Top Stories category, Page 1196
New Kensington-Arnold’s new superintendent eager to get started
After a second interview, Chris Sefcheck said he wanted the job of superintendent of the New Kensington-Arnold School District so much he didn’t care if it meant a longer commute. He’ll start making that drive on July 1, after the school board hired him on Tuesday. “I really already feel...
Pittsburgh supports Philadelphia in lawsuit against state Firearm Preemption Laws
Pittsburgh city officials this week threw support behind a lawsuit filed last year in Philadelphia challenging Pennsylvania’s Firearm Preemption Laws, alleging they keep the city from combating gun violence and “have forged a state-created danger.” The brief, filed Monday in support of the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state...
Is there a crisis of ‘forced mass displacement’ of Black Pittsburghers? Residents, council divided on answer
Why did 7,000 Black Pittsburgh residents leave the city between 2014 and 2018? The answer depends on who’s talking. Community activist Randall Taylor, a former Pittsburgh Public Schools board member and city council candidate, calls it a “crisis of forced mass displacement” of Black residents. City councilmen Ricky Burgess and...
Pastor saves Peyton Manning the pooch from black bear attack in Mt. Pleasant Township
It was a frightening night for a Mt. Pleasant Township pastor who fended off a black bear that had the family dog clutched in its teeth. The Rev. Tim Stradling said Tuesday that Peyton Manning, a 9-year-old Maltese/silky terrier mix, is recovering at a Monroeville animal hospital. The dog has...
Ohio trucker charged in I-70 crash that killed West Penn Power lineman
An Ohio truck driver was driving 62 mph Oct. 21 when he slammed into stopped traffic along Interstate 70 in South Huntingdon, killing a popular West Penn Power worker from New Stanton and seriously injuring two people, state police reported in court documents. Charles C. Walker, 58, of Columbus, Ohio,...
Pa., Allegheny County covid hospitalizations up more than 20% week to week
Recent covid hospitalizations continue to be a story in the commonwealth. Pennsylvania and Allegheny County hospitalization levels have consistently gone up since late March, and hospitalization totals now rival counts seen in February. Hospitalizations For the 17th consecutive day, the number of people hospitalized for covid-19 in Pennsylvania has increased,...
Petty officer shoots 2 sailors; is stopped, killed on Maryland baseVideo
FREDERICK, Md. — A Navy medic shot and critically wounded two U.S. sailors at a military facility Tuesday, then fled to a nearby Army base where he was shot and killed, police and Navy officials said. Fantahun Girma Woldesenbet, a petty officer third class assigned to Fort Detrick, began shooting...
Former Allegheny County councilman begins prison term for stealing from elderly woman
Former Allegheny County Councilman Charles McCullough is in the custody of the sheriff’s office this morning — more than five years after he was sentenced to prison for stealing from an elderly widow. The 66-year-old from Upper St. Clair reported to the courtroom of Common Pleas Judge David R. Cashman...
Pitt, tech-company partners explore use of copper as filter material for PPEVideo
A group of scientists and technology companies from the Pittsburgh area want to torture the covid-19 virus literally to death, and now they have a state grant to help them do so. That’s a bit of an oversimplification, but a big part of the state’s $68,000 Manufacturing PA grant awarded...
Pa. House passes bill seeking to keep state on daylight saving time
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Monday passed legislation urging Congress to do away with the semi-annual clock changing ritual and authorize states to make daylight saving time permanent. By a vote of 103-98, the House chose to join 15 other states that have passed legislation asking for this change...
Biden says states should open shots to all adults by April 19
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he wants all American adults to be eligible for a coronavirus vaccine by April 19, citing a target date all but two states are already set to meet. “By no later than April 19 in every part of this country, every adult...
Pittsburgh firefighter hurt while assisting at blaze in Mt. Oliver
A Pittsburgh firefighter assisting at a blaze in Mt. Oliver borough was taken to the hospital for treatment after suffering an injury, according to authorities. The fire in the 100 block of Penn Avenue was reported shortly after 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Responding units found an abandoned homes engulfed in...
