Top Stories category, Page 1210
Shaler detective urged wife charged in Capitol riot not to go to Washington, chief says
Mike Heinl repeatedly asked his wife not to go to Washington, D.C., in early January, according to his boss. The Shaler police detective — who is attached to the FBI Pittsburgh Violent Crimes Task Force — didn’t condone Jennifer Marie Heinl’s participation in the events at the Capitol, Shaler police...
CDC changes school guidance, allowing desks to be closer
NEW YORK — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its social distancing guidelines for schools Friday, saying students can now sit 3 feet apart in classrooms. The revised covid-19 recommendations represent a turn away from the 6-foot standard that has forced some schools to remove desks, stagger scheduling...
Pittsburgh police looking for missing woman with dementia
Pittsburgh police are asking for the public’s help in finding a missing senior citizen. According to police, Maxine Gillis, 79, suffers from dementia. She was dropped off at a family member’s home by taxi around 1 a.m. Friday but did not show up in the 2100 block of Park Hill...
Fawn supervisor not eligible for reelection because he lives in Florida, objection claims
A Fawn supervisor seeking reelection should be removed from the Democratic primary ballot in May because he does not live in the township, an objection to his nominating petition claims. The objection filed by resident Tracy Volk, a registered Democrat, claims Supervisor David A. Norris, 79, has lived in DeLand,...
East Pittsburgh woman said man threatened to shoot her before taking baby that prompted Amber Alert, police say
A 20-year-old man who sparked an Amber Alert for a 1-year-old girl Thursday twice pointed a gun at the girl’s mother and threatened to kill the woman before taking their child, according to state police. The girl, taken from her mother’s East Pittsburgh home, was recovered safely by a SWAT...
Report: Pennsylvania casino revenues down slightly in FebruaryVideo
Following a strong start to the year, Pennsylvania casinos last month saw a slight drop in gambling revenue as they work to recoup from the economic impacts of the covid-19 pandemic. In February, revenues posted by casinos across the state came in at $301.9 million, a decrease of $2.36 million,...
Petition to rename Route 981 after late state Rep. Mike Reese gains traction
An online petition to rename a state highway after the late state Rep. Mike Reese has rocketed towards it goal of 2,500 signatures in short order. Mt. Pleasant resident Nick Molitor created the petition on Change.org, where more than 2,200 people have already shown their support. He never met Reese,...
Tree of Life hosts virtual interfaith covid-19 memorial service
Local religious leaders remembered the victims of the covid-19 pandemic with a virtual memorial service one year after the first coronavirus-related death in Pennsylvania. The Tree of Life congregation on Thursday evening hosted the online event, which they called “Covid-19 One Year Later: A Service of Remembrance, Healing and Renewal.”...
Western Pa. community leaders fear mounting intensity of anti-Asian hate, xenophobia
Asian community leaders in Western Pennsylvania are reeling with emotion and striving to quell fears days after a gunman stormed three Asian-run spas in the Atlanta area, killing eight people. “We’re anxious, we’re heartbroken, we’re raging,” said Marian Lien, president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Organization for Chinese Americans....
Levine pressed for answers on Pa.’s missing nursing home data as confirmation advances
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Former Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine is under pressure from U.S. House Republicans to provide more details about the...
Harrison man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child porn
A Harrison man who already was a registered sex offender has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for child porn possession. U.S. District Judge Marilyn J. Hornan imposed the sentence Thursday against Jack Ulrich Jr. Ulrich, 43, had pleaded guilty last June to one count of possession of...
SWAT team recovers 1-year-old girl said to have been abducted, 3 arrested
A 1-year-old girl abducted Thursday afternoon in East Pittsburgh was recovered safely by a SWAT team hours later, according to police. State police announced they had found Diore Thomas after an Amber Alert was issued for her Thursday afternoon. Diore was last at 12:30 p.m. in East Pittsburgh. Police had...
Voice of Westmoreland demands better covid vaccine plan in countyVideo
Members of the Voice of Westmoreland delivered a petition to county commissioners Thursday demanding a coronavirus vaccine registry and distribution sites in rural areas and for minority communities, among other concerns. The 375 signatures had been gathered since Saturday, said Bob Mason, a Trafford resident and member of the grassroots...
