Top Stories category, Page 1096
FDA advisers back Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11
WASHINGTON — The United States moved a step closer to expanding covid-19 vaccinations for millions more children as a panel of government advisers on Tuesday endorsed kid-size doses of Pfizer’s shots for 5- to 11-year-olds. A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted unanimously, with one abstention, that the vaccine’s...
Lawsuit: FedEx truck driver’s headphones may have contributed to deadly 2020 Pa. Turnpike crash involving tour bus
If a FedEx truck driver hadn’t been wearing noise-canceling headphones, he might have avoided crashing into an overturned tour bus in January 2020 as part of a Pennsylvania Turnpike wreck that killed five people and injured 14 in Westmoreland County, according to a civil lawsuit. The complaint, filed in Philadelphia...
Sewickley Academy settles with Black former administrator who filed race discrimination lawsuit
The former director of admissions and financial aid at Sewickley Academy who was fired this summer has settled a federal lawsuit he filed against the school. Federal court records show U.S. Magistrate Maureen P. Kelly signed the order dismissing Douglas Leek’s case against Sewickley Academy on Monday. Attorney Sam Cordes,...
Pittsburgh police to lease former Steamfitters building in Duquesne Heights
Pittsburgh will lease a former Steamfitters Local Union 449 building in the city’s Duquesne Heights neighborhood to consolidate police operations, allowing the city to redevelop other sites that police are currently using. City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved legislation allowing the city to lease 1517 Woodruff St. The city will...
Police: Youngwood man ‘forgot’ cocaine baggies in sock when booked into county jail
A Youngwood man told police he forgot he had two baggies of cocaine in his sock as he was being processed this month at Westmoreland County Prison, police said. When George R. Weightman III, 43, was picked up Oct. 9 on an arrest warrant for theft, a jail guard found...
‘Buy it when you see it’: Retailers dread holiday shortages
NEW YORK — The Perfect Pigg, a gift shop owned by Ginger Pigg, is the go-to place for residents of Cumming, Ga., to pick up gift items like kids toys and home goods. But this year, store shelves might be a little sparse. Because of bottlenecks in the global supply...
Where have all the students gone?: Western Pa. colleges struggle with declining enrollment
Colleges across the region, ranging from the University of Pittsburgh to local community colleges, are mirroring troubling national trends in enrollment. In a development experts say could lead to gaps in the workforce and affect the nation’s economic health for years to come, college enrollment is down overall for the...
Public hearing on proposed Amazon site in Churchill ends after 50-plus hours of testimony
A public hearing that spanned 14 days and included more than 55 hours of testimony regarding a proposed Amazon distribution center in Churchill has concluded, meaning local officials will render a decision on the project’s future within 45 days. A vocal group of residents has strongly opposed the project, which...
Prosecutor drops felony charge against central Pa. man for 43-cent ‘theft’
The Perry County district attorney’s office dismissed a felony charge that Pennsylvania State Police had filed against a homeless man after he paid $2 for Mt. Dew drink that cost $2.29. Joseph Sobolewski maintained all along that his arrest for retail theft after visiting the Exxon at 3298 Susquehanna Trail...
PennDOT policy change adds cost to Lower Burrell VFW’s Veterans Day parade
After decades of holding the annual Veterans Day parade in Lower Burrell, the local VFW doesn’t understand why they now have to pay $450 in insurance to stage this year’s parade. “For what we have done for this country, the sacrifice and soldiers risking their lives, and now with a...
Highlands considering fixes for pool that leaks 300 gallons an hour
Highlands High School could be without its pool for the next several months if leaders greenlight a major renovation to resolve costly leaks. “We’ve had problems for a while, and we’ve spent more than $4,800 so far trying to solve the issue,” said Chris Reiser, the district’s buildings and grounds...
Person killed when train hits truck in Jefferson Hills
One person was killed when a dump truck collided with a train in Jefferson Hills, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. The victim has not been identified. The incident happened at about 10:30 p.m. Monday. A Wheeling and Lake Erie train had been crossing Route 51 near Worthington Drive when...
