Top Stories category, Page 1219
NASA’s new Mars rover hits dusty red road, 1st trip 21 feet
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s newest Mars rover hit the dusty red road this week, putting 21 feet on the odometer in its first test drive. The Perseverance rover ventured from its landing position Thursday, two weeks after setting down on the red planet to seek signs of past life....
Landlord group sues Pittsburgh, city council over eviction moratorium
An organization representing landlords in the region is suing Pittsburgh City Council over its passing of an eviction moratorium to protect renters from eviction amid the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. The lawsuit, filed by the North Huntingdon-based Landlord Services Bureau, claims the ordinance passed by council earlier this week goes beyond...
Vaccination for Pittsburgh teachers to start next week, details still uncertain
Following Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement this week that teachers would be moved first in line to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Pittsburgh schools are poised to begin inoculating teachers next week. “The vaccinations of our teachers and school staff will add an additional layer of mitigation strategies we already...
Woman who sued BNY Mellon for wrongful termination over Antwon Rose post loses appeal
An appellate court upheld a federal judge’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a former BNY Mellon employee who alleged racial discrimination after she was fired for writing on social media that a man should have driven a bus through a group of protesters in Pittsburgh. Lisa Ellis, of...
Pa. Game Commission says game-law violations dip slightly
Wildlife game law violations dipped slightly last fiscal year compared to the year before, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s recently released 2020 annual report. The Game Commission said it pursued 6,708 prosecutions for alleged game-law violations during the fiscal year that ended June 30, down 1.7% from the year...
Minimum wage hike falls short as Senate debates virus bill
WASHINGTON — The Senate seemingly killed progressives’ last-ditch effort to include a minimum wage hike in the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion covid-19 relief bill Friday, as the chamber began climactic votes on the huge package embodying President Joe Biden’s top legislative priority. Senators voted 58-42 against the increase, though the vote...
Police charge Pitcairn man with rape of 11-year-old girl
Allegheny County Police have charged a 29-year-old Pitcairn man in connection with the rape of an 11-year-old girl. Joshua Davon Austin-Pollard faces multiple felonies, including rape and sexual assault. Police say the events took place at Austin-Pollard’s Third Street home three days after Christmas. The charges also include interference with...
3rd-degree murder count could be reinstated against Derek Chauvin in George Floyd’s death
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Friday ordered a judge to reconsider adding a third-degree murder charge against a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death, handing a potential victory to prosecutors. A three-judge panel said Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill erred last fall when...
Gov. Wolf: ‘Light at the end of the tunnel’ in virus fight
HARRISBURG — One year after the discovery of the first coronavirus case in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday that it has been a tough and trying year, but there is hope and a light at the end of the tunnel with the growing availability of vaccines. Wolf, speaking at...
California would ban boys and girls sections at big retailers under proposed law
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s large retailers would have to do away with boy and girl signage for toys and child care aisles, under a bill being considered by state lawmakers. Assembly Bill 1084 would require retailers with 500 or more employees “to maintain undivided areas of its sales floor where...
Mask policies are here to stay — for now, Pa. officials sayVideo
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made headlines this week by lifting his state’s mask mandate and declaring Texas “100% open” against advice of federal health agencies. Pennsylvania should not expect any such declarations any time soon. “At this time, mask-wearing is abundantly important,” said acting state Secretary of Health Alison Beam....
Route 30 signal upgrades in Hempfield, Jeannette could take through year’s end
Motorists on a stretch of Route 30 in Hempfield and Jeannette will have to put up with traffic restrictions for the better part of a year as PennDOT updates traffic signals at 11 intersections to assist the flow of vehicles. Work is expected to occur between 9 a.m. and 3...
Dick’s Sporting Goods and AHN team up to give 5,100 covid vaccinesVideo
Dick’s Sporting Goods teamed up Friday with Allegheny Health Network to host a covid-19 vaccine clinic, administering about 5,100 vaccine doses to high-risk patients. Individuals who fall into Phase 1A of Pennsylvania’s covid-19 vaccine distribution plan were able to receive their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the clinic,...
