Top Stories category, Page 1252
Census Bureau director Steven Dillingham to resign amid criticism over data
Facing criticism over efforts to produce citizenship data to comply with an order from President Donald Trump, U.S. Census Bureau director Steven Dillingham said Monday that he planned to resign with the change in presidential administrations. Dillingham said in a statement that he would resign on Wednesday, the day Trump...
Spirit Airlines expands flights from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport to Florida, Myrtle Beach
After months of commercial flight slowdowns and outright shutdowns, the terminal at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport is about to become bustling again with airline passengers. While covid-19 and an $18 million runway widening and facility improvement project took their toll on commercial flight offerings over the last 11 months, officials...
Man sues Allegheny County jail officials over alleged assault by inmate
A man is suing Allegheny County Jail officials after he said he was viciously beaten by another inmate who, just days earlier, had assaulted another man because of the way he looked at him. Derrick Jubeck, 35, was to be released on May 30, 2019, after being held at the...
New covid-19 cases in Pennsylvania continue to slow
New cases of coronavirus appear to be on a downward trajectory in Pennsylvania, with hospitalization numbers following suit. Over the past two days, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Monday, the state saw 10,068 new cases of the virus. When comparing it to last week’s numbers (12,844), that’s a 21.6%...
Westmoreland County adds 214 coronavirus cases, 9 deaths over past 2 days
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Monday that 214 new cases of coronavirus were added over the past two days in Westmoreland County. Cases seem to be on the decline in the county. This week’s Sunday-Monday total is 47% lower than last week’s (404) and 63% below the similar period...
Here are 5 things to know about Inauguration Day
Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday in an inauguration ceremony that, amid violent threats and a deadly pandemic, will look unlike any other. What’s the schedule of events? The ceremony begins at 11:30 a.m. with the playing of the national...
Harrisburg woman in custody, accused of stealing Pelosi’s laptop in riotVideo
WASHINGTON — Federal authorities arrested a Harrisburg woman who was wanted for her role in the Capitol uprising on Monday. Authorities say Riley June Williams allegedly stole a laptop from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office and was said to have plans to turn it over to Russia. Williams, a 22-year-old...
Allegheny County covid cases, hospitalizations continue to decline
New cases of coronavirus are continuing to decline in Allegheny County. The Allegheny County Health Department on Monday reported that over the past two days, it saw 796 new cases — a 10% drop from a week ago and a 44% drop from this time in December. In a release,...
Own a piece of memorabilia from Parkway West Max & Erma’s restaurant
Get something to-go at Max & Erma’s. The restaurant chain is auctioning items from its closed North Fayette location along Parkway West. The locations in Cranberry and Monroeville remain open. People can bid on everything from signs to equipment to a wooden bench at the entrance. A large wooden pirate...
Editorial: Martin Luther King Jr.’s dreams still ring out
When Martin Luther King Jr. came to the Lincoln Memorial in March 1963, he spoke words that echoed like a bell. They rang true and resonated with both heartbreak and faith as he spoke about a dream of equality, freedom and the future. It was a moment that seems suspended...
No one hurt in Sewickley house fire
No one was injured in a fire early Monday in Sewickley, according to Allegheny County emergency dispatchers. Crews responded to a call just after 5 a.m. in the 800 block of Centennial Avenue. Flames and smoke were billowing from the second floor when crews arrived. Multiple departments responded to put...
Beat the winter blues with wildlife and Westmoreland’s beautiful viewsVideo
The winter of 2021 is shaping up to look much like the spring, summer and fall of 2020 — at least when it comes to most forms of in-person socializing. But one place that has remained safe for activity throughout the pandemic has been the great outdoors, and that certainly...
Irwin tries to tackle $182 problem caused by Dunkin’ traffic snagVideo
Imagine paying $182 for a cup of coffee and a doughnut? Outrageous? But some thirsty motorists have been just doing that. They stop for their morning coffee and a doughnut at the Dunkin’ store along the eastbound lanes of Route 30 in Irwin. But when they exit, they make a...
FBI vetting Guard troops in D.C. amid fears of insider attack
WASHINGTON — U.S. defense officials say they are worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, prompting the FBI to vet all of the 25,000 National Guard troops coming into Washington for the event. The massive undertaking reflects the extraordinary...
Covid pandemic changes Day of Service
Like so many other activities and events over the past 10 months, the covid pandemic has impacted volunteer opportunities Monday on the National Day of Service, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Colleges and universities in the region that might have volunteer opportunities for students and staff on National...
Report: Flames shoot through roof of Collier home; no injuries reported
No one was injured in a house fire Sunday in Collier Township’s Presto area, according to an Allegheny County emergency dispatcher. The fire broke out shortly after 3 pm. in the 5000 block of Carnoustie Court, a residential neighborhood, according to the dispatcher. Collier’s Presto Volunteer Fire Department was the...
County leaders in Pa. call for mail-in ballot reform
County commissioners throughout Pennsylvania are calling for a series of election reforms they contend will improve the balloting process across the state and clarify procedures that resulted in counting delays and litigation. According to a preliminary report released Thursday by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, officials recommend state lawmakers...
Protests start small at newly fortified U.S. statehousesVideo
Small groups of right-wing protesters — some of them carrying rifles — gathered outside newly fortified statehouses around the country Sunday as National Guard troops and police kept watch to prevent a repeat of the violence that erupted at the U.S. Capitol. There were no immediate reports of any clashes....
‘Little old West Virginia’ sets pace on vaccine rolloutVideo
KENOVA, W.Va. — Griffith & Feil Drug has been in business since 1892, a family-owned, small-town pharmacy. This isn’t their first pandemic. More than a century after helping West Virginians confront the Spanish flu in 1918, the drugstore in Kenova, a community of about 3,000 people, is helping the state...
Records: Trump allies behind rally that ignited Capitol riot
WASHINGTON — Members of President Donald Trump’s failed presidential campaign played key roles in orchestrating the Washington rally that spawned a deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol, according to an Associated Press review of records, undercutting claims the event was the brainchild of the president’s grassroots supporters. A pro-Trump nonprofit...
Pa. State Police resume tracking racial data during traffic stops in response to Spotlight PA report
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania State Police announced Tuesday that it had resumed collecting racial data during traffic stops, nine years after...
Redistricting will be definitive political fight of 2021 in Pennsylvania
This article is part of a year-long reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It’s made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members, including TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — With partisanship in the Pennsylvania legislature at peak...
Phil Spector, famed music producer and murderer, dies at 81
LOS ANGELES — Phil Spector, the eccentric and revolutionary music producer who transformed rock music with his “Wall of Sound” method and who later was convicted of murder, has died. He was 81. California state prison officials said he died Saturday of natural causes at a hospital. Spector was convicted...
Pa. state Sen. Dave Arnold dies from brain cancer at age 49
Pennsylvania Sen. Dave Arnold died Sunday at home with his wife and daughter by his side, ending a 15-month battle with brain cancer. Arnold was 49 years old. He took the oath of office last January to represent the 48th senatorial district, which covers all of Lebanon County and parts...
Protests start small, peacefully at fortified U.S. statehouses
Police and National Guard troops stood sentry at newly fortified statehouses Sunday ahead of demonstrations planned for the leadup to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, as authorities worked to deter a repeat of the recent riot that overran the U.S. Capitol. A few protesters were starting to gather in some cities,...
