Top Stories category, Page 1236
‘Pink hat lady’ from Mercer County arrested for alleged involvement in Capitol riot
A Mercer County woman being sought by police for her involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot last month has been taken into custody. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Rachel Marie Powell, 40, of Sandy Lake, was arrested Thursday night in New Castle. She is charged with obstruction, depredation of...
Getting covid vaccine doesn’t mean losing your mask, experts say
As covid-19 vaccination efforts ramp up, health experts are urging people not to skimp on mitigation measures even after they receive the vaccine. Optimism about the vaccine is warranted, but that doesn’t mean vaccinated people should disregard mitigation efforts like mask wearing and social distancing, said Dr. Graham Snyder, UPMC’s...
Western Pennsylvania sportsbooks bracing for Super Bowl action
The Steelers might not be in the Super Bowl this year, but that’s not stopping Pittsburghers from placing wagers on which team might take home the Vince Lombardi trophy. Bets are rolling in at local casinos ahead of Sunday’s game pitting the favored Kansas City Chiefs (-3, at most sportsbooks)...
Senate approves budget bill as Harris casts tie-breaker vote
WASHINGTON — The Senate early Friday approved a budget that would allow fast-track passage of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan without support from Republicans. Vice President Kamala Harris was in the chair to cast the tie-breaking vote, her first. Democrats in the chamber applauded after Harris announced...
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman files statement of candidacy for possible U.S. Senate run
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has taken further steps toward finalizing a possible bid for Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate seat that will be open in the 2022 election. While he has not formally announced his bid for the seat, Fetterman, 51, filed a statement of candidacy this week with the Federal Election...
Upper Burrell man charged with woman’s attempted murder to remain in jail
An Upper Burrell man charged with the attempted murder of a woman will remain in jail after a Westmoreland County judge said Wednesday he is a danger to society. Police contend Matthew Best, 32, pointed a rifle and pulled the trigger during a confrontation Oct. 23. The woman’s life was...
Voting company sues Fox, Giuliani over election fraud claims
MIAMI — A voting technology company is suing Fox News, three of its hosts and two former lawyers for former President Donald Trump — Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell — for $2.7 billion, charging that the defendants conspired to spread false claims that the company helped “steal” the U.S. presidential...
Family launches online petition to make Verona police cars more identifiable
Zachary Rutherford loves police and plans to get into law enforcement when he gets older. “They can help people, and it’s like a cool job,” said Zachary, 11. It is because of that admiration and respect that he wants people to know when officers, or at least their vehicles, are...
New Mexico State Police say officer shot, killed on highway
DEMING, N.M. — A New Mexico State Police officer was fatally shot on a highway Thursday and authorities chased the attacker, killing him in a shootout, officials said. State Police said one of its officers was shot in Luna County between Las Cruces and Deming in a confrontation along Interstate...
Latrobe therapist ordered to trial on charges of rape, sexual assault, corruption of minorsVideo
Eight former female clients of a Latrobe mental health therapist said in court Thursday they were harassed, sometimes groped and offered cash and drugs in return for nude photographs during counseling sessions. One former client, now 29, described in a preliminary hearing before Unity District Judge Michael Mahady how, as...
Dem-led House, drawing a line, kicks Greene off committees
WASHINGTON — A fiercely divided House tossed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene off both her committees Thursday, an unprecedented punishment that Democrats said she’d earned by spreading hateful and violent conspiracy theories. Underscoring the political vise her inflammatory commentary has clamped her party into, nearly all Republicans voted against the Democratic...
Some Western Pa. Sam’s Club pharmacies to begin offering covid-19 vaccines
Walmart and Sam’s Club will begin offering covid-19 vaccines at select pharmacies beginning next week. Four local Sam’s Club stores — located in Hempfield, Monroeville, Trinity Point and West Mifflin — are among participating locations. Select locations in 22 states are slated to begin administering the vaccines through the Federal...
