Top Stories category, Page 1001
Cleanup, investigation begin in aftermath of Forbes Avenue bridge collapse in Frick ParkVideo
The cleanup and investigation into the collapse of the Forbes Avenue bridge over Fern Hollow in Frick Park began in earnest Saturday, the first steps of what likely will be a long and arduous process, federal officials said. “Over the coming weeks we are going to put this bridge under...
Sharpsburg officials considering decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana
Sharpsburg officials are exploring the possibility of decriminalizing possession of marijuana and related paraphernalia. Specifically: a small amount of all forms and varieties of cannabis, as well as the smoking of it in public spaces. Mayor Brittany Reno cast the deciding vote at Thursday night’s council meeting. The move allows...
Pennsylvania Democrats deadlock on endorsing in Senate race
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s Democratic Party committee members deadlocked Saturday in suburban Harrisburg on a vote to endorse in the party’s hotly contested primary race for U.S. Senate, giving Conor Lamb by far the most votes, but not enough for the party’s backing. Winning an endorsement was a high hurdle to...
Over 40 bridges in Alle-Kiski Valley are rated the same as span that collapsed in Pittsburgh
In a town aptly dubbed the “City of Bridges,” Friday morning’s collapse of a span carrying traffic over Fern Hollow Creek in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park while cars and a Port Authority bus were on it might very well be the worst nightmare a local motorist could imagine. The early morning...
Fired West Mifflin Area superintendent hired by Woodland Hills
Woodland Hills School District officials have selected Daniel Castagna as their acting superintendent, district officials announced Friday. Castagna, who was fired in 2019 by West Mifflin Area School District after two DUI arrests, will serve as Woodland Hills’ top administrator until a more permanent superintendent can be found. Castagna at...
Engineering expert: ‘Poor’ ratings don’t mean Westmoreland bridges are unsafeVideo
A collapse is the most dramatic outcome in a bridge’s lifespan. But it’s just the potential worst-case scenario for the 143 state-inspected bridges in Westmoreland County that are rated in poor condition and are likely to need attention sooner or later, if they haven’t already been closed. PennDOT lists a...
‘It is outrageous’: Pittsburgh leaders, residents seek answers after poor-rated bridge collapses
First responders formed a human chain just before dawn Friday to reach down and rescue motorists and passengers who fell more than 100 feet when a bridge over Pittsburgh’s Frick Park collapsed down an icy ravine. Most of those caught in the collapse were not severely injured and were able...
Editorial: Pittsburgh bridge collapse shows infrastructure failings
Pittsburgh is more than a city of steel. It is also the City of Bridges. It has more of them than Venice, Italy — a city that is most easily traveled by boat. Venice has 443 bridges. Pittsburgh had 446. Today it has 445. That last bridge, where Forbes Avenue...
Pittsburgh’s East Enders come to terms with the ‘unbelievable’ collapse of Frick Park bridge
Jon Danzek was still tucked in bed on a cold, snowy Friday morning when he heard a noise he thought might be the trash truck in an adjacent alley from his residence in the 600 block of South Braddock Avenue. “The noise was exceptionally loud,” he said, “and it disturbed...
Former Alabama man pleads to sex trafficking in Pittsburgh
A man accused of bringing a woman from Alabama to Pittsburgh to prostitute her pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to sex trafficking charges. Anthony Juskowich, 23, who was living in Oakland at the time of his arrest, faces a mandatory prison term of at least 15 years. He...
Springdale woman runs home bakery, teaches cookie decorating classes
Taking a cookie decorating class three years ago has led a Springdale woman to open her own home bakery business. Amanda Monnich was an on-and-off teacher for 10 years before finding her passion in baking. She practiced baking and decorating her own cookies at home. While she was teaching, she...
Pa. Commonwealth Court strikes down mail-in voting; State AG’s office already filed notice of appeal
Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court on Friday ruled that the state’s system of mail-in voting, passed in 2019, is unconstitutional and the only way to implement it is by constitutional amendment. The court’s opinion said the decision “explains how a system of no-excuse mail-in voting may be constitutionally implemented in the commonwealth...
