Top Stories category, Page 1269
Stories of the Year: In a contentious election, Western Pa. again became a focal point for candidates
The presidential election of 2020 proved to be historic, from the unprecedented number of voters who cast ballots to the way they voted to the chaotic court-case aftermath — and Western Pennsylvania held a front-row seat. When the counting was finished, including tens of millions of ballots by mail, former...
Missing West End man found safely by Pittsburgh police
A West End man Pittsburgh police have been looking for since Monday afternoon was found safe, officials said. Police said they found John Johnson III, 36, Tuesday morning and returned him to his home. Johnson was considered at-risk and was last seen leaving Allegheny General Hospital yesterday wearing black pants,...
Man hospitalized after being shot in Green Tree
A man was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries Monday after being shot in Green Tree. Allegheny County police said the shooting occurred around 8:15 p.m. along the 1100 block of Greentree Road. First responders found the man and transported him to an area hospital. No further information about the victim...
House votes to override Trump’s veto of defense bill
WASHINGTON — The Democratic-controlled House voted overwhelmingly Monday to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a defense policy bill, setting the stage for what would be the first veto override of his presidency. House members voted 322-87 to override the veto, well above the two-thirds needed to override. The Senate,...
Pennsylvania says federal jobless aid could be delayed several weeks
More than half a million jobless Pennsylvanians may have to wait several weeks before their federal benefits resume under the extended CARES Act that President Trump delayed signing for six days, state officials said . While the state has reviewed the extended CARES Act Congress passed Dec. 21, the U.S....
Pittsburgh council creates fund for controversial parks taxVideo
More than a year after a parks tax was approved by Pittsburgh voters, council members Monday passed legislation that means the city will start to collect the tax in 2021. “With today’s approval of the Parks Trust Fund, our city is taking another step forward in our commitment to equity...
More covid-19 vaccines in the pipeline as U.S. effort ramps up
A huge U.S. study of another covid-19 vaccine candidate got underway Monday as states continue to roll out scarce supplies of the first shots to a nation anxiously awaiting relief from the catastrophic outbreak. Public health experts say more options in addition to the two vaccines now being dispensed —...
Biden warns of Trump officials’ ‘roadblocks’ to transitionVideo
WILMINGTON, Del. — President-elect Joe Biden is warning of massive damage done to the national security apparatus by the Trump administration and “roadblocks” in communication between agency officials and his transition team that could undermine Americans’ security. During remarks Monday in Wilmington, Biden said his team has faced “obstruction” from...
Man charged with assaulting 2 Derry Township relatives, state trooper
A 40-year-old man accused of assaulting two relatives in their Derry Township home after walking naked through their neighborhood early Saturday was arrested hours later for allegedly kicking a state trooper. James J. Zamerski of Pittsburgh was arrested by troopers twice in a span of three hours Saturday on multiple...
Westmoreland Manor residents, staff start receiving coronavirus vaccine
Westmoreland Manor residents and staff started getting vaccinated against the coronavirus Monday. It was the first day the vaccine was available in long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania. The number of those at the Hempfield facility consenting to get inoculated grew as the day went on, interim director Abby Testa said....
PWSA: Forklift pulled from Strip District sinkhole caused by water line break
A sinkhole opened Monday afternoon, swallowing a forklift on Smallman Street in the Strip District. The sinkhole opened about 2 p.m. near the 33rd Street intersection, according to Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority spokeswoman Rebecca Zito. “The forklift fell in, and we were able to pull it out,” she said....
Some in Pittsburgh’s South Hills waited days for city snowplow, councilman saysVideo
It took two and a half days for some Pittsburgh residents to see a plow or salt truck after the region had the heaviest Christmas snowfall on record. By the time Carrick resident Lucy Barrone saw a truck Sunday on Merritt Avenue near the city’s border with Brentwood, she said,...
