Top Stories category, Page 1024
Pittsburgh EMS chief recounts swift, selfless response to Fern Hollow Bridge collapse
Pittsburgh EMS District Chief Antwain Carter said he found the emergency dispatch hard to believe at first. A dispatcher came over the radio and said a woman had called screaming, reporting that Pittsburgh’s Fern Hollow Bridge had collapsed at Forbes and South Braddock avenues. Carter looked at the other district...
Southmoreland’s Ron Frederick dies day after learning he would be named head football coach
When Dave Keefer resigned as Southmoreland’s football coach last month, he recommended assistant coach Ron Frederick for the job. Keefer talked to Frederick before Frederick’s interview Tuesday with school officials. Frederick, a 1999 Southmoreland graduate, left the meeting knowing the job — his dream job — was his. Frederick, 40,...
Allegheny County has plans to repair all of its poorly rated bridges
Allegheny County said Thursday that it plans to repair, replace or remove all 27 of its poorly rated bridges within the next few years. In the wake of last week’s collapse of the poorly rated Fern Hollow Bridge, which was owned and maintained by the city of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County...
From rain to sleet to snow, Pittsburgh region endures winter storm
PennDOT has ordered commercial vehicles off the interstates in Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Parkways East, West and North and Route 28 as of late Thursday afternoon. That’s because of the storm that coated roads with a wintry mix of freezing rain, ice and sleet, according to the National Weather Service in...
Pittsburgh looks to continue allowing businesses to use outdoor space for dining, displays
Pittsburgh City Council is considering legislation that would allow restaurants and retailers to continue using sidewalks and streets for outdoor seating or shopping, as many have during the pandemic. The legislation, sponsored by Councilman Bobby Wilson, would allow businesses to apply for permits to use sidewalks and roadways to expand...
Family seeks justice for former Springdale High football player shot to death
The family of Jorden “Flashlight” Lee Puskar, who was shot to death Jan. 22 in Avalon, is looking for justice — and the death penalty for the suspect in the killing. Puskar, 21, of Coraopolis was a 2019 graduate of Springdale High School, where he played tight end for the...
A plunge in Facebook’s parent company weighs on tech stocksVideo
A historic plunge in the stock price of Facebook’s parent company helped yank other tech stocks lower on Wall Street Thursday, abruptly ending a four-day winning streak for the market. The 26.4% wipeout in Meta Platforms, as Facebook’s owner is now known, erased more than $230 billion in market value,...
Pittsburgh officials urge residents to stay home with icy, snowy conditions on the way
Pittsburgh officials said crews are prepared to begin clearing roads during the anticipated winter storm, though they urged residents to stay off the roads if possible. Rain that began Wednesday night is expected to transition to ice and snow Thursday and into Friday. Temperatures are expected to be below freezing...
Sheetz vying for best regional fast food in USA Today reader poll
We know how much you love your Sheetz shnacks and shweets. Now is your chance to let the rest of the country know how good they are. The Altoona-based convenience store chain has been selected by USA Today as a finalist for this year’s Best Regional Fast Food Reader’s Choice...
ISIS leader blows up self, family as U.S. attacks Syria hideoutVideo
ATMEH, Syria — The leader of the Islamic State group blew himself up along with members of his family as American forces raided his Syria hideout Thursday, the U.S. said — the second time in three years the United States has taken out a leader of the violent group that...
Police: Brackenridge woman leapt from second-story window in New Kensington to avoid arrest
New Kensington police say a woman leaped out of a second-story window to get away from officers who came to arrest her for trashing a house and swinging a knife at the owner when he told her to leave. Khayla Jean Loughner, 32, of Eighth Avenue, Brackenridge, was charged with...
12 infrastructure fails in the Pittsburgh region, including Fern Hollow Bridge
Last week, catastrophe struck Frick Park as the Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed and tumbled to the ravine floor. Fortunately, no one was killed or seriously injured, but the collapse took several vehicles with it, including a Port Authority bus. The collapse made national headlines, and even garnered attention from President...
