Top Stories category, Page 1226
Pa. troopers say Unity assault victim put ‘Call 911’ note in window as plea for help
The hand-scrawled sign hanging in the window of a Unity home over the weekend read, “Call 911.” After seeing it, someone did just that. State police arrived Saturday at the Pearl Lane home for a reported domestic assault. Inside, troopers reported finding a woman “visibly distraught” and “still bleeding from...
Pittsburgh man sentenced to prison in drug trafficking, money laundering operation
A Pittsburgh man was sentenced to four years in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release in connection with a drug trafficking and money laundering operation, according to prosecutors. Anthony Bentley, 45, agreed to forfeit 10 watches, a diamond ring, three sets of body armor and about $293,000,...
Pittsburgh Public Schools plan phased return to in-person classes in April
Pittsburgh Public Schools are planning a phased return of students to the classroom beginning April 6, with the first spots reserved for the youngest learners and those who are struggling with online learning. The district late Monday announced student-support categories ahead of in-person instruction. The categories are based on students’...
Western Pa. school districts cope with teacher, staff shortages
When Thomas Shea had to quarantine in October, he never stopped teaching. From his home, he continued giving and recording lessons for his 10th-grade social studies students at Kiski Area High School. Shea said about two-thirds of his students are still learning from home, though the school district offers up...
Pennsylvania GOP sets meeting to discuss Toomey censure
HARRISBURG — Republican Party committee members in Pennsylvania expect to meet Wednesday night to decide whether to censure U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey amid a GOP backlash over his vote to convict Donald Trump during the former president’s second impeachment trial, members said. The state party chairman, Lawrence Tabas, emailed committee...
Merrick Garland says Capitol siege probe will be top priorityVideo
WASHINGTON — Merrick Garland appeared headed to easy confirmation as attorney general after a hearing Monday during which the soft-spoken federal appellate judge won praise from senators of both parties as he promised to aggressively investigate the U.S. Capitol attack, boost enforcement of civil rights laws and enact other major...
Police: Ambridge double homicide suspect in custody
A woman is charged with shooting her daughters to death in Ambridge, WPXI-TV reported late Monday. Krisinda Bright, 48, is being charged with two counts of homicide, according to the Beaver County District Attorney’s office, the TV station reported. Police found two people shot to death inside a home along...
North Hills teen shot in Pittsburgh’s Strip District Sunday dies Monday morning
A recent North Hills High School graduate died after being shot in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. Officials said Ahmir Tuli, 18, was shot in the head shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday along the 2700 block of Penn Avenue outside of Preeti’s Pitt restaurant. He was taken to a hospital in critical...
4 arrested, 19 guns seized after Monroeville Gun Show surveillance
Four people are charged with firearms offenses and 19 guns were seized following a joint surveillance operation by the state attorney general’s office and the Monroeville police at the Pittsburgh Gun Show in Monroeville. Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Monday announced the arrests and gun seizures. They took place the...
Arrival of 7,000 Moderna covid vaccine doses will ease Allegheny County supply problems
A shipment of 7,000 doses of the Moderna covid-19 vaccine will smooth out some of the bumps Allegheny County-run vaccine clinics expected this week, but officials said some people will still see their second-dose appointment pushed beyond four weeks. The announcement on Monday by the Allegheny County Health Department affects...
Greensburg train station sold again, along with 2 other downtown buildings
A Ligonier company has spent more than $3 million buying three commercial buildings in downtown Greensburg — including the city’s historic train station, which last changed hands in 2016. Chelsted Limited Family Partnership bought the train station on Ehalt Street from StoneKim Properties LLC for about $1.1 million, according to...
U.S. tops 500,000 coronavirus deaths, matching the toll of 3 warsVideo
The covid-19 death toll in the U.S. topped 500,000 Monday, a staggering number that all but matches the number of Americans killed in World War II, Korea and Vietnam combined. The lives lost, as recorded by Johns Hopkins University, are about equal to the population of Kansas City, Mo., and...
