties: ‘I’d be a terrible Republican’
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman says he’d make a terrible Republican. Fetterman, a Democrat from Braddock, has drawn the ire of many in his party for breaking with them on issues like border security and Israel and for occasionally aligning with President Donald Trump and other Republicans. While Politico reported this...
Fans can purchase former Acrisure Stadium seats removed in renovations
Pittsburgh Steelers fans can sit in Acrisure Stadium seats from the comfort of their own home. The Steelers are selling seats removed during renovations at the North Shore stadium through MeiGray, a company that deals in game-worn and game-used sports memorabilia. The team announced the agreement Friday. The price for...
Tim Benz: Expected Aaron Rodgers arrival brings ironic twistVideo
If reports from 93.7 The Fan and national media outlets are accurate, the long-expected wait for Aaron Rodgers’ return to the Pittsburgh Steelers is just about over. The word from The Fan Morning Show is that Rodgers is scheduled to be in town by Friday morning. Their anticipation is that...
Vandergrift couple closes Hancock Inn after 53 years
When Jean and Denny Silvis opened the Hancock Inn as newlyweds in 1973, it was a bit of a leap of faith for the couple. At the time, Jean wasn’t even old enough to bartend at the Vandergrift pub. After a run of more than five decades, the couple decided...
Home built in 1763 and a Victorian cottage for sale in Ligonier
A pre-American Revolutionary War home built before the United States existed stands as a reminder to colonial days in Ligonier. And it’s for sale, sold as-is for $99,900. “I have heard different folks call it the Johnson House,” said owner Sharon Craig of the property she bought in 1995. Craig...
Pittsburgh activists to rally for moms detained by ICE ahead of Mother’s Day
Sister Janice Vanderneck of St. Joseph of Baden and a founder of Casa San Jose, a Latino immigrant rights advocacy group, visited the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, an immigrant detention center, on Monday. During her visit as a volunteer with the chaplain’s office, Vanderneck asked a group of about 20...
Indiana Township church leaders vow to rebuild after blaze destroys sanctuary
Parishioners of Trinity United Church of Christ in Indiana Township will gather for the next month at a community center, a funeral home and a neighboring parish to celebrate Sunday services. Rotating venues will continue for the foreseeable future after the 150-year-old church along Saxonburg Boulevard was partially destroyed by...
Pine-Richland proposed budget plan hikes taxes 5.29%, includes cuts to programs
Pine-Richland School District’s proposed budget for next year includes a 5.29% property tax increase and cuts to some programs. The $115.55 million proposal calls for a millage rate increase from 19.5867 mills to 20.6228 mills. For a home at Pine’s $332,200 median assessed value, the annual school tax bill would...
2 people freed from stalled Monongahela Incline
Two people were freed overnight after being trapped in the Monongahela Incline, Pittsburgh public safety officials said. The city’s EMS Rescue Division was called to the incline overnight Thursday into Friday to help two riders who were stuck when the cars stalled about 80 feet from the stations. One person...
