Top Stories category, Page 1027
Allegheny County judge grants name changes sought by 2 transgender women with prior felonies
An Allegheny County Common Pleas judge on Wednesday said that a Pennsylvania law barring people with felony convictions from legally changing their names is unconstitutional. Judge Christine Ward then granted name change petitions to two transgender women with prior felony convictions. Chauntey Mo’Nique Porter and Priscylla Renee Von Noaker testified...
Westmoreland Co. lawmaker offers to help with vaccine exemptions as covid-19 infections surge
A state lawmaker is offering “vaccination exemption assistance,” while local health officials plead with residents to mask up and get vaccinated and Excela Health struggles to deal with covid-19 infections that have pushed its three Westmoreland County hospitals beyond capacity. State Rep. Leslie Rossi, R-Unity, said she offered help to...
FBI suspects more victims in Penn Hills man’s alleged ‘sextortion’ scheme
Federal authorities said Wednesday they believe there are more victims of a Penn Hills man accused last month of extorting minors into providing explicit photos and videos. Kaung Myat Kyaw, 22, was arrested in November and charged federally with enticing a minor to provide sexually explicit content. He was ordered...
Arbitrator judge reinstates former Wilkinsburg police officer to Penn Hills
An arbitrator judge has reinstated former Wilkinsburg police officer Robert Gowans to the Penn Hills Police Department. Penn Hills manager Scott Andrejchak said Gowans was reinstated Nov. 24. The officer’s first day on the job was Dec. 13. Andrejchak declined to comment further. Penn Hills Police Department hired Gowans in...
Go ‘Acereros?’ NFL awards Mexico to Steelers as an ‘international home marketing area’
The Pittsburgh Steelers long have been one of the most popular teams in Mexico. Now, the NFL has made it official that the Steelers’ turf, in part, extends south of the border. Mexico was designated as an “International Home Marketing Area” of the Steelers for a five-year term beginning in...
Lawsuit: Accused killer’s parents, counselor covered up evidence in Fox Chapel shooting death
The mother of a man who was shot and killed in Fox Chapel two years ago is suing the alleged killer’s parents and their marriage counselor, accusing the three of covering up evidence of the crime. T. Lee Rouse believes that if Adam Rosenberg’s parents would have been forthright when...
Differing reports given regarding contractor hurt in 30-foot fall at Valley High School
The New Kensington-Arnold School District and an attorney who says she is representing the victim’s family gave differing reports about the condition of a repairman who fell through Valley High School’s auditorium ceiling Tuesday morning. New Kensington-Arnold Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said he was told Wednesday evening the man was being...
Pennsylvania revises Confederate markers, recasts forces as ‘enemy’ soldiers
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. After removing a trio of Confederate historical markers an hour west of Gettysburg, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has replaced...
Pittsburgh City Council looks to create food justice fund with $1.8M in pandemic relief money
Pittsburgh City Council is considering a proposal to use $1.8 million in federal pandemic relief money to create a food justice fund. “We’re hoping to be able to invest in the kinds of businesses or nonprofits that are part of our food system,” said Councilwoman Deb Gross, who sponsored the...
North Huntingdon native’s E-Z Drinks kit showcased on ‘America’s Big Deal’
A North Huntingdon native who is a senior strategist for a New York City hedge fund will be on a nationally televised show Thursday promoting a different kind of business — his kit of a customized cocktail pitcher with five “rulers” listing the ingredients and amounts needed to create 20...
Prantl’s opens a 5th location — on Pittsburgh’s North Side
Prantl’s bakery is expanding — both in location and tasty treats. A fifth shop opened inside the former Priory Fine Pastries on East Ohio Street on Pittsburgh’s North Side. “We hope to carry on the tradition the Priory had in the neighborhood,” said Prantl’s owner Joe Cugliari. “They had a...
D’s Six Pax & Dogz in Swissvale reopens after fire
Four months after a suspected arson fire led to its closure D’s Six Pax & Dogz restaurant in Regent Square is reopening. D’s posted an announcement that it would open at 11 a.m. Wednesday on its Facebook and Instagram pages. A worker who answered the phone there confirmed they would...
