Top Stories category, Page 1102
Afghan refugee in Pittsburgh worries about relatives, friends trying to flee
The scenes from Kabul’s international airport are disconcerting enough without actually knowing any one of the thousands desperately trying to get out of Afghanistan. But Pittsburgh resident Noorulhaq Fazly has left behind friends and relatives there and he’s been worried about them, especially after the Taliban regained control of the...
Multi-vehicle crash snarls traffic on Route 28 near Etna
A crash involving multiple vehicles on Wednesday evening snarled rush-hour traffic on Route 28 in Etna, officials said. Officials temporarily shut down the highway’s northbound lanes to respond to the incident and clear the wreckage near Exit 5A. By 6 p.m., at least one northbound lane had reopened, though traffic...
Pennsylvania may use taxpayer dollars for major golf events
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania officials have held out the potential for taxpayer-paid subsidies to help entice the U.S. Golf Association to bring more Opens and elite amateur events to two courses in the state, a news organization reported. The USGA last week announced that it will bring nine more Opens for...
Allegheny County leaders not considering blanket mask, vaccination mandates
Allegheny County leaders said Wednesday that they are not considering mask or vaccination requirements for indoor restaurants and other businesses like the mandates in New York City and Philadelphia. Earlier this month, New York City became the first city in the country to require proof of at least one dose...
Vandergrift police arrest 4 men, 1 on heroin, meth charges and the others charged with burglary
Vandergrift police arrested four suspects Monday when a search warrant turned up 1,897 stamp bags of presumed heroin in East Vandergrift. Police say they also recovered three ounces of suspected methamphetamine. Vandergrift Borough Police Officer Nate Rigatti estimated the street value of the drugs at $15,000. The suspects are Ryan...
6 key questions with area expert about chaos in AfghanistanVideo
The Taliban is urging Afghans to stay in Afghanistan. The new rulers of the country are promising an “inclusive government” and opportunities for women (within Islamic sharia law). But can the radical Islamist group be trusted to keep its word? Based on the chaos at Kabul’s international airport, with thousands...
Pennsylvania casino revenues top record $423M in July
Pennsylvania casinos generated more than $423.6 million in July, the highest monthly revenue total to date, according to state regulators. That was nearly $35 million more revenue than what was reported in June, which totaled $388.8 million. It also is significantly higher than revenues reported in July 2020, which reached...
Federal government to require vaccines for nursing home staff
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will require that nursing home staff be vaccinated against covid-19 as a condition for those facilities to continue receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid funding. President Biden will announce the move Wednesday afternoon in a White House address as the administration continues to look for ways...
10 things to know about covid boosters
U.S. health officials Wednesday announced plans to offer covid-19 booster vaccines to all Americans. Health officials suggested a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine be given to people eight months after the second dose to help increase protection. Boosters could be available by the week of Sept. 20....
Police: Tarentum man punched 1 woman, pistol-whipped another during brawl involving girlfriend
A Tarentum couple is accused of assaulting a borough woman Tuesday night, and police say one of the suspects pistol-whipped another woman during the altercation. Police arrested Alfred Cook, 28, and his girlfriend Kennedy Carson, 24, in connection with the incident that happened around 8:30 p.m. in the 500 block...
Pittsburgh Public Schools board OKs Sept. 3 start date
Students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools have a new date for the first day of school. The school board Wednesday voted to revise the calendar so that the first day of school will be Sept. 3, rather than Sept. 8. The district had initially planned to start classes on Aug....
Parents sign petition against mask mandate at Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh schools
More than 2,000 people have signed a petition calling for the Diocese of Pittsburgh diocese to revoke a mask mandate in its Catholic schools. The online petition contends school-age children have “spent the summer enjoying activities with family and friends mask-free” and were “putting the hardships of last school year...
Pittsburgh Labor Day Parade canceled, other service events on
The annual Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh has been canceled. With the covid cases rising, organizers decided to wait until 2022, said Darrin Kelly, Allegheny-Fayette Central Labor Council president. “Our first commitment is to keep everyone safe,” said Kelly. “We want to protect our members and the community as a...
Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations continue slow, steady climb in region
Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations have continued a slow but steady climb in the region and throughout the state over the past two months. This week was no exception. In the past week, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, there were 1,343 additional covid-19 cases in Allegheny County, for a...
Attorneys for Tree of Life shooting suspect say prosecutors shouldn’t watch them review evidence
Attorneys for accused synagogue shooter Robert Bowers are asking a federal judge to ease some of the restrictions prosecutors have placed on the defense’s ability to review evidence in the case, including their requirement that the evidence review take place in full view of police and prosecutors. According to the...
Grad says West Jefferson Hills district officials ignored racial harassment
A 2020 Thomas Jefferson High School graduate who is biracial has filed a federal lawsuit alleging she was the target of repeated racial slurs and other harassment that the West Jefferson Hills School District failed to address. Destinie Bedard and her parents Frank and Jodi Stosic filed the lawsuit Aug....
Westmoreland Fair returns this weekend with more to see
There will be plenty of potential pandemic hobbies on display starting Friday as the Westmoreland Fair returns. Entry office secretary Leanna Landy said entries for inside exhibits — such as handmade goods and food items — have increased this year after the 2020 fair was canceled because of the coronavirus...
Historic Bell’s Mills Bridge set for closure for drainage work
Drains on both ends of the historic Bell’s Mills Bridge are set to be replaced next week. County engineer Vaughn Neill said the covered wooden span will be closed for about four days while crews work there. The drainage infrastructure that allows water to flow off the road and bridge...
U.S. health officials call for booster shots against covid-19Video
NEW YORK — U.S. health officials Wednesday announced plans to dispense covid-19 booster shots to all Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and signs that the vaccines’ effectiveness is slipping. The plan, as outlined by the chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...
Unity’s Victory Brinker earns lone standing ovation on ‘America’s Got Talent’
Several things portend well for Victory Brinker’s chances to win Season 16 of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” The 9-year-old opera singer from Unity was the final competitor in Tuesday’s live quarterfinal round, perhaps illustrating the “save the best for last” principle. There was plenty of build-up to her appearance, too....
Official: 1 killed, 6 wounded as Taliban break up protest
KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan health official says at least one person was killed and six were wounded Wednesday when the Taliban violently dispersed a protest in the eastern city of Jalalabad. Dozens of people raised the national flag Wednesday and lowered the Taliban’s own flag the day before Afghanistan’s...
Suspect captured after stealing police car and leading officers on chase through Beaver area
A man who stole an Ambridge police vehicle and led officers on a chase before eluding capture for hours was taken into custody Tuesday, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. BREAKING: Neighbors say this man is in their backyard and police are narrowing in @WPXI Amy Hudak (@amy_hudak) August...
Lower Burrell man accused of sexually assaulting 14-year-old girl
A Lower Burrell man is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl last summer behind a Sheetz store on the city’s Craigdell Road. Samuel Glendon Feroce, 21, faces charges including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person under 16 and statutory sexual assault in connection with the July 2020 incident....
Western Pa. groups prep for fleeing Afghans seeking to resettle in Pittsburgh
At least one Afghan family granted a special U.S. visa to flee their Taliban-toppled homeland is expected to resettle in Western Pennsylvania in the coming weeks. “We are ready for their arrival,” said Ivonne Smith-Tapia, director of refugee and immigrant services for the Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS), a...
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tests positive for covid-19, in ‘good health’
AUSTIN — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tested positive for covid-19 on Tuesday, according to his office, who said the Republican is in good health and experiencing no symptoms. Abbott, who was vaccinated in December and has refused calls to reinstate mask mandates as the highly contagious delta variant surges in...