Allegheny County adds 288 covid cases, 9 deaths
Allegheny County on Friday reported 288 additional cases of covid-19, bringing the total to 77,803 since the pandemic began. The county’s seven-day case average, currently at 238, has remained below 300 cases since Feb. 9. Of the new cases, 185 were confirmed via 864 new PCR tests and 103 are...
Help wanted: Wigle Whiskey is filling 99 positions
Looking for a job? Wigle Whiskey posted via social media it is planning to fill 99 positions over the next nine weeks. “We are definitely in rebuilding mode,” said Meredith Meyer Grelli, co-owner of Wigle Distillery and Threadbare Cider & Mead, an award-winning craft distillery. The concept of “99 jobs”...
California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell sues Trump, allies over Capitol riot
WASHINGTON — Rep. Eric Swalwell, who served as a House manager in Donald Trump’s last impeachment, filed a lawsuit Friday against the former president, his son, lawyer and a Republican congressman whose actions he charges led to January’s insurrection. The California Democrat’s suit was filed Friday in federal court in...
Reports: Cuomo aides pushed for N.Y. officials to alter count of nursing home deaths
NEW YORK — Some New York lawmakers are calling for Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s impeachment after reports late Thursday that his top aides altered a state Health Department report to omit the true number of people killed by covid-19 in the state’s nursing homes. The Wall Street Journal and The New...
That old shovel in the shed could be part of a giant pine cone sculpture for Tree Pittsburgh
Tree Pittsburgh is asking for donations of garden-related tools — particularly shovels and wheelbarrows — for a massive pine cone sculpture. The sculpture, expected to be 8 feet high, will commemorate the nonprofit’s 15th anniversary. Tree Pittsburgh is an environmental group dedicated to restoring and protecting urban forests in the...
Capitol Police chief appeals for National Guard to stayVideo
WASHINGTON — Worried about continuing threats, the acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police appealed to congressional leaders Thursday to use their influence to keep National Guard troops at the Capitol, two months after the law enforcement breakdowns of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection. Yogananda Pittman told the leaders in...
Allegheny County Jail administration defends covid-19 testing policy
Allegheny County Jail officials defended their handling of the covid-19 pandemic during Thursday’s oversight board meeting. Chief Deputy Warden Laura Williams told the board that there have been 2,163 inmates tested at the jail since March 2020. Of those, 287 have tested positive. According to Williams, 42 inmates are currently...
Mayor Bill Peduto, challenger Tony Moreno agree to run civil campaign; Ed Gainey silent on issue
Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Tony Moreno took to Facebook with a challenge Thursday, asking his competitors to be civil, during the campaign. Moreno, 51, of Brighton Heights is a retired Pittsburgh police officer. He’s running against incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto, 56, of Point Breeze and five-term state Rep. Ed Gainey, 51,...
Pittsburgh Public Safety promotes firefighters, EMS personnel
Pittsburgh Public Safety officials held ceremonies Thursday to promote and swear in a number of men and women in the bureaus of fire and EMS. The ceremonies were held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, a venue necessary to allow for social distancing. Promotions included four to the rank...
Owner vows to rebuild after losing his Upper Burrell mobile home in a blaze
An Upper Burrell couple was left homeless Thursday when fire raced through their mobile home on Amy Lane. Neither the couple, their pets nor any firefighters were reported to have been injured. Shortly after Larry Sieff turned on his hot water tank, he saw smoke in his kitchen and found...
Bridgeville man pleads guilty to federal child porn charges
A Bridgeville man pleaded guilty in federal court to child pornography charges. Paul Chretien, 66, pleaded guilty to charges of distribution of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Thursday. He...
Powerful quake hits off New Zealand, prompting evacuations
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A powerful magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck in the ocean off the coast of New Zealand on Friday, prompting thousands of people to evacuate and triggering tsunami warnings across the South Pacific. The quake was the largest in a series of tremors that struck the region over...
