Top Stories category, Page 1013
Documentary aims to bring attention, solution to ‘Food Desert’ in downtown New Kensington
To feed his 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter, Joel Gabelli relies on what he can find at Family Dollar, Dollar General and — sometimes, when he feels like walking farther — Sheetz. With rare access to a vehicle, Gabelli isn’t able to get from his Kensington Manor home in downtown...
Diamond run: After more than 80 years in business, Pittsburgh’s Schiffman’s Jewelers closing Saturday
At 3 p.m. Saturday only the sparkling memories will remain. Schiffman’s Jewelers, a staple in the Clark Building in Downtown Pittsburgh for more than eight decades, is closing. “In the words of King Solomon in the Book of Ecclesiastes, there is ‘A time to be born and a time to...
Police: Lower Burrell woman hit a mom, daughter at Tarentum Bridge, kept driving and went shopping
Police say a Lower Burrell woman stopped at a nearby Giant Eagle for 20 minutes just after hitting a woman and her daughter with her SUV near the foot of the Tarentum Bridge in Tarentum on Dec. 30. Allegheny County Police on Friday charged Lois A. Davis, 55, with two...
Ice, slick conditions impact region’s northern counties; Allegheny, Westmoreland miss the worst
Westmoreland and Allegheny counties largely missed a weather system that moved through the state this weekend, bringing with it freezing rain and slick conditions for several counties in northern parts of the region. Freezing rain impacted several areas north of Interstate 80, which were under a winter weather advisory for...
Report: Pittsburgh on short-list for potential 2024 Republican National Convention sites
Could Pittsburgh potentially host the next Republican National Convention? The city is on the GOP national committee’s shortlist for 2024, according to a report in Politico.com, along with Milwaukee, Nashville and Salt Lake City. “We always welcome commerce in the City of Pittsburgh, whether it’s filling our hotel rooms or...
Allegheny County Jail circumventing ban on solitary confinement, non-lethal weapons, critic says
Allegheny County Jail officials sought assistance early last year from the Department of Justice’s National Institute of Corrections, which provides training and services to local and state facilities. The jail for years has been the subject of criticism and repeated lawsuits for violations ranging from the use of excessive force...
PennDOT, Alle-Kiski municipalities treat roads differently when the snow starts to fall
The first significant snow of the season blanketed the Alle-Kiski Valley on Thursday evening leaving motorists with a mixed bag of road conditions for their Friday morning commute. Almost 2 inches of snow fell in New Kensington, and Westmoreland County saw a snowfall of between 2 and 5 inches in...
Diocese of Pittsburgh announces new safety protocols in response to surges in covid
All Diocese of Pittsburgh priests, deacons, choir members and everyone entrusted with the distribution of Holy Communion must wear masks during Mass, according to new safety protocols announced by diocese officials Friday. The diocesan protocol updates are based on the surge in community spread of covid and the highly contagious...
Man accused of shooting woman 5 times outside Tarentum apartment building to stand trial for homicide
A man charged with shooting a 30-year-old Tarentum woman to death outside her apartment in December will stand trial on homicide charges, an Allegheny County judge ruled Friday. Homicide detectives testified at a preliminary hearing for DaShawn Frederick, 26, of Wilkinsburg, saying he fired seven shots from a 9 mm...
Sidney Poitier was inspiration to Pittsburgh’s Black actors, playwrights
Sidney Poitier’s groundbreaking work as a film actor and director is being hailed by prominent figures in Pittsburgh’s rich arts and entertainment community as the inspiration for their careers as actors, directors and playwrights. Poitier, the first Black actor to win an Oscar for his performance as a handyman in...
Plowing continues on snow-covered Pittsburgh streets
Crews with Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works were still working to clear snowy and icy roads on Friday after the first significant snowfall of the season Thursday evening. Enough city streets remained covered in snow and ice Friday morning to prompt school closures for Pittsburgh Public Schools, which moved to...
Mary Conturo to leave roles with Sports & Exhibition Authority, Pittsburgh Stadium Authority
Mary Conturo said Friday she will be leaving her positions as executive director of the Sports & Exhibition Authority and Pittsburgh Stadium Authority after about two decades on the jobs. “We are enormously grateful to Mary for her 18 years of skilled leadership as the authorities’ facilities were developed,” said...
