Top Stories category, Page 1016
Diocese of Pittsburgh to lift mask mandates for church and school at month’s end
Mask mandates will end in Catholic schools and parishes in the Diocese of Pittsburgh at the end of the month, diocesan officials said Tuesday. The mask requirement will be lifted Saturday, Feb. 26 for parishioners and Monday, Feb. 28 for students at diocesan elementary and high schools. Masks will still...
Mail-in ballot applications sent to voters as questions remain ahead of May primary
About 350,000 applications for mail-in ballots were sent to voters in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties over the past two weeks as local election officials prepare for a May primary election in the midst of uncertainty over the legality of the state’s voting laws and jurisdictions of congressional and state legislative...
Answer to dog-or-coyote question doesn’t surprise Westmoreland woman who found animal
Christina Eyth wasn’t exactly surprised to learn the genetic results of an animal she found shivering and scared underneath her Fairfield porch Jan. 17. “I kind of saw it coming,” she said Tuesday. “I figured it was going to be a coyote.” The dog-or-coyote debate was laid to rest Monday...
Outdoor dining, retail proposal approved by Pittsburgh City Council
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved a measure that will allow restaurants and retailers to continue using sidewalks and streets for outdoor dining and retail, something that became popular during the covid-19 pandemic. The legislation, introduced by Councilman Bobby Wilson earlier this month, allows businesses to apply for permits to...
Justice Department finds Pa. courts discriminated against people with opioid use disorder
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Courts in Pennsylvania violated federal law by telling people to stop taking life-saving addiction medications, the Department of Justice...
Westmoreland sheriff resumes walk-in applications for concealed carry gun permits
After nearly two years of Westmoreland County residents having to make an appointment to acquire a permit to carry a concealed gun, Sheriff James Albert said walk-in applications once again are being accepted. Since March 30, 2020, because of social distancing recommendations connected with the coronavirus outbreak, the sheriff’s department...
Deer hunting popularity on rise in Pennsylvania
When it comes to hunting, there’s no doubt that the white-tailed deer is the premier game animal in the country due to its widespread range and the opportunities that sportsmen have to pursue it. A recent report by the National Deer Association (NDA), however, highlights just how popular deer hunting...
Biden: U.S. has not verified claim of Russia troop withdrawalVideo
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that he welcomed a security dialogue with the West as his military reported pulling back some of its troops near Ukraine. But U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.S. had not verified Russia’s claim and that an invasion was still a distinct...
Vandergrift’s Sweetlane hosts ‘Big Bucker’ food challenge to highlight expanded menu
Brett Zambotti recently traveled from his home in Kittanning to downtown Vandergrift with a gastric goal — take The Big Bucker food challenge at Sweetlane Chocolate Shop. The old-fashioned confectionery broadened its range last month, offering breakfast and lunch. To promote the expanded menu, Sweetlane created a breakfast sandwich that’s...
Norwin board pulls plug on CNN 10
The Norwin School Board pulled the plug Monday on daily broadcasts of CNN 10 to middle school students, and the television will be shut off in the classrooms unless students, teachers or administrators want them to watch the broadcast or videos pertaining to topics such as Veterans Day or the...
Maryland man pleads guilty after selling U.S. nuclear data to undercover FBI agent
A Maryland man who worked at Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in West Mifflin pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges after prosecutors say he delivered restricted data on the design of U.S. nuclear warships to an undercover federal agent he believed was representing a foreign government. Jonathan Toebbe, 43, of Annapolis, used...
Mazars accounting firm: Trump financial statements aren’t reliable
NEW YORK — The accounting firm that prepared former President Donald Trump’s annual financial statements says the documents, used to secure lucrative loans and burnish Trump’s image as a wealthy businessman, “should no longer be relied upon” after New York’s attorney general said they regularly misstated the value of assets....
Aldi to build new store on Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington
Aldi has been confirmed as the grocery store that will be built on the site of a former Kmart on Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington. The city’s planning commission approved a land development plan for the project, along with a ModWash car wash, said Tony Males, New Kensington’s engineer...
