Top Stories category, Page 1098
Peduto introduces ‘Dark Sky’ legislation to reduce light pollution in Pittsburgh
Some Pittsburgh residents may have been wondering why some stars in the night sky have been more difficult to see in recent years. Or why evenings seem less tranquil than they used to? It could be that excessive use of artificial light, called light pollution, is adversely affecting the health...
TV Q&A: What’s up with the ‘Jeopardy!’ host debacle and who could host now?
Q: If you had been choosing the next host of “Jeopardy” who would it be? What do you think of Mike Richards? — Barb via email Rob: This query arrived a week before briefly tenured Mike Richards exited the “Jeopardy!” host role. I started writing a response during the day...
Parcel containing unknown white powder delivered to Squirrel Hill grade school
Police were called to a school in Squirrel Hill on Tuesday after a suspicious package containing a white powder was delivered by mail. Officers from city’s Zone 4 station, the Bomb Squad, the Hazardous Materials Response Team and the Spill Truck responded to the Community Day School in the 6400...
Man killed in Pa. Turnpike crash in Monroeville identified by state police
A Fayette County man died Wednesday in a tractor-trailer crash that closed the Pennsylvania Turnpike eastbound for several hours Wednesday in Monroeville, according to state police. David J. Paull, 60, of Uniontown, who was a passenger in the truck, died in the 1:30 p.m. crash that occurred at milepost 54.4...
Police investigate triple shooting in Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill neighborhood
Three people were transported to the hospital Tuesday night in connection with a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill neighborhood, Pittsburgh Police said. Calls for the shooting along the 2100 block of Rhine Street came in around 9 p.m. Zone 1 officers located two male victims in an apartment, one who’d...
Penn Hills elementary students to experience new fruits, vegetables thanks to federal grant
With many school districts around the country reopening their doors to students and teachers for full-time classroom instruction, it also means school meals will be back on trays and cafeteria tables. Penn Hills School District officials want to ensure their young learners have a taste of some the healthiest options...
Supreme Court orders ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy reinstated
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to block a court ruling ordering the Biden administration to reinstate a Trump-era policy that forces people to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the United States. With the three liberal justices in dissent, the court said the administration likely violated...
Police: Boy, 15, shot in leg in Stowe
A boy was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to his leg on Tuesday evening in connection with incident in Stowe. Allegheny County Police were dispatched for the shooting shortly before 7:30 p.m. along the 600 block of Federal Street. First responders found a 15-year-old boy shot in the leg. He...
House passes voting rights bill, restoring critical provision of landmark lawVideo
WASHINGTON — House Democrats passed legislation Tuesday that would strengthen a landmark civil rights-era voting law weakened by the Supreme Court over the past decade, a step party leaders tout as progress in their quest to fight back against voting restrictions advanced in Republican-led states. The bill, which is part...
In major shift, Pa. panel votes to count incarcerated people in home districts, not state prisons
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 — Thousands of people incarcerated in state prisons will be counted...
First Avenue ramps to, from Tarentum Bridge to close for paving
The First Avenue ramps onto and off of the Tarentum Bridge will be closed for much of the day Thursday, Tarentum officials announced. The ramps will be closed from early morning until late afternoon for paving at Ross Street and First Avenue at the foot of the ramps, near the...
Advocacy group threatens suit over Allegheny County Jail militaristic training contract
The Abolitionist Law Center sent a letter to Allegheny County officials on Tuesday notifying them of their intent to file a lawsuit if the county does not immediately rescind contracts for militaristic training and less-lethal weapons inside the jail. Legal Director Bret Grote sent the 10-page letter to County Solicitor...
House passes $3.5T Biden blueprint after deal with moderates
WASHINGTON — Striking a deal with moderates, House Democratic leaders muscled President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint over a key hurdle Tuesday, ending a risky standoff and putting the party’s domestic infrastructure agenda back on track. The 220-212 vote was a first step toward drafting Biden’s $3.5 billion rebuilding plan...