One Day to Remember creates memories for terminally ill Western Pa. parents and their familiesVideo
As an oncology nurse at Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh, Rachel Antin saw the pain. A sick parent would give everything he or she had to get well enough to be with their children. Antin watched as families struggled to find time together, away from the chemotherapy and blood tests...
82-year-old man killed in South Huntingdon crash
An 82-year-old man was killed in a single-vehicle crash Sunday evening in South Huntingdon, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Kenneth Bacha. John W. Labasky Jr., of Sewickley Township, was pronounced dead at Excela Health Frick Hospital, Bacha said. According to a coroner’s report, Labasky was driving west on Stants Road...
Pa. Rep. Nelson, parents file suit against 4 Westmoreland school districts over mask mandate
A group of parents, along with state Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield, filed a lawsuit against several local school districts alleging the state-issued mask mandate is unconstitutional. The suit was filed in Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas against Hempfield Area, Norwin, Penn-Trafford and Kiski Area school districts by a group of...
What can be done about police officer shortage?
Continued difficulty in hiring police officers is driving conversations among police chiefs and departments across the region in hopes of a solution to their staffing problems. A roundtable discussion Monday in Latrobe broached using state money for sign-up bonuses and to pay for training and certification courses, Latrobe police Chief...
Former animal control officer files lawsuit alleging false arrest after abuse charges against him dismissed
A former Pittsburgh animal control officer who had a felony charge of animal abuse against him dismissed last month on Monday filed a federal lawsuit against the police officer who charged him, as well as other witnesses in the case alleging that they conspired against him. James A. Genco III...
’60 Minutes’ Michael Keaton interview covers his love of PittsburghVideo
The CBS newsmagazine “60 Minutes,” known for its ticking stopwatch, devoted a good portion of its program Sunday night to discovering what makes Michael Keaton tick. Keaton, a Robinson Township native, has achieved enormous success as an A-List actor in Hollywood for the past three decades. He has sustained his...
Former Jeannette man returns to court to appeal conviction for house fire that killed wife, sons
A former Jeannette man serving three consecutive life sentences in connection with the 1993 deaths of his wife and two young children in a house fire appeared Monday in a Westmoreland County courtroom as part of his ongoing appeal. James C. Young, 54, has maintained since his 1995 trial that...
Pennsylvania lawmakers get started on bills aimed at lobbyist influence
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s state House of Representatives on Monday began advancing a package of bills aimed at lobbyist influence, including limiting gifts from lobbyists and prohibiting lobbyists from trying to influence an elected official for whom they also worked as a campaign strategist. The bills won passage in the House...
Man pleads guilty to 2020 shooting death in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood
A man from Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood pleaded guilty Monday to voluntary manslaughter in the 2020 shooting death of another man. Daejon Brentley, 21, will be sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Anthony M. Mariani on Jan. 19. He also pleaded guilty to a firearms count. A criminal complaint filed...
Panel OKs data for redrawing Pa. Assembly, Congress district maps
HARRISBURG — The five-person commission redrawing Pennsylvania General Assembly district lines gave its approval on Monday to adjusted and validated census-based data they will use to craft preliminary maps over the coming months. “Even though we have 90 days to develop a preliminary plan under the provisions of the state...
$1.75M Match 6 Lotto ticket sold in Indiana County
A winning Pennsylvania Lottery Match 6 Lotto ticket worth $1.75 million on Saturday was sold in Indiana County, according to state lottery officials. The ticket matched winning numbers 6-16-17-34-38-39 to win the jackpot prize. Lottery officials said the ticket was sold at the Giant Eagle at 475 Ben Franklin Road...
Fayette priest pleads no contest to sexually assaulting altar boy; Greensburg bishop working to remove him from priesthood
A Fayette County priest pleaded no contest Monday to charges of repeatedly assaulting an altar boy over three years at a parish in Fairchance, according to state Attorney General Josh Shapiro. Rev. Andrew M. Kawecki, 66, entered his plea to one count of indecent assault. Judge Linda Cordova is expected...
Pa. is on the brink of regulating recovery homes for the first time
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 — The Wolf administration has cleared one of the final hurdles to enact oversight of Pennsylvania’s drug and alcohol recovery...
