Top Stories category, Page 1239
Pittsburgh councilman moves to declare ‘state of educational emergency’ in the city
A Pittsburgh councilman is moving forward with an effort to address what he terms “a state of emergency” in the public school system. “We need to have a joint response to react to this emergency,” Councilman Ricky Burgess of North Point Breeze said Tuesday. “It’s going to take all of...
Monroeville man pleads not guilty in animal fighting case
A Monroeville man is heading to county court facing 28 charges related to dog fighting. Davon Carter “Big Boy” Williams, 32, pleaded not guilty during a preliminary hearing Jan. 25, according to a transcript of the event. The charges stem from three separate dog fights that Monroeville and Allegheny County...
Gov. Wolf seeks income tax hike to pay for big increase in school funding
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf will propose a sweeping new plan to dramatically boost funding for public schools, to be supported by an increase in the state’s personal income tax rate that also expands exemptions for lower-wage earners, administration officials said Tuesday. Wolf’s administration began releasing details of the plan...
Pittsburgh police: Man found dead in Downtown alley after falling from building
Updated: Police on Thursday identified the man as Howard Letcher, 45, of Espyville. Authorities are investigating after police say a man fell off a building at about noon Tuesday in Downtown Pittsburgh. Police and paramedics responded to the call at about 12:15 p.m. for a man who had fallen several...
‘Silence of the Lambs’ house in Fayette County sells again
The sale of a Fayette County home made famous by its appearance in “The Silence of the Lambs” couldn’t have been more timely. The Perryopolis home — at 8 Circle St. — sold last week, just a few days shy of the 30th anniversary of the release of “The Silence...
Pa. covid hospitalizations increase slightly for 1st time in 2 weeks
After about two weeks of decreasing covid hospitalizations in the state, the streak ended with Tuesday’s numbers. Albeit slight, covid hospitalizations increased to 3,821 on Tuesday in Pennsylvania, after dropping for 12 consecutive days. Prior to this stretch, covid hospitalizations last increased on Jan. 20 when the total went up...
Biden moves to provide covid vaccine to pharmacies
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will begin providing covid-19 vaccines to U.S. pharmacies, part of its plan to ramp up vaccinations as new and potentially more serious virus strains are starting to appear. A White House announcement was expected Tuesday, a person familiar with the plan told The Associated Press....
Millions of dollars earmarked to help renters in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
Help is in the works for the thousands of households in Allegheny County that can’t afford to pay rent because of the covid-19 pandemic. “People continue to struggle,” Action Housing general counsel Kyle Webster said Tuesday, when Pittsburgh City Council took the first step toward establishing a program to help....
Lawsuit alleges prison guards sexually abused Fayette County inmate
An inmate at SCI Fayette is suing five officers, alleging they sexually abused him and then forced him to cut off his dreadlocks in retaliation when he complained. Abdul Murray, 40, has been at the state prison in La Belle since June 2015 and served as a block worker and...
Westmoreland County nears 25,000 covid cases with Tuesday’s additions
Westmoreland County had an additional 117 covid cases Tuesday, according to the state Department of Health. The newly reported cases continue a recent trend in the county. In the past 14 days, Westmoreland County has seen seven days with newly reported cases below 100, and seven days with more than...
Allegheny County reports 8 covid deaths, including a person in their 20s
Allegheny County reported eight additional covid deaths Tuesday, one of which was an individual in their 20s, according to the county Health Department. In addition to the person in their 20s, the age breakdown of new covid-related deaths was a person in their 50s, two in their 60s, two in...
Bradshaw, Bettis attempt Immaculate Reception for Super Bowl commercialVideo
It looks like the Steelers made it to Super Bowl LV after all. Well, a couple of former Steelers at least. Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw and Jerome Bettis are among a bevy of former NFL stars making up the large ensemble cast of a Frito-Lay commercial premiering during Sunday’s...
Pennsylvania declares emergency for snow removal
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has declared a disaster emergency as that state’s residents begin digging out from the storm. Wolf’s proclamation frees up millions of dollars for snow removal and other expenses associated with the massive, slow-moving storm, which dumped feet of snow on swaths of eastern Pennsylvania....
