Top Stories category, Page 1105
Covid vaccinations on the rise in Allegheny County, statewide
First-dose covid vaccinations in Allegheny County rose for the 18th straight day on Wednesday, data show, and officials said the county has surpassed the 800,000 mark for residents with at least once dose. At the same time, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that 70% of Pennsylvanians ages 18 and older are...
Covid death of veteran Jeannette EMS paramedic declared to be in ‘line of duty’
First responders said longtime Jeannette EMS paramedic William J. “Bill” Sekora was the answer man — the person first responder veterans and newcomers alike usually went to with their questions. “And almost always, Bill did have the answer,” said Randy Highlands, operations director of Jeannette EMS. “He’s definitely going to...
Westmoreland County approves drop boxes for mail-in ballots
A drop box for mail-in ballots will be available at the Westmoreland County Courthouse starting Oct. 18 and at five regional locations during the two weekends before the Nov. 2 general election. Westmoreland elections officials said more than 19,000 ballots were mailed to voters on Wednesday, according to election bureau...
Assailant with bow and arrows kills 5 people in Norway
KONGSBERG, Norway — A Danish man suspected of a bow-and-arrow attack in a small Norwegian town that killed five people is a Muslim convert who was previously flagged as having been radicalized, police said Thursday. Norway’s national security agency said the suspect’s actions “currently appear to be an act of...
Vaccine mix-and-match approach bolsters antibodies, study finds
Mixing covid-19 vaccines produces as much or more antibodies as using the same shot as a booster, according to preliminary results of a widely awaited U.S. government-sponsored trial. The trial is the first major U.S. study to compare the effects of using different vaccines as boosters from the initial shot...
2nd day of suppression hearing in Tree of Life synagogue attack focuses on suspect’s medical treatment
As soon as the man accused of killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue building in Squirrel Hill was placed in an ambulance the morning of Oct. 27, 2018, a Pittsburgh homicide detective said he read the suspect his Miranda rights. Immediately, the detective testified Wednesday, Robert Bowers...
Tarentum couple says ‘I do’ at UPMC St. Margaret so hospitalized mom can attend
Tarentum residents Chaz and Amanda Wilburn were married earlier this month in the chapel at UPMC St. Margaret, in a ceremony they called a dream that arose from a nightmare. Chaz Wilburn spent 38 days in the hospital this summer with congestive heart failure. While he was recovering, his mom,...
Troopers seeking details on meth dump site found in Indiana County
State police in Indiana are seeking information on a methamphetamine dump site found by a man picking up trash in a wooded area in Buffington Township in the southern portion of the county. Troopers said the dump site was reported along Dilltown Heights Road about 9 a.m. Oct. 6 after...
Attorney General Josh Shapiro launches bid for Pa. governor
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro officially launched his bid for governor on Wednesday — mostly a formality after months of speculation that he’d seek the state’s highest office. Shapiro, a Democrat from Montgomery County, kicked off his campaign by releasing a two-minute video Wednesday morning that included endorsements from Pittsburgh...
Social Security checks getting big boost as inflation rises
WASHINGTON — Millions of retirees on Social Security will get a 5.9% boost in benefits for 2022. The biggest cost-of-living adjustment in 39 years follows a burst in inflation as the economy struggles to shake off the drag of the coronavirus pandemic. The COLA, as it’s commonly called, amounts to...
Survey: Half of firms in Pittsburgh region don’t require covid vaccines; some using incentives
As the debate rages nationally over whether employers should require covid-19 vaccines for workers, a recent survey of businesses in Southwestern Pennsylvania found that close to half of all firms have decided not to mandate the shot to protect against the coronavirus. On the other hand, less than 30% of...
Employers see workers returning to labor force, but still face challenges finding themVideo
Whether more people started seeking jobs when extra federal unemployment benefits ended Sept. 4, or they exhausted their state jobless benefits or they feel safer getting back to work because more people are getting the covid vaccine, staffing agencies and employers in the region say they are seeing more people...
TV Q&A: Which Pittsburgh TV newscasters have worked for 3 stations?
