Top Stories category, Page 1148
North Huntingdon man accused in double murder ordered to stand trial for allegedly shooting at 3 homes
Tensions were high and tempers flared in the courtroom Wednesday as accused killer Victor Steban of North Huntingdon was ordered to stand trial on charges that he shot at three occupied homes as part of what investigators say was a retaliation crime spree culminating in a double murder last month....
Home health aides protest at Reschenthaler’s Greensburg officeVideo
A group of about two dozen home care workers and community activists converged on U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler’s office in Greensburg on Wednesday to rally support for the American Jobs Act and speak to the role low-paid caregivers play in the nation’s health system. The group — led by United...
Girl, 1, not in a car seat when ejected in Adamsburg crash, police say
A child was flown by medical helicopter and three adults were taken to hospitals following a crash in Adamsburg Wednesday, officials with the Hempfield Township Fire Department said. The 1-year-old girl was not in a car seat at the time of the crash, according to state police. A GMC Sierra...
Peduto says Juneteenth bill sent without his knowledge; organizers alarmed at $130K price tag
Pittsburgh officials and the organizers of the WPA Juneteenth celebration say they are working out a misunderstanding prompted by an itemized preliminary bill for more than $130,000 the city was going to charge for its part in the event. “We had a positive conversation and I’m hoping they’ll do some...
Rookie Westmoreland County election director suspended with pay
The Westmoreland County commissioners suspended with pay the woman they hired less than a year ago to run the county election bureau. Records obtained Wednesday by the Tribune-Review indicate bureau Director JoAnn Sebastiani was suspended Tuesday and will continue to be off the job through Friday. No reason was given...
Pittsburgh struggles to staff its pools, can’t open all of them
With only eight of the city’s 18 pools set to open next week, Pittsburgh City Council members Wednesday are wondering what they can do to get more pools open as coronavirus restrictions are eased and people try to enjoy summer. “The support, the concern, is appreciated,” Pittsburgh Parks and Recreation...
Amid covid pandemic, U.S. deaths from heart disease and diabetes spiked to highest level in 20 years
NEW YORK — The U.S. saw remarkable increases in the death rates for heart disease, diabetes and some other common killers in 2020, and experts believe a big reason may be that many people with dangerous symptoms made the lethal mistake of staying away from the hospital for fear of...
Allegheny, Westmoreland see rapid drops in new covid cases
New covid-19 cases continued their rapid declines in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Allegheny County recorded 183 cases in the past week — including just 15 on Wednesday — for a seven-day daily average of 26. It hasn’t been that low since hitting 24 on June 24, 2020. For perspective, the...
Black attorney demands apology from DA Zappala, calls Allegheny Co. courthouse ‘cesspool of white privilege’Video
Black defense attorney Milton Raiford refused Wednesday to participate in his client’s nonjury trial until Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. meets with him, resigns or recuses himself from all of Raiford’s cases. A spokesman for Zappala said the office is aware of Raiford’s comments and has ordered...
Greensburg police accuse man of using slur, starting street brawl
A slur demeaning mentally challenged persons allegedly shouted inside a downtown Greensburg bar early Wednesday triggered a street fight among 20 people, sent a woman to the hospital and led to the arrest of a Scottdale man, city police said. Tyler J. Griffiths, 24, was being held in the county...
Former Somerset woman gets probation in faked pregnancy, death of newborn
A former Somerset County woman will spend two years on probation for faking a pregnancy and then the death of a newborn baby, prompting donations for funeral costs and baby shower gifts. Kaycee Lang, 25, of Johnstown, was ordered to pay restitution during a sentencing hearing June 2, according to...
7-Eleven, customers robbed in Castle Shannon
Police in Castle Shannon are investigating an armed robbery Wednesday at the 7-Eleven/Marathon station along Mt. Lebanon Boulevard. Officers were called at about 3:15 a.m. to the convenience store/gas station after a suspect brandished a handgun and took money from several people inside the store, as well as cash from...