Sidney Poitier — Oscar winner, groundbreaking star — dead at 94
Sidney Poitier, the groundbreaking actor and enduring inspiration who transformed how Black people were portrayed on screen, became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for best lead performance and the first to be a top box-office draw, has died. He was 94. Poitier, winner of the best...
Pittsburgh Restaurant Week is an opportunity to try something new
Let someone else do the cooking. Pittsburgh Restaurant Week starts Monday. The semi-annual event runs through Sunday, with some establishments participating through Jan. 23. The restaurants are offering new menu items with some discounting meals from their standard fare. In addition to changing up the menu, some highlight their local...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Jan. 7-9
It’s the weekend. Don’t let the snow stop you from getting out. Pittsburgh RV Show The Pittsburgh RV Show is celebrating its 55th anniversary beginning this weekend at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m....
Weather cancels in-person learning at Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pittsburgh Public Schools students will learn from home Friday because of snow- and ice-covered roads, officials announced. Students can access their lessons in the online platform Schoology. The day will follow the regular bell schedule of each school. Earlier this week, the district closed several schools because of covid-related staffing...
Construction company wants to buy former Tarentum roller rink, use it for equipment storage
A Wexford-based construction company is seeking to buy the old Tarena roller-skating rink in Tarentum and convert it into a storage facility. Representatives of Bridges and Company Inc. appeared before the Tarentum Planning Commission on Wednesday to outline its plan and gain the commission’s recommendation that council approve the project....
1 resident dead, another injured in Beechview house fire
One person died and another was injured early Friday in a fire in Pittsburgh’s Beechview neighborhood, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety officials. Emergency crews responded at about 2 a.m. to the house fire in the 700 block of Sebring Avenue. Authorities said the crews found a woman, 79, and man,...
Teacher shortage stokes covid threat for W.Pa. schools fighting to stay in the classroom
More than 5,000 schools across the country, including in Pittsburgh, spent last week teaching children remotely or delaying their return to the classroom as covid infections continued to skyrocket with the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant. While the vast majority of districts in Southwestern Pennsylvania and elsewhere have...
Worker killed in Fayette County mine collapse
One person has died in a mine collapse in Fayette County. Emergency crews worked for more than eight hours to free the worker at the Laurel Aggregate Lake Lynn Mine on Springhill Furnace Road in Springhill Township near the West Virginia border. Saturday morning, the company that owns the mine,...
Turnpike reopens following crash Thursday night
The eastbound side of the Pennsylvania Turnpike was back open around 11 p.m., following a crash that shut down multiple lanes Thursday night. The crash was reported shortly before 10 p.m. just west of the Pittsburgh/Monroeville exit. 911 officials said three lanes of the Turnpike were closed as crews worked...
Edgeworth man sentenced to federal prison, ordered to repay nearly $2 million for tax evasion
An Edgeworth man convicted of tax evasion has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and has been ordered to pay nearly $2 million in restitution. In imposing the sentence on Dean Britton, 57, U.S. Senior District Judge Nora Barry Fischer Judge Fischer said the case was one of...
Woodland Hills School District shifts to remote learning the rest of the month due to covid cases, related issues
Woodland Hills School District is moving to virtual learning for the rest of the month due to rising covid cases and related issues, district officials announced Thursday. Teachers and building administration will still need report to their buildings each day while the district is in virtual learning. The shift was...
Coraopolis man charged with attempted bus stop kidnapping
Police have charged a 40-year-old Coraopolis man with attempting to kidnap a 9-year-old Cornell Elementary student on Thursday morning. William Goring, 40, is charged with attempted kidnapping, attempting to interfere with custody of a child, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment and aggravated assault. Police said Goring approached a young girl at...
PennDOT lifts speed limit restriction on major roads
Speed limit restrictions were lifted Friday morning after a snowy, slippery night across Western Pennsylvania. The reductions were put in place Thursday night and PennDOT urged motorists to avoid unnecessary travel as crews cleared major roads in the area. Around 7 a.m. Friday, the restrictions ended on Interstates 70 and...
