Top Stories category, Page 1172
Tawny Kitaen, star of ’80s rock music videos, dies at 59
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Tawny Kitaen, the sultry red-haired actress who appeared in rock music videos during the heyday of MTV and starred opposite Tom Hanks in the 1984 comedy “Bachelor Party,” has died. She was 59. The Orange County coroner’s office said she died at her home in Newport...
Major U.S. pipeline halts operations after ransomware attack
The operator of a major pipeline system that transports fuel across the East Coast said Saturday that it had been victimized by a ransomware attack and that it had halted all pipeline operations to deal with the threat. The attack is unlikely to affect gasoline supply and prices unless it...
Family affair: McDonald’s more than a fast food chain for mother and daughter
The recognizable golden arches have always been more than a place to get a hamburger, french fries and a Coke for this mother and daughter duo. McDonald’s is a part of the family. Michele Rice-Kirkwood owns and operates eight McDonald’s in Western Pennsylvania, one where her daughter, Brittany Neal, is...
Pennsylvania’s covid cases, hospitalizations continue to drop as more get vaccinated
Cases of covid-19 continue to trend downward in Pennsylvania, decreasing related hospitalizations and deaths. The state on Saturday added 2,610 cases, staying below 4,000 for the eighth consecutive day, according to data from the Department of Health. The seven-day average sank to 2,598 cases, the lowest since it was 2,570...
Trolley Museum in Washington, Pa., breaks ground on Welcome and Education Center
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, Pa., has been a destination for trolley fans for decades. But now, the museum is embarking on construction of an imaginative expansion project for which over $14 million has been raised. Ground broke Thursday for the building of a new 21,000-square-foot Welcome and Education...
Incorrect ballots mailed to some Mt. Pleasant voters, Westmoreland County says
Westmoreland County officials acknowledged that more than 190 incorrect mail-in ballots were issued to voters in Mt. Pleasant Township. Ballots issued to voters in four precincts — Ridgeview, Mammoth, United and Westmoreland Homestead — erroneously omitted the race for district judge to replace Michael Mahady, who will retire at the...
Pine-Richland superintendent issues letter, district moving on with new coaches
Pine-Richland Superintendent Brian Miller has informed district families that they will be moving on with new football coaches despite weeks of public outcry over the firing of head coach Eric Kasperowicz and his staff. Miller did so in the form of a letter to families Friday. The school board recently...
Residents, pets escape blaze at Adamsburg apartment building, but 8 people left homeless
A fire investigator is looking into the cause of a Friday evening fire that extensively damaged an Adamsburg house containing three apartments. An outdoor grill may have been involved, as flames spread from a rear porch into the two-story house, according to Adamsburg Fire Chief Donald Thoma. Thoma said the...
Pittsburgh police: 11-year-old struck by bullet in Upper Hill neighborhood
An 11-year-old boy was struck by a bullet in Pittsburgh’s Upper Hill neighborhood Friday, Public Safety officials reported. Officers were dispatched around 5:45 p.m. to the 700 block of Anaheim Street for calls of shots fired in the area. Authorities said bullet shells were recovered, but no victim was located....
Nearly 120K OK’ed to vote by mail, absentee in Allegheny County; Tuesday marks deadline to apply
Allegheny County elections officials on Friday urged voters who want to vote by mail in the May 18 primary to do so as soon as possible so their applications can be received and processed by Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline. The county has approved 118,195 applications from voters seeking early ballots...
No one injured as fire rips through mobile home in Hempfield
A woman was left homeless Friday afternoon when flames spread through her mobile home in Hempfield. No one was reported injured in the fire, which occurred at the Sliver Dolphin Mobile Home Park. The woman who lives there wasn’t home when a maintenance man reported the fire just after 1...
‘Where is she?’: Defense wants police interview in Liberty man’s homicide case tossedVideo
For nearly an hour, Allegheny County homicide detectives pleaded with Douglas Berry to tell them where the body was. It had been 25 days since 67-year-old Elizabeth “Betsy” Wiesenfeld had gone missing, and weeks of investigation had pointed the detectives directly at Berry, a handyman who had worked for her....