New Kensington-Arnold students to take snow-covered sidewalk concerns to cities’ officials
Despite temperatures well above freezing, stretches of sidewalks in New Kensington and Arnold still could be found covered in snow Wednesday as the region braced for the next winter storm expected to bring a mix of snow and ice. The last measurable snow fell Jan. 28, according to the National...
Man accused in Wilkinsburg massacre sues Allegheny County over ‘malicious prosecution’
One of two men accused of killing six people and an unborn child in a 2016 massacre in Wilkinsburg on Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit against the police officers who investigated the case, alleging misconduct and malicious prosecution. The suit, filed by Robert J. Thomas, 33, names as defendants Allegheny...
Trib CEO Jennifer Bertetto in Senate testimony: Local publishers should be able to bargain with digital giantsVideo
Local news outlets should be able to negotiate for fair compensation from large digital platforms that use their content, Trib Total Media President and CEO Jennifer Bertetto testified Wednesday before a U.S. Senate subcommittee. Bertetto spoke in favor of a measure that she said would ensure the survival of news...
Pennsylvania Supreme Court takes control of redrawing state’s congressional map
This article is part of a yearlong reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It is made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court took control of the high-stakes selection...
Westmoreland DA Nicole Ziccarelli seeks removal of 2 elected constables
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli is seeking to remove two elected constables from office, one in Arona and another in New Kensington. Ziccarelli, a first-term Republican who took office in January after ousting Democrat John Peck — who served as the county’s top prosecutor for a quarter century —...
Allegheny health director: ‘Measured cause for optimism’ despite pandemic’s deadly January toll
Allegheny County saw 236 covid-19-related deaths in January, the third deadliest month since the pandemic began and the deadliest since vaccines became widely available, county health officials said. Ninety were among those ages 80 and older, 18 were in their 50s and 13 were under the age of 50, the...
Parkway West bridge reopens in Rosslyn Farms after being struck
The bridge carrying traffic from Rosslyn Road to the inbound side of the Parkway West has reopened after a vehicle struck it on Wednesday afternoon. PennDOT officials announced via their Twitter feed that the structure carrying traffic from Rosslyn Road to eastbound I-376 was closed shortly after 6 p.m. while...
Winter storm warning issued for Pittsburgh region as massive weather system moves across U.S.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for a cold front expected to bring the dreaded “wintry mix” of snow and sleet to the Pittsburgh region Thursday. Freezing rain is expected to begin in Pittsburgh by 4 p.m. and in points east by 6 p.m. on Thursday,...
Pa. health officials visit Youngwood pharmacy to boost covid vaccine efforts
The 25,000 covid-19 vaccines delivered over the past year by a Westmoreland County community pharmacy were lauded Wednesday by acting Pennsylvania Health Secretary Keara Klinepeter. However, there is still work to be done in a county that ranks 27th in Pennsylvania in percentage of residents fully vaccinated, according to state...
Wolf, Democrats outline proposal for $1.7B in pandemic funds
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s governor and his Democratic allies in the Legislature on Wednesday laid out a proposal to spend federal pandemic relief money on workers, environmental and climate change programs as well as a one-time property tax subsidy for lower-income homeowners and renters. The plan was announced less than a...
Former priest facing sex charges dies 8 days after being found unresponsive in Allegheny County Jail
A 77-year-old man being held in Allegheny County Jail died Sunday at a local hospital — eight days after being found unresponsive in his cell. Paul Spisak, who was jailed Jan. 4 after police said he used a cellphone to record a 13-year-old boy in a Target bathroom stall in...
Fayette County coroner releases identity of woman killed in duplex fire
The Fayette County Coroner’s office has released the identity of a 90-year-old woman who was killed after a fire broke out in her Grindstone home Tuesday afternoon. Coroner Dr. Phillip Reilly said Peggy L. Caringola died in the blaze that severely damaged her home on the 100 block of E....
Pittsburgh City Council defends proposed 15% pay raise
Pittsburgh City Council members on Tuesday defended a proposed pay raise for themselves, but froze the proposed increase until they could further consult with the city’s legal department and other officials. Council President Theresa Kail-Smith said former Mayor Bill Peduto’s administration proposed boosting council members’ pay from $72,000 to $83,000...