Aspinwall Police encounter coyote pup in borough, offer tips for residents
Aspinwall Police are offering wildlife safety tips after officers encountered a coyote pup in the borough on Monday. Police posted to Facebook after spotting the animal walking near a home in upper Aspinwall. “Although the Borough of Aspinwall welcomes all types of animals, some can be aggressive or dangerous,” the...
Vaccine hesitancy is topic of Carnegie Science Center discussion
In spite of all the scientific evidence indicating that vaccination is the key to fighting the spread of covid-19, a significant segment of the American population remains hesitant to get inoculated. Vaccine hesitancy is part of the impetus for the second panel in Carnegie Science Center’s Vaccine Speaker Series, a...
3 condos merge into 1 unforgettable unit atop Fairmont Hotel for $5.25 million
Temperatures are rising, but Matt Spaeth — yes, that Matt Spaeth — could not help but think of winter as he guided a tour of a condo in Downtown Pittsburgh, on the market for $5.25 million. “The owner said that when he sits on the couch at Christmas time with...
Woman struck and killed by train in Aspinwall
A woman reported missing early Tuesday by Pittsburgh police was later struck and killed by a train in Aspinwall, authorities said. The victim was identified as Ying-Fen Johnson, 78, of Oakmont, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office. Emergency responders were called to the 800 block of Freeport Road...
Pa. House votes to end Wolf’s pandemic disaster declaration
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives voted on party lines Tuesday to put an end to the governor’s pandemic disaster emergency declaration, less than a month after voters dramatically expanded lawmakers’ powers to control such declarations. The 113-90 vote sent the Republican-penned measure over to the Senate, where the GOP...
Pa. House sends local gun law pre-emption bill to state Senate
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would leave cities and towns that have tried to craft local gun control laws on the hook for all court costs associated with a successful court challenge to those ordinances. Carried by 112 of the 113 Republican votes and 12...
Pa. House advances ban on abortions over Down syndrome diagnoses
HARRISBURG — Republicans in the Pennsylvania House pushed through a bill Tuesday that would ban abortions that are prompted by a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis, although the Democratic governor has vowed to veto it. State representatives voted 120-83 for legislation that the prime sponsor, Republican Rep. Kate Klunk of York...
Walter Cable testifies he had no role in Vandergrift woman’s murder
Walter Cable told a Westmoreland County jury Tuesday he and another man dropped Ronny Cable off about a block from her front door about midnight Feb. 17, 2017, and never heard from her again. Cable, 28, of Greensburg testified during the sixth day of his murder trial that he had...
Parents give public schools high grades for instruction during covid pandemic
Pennsylvania parents have shown strong support for public schools during the covid-19 pandemic, which is a statewide trend that has been borne out at many local districts. Of parents who responded to a Pennsylvania School Boards Association poll April 20-26, 69% gave the school their child attends a grade of...
Man dies after falling into Allegheny River in Downtown Pittsburgh
A man who had fallen into the Allegheny River near the Seventh Street Bridge on Tuesday afternoon has died, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety officials. Pittsburgh River Rescue divers found the man around 4:20 p.m. He went into cardiac arrest. Public Safety spokesperson Cara Cruz said medics performed CPR and...
Kiski Township mother accused of assaulting teen, having child live in deplorable conditions
A Kiski Township woman is accused of having her child live in deplorable conditions and assaulting a teen Monday evening. Mindy M. Smith, 44, was taken into custody in a welfare check at a home in the 500 block of Flat Rock Road. Police said the officer responding to the...
Black political advocacy group asks Supreme Court to investigate Zappala’s conduct
The Black Political Empowerment Project sent a letter Tuesday to the state Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Board seeking sanctions against Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. for a now-rescinded policy he issued last month banning his office from offering plea deals to a Black defense attorney. Zappala issued an...
Wabtec Corp. opens 3D printing operation near Pittsburgh InternationalVideo
Instead of using a mill to fabricate aluminum into the parts used in railway systems, Wabtec Corp. will be using a $2.5 million 3D printer that’s among the largest in the world at its new 11,000-square-foot facility in Findlay. The company is the successor of Westinghouse Air Brake Corp. Founded...