Johnson & Johnson asks U.S. regulators to OK its one-shot covid-19 vaccine
Johnson & Johnson asked U.S. regulators Thursday to clear the world’s first single-dose covid-19 vaccine, an easier-to-use option that could boost scarce supplies. J&J’s vaccine was safe and offered strong protection against moderate to severe covid-19, according to preliminary results from a massive international study. It didn’t appear quite as...
City Brewing in Latrobe pondering next move after losing Iron City accountVideo
The Latrobe brewery once home to Rolling Rock beer in its classic green bottles is poised to lose another iconic local brew: Iron City Beer. Pittsburgh Brewing Co. announced plans to make its popular lager at a former glass plant in East Deer. The company revealed late Wednesday it will...
Kentucky man, living in Fayette County, arrested as part of Capitol attack
A Kentucky man who was living in Uniontown was arrested Thursday and accused of spraying officers with mace during the attack on the Capitol last month. Peter Schwartz, 47, is charged with four counts, including forcible assault on an officer; two counts of knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful...
Agents visit Mercer County home of pink hat woman pictured at Capitol riot
SANDY LAKE — Federal agents on Thursday were at the Mercer County home of a woman who told a magazine this week she was at the U.S. Capitol last month during the riot by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, a TV station reported. WKBN-TV said investigators were conducting court-authorized activity...
Lawmakers consider fast-track plan for abuse lawsuit window
HARRISBURG — A bid to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to give victims of child sexual abuse a new legal window to sue over otherwise time-barred allegations got new life Thursday, days after the disclosure of a paperwork error threw it into disarray. Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, told colleagues during a...
Pa. lawmakers’ spending jumps, reserves grow during pandemic as deficit ballooned
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Legislature’s spending grew by more than 8% last year, adding some $28 million to its own reserves as the state’s deficit ballooned and many residents struggled to pay bills during the pandemic. The Legislative Audit Advisory Commission on Thursday voted without debate to approve the legislative...
Gov. Wolf defends funding plan for public education
Gov. Tom Wolf doubled down on his proposal for major funding increases for public education, joining others on Thursday to lay out additional details for improving equity across Pennsylvania. “Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unfair to students, teachers and communities,” Wolf said during a virtual press briefing. Wolf on Wednesday...
Allegheny County Police Superintendent McDonough to retire
The head of the Allegheny County Police Department will retire at the end of March, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said Thursday. Coleman McDonough, who has led the 225-person department as superintendent since 2016, is set to retire. Assistant Superintendent Chris Kearns will take over, Fitzgerald announced. McDonough, 65, called...
Adviser: Trump won’t testify in Senate impeachment trial
WASHINGTON — House Democrats on Thursday asked Donald Trump to testify under oath for his Senate impeachment trial, challenging the former president to respond to their charge that he incited a violent mob to storm the Capitol. In a response, a Trump adviser said Trump won’t testify. The request in...
Covid hospitalizations in Pa. continue to fall
The number of people in Pennsylvania hospitalized because of the coronavirus continues to fall. The state Department of Health on Thursday reported 3,138 people were being treated for covid-19 in hospitals, 86 fewer than the day before. It marked the 14th day out of the past 15 that the number...
Westmoreland County crosses 25,000 mark for covid cases
Westmoreland County on Thursday eclipsed the 25,000 mark for coronavirus cases, but the signs of a slowdown continue. The county reported 70 additional cases of covid-19 and three additional deaths attributed to the virus, according to the latest data available from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county reported 25,068...
Allegheny County reports 1 additional covid death as signs of virus leveling off continue
Allegheny County on Thursday reported one additional death attributed to the coronavirus — a day after reporting nearly three dozen. Meanwhile, the number of newly reported coronavirus cases in the county mostly held steady. The county added 313 covid-19 cases to its tally, according to the latest data available from...
Scams, high demand shut down Allegheny County phone lines for vaccine appointments
A phone line meant to help seniors and those without internet access set up covid-19 vaccination appointments lasted less than four hours Thursday before appointments were full — but it was long enough for scammers to begin intercepting calls and asking for money, according to Allegheny County officials. Beginning at...