U.N. experts: Erik Prince, UAE firms violated Libya sanctions
UNITED NATIONS — American security contractor Erik Prince, a close ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, violated the U.N. arms embargo against Libya along with three United Arab Emirates-based companies and their top managers during an operation to help a rebel military commander take the capital Tripoli, U.N. experts...
Retrial date set for former Istanbul Sofra owner on burglary, sex charges
The former Regent Square restaurateur, whose trial two years ago ended in a partial acquittal on stalking and assault charges, will stand trial on the remaining counts against him in August. Adnan Pehlivan, 49, the former owner of Istanbul Sofra, still faces counts of burglary, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and...
We might need to keep wearing masks into 2022 to defeat covidVideo
Despite a sharp decline in coronavirus cases and continued success with covid-19 vaccines, it’s looking likely we will still be wearing masks for some time to come. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s coronavirus czar, said it’s possible masks could be needed until 2022. “I want it to keep going down...
UPMC website allows registration for covid-19 vaccine appointments
UPMC will allow people to register online or via phone for notifications and appointment scheduling information for the covid-19 vaccine, though the limited supply means there are no appointments to be had right now. The website encourages those who are eligible to sign up online so they can be contacted...
Pennsylvania’s new covid cases drop to lowest levels in 4 months
The number of new coronavirus cases reported Monday in Pennsylvania by the state’s Department of Health has not been so low since late October. Health officials added 3,427 new cases of covid-19, with 2,583 confirmed through PCR tests and 844 listed as probable. The two-day report brings the number of...
Westmoreland County adds fewest new covid cases since early October
Over the past two days, Westmoreland County added 76 additional cases of covid-19, according to Monday’s report from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. It’s the first time the county has had a two-day new case count in double digits since Oct. 7. Of the new cases, health officials report 48...
Western Pa. hospitals penalized for high rates of avoidable patient infections, injuries
Several hospitals with ties to Western Pennsylvania are being slapped with fines for ranking among the 25% worst-performing nationwide when it comes to rates of potentially avoidable patient conditions such as infections and injuries. The 2021 fines for hospital-acquired conditions affect a total of 774 hospitals nationwide, Kaiser Health News...
Allegheny County posts lowest new covid numbers since early November
In the past two days, Allegheny County added 374 new cases of covid-19. The last time health officials reported such low numbers, it was early November. With the new cases, the county’s total coronavirus count stands at 74,976. Three and a half months ago, when the county reported a two-day...
U.S. Supreme Court refuses to consider Mike Kelly’s Pa. mail-in ballot challengeVideo
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to take up two separate Pennsylvania elections cases, including a challenge filed by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly. Without providing any written explanation, the court issued an order denying a petition for certiorari by Kelly, R-Butler, challenging Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting system. “It is astounding...
Supreme Court rejects Trump’s last bid to shield his finances from New York prosecutorsVideo
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for New York prosecutors to obtain eight years of financial records from the accountants and bankers of former President Donald Trump as part of a criminal fraud and tax investigation involving him and the Trump Organization. Trump faces possible criminal...
Boeing: 777s with engine that blew apart should be grounded
Boeing has recommended that airlines ground all 777s with the type of engine that blew apart after takeoff from Denver this weekend, and most carriers that fly those planes said they would temporarily pull them from service. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ordered United Airlines to step up inspections of...
Westmoreland pharmacist ‘absolutely’ wants to play bigger role in doling out covid vaccine
There was no question in Ed Christofano’s mind that he would take more than a thousand doses of coronavirus vaccine when state officials offered them on short notice the weekend before last. “Absolutely,” the Westmoreland County pharmacist said. Within 24 hours, he had the doses — and plenty of waiting...
Pharmacist drives through winter storm to vaccinate homebound Donegal womanVideo
It was 19 degrees, but Ed Christofano had his GMC Acadia in four-wheel drive, climbing the snow-covered roads through the Allegheny Mountains. Also in his car was a cooler, and inside that was precious cargo: three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. “It’s just par for the course,” said Christofano, owner...