Man suspected in Derry Township hit-and-run surrenders to authorities
The suspect in a Derry Township hit-and-run that left a Latrobe woman seriously injured surrendered to authorities Friday morning. Bobby Paul Bryer, 30, posted $50,000 bail through a bail bondsman. He is charged with aggravated assault by vehicle, accidents involving death or personal injury and several related offenses, including speeding....
Biden visits site of Pittsburgh bridge collapse
President Joe Biden surveyed damage at the site of a bridge collapse in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park early Friday afternoon in the first of two stops planned in the city. Biden was planning to go next to Carnegie Mellon University’s Mill 19 research and development center in Hazelwood. The trip was...
Pittsburgh Bereavement Doulas embrace parents through the loss of a baby
Their tiny hands will never hold on to their parents. Their small feet will never take a step. Their eyes will never open wide with wonder. The unthinkable death of a baby is a moment that lives on in a parent’s heart forever. The heartache of losing them is infinite....
Schools call delays, go remote as snow slickens roads
Schools across the Pittsburgh area were issuing two-hour delays or moving to remote instruction for Friday because of snow that moved in overnight and was slickening roads for the morning commute. A complete list of delays is available from Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. The snow began overnight ahead of a...
Stay off the ice: Allegheny River frozen for more than 45 miles north of Cheswick
Recent clear and frigid nights accelerated ice formation on the Allegheny River stretching from Cheswick north past Kittanning, according to the National Weather Service. With more than 45 river miles iced over, authorities are urging residents to stay off the ice for safety reasons. The ice mass is expected to...
Key Pennsylvania Dems to miss Biden visit, cite scheduling conflicts
HARRISBURG — President Joe Biden will appear Friday in Pittsburgh as an opening step in a broader campaign to promote the White House’s achievements in key states before the midterm elections. But two of the three leading Democrats on Pennsylvania’s statewide ballot this spring who were invited to appear with...
Economy grew 5.7% in 2021 in rebound from 2020 recessionVideo
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew last year at the fastest pace since Ronald Reagan’s presidency, bouncing back with resilience from 2020’s brief but devastating coronavirus recession. The nation’s gross domestic product — its total output of goods and services — expanded 5.7% in 2021. It was the strongest calendar-year...
2 teens charged after fight involving pepper spray at Pittsburgh’s Allderdice High School
Two teenagers face charges stemming from a fight involving pepper spray at a Pittsburgh high school, district officials said. The incident happened Thursday at Allderdice High School in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. An 18-year-old was allegedly involved in a fight with five other students, during which the 18-year-old discharged...
District court in Pittsburgh split on school masking, issue likely to be decided by appellate court
The underlying facts in each case are the same. The North Allegheny and Upper Saint Clair school boards voted recently to reverse mandatory masking policies. Medically vulnerable students argued that the reversal put them at risk of contracting covid-19 and the decision violated their rights under the Americans with Disabilities...
ACMH Hospital nurses vote to authorize potential strike
A clash over wages and staffing has led to a potential strike by the nursing staff at ACMH Hospital near Kittanning. ACMH Nurses United, which represents 213 staffers at the hospital along Nolte Drive, voted Wednesday to authorize a strike after being what they called “pushed to the brink by...
Pittsburgh man charged with DUI in crash that damaged Baldwin home
A Pittsburgh man said he blacked out on the way home from a South Hills bar before he crashed into a family’s home in Baldwin, according to the charges against him. Michael Deery, 53, faces two counts of driving under the influence and a half-dozen summary citations in connection with...
What to expect from President Biden’s Pittsburgh visit
President Joe Biden will visit Pittsburgh on Friday to tout the recently passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill with a stop planned at Carnegie Mellon University’s Mill 19 research and development center in Hazelwood. Pittsburgh Public Safety said Thursday that motorists should expect some delays and road closures because of the...
Report looks at how Wilkinsburg annexation would impact Pittsburgh Public Schools
Proponents of Pittsburgh’s proposed annexation of Wilkinsburg have shared data regarding a potential merger of Wilkinsburg’s schools with Pittsburgh Public Schools, ahead of a final vote on the measure expected within the next two weeks. Wilkinsburg Community Development Corp., the group that spearheaded the effort to have Wilkinsburg annexed into...