Fired Westmoreland election bureau director claims commissioners set her up to fail
Former Westmoreland County Election Bureau Director JoAnn Sebastiani said she worked sometimes 16 hours a day and struggled through health issues as she was belittled and set up for failure by her bosses before being ultimately fired without cause. Sebastiani, 63, appeared with her lawyers at virtual news conference Tuesday...
Shaler Area School District sues school board candidate over use of Titan logo
A candidate for Shaler Area School Board is being sued by the district for trademark infringement after he used its Titan logo in his campaign materials during the spring primary election. Kenneth Klinvex used the Titan head logo on yard signs and in social media posts during his successful primary...
New Kensington girl survives fall from 3rd-story window
A New Kensington girl survived a 35-to-40-foot fall from an apartment building window Tuesday afternoon. The incident happened in the 600 block of Fifth Avenue around 12:50 p.m., according to a Westmoreland County emergency dispatcher. Police said the girl, whose age was not available, fell from the top window on...
Pa. report describes ‘gross incompetence’ at Shuman Juvenile Detention CenterVideo
State officials made the decision to revoke the license of the Shuman Juvenile Detention Center because of violations that constitute “gross incompetence, negligence and misconduct” that were found during inspections between July 24 and Aug. 4, according to a document detailing the violations sent Friday to county officials. It was...
Wrongful death lawsuit filed over 2020 crash that killed popular West Penn Power lineman
Relatives of a New Stanton man killed Oct. 21, 2020, when a tractor trailer slammed into the rear of his car along Interstate 70 sued the rig’s driver and his California employer for wrongful death, according to court papers. The administrator of the estate of Dillon W. Walton, 27, a...
Pennsylvania deer hunters face expanded chronic wasting disease regulations this year
Regulations prohibiting the movement of high-risk body parts from deer, elk and related species have been expanded for the 2021-22 hunting seasons to combat the spread of chronic wasting disease, an always fatal neurological disease in those species. As the disease continues to spread in the state, and beyond, the...
Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts dies at age 80
Charlie Watts, the self-effacing and unshakeable Rolling Stones drummer who helped anchor one of rock’s greatest rhythms sections and used his “day job” to support his enduring love of jazz, has died, according to his publicist. He was 80. Bernard Doherty said Tuesday that Watts “passed away peacefully in a...
3 serious crashes in 3 days in Derry Township leave motorists hospitalized
One person was flown by medical helicopter from a two-vehicle crash Tuesday in Derry Township, according to state police. The crash was reported about 11:15 a.m. at the intersection of Route 217 and Pizza Barn Road, just south of Blairsville. Sean R. Ober, 24, of Latrobe, drove a Hyundai Santa...
Hot week ahead for Western Pa. with possible record highs
The dog days of August are going out in a blaze of hot temperatures that could threaten record highs for this time of year. The National Weather Service in Moon was predicting a high temperature of 92 degrees for Tuesday. The record for Aug. 24, set in 1918, is 94....
‘We will find you’: Pittsburgh officials start illegal dumping crackdownVideo
Pittsburgh will be using hidden, high-resolution cameras to catch people dumping at sites around the city and Mayor Bill Peduto is proposing changes in the city’s laws to strengthen the penalties for those who are caught. “We will find you,” Peduto said. “We will have cameras up at those locations....
CIA head meets Taliban leader as fears for Afghanistan grow
The director of the CIA met with the Taliban’s top political leader in Kabul, an official said Tuesday, as more reports emerged of abuses in areas held by the fighters, fueling concerns about Afghanistan’s future and the fate of those racing to leave the country before the looming U.S. withdrawal....
Police: Butler police officer fatally shoots man accused of stabbing him
A Butler City Police officer was in surgery Tuesday morning and a Butler man was dead after a violent encounter that lasted about five minutes, authorities said. The incident began with a 911 call around 6:54 a.m. about an “erratic male” on West Jefferson Street who was reportedly jumping in...
