Top Stories category, Page 1218
TSA catches 8th gun this year at Pittsburgh International
Transportation Security Administration officers caught another gun at the Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint over the weekend — the eighth this year, officials said. A Verona woman was stopped at the checkpoint just before 7 a.m. Saturday when TSA officers spotted the gun in the woman’s carry-on bags on the X-ray...
Judge tosses lawsuit by former Steelers over ‘race-norming’ in NFL dementia tests
PHILADELPHIA — A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit that challenged “race-norming” in dementia tests for retired NFL players, a practice that some say makes it harder for Black athletes to show injury and qualify for awards. A hearing had been set for Thursday. The judge instead ordered the...
Police accuse man ordered to leave Greensburg bar of stealing car, crashing at end of chase
A man told to leave a downtown Greensburg bar early Saturday because he appeared intoxicated was arrested later on charges of stealing another customer’s car, leading police on a 4-mile pursuit and attempting to fight officers, according to court documents. Darrell D. Carr, 29, of Pitcairn was arraigned on charges...
Hempfield man charged in police chase through 4 municipalities
A Hempfield man is accused by Jeannette police of leading officers on a chase through four municipalities last month until he crashed and the car caught fire, according to court papers. Tyler David Varriano-Milan, 25, is charged with numerous offenses, including fleeing from police, driving under the influence and reckless...
4 big Pennsylvania counties unhappy over vaccine share
HARRISBURG — Four of Pennsylvania’s seven most-heavily populated counties are airing their unhappiness over the size of their allotment of coronavirus vaccines, saying Monday that a meeting with Gov. Tom Wolf’s top health official did not resolve their concerns. Leaders of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties — home to...
Covid numbers hitting lows not seen since early November
Pennsylvania’s latest covid-19 data, released Monday by the state’s Department of Health, carries on the trend of lower numbers — in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Over the past two days, the state has recorded 3,176 new cases of coronavirus, an 11% drop from last Monday’s two-day report (3,573) and...
Fully vaccinated people can gather without masks, CDC says
NEW YORK — Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing, according to long-awaited guidance from federal health officials. The recommendations also say that vaccinated people can come together in the same way with people considered at low-risk for severe disease,...
Allegheny County Dems endorse Ed Gainey in Pittsburgh mayoral race
Ed Gainey won the endorsement of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee in his challenge to Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, becoming the first Black Pittsburgh mayoral candidate to earn the party’s endorsement. Peduto didn’t compete for the committee’s formal support, which was announced after a meeting Sunday. Gainey, 51, a five-term...
Carrick man accused of sexually assaulting coworker at North Huntingdon care facility
An Allegheny County man is accused of sexually assaulting a co-worker at a North Huntingdon nursing facility, according to court papers. Daniel A. Odu, 33, of Carrick is charged with attempted rape, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault. Officials at The Grove at North Huntingdon contacted township police Feb. 6...
Westmoreland County commissioners set to lobby state lawmakers for more vaccine, pandemic recovery
The push for help to provide additional covid-19 vaccine doses will continue Monday when Westmoreland County commissioners are scheduled meet with the county’s 11-member state legislative delegation to address future needs. It will be the first joint meeting of the current three-member board of commissioners with state representatives, senators and...
Warm temperatures, sunny skies expected in early part of week
The Pittsburgh region will see hints of spring this week as unseasonably warm temperatures arrive. Breaking out of colder temperatures that struggled to reach past the 40s last weekend, much of Southwestern Pennsylvania is expected to experience temperatures in the mid-50s Monday, according to Chris Leonardi, a meteorologist with the...
Bartos declares candidacy for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG — Jeff Bartos is formally launching his campaign for Pennsylvania’s wide-open U.S. Senate race, the highest-profile Republican candidate so far to declare for the seat. Bartos, the Republican Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor in 2018, has said he was seriously considering a run and filed paperwork to run last...
2 Hempfield Area schools temporarily closed because of covid-19 cases
Two Hempfield Area schools are temporarily closed because of multiple covid-19 cases, school officials announced. The high school and Fort Allen Elementary are closed Monday, according to Superintendent Tammy Wolicki. Students, who will participate in remote learning Monday, will return to the classroom on Tuesday. According to an online covid-19...