House approves Trump’s $2K checks, sending to GOP-led SenateVideo
WASHINGTON — The House voted overwhelmingly Monday to increase covid-19 relief checks to $2,000, meeting President Donald Trump’s demand for bigger payments and sending the bill to the GOP-controlled Senate, where the outcome is uncertain. Democrats led passage, 275-134, their majority favoring additional assistance, but dozens of Republicans joined in...
Nashville bomber to neighbor: The world is ‘never going to forget me’
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It seemed like a friendly chat between neighbors. Only after a bomb exploded in downtown Nashville on Christmas morning could Rick Laude grasp the sinister meaning behind his neighbor’s smiling remark that the city and the rest of the world would never forget him. Laude told The...
27 new positive inmate coronavirus cases at Westmoreland County Prison
Twenty-seven Westmoreland County Prison inmates tested positive for the coronavirus Monday as three units housing prisoners remained on lockdown, according to interim Warden George Lawther. Inmates on the C, J and D units are able to shower, participate in recreation and make phone calls and video visits, but they are...
Covid vaccines arriving at Pennsylvania nursing homes
CVS Health began distributing vaccinations to 120 skilled nursing facilities across the state Monday, while Walgreens is distributing to an additional six, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine said. Immunizations for residents and staff members in long-term care facilities are being provided through a partnership between the federal government and the...
Pennsylvania becomes 7th state to top 15K coronavirus deaths
Pennsylvania hit a grim milestone over the weekend, topping 15,000 coronavirus deaths. On Sunday the Pennsylvania Department of Health added 127 deaths, bringing the state’s total to 15,010. And 76 more with Monday’s data now puts the total at 15,086. The state’s first coronavirus-related death was reported March 18. The...
Westmoreland County adds 258 new covid cases, 7 deaths
Westmoreland County reported 258 additional coronavirus cases over the past two days, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The state reported 167 cases on Sunday in Westmoreland County and 91 on Monday to bring the county’s total to 18,389. Of the newly reported cases, 242 are confirmed and 16...
Allegheny County attributes low number of new covid cases to limited testing
Allegheny County saw its lowest number of new coronavirus cases since November, according to new data from the county’s health department. On Monday the health department reported 193 new cases, the lowest number since 189 were added on Nov. 5. The county also added 401 cases on Sunday. (State and...
Bell Township house fire kills 1 resident, injures 2 othersVideo
A 52-year-old man was killed and two others injured in a fire Monday at a home along Route 286 in Bell Township, a state police fire marshal said. Resident Frank R. Zanavich died in the blaze, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Kenneth A. Bacha. Bacha has not ruled on the...
In-betweenland: As 2020 slips away, an American snapshot
GLENSHAW, Pa. — The enormous signs, selling for just $9.99, greet shoppers at the suburban supermarket’s entryway, carrying a holiday message that means something very different this year: “GATHER,” they shout, even as the state’s governor urges citizens to do precisely otherwise. To come together or to stay apart: one...
North Huntingdon pastor relied on faith as covid claimed his motherVideo
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series highlighting five people whose lives were reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic. By the time Glenn Meyers entered his mother’s hospital room at UPMC East in October, he knew it would likely be the last time he saw her. A covid-19 diagnosis...
Trump signs massive measure funding government, covid reliefVideo
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package Sunday, ending days of drama over his refusal to accept the bipartisan deal that will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown. The massive bill includes $1.4 trillion to...
Trump risks legacy of ‘chaos and misery,’ Sen. Pat Toomey saysVideo
President Donald Trump risks being remembered for creating “chaos and misery” at the end of his term if he vetoes the $900 billion stimulus passed by Congress and triggers a government shutdown, Republican Sen. Pat Toomey said. The Trump administration helped negotiate the bill, and if the president believes direct...
Steelers rally past Colts, clinch AFC North
With the Steelers careening to a fourth consecutive loss and all of the usual factors at play — dropped passes, short-yardage failures and little first-half offense — a Christmas miracle happened Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field. Trailing by 17 points and looking as lifeless as a holiday tree without water,...