Judge dismisses Palin libel lawsuit against New York Times
NEW YORK — A judge said Monday he’ll dismiss a libel lawsuit that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin filed against The New York Times, claiming the newspaper damaged her reputation with an editorial falsely linking her campaign rhetoric to a mass shooting. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff made the ruling...
Budget report on Pa. education agency provokes spat between lawmakers, watchdogs
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — With a single sentence tucked 15 pages into an otherwise dry budget report on the state Department of Education,...
Pittsburgh woman gets 6 to 12 months in fatal Route 51 crash that killed her cousin
Allison Matthew stopped halfway through her court statement Monday, unable to continue because she was sobbing. About a year earlier, Matthew had been drunk while driving a car that reached speeds of nearly 102 mph before crashing on Pittsburgh’s Saw Mill Run Boulevard, killing her cousin. “I’ve not been able...
Oakmont Bakery pumping out pastries with help from businesses after wreck damages building
Baking is back to full capacity at Oakmont Bakery after a vehicle crashed into the building late Friday. Several local companies made quick work of repairing damage — and local competitors offered use of their ovens. “The owners of Bethel Bakery, Prantl’s Bakery and Pastries A-La-Carte reached out to offer...
Police: Turtle Creek mother found in woods dead was shot
An Uber driver with four children who was found dead Saturday in a wooded area in Monroeville had been shot, Allegheny County Police said Monday. Christi Spicuzza, 38, of Turtle Creek, was reported missing by her family Friday night after she did not return home from driving several Uber fares,...
Man found guilty of first-degree murder in shooting of father of former Pitt, NBA player
A Wilkinsburg man was found guilty Monday of first-degree murder in a 2019 shooting death in the borough. Dilon Bartifay, 34, faces a mandatory prison term of life without parole in the Nov. 16, 2019, killing of Gregory Lamont Blair Sr., the father of former University of Pittsburgh basketball star...
Maria Montaño named press secretary for Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said Monday that he has appointed Maria Montaño to be his administration’s press secretary. With the appointment, Montaño becomes the city’s first openly transgender woman to serve as a mayoral press secretary. “She brings a wealth of communications, media and lived experience to my administration, and...
What to know about Super Bowl 56, from Cooper Kupp to Eminem
From a thrilling late touchdown drive that gave the Rams a 23-20 win over the Bengals, to Eminem taking a knee and Meadow Soprano driving an electric Chevy, here’s what happened Sunday at Super Bowl 56. HERE’S WHY THE RAMS WON THE SUPER BOWL: Down 20-16, the Rams went on...
Troopers say Apollo man stalked ex-girlfriend using tracking device on her vehicle
Pennsylvania State Police said a 58-year-old Apollo man was stalking a Vandergrift woman through a tracking device hidden on her vehicle, according to court records. Ronald D. Roessler was arrested and arraigned on two counts of stalking and single charges of loitering, prowling and tampering with evidence, according to state...
PennDOT set to replace poor-rated Mt. Pleasant Township bridge, posts plans online
PennDOT is planning to replace a bridge in Mt. Pleasant Township that is among more than 140 state-inspected spans in Westmoreland County rated in poor condition. The project on Ankney Hill Road is slated for construction from the spring of 2023 through the following fall, according to a virtual plans...
Halftime Review: Dre, Snoop and friends deliver epic showVideo
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Dr. Dre & Co. took the weight of the hip-hop culture on the Super Bowl stage, shouldered the pressure from skeptics and delivered a strong halftime show to prove that edgy rap can work at the world’s biggest sporting events. All it took was hip-hop’s most controversial...
Buffalo Township supervisors approve 100 new homes for Twin Oaks development
Buffalo Township has given the green light for the Twin Oaks development to add another 100 single-family houses. The township supervisors voted 3-0 Wednesday night to approve a conditional use petition that will allow the additional houses to be built. The new units will be built on 60 acres of...