Q: Now that Susan Koeppen anchors WPXI-TV’s 4 p.m. broadcast, it completes her local news station hat trick (working for all three local news broadcasts.) Wondering if there are others, but the only other person I came up with is Alby Oxenreiter, who did stints on WTAE-TV and WPGH-TV before...
Eastbound Pa. Turnpike reopens in Beaver County after truck crash, fire
The eastbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike between the New Castle and Cranberry interchanges were closed for several hours overnight Tuesday after a tractor-trailer crashed and caught fire. State police said the crash happened at mile marker 13.2, on the bridge over the Beaver River, in Big Beaver Borough shortly...
Harrison woman accused of setting dumpster fires in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh police accused a Harrison woman of setting dumpsters on fire in Uptown and knocking over construction cones and signs in the South Side on Monday. Jennifer Robare, 30, faces a felony count of arson and misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief and giving false identification to law enforcement in connection...
Victim flown to hospital from South Huntingdon crash
One person was airlifted by medical helicopter after a crash involving a bicycle Tuesday night in South Huntingdon. Emergency responders were called shortly after 10:30 p.m. to the intersection of Mount Pleasant Road and Greensburg Pike just outside West Newton for a report of a crash involving a vehicle and...
Allegheny County chief pitches 2022 budget with no tax hikes, more money for parks, jail, IT
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald is proposing a 2022 budget that would pump more money into parks, roads, technology and public health without raising any taxes on property owners. Fitzgerald, who pitched his budget in-person during Tuesday evening’s County Council meeting, touted his plan as another “responsible budget” that will...
1 dead following head-on crash on Greensburg Road in Plum
A New Kensington man died in a crash on Greensburg Road in Plum Tuesday, according to Allegheny County police. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the deceased man as Enzo Grosse, 21, of New Kensington. Police said they were notified around 7:45 p.m. of the crash in the 1600...
10-month drug investigation leads to Plum man’s arrest
A Plum man was taken to the Allegheny County Jail on Tuesday after police say they found several kilograms of suspected narcotics and weapons in his apartment. Plum Det. Dan Moriarty said borough police, along with the District Attorney Narcotics Enforcement Team and federal DEA agents, served a search warrant...
Police investigating fatal shooting in North Braddock
A 29-year-old man died after being shot multiple times in North Braddock Tuesday, authorities said. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the man as Anthony Smith, of Pittsburgh. Allegheny County Police said the shooting at Grandview Avenue and Lindberg Boulevard was reported to 911 around 4:20 p.m. Smith was taken...
Congress raises nation’s debt limit, but thorny December deadlines loom
WASHINGTON — The House raised the nation’s debt ceiling on Tuesday, averting a default for about three months but setting up a tougher political hurdle for Democrats at the end of the year. The bill was packaged with several other measures so there was no stand-alone vote on the unpopular...
Jury convicts Pittsburgh man of 1st-degree murder for Memorial Day shooting that killed man, injured teen
A jury convicted a Pittsburgh man Tuesday of first-degree murder for killing a man and recklessly endangering others during a 2019 shooting in the city’s Hill District. Jalaspian Charles, 34, stood trial in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on multiple charges in connection to the death of 34-year-old Isaac Harrison....
Nurse and quick-thinking dog lauded for lifesaving rescue at River Forest
Tom Kissel is alive today thanks to the combined efforts of strangers and a three-legged pooch named Tater Tot. Their quick work was recognized Tuesday in a ceremony sponsored by the American Heart Association and Allegheny Health Network at the River Forest Yacht Club in Allegheny Township. On July 10,...
Explainer: Why Social Security COLA will jump next year
WASHINGTON — Rising inflation is expected to lead to a sizeable increase in Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for 2022. Exactly how much will be revealed Wednesday morning after a Labor Department report on inflation during September, a data point used in the final calculation. Over the last...
Troopers: Rape victim took quick photograph, video of Salem suspect as he fled
A Salem woman who told state police she was raped early Monday was able to take a photograph and film a video of the suspect driving off in his black Chevrolet pickup truck, according to court records. Bryan M. Wallace, 31, also of Salem, was apprehended and arraigned on multiple...