TV Talk: WPXI comes off DirecTV; WQED adds ‘Cartoon Academy’
In the latest retransmission battle, WPXI is no longer available to AT&T’s DirecTV and AT&T TV live streaming subscribers. AT&T and WPXI parent company Cox Media Group, owned by private equity firm Apollo Global Management, failed to come to terms on a new contract. The old contract expired at 2:59...
National mask mandate that covers public transportation goes into effect
If you’re not wearing a mask, you’re not going to be able use public transportation or fly out of Pittsburgh International Airport, under an executive order President Biden issued that goes into effect today. Wearing masks as a protective measure during the coronavirus pandemic has been required since May 2020...
Pittsburgh Public Schools eyes closure of schools as it reassesses footprint
Pittsburgh Public Schools announced Monday that it is recommending the closure of seven schools and six buildings, along with the creation of two new schools. The schools that could close are: Miller PreK-5 in the Hill District, Fulton PreK-5 in Highland Park, Woolslair PreK-5 and Arsenal 6-8 in Lawrenceville and...
Punxsutawney Phil says there will be 6 more weeks of winterVideo
PUNXSUTAWNEY — There will be six more weeks of winter, Punxsutawney Phil predicted as he emerged from his burrow on a snowy Tuesday morning to perform his Groundhog Day duties. Members of Phil’s “inner circle” woke up the furry critter at 7:25 a.m. at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to...
GOP’s McConnell blasts ‘loony lies’ by Ga. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
WASHINGTON — Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell denounced newly elected Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Monday, calling the far-right Georgia Republican’s embrace of conspiracy theories and “loony lies” a “cancer for the Republican Party.” “Somebody who’s suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings...
Ex-Plum star, NFL punter Pat McAfee gives Nesbit’s Lanes fundraiser big boost
A GoFundMe effort to help Nesbit’s Lanes in Plum exceeded its $100,000 goal with the help of an athletic alumnus. The page was created Jan. 29 by Verona bowler David Poremba, who heard about how the covid pandemic had caused league games to be canceled and hundreds of players to...
As Biden and Republicans meet, Democrats prepare to move covid-19 relief aloneVideo
WASHINGTON — As President Joe Biden met with 10 Republican senators Monday to test the waters of bipartisanship on coronavirus relief, Democrats on Capitol Hill took the first step toward fast-tracking the administration’s $1.9 trillion proposal through a legislative procedure that wouldn’t require GOP support. Although the Oval Office meeting,...
Pittsburgh native Jamie Tarses, 1st female TV network entertainment head, dies at 56
Jamie Tarses, who helped bring “Friends” to NBC and broke the glass ceiling in network TV when she became the top entertainment executive at ABC, died Monday after suffering complications from a cardiac event last fall. She was 56. Tarses’ death was confirmed by her family. She was among the...
Peduto bill to be introduced making Juneteenth a Pittsburgh holiday
Juneteenth is a step closer to becoming an official holiday in the City of Pittsburgh. Mayor Bill Peduto is introducing a bill to the City Council following up on his pledge to make Juneteenth an official holiday. Last August, Peduto announced his intentions at a Black Voting Rights Forum at...
Man arrested after bomb threat prompts evacuation of Federal Building in Pittsburgh
One person is in custody after a bomb threat prompted police to evacuate the federal building in Downtown Pittsburgh Monday evening, officials said. Albert Henard Morris, 60, was arrested at a house in Homewood and is charged with terroristic threats and a threat to use weapons of mass destruction, according...
House Democrats mount effort to punish Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
WASHINGTON — House Democrats are mounting an effort to formally rebuke Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a newly elected Georgia Republican with a history of making racist remarks, embracing conspiracy theories and endorsing violence directed at Democrats. Democrats have teed up action Wednesday to send a resolution to the House floor...
Dr. Abraham Twerski remembered as a ‘visionary’ in addiction field
With a twinkle in his eye, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski dispensed timeless wisdom others used to solve life’s problems. “Every time he spoke, people listened,” James Troup, CEO of Gateway Rehab, a regional leader in treatment for addiction that Twerski founded, said Monday. “He just had this aura about him....