8 people displaced by row house fire in Pittsburgh’s Manchester neighborhood
Eight people were left homeless early Tuesday morning after a fire broke out in a three-unit row house in Pittsburgh’s Manchester neighborhood. The two-alarm fire in the 1300 block of Page Street was reported at 1:29 a.m. Flames were reported coming through the roof when the first units arrived on...
The deciding vote in Pa.’s high-stakes political redistricting could be yours, if lawmakers agree
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 — Liz Forrest doesn’t expect four of Pennsylvania’s most powerful lawmakers...
Police: Woman in critical condition after being struck by vehicle
A woman is in critical condition after she was hit by a vehicle while walking her dog in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln Place neighborhood Monday night, officials said. The woman was found by Pittsburgh police and EMS on Mifflin Road between McElhinny Avenue and Naugle Street around 9 p.m. and was transported...
Police: Man shot in face in McKees Rocks
Allegheny County police are investigating a shooting in McKees Rocks that sent one man to a hospital. Officials said officers were notified of a shooting shortly before 3 p.m. along the 200 block of Greydon Avenue. Police did not locate a victim at that location, but later learned an 18-year-old...
13 people displaced, kitten rescued from fire above Jack’s Bar in Pittsburgh’s South SideVideo
A fire Monday evening ripped through a multi-story building in Pittsburgh’s South Side, displacing 13 people who live there, public safety officials said. No one was injured, and the affected residents are being helped by the American Red Cross, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz. The fire broke...
Clairton man dies in motorcycle crash over hillside in Pittsburgh’s Hays neighborhood
A Clairton man died Monday morning in a motorcycle crash in Pittsburgh’s Hays neighborhood, police said. Terry J. Neal, 39, was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:24 a.m., 12 minutes after the incident, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office reported early Tuesday. Emergency dispatchers received a report of the...
Biden boosted by Senate rules as GOP bucks infrastructure
WASHINGTON — With an appeal to think big, President Joe Biden is promoting his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan directly to Americans, summoning public support to push past the Republicans lining up against the massive effort they sum up as big taxes, big spending and big government. Republicans in Congress are...
Former Allegheny County councilman Charles McCullough ordered to begin prison sentence
A former Allegheny County councilman convicted of stealing from a widow’s estate more than five years ago must report to court Tuesday to begin serving a prison term. Charles McCullough filed a last-ditch emergency motion with the state Supreme Court on March 31, seeking both to stay the subpoena ordering...
Smoking pot with teen daughter, friend nets mom 2-year probation sentence
A Connellsville mother pleaded guilty Monday to charges she smoked marijuana with her teenage daughter and a friend at a New Stanton home in 2017. Dawni Monholland, 39, according to court records, was charged with four criminal counts after police received a Child Line tip from a mandated reporter about...
Pennsylvania revises school reopening guidelines
The Pennsylvania Department of Education and Department of Health on Monday announced new recommendations for schools — suggesting most should reopen for some degree of face-to-face instruction. The new recommendations bring the state into alignment with recent guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which in mid-March...
Some members of Pa. delegation say Capitol security must increase after attackVideo
With a security review of the Capitol already underway following the Jan. 6 insurrection, some members of Pennsylvania’s delegation are weighing in on what they would like to see happen in the wake of yet another deadly attack. On Friday, the Capitol was attacked for the second time this year...
Life during covid: Adoptive Scottdale dad guides growing numbers of foster familiesVideo
Editor’s note: This is an occasional series examining how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of members of our community. Paul Johnson, a longtime ice hockey referee, relished the ice skating parties enjoyed by the foster kids and families he guided for more than a decade at Latrobe-based nonprofit...
PNC Park welcomes back fans with new safety protocols, food choicesVideo
The only contact the Pirates hope to have at PNC Park this season will be the bat hitting the ball. Because of the pandemic, team officials created a touchless experience, from mobile ticketing to individually packaged food. Officials on Monday announced the safety protocols during a news conference inside the...