Police: 1 person in critical condition after Clairton shooting
Allegheny County police are investigating a shooting in Clairton that left one person in critical condition Sunday night, officials with the department said. First responders were called to the 500 block of Farnsworth Avenue around 9:50 p.m. after Allegheny County dispatchers were notified of the shooting. On scene, officials said...
Pandemic weighs on mental health as people cope with anxiety, fears
Almost a year into the covid-19 pandemic, feeling stressed is an understatement, Jenn Sillett said. The 42-year-old mother of three has not set foot inside a store or restaurant for the better part of the past year, only leaving her Hempfield home to take her 19-year-old daughter, Sierra Williams, to...
Pittsburgh launches Opioid Overdose Dashboard
Pittsburgh officials on Friday launched the Opioid Overdose Dashboard, a new tool that can help form and guide policies and programs to address unsafe opioid use in the city. The dashboard compiles data from the Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS to map monthly opioid overdose calls and Public Safety’s responses. Data...
As Peace Corps turns 60, volunteers reflect: ‘It changed me tremendously’
As the Peace Corps commemorated its 60th anniversary this month, the agency launched a virtual celebration, and local residents who have volunteered over the years reflected on their service. Established by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1960, the Peace Corps has sent about 240,000 Americans to serve in...
Homeschooling parents unite in Vandergrift for program where kids can socialize — without computers
Yoga, painting, gardening and storytime await home-schooled youngsters at a new program in Vandergrift. The Homeschool Co-op class meets every Friday in the lower level hall at The Center on Franklin Avenue in Vandergrift. It’s two hours of creative and nontechnology focused activities for children who are home-schooled. It’s taught...
Pandemic can’t stop annual Greensburg Open bowling tournamentVideo
Noah Suidron was good-natured Sunday as he was outscored frame after frame by girlfriend Kayla Murphy. “I’ve been bowling for four years, and as soon as I showed her bowling she was better than me,” said Suidron, 23, of Latrobe during the first session of the 32nd annual Greensburg Open...
George Floyd’s cause of death, ex-cop’s force will be keys at trial
MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis police officer was swiftly fired and charged with murder after bystander video showed him pressing his knee into George Floyd’s neck, ignoring the Black man’s cries that he couldn’t breathe. But even with that powerful footage, legal experts say the case isn’t a slam dunk. Jury...
Police: Shots fired from several cars along Route 28, 2 people hit
State police are investigating a shooting along Route 28 that left two people hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Police said the incident occurred Saturday around 3:30 p.m. near the Route 8 exit in Sharpsburg. When troopers arrived, Pittsburgh police were on the scene with a vehicle “which had several indications of...
Want to see 80,000 snow geese? No problem for Harrison photographer at Middle CreekVideo
A Harrison couple recently witnessed one of the state’s most dramatic natural spectacles — tens of thousands of migrating snow geese at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster and Lebanon counties. The Pennsylvania Game Commission, which manages Middle Creek, reports large crowds visiting to see the massive migration of...
Workers worry about safety, stress as states ease mask rules
JACKSON, Mississippi — Leo Carney worries that bigger crowds and mask-less diners could endanger workers at the Biloxi, Mississippi, seafood restaurant where he manages the kitchen. Maribel Cornejo, who earns $9.85 an hour as a McDonald’s cook in Houston, can’t afford to get sick and frets co-workers will become more...
PennDOT to begin Tarentum Bridge repairs, no traffic disruptions — yet
PennDOT will begin preservation work on the Tarentum Bridge from March 15 to mid-April. Crews will replace deteriorating concrete in the structure underneath the bridge, said Yasmeen Manyisha, PennDOT spokeswoman. No traffic disruptions are planned. However, some traffic restrictions are expected later this year when PennDOT works on other bridge...
U.S. states look to step up wolf kills, pushed by Republicans
BILLINGS, Mont. — Payments for dead wolves. Unlimited hunting of the animals. Shooting wolves from the air. Wolf hunting policies in some states are taking an aggressive turn, as Republican lawmakers and conservative hunting groups push to curb their numbers and propose tactics shunned by many wildlife managers. In Montana,...