USPS agents found no evidence of backdated Erie ballots, report says
HARRISBURG — U.S. Postal Service investigators did not find evidence of any backdated presidential election ballots in the post office in Erie, according to a report summarizing the investigation into claims by a postal worker that spurred calls from Republicans for a federal probe. The presidential battleground of Pennsylvania was...
In hard-hit restaurant industry, hiring more staff is tall order in Western Pa.
A sign seeking job applicants hangs in the window of Anchor Inn in Harrison. It’s been there for about six months. That sign has garnered only two applicants, owner Joe Kolek said Thursday. “Everybody’s got ‘help wanted’ signs,” Kolek said. “I think everybody is in the same boat trying to...
Pa. vaccine provider map gets face-lift, officials still aim for May 1 open eligibilityVideo
The Pennsylvania Department of Health appears to be inching toward a more centralized system for finding and making covid-19 vaccine appointments as officials work to make a map of providers more accessible and more interactive. Health officials touted the updates to the map, which right now is the sole place...
5,000 covid-19 vaccine appointments to open at 2 pharmacies in Penn Township and Indiana Co.
More than 5,000 appointments for the covid-19 vaccine will be available next week through two area Mainline Pharmacy Group locations. Bushy Run Pharmacy, in Penn Township, and Blairsville Pharmacy, in Indiana County, have appointments available for those who qualify in phase 1A of the state’s vaccination plan. This phase includes...
Ross woman charged with involvement in Capitol riot
When the FBI was investigating a Bridgeville man for his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, they spoke to an acquaintance of his, Jennifer Heinl. During that Jan. 28 conversation, Heinl, of Ross, said she had gone to Washington, D.C., the day before the attack, but that she hadn’t...
Penn State announces in-person commencement plans
Penn State officials say the university will host in-person commencement ceremonies at University Park and at its other campuses across the state. The state’s largest university cited increasing vaccination rates and a relaxation in state guidelines in its decision to move forward with a more traditional graduation for the class...
Pitt plans a return to normal operations at Oakland for fall 2021
In yet another indication of growing optimism surrounding the covid-19 vaccine, officials at the University of Pittsburgh are planning a return to full in-person operations at the university’s Oakland campus as well its campuses in Greensburg, Johnstown, Bradford and Titusville. Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher on Thursday announced that the school,...
One of Pittsburgh area’s first Chick-fil-A stores set to close
One of the first Chick-fil-A locations in the Pittsburgh area is closing at the end of the month. March 31 will be the last day of operations for the Chick-fil-A at Ross Park Mall, according to a sign at the business. The mall’s food court eatery first opened in August...
Fox Chapel cheerleader Sloane Simon to perform on ‘American Idol’
Fox Chapel Area High School cheerleader Sloane Simon is going to Hollywood. The 16-year-old sophomore from O’Hara is a contestant on “American Idol.” She announced the news Tuesday on her Twitter account. So my audition didn’t air, but I got THREE YESes and I’M GOING TO HOLLYWOOD!! Make sure you...
Google announces expansion of Bakery Square campus
Google is about to make its large footprint in Bakery Square even larger. Thursday morning, the company announced plans to expand its Bakery Square campus by adding three new floors this year, bringing its total footprint in the building to 320,000 square feet. Google said it will be taking the...
Allegheny, Westmoreland counties covid cases, deaths stable; Pennsylvania surpasses 12% fully vaccinated
In Pennsylvania, the number of people vaccinated from the coronavirus has continued to climb, while covid cases and deaths have remained relatively stable. In Allegheny County on Thursday there was a slight uptick in new cases and hospitalizations. Westmoreland County saw a decrease in cases and one new death. And...
Restaurant owners in eastern suburbs brace for change next month with cautious optimism
Restaurant owners in the area are bracing for yet another change to operations come next month. This time, though, they are welcoming the change as it means coming one step closer to pre-pandemic days, even if it presents a new challenge of finding staff to meet a potential uptick in...