Giant Eagle switches to walk-in covid-19 vaccinations
Appointments will no longer be needed to receive a covid-19 vaccination at a Giant Eagle in-store pharmacy. The Pittsburgh-based supermarket chain announced Friday that walk-ins will be welcomed, starting Monday. The covid vaccinations are open to people 18 and older. Eligible patients should bring a valid form of identification and...
South Hills pain doctor charged with writing illegal narcotic prescriptions, insurance fraud
A South Hills doctor spent years prescribing narcotics to patients at his pain clinic who did not need them, sometimes giving patients injections against their wishes to line his own pockets, according to a 242-count indictment returned this week. John Keun-Sang Lee, 78, is charged with violating federal narcotics laws...
Slow reporting from labs can hinder coronavirus response, create doubt
More than a year into the covid-19 pandemic, some virus cases identified during the first outbreak across Western Pennsylvania only recently were reported in Westmoreland County. The cases were part of a data dump on Wednesday from one lab that included cases from March 2020 to March 2021, causing the...
Pa. Department of Health moves to new federally run vaccine locator map
Pennsylvania has revamped the map used to help residents locate covid-19 vaccine providers, moving to a federally run search tool that will let users narrow their search to a specific brand of vaccine, officials said Friday. It is another move in the state’s push to get 70% of adults vaccinated....
To-go alcoholic drinks may become permanent in Pa.
As takeout became more common during the pandemic, to-go options for alcoholic beverages and mixed drinks have been temporary menu options. But it’s possible alcohol could be a permanent takeout option in Pennsylvania. Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation allowing for restaurants and hotels with a valid liquor license to serve...
With eye on more fans in stands, the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates urge people to get covid vaccine
Representatives of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Steelers and Penguins joined U.S. Sen. Bob Casey on Friday to reiterate their commitment to help educate and facilitate vaccination of people who remain hesitant to get the covid-19 vaccine. The teams were among the first organizations in the region to open venues to host...
Allegheny County’s average of new covid cases hits low not seen since November
Allegheny County’s seven-day covid-19 case average dropped to 210 on Friday, a low that hasn’t been seen since November. The Allegheny County Health Department reported 191 additional coronavirus cases. The last time the county’s current seven-day case average was this low was 207 on Nov. 8. The overall number of...
Scottdale woman ordered to pay $133K in restitution for unauthorized use of business credit cards
A Scottdale woman was ordered Friday to make mandatory $200 monthly restitution payments as part of a plea agreement connected to the fraudulent use of credit cards belonging to a Washington County-based company. Laurie Renee Christ, 54, was sentenced to seven years of probation and six months under house arrest...
Westmoreland County Prison inmate accused of trying to escape from Excela hospital
A Westmoreland County Prison inmate awaiting multiple hearings for illegal possession of a firearm, theft and drug-related charges is accused of trying to escape from custody. County Detective James Williams charged Brandon Zepeda, 27, of Greensburg with escape after he allegedly attempted to run out of the emergency room at...
Washington Co. man charged in Capitol riot indicted on new assault, theft charges
A Bentleyville man charged with entering the U.S. Capitol in connection with the January insurrection now faces additional charges that he assaulted an officer and stole documents during the attack. The new charges against Dale Shalvey were returned by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., on April 30. Shalvey,...
Tiki boat tours back on Pittsburgh riversVideo
They are recognizable by their thatched roofs and bamboo poles gliding along the river. The Hawaiian-style huts belong to Cruisin’ Tikis Pittsburgh, a company that offers sightseeing tours on the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela rivers. They will be on the water this weekend for a fourth season. “Pittsburgh is perfect...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend, May 7-9
Hide and seek Join the City of Greensburg Recreation Department for a free evening of hide and seek tag from 5-7 p.m. today at Lynch Field, 520 New Alexandria Road. The session is the first in a weekly Community Backyard Games series. While the activity is geared toward school-aged children...
Put it in a pot: Planting in small spaces yields big results
Cut flowers, potted plants and hanging baskets are all traditional Mother’s Day gifts. But did you ever think of giving Mom a tomato plant? A container garden just might be a refreshing and tasty way to think outside the Mother’s Day gift box — or pot, as it were. “A...