Greensburg man scammed church out of money, police said
A Greensburg man is accused of taking money from a church and a grocery store when cashing a check from a second church, according to police. Anthony Lawrence McGeachy, 46, of Greensburg, is charged with theft and bad checks in two cases. “We understand that this time of year, there...
O.J. Simpson a ‘completely free man’; parole ends in Nevada
LAS VEGAS — O.J. Simpson is a free man. The 74-year-old former football hero and actor, acquitted California murder defendant and convicted Las Vegas armed robber was granted good behavior credits and discharged from parole effective Dec. 1, Nevada State Police spokeswoman Kim Yoko Smith said Tuesday. “Mr. Simpson is...
13-year-old boy charged in shooting death of 5-year-old brother in Penn Hills
A 13-year-old boy is facing homicide and gun charges in the shooting death of his 5-year-old brother in Penn Hills last month. Keegan McGivern was arrested Tuesday in connection with the death of his brother Connor Wolfe, who was found shot in their Prescott Drive home on Nov. 22, officials...
House votes to hold Mark Meadows in contempt in Jan. 6 probeVideo
WASHINGTON — The House voted Tuesday to hold former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt of Congress after he ceased to cooperate with the Jan. 6 Committee investigating the Capitol insurrection — making it the first time the chamber has voted to hold a former member in...
Police seek suspect in Homewood armed robbery
Pittsburgh police are seeking information on an armed robbery Tuesday evening at the Family Dollar in Homewood. Officers were called to the Family Dollar on the 8000 block of Frankstown Avenue just before 6 p.m. A female employee said that a man threatened her with a pistol and took roughly...
Police: Missing Kiski Township man believed to be in danger found safe
A Kiski Township man who was reported missing and considered in danger has been found safe, according to police. Township police were searching for Damian Day, 22, who had not been seen since leaving his residence around 9:15 p.m. Tuesday. Police issued a notice on social media around midnight on...
Trump loses bid to block his tax returns from Congress
WASHINGTON — A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Tuesday that was brought by former President Donald Trump in his attempt to block congressional lawmakers from obtaining his tax returns. The ruling, handed down by U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden — a former Justice Department official and Trump appointee — found...
U.S. covid death toll hits 800,000, a year into vaccine drive
The U.S. death toll from covid-19 topped 800,000 on Tuesday, a once-unimaginable figure seen as doubly tragic, given that more than 200,000 of those lives were lost after the vaccine became available practically for the asking last spring. The number of deaths, as compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is about...
Shots fired outside Walmart in The Waterworks mall, police looking for 4 suspects
A Pittsburgh police SWAT team responded to the Walmart department store at The Waterworks mall Tuesday evening after shots had been fired. Wendell Hissrich, Pittsburgh Public Safety director, said the shooting happened outside Walmart. He believes the shooters were inside the store and came outside when multiple shots were fired....
Covid cases create ‘desperate’ situation at Westmoreland hospitals
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the omicron variant of covid-19 has eclipsed delta in terms of transmissibility, rising caseloads have created a “desperate” situation at local hospitals, according to the medical director of Westmoreland County’s 911 center. In an email addressed Monday to all county...
Penn Township woman arrested for 2 DUIs in 19 hours, police say
A 63-year-old Penn Township woman was accused of drunken driving after crashes on Sunday and Monday nights, township police said. Mary Anne Brennan also has two previous DUI convictions, police said. The Sunday crash happened about 10:30 p.m., when she crashed on Hyland Road and the car she was driving...
Congress sends Biden $2.5T debt limit hike, avoiding default
WASHINGTON — Congress averted a catastrophic debt default early Wednesday morning after Democratic majorities in both chambers voted to send a $2.5 trillion increase in the nation’s borrowing authority to President Joe Biden over lockstep Republican opposition. Capping a marathon day, the House gave final approval to the legislation early...
Pittsburgh approves parking code with non-resident permits, hybrid areas
After multiple tweaks to the legislation, Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved a change to the city’s parking code that now creates hybrid residential parking permit areas and non-resident parking permits. The legislation, introduced by Councilman Bobby Wilson in October, paves the way for the creation of hybrid parking permit...
