Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1280
Mt. Pleasant Township man charged with threatening troopers with knife
A Mt. Pleasant Township man is in the county jail on $10,000 bond because he was charged with threatening to stab two state troopers, according to court records. Chad E. Heiser, 42, of Hecla was arraigned on charges of aggravated assault, harassment, simple assault and terroristic threats in connection with...
Man gets life in prison for 2017 North Side killing
An East Allegheny man will spend the rest of his life in prison after being sentenced for first-degree murder on Thursday in a 2017 shooting death. Justin Parrotte, 32, was found guilty by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey A. Manning in a nonjury trial in February 2020 of killing...
White House: $1,400 individual checks may arrive soon
WASHINGTON — The White House says the $1,400 direct payments for most Americans funded by the American Rescue Plan will start showing up in bank accounts as early as this weekend. Press secretary Jen Psaki says the government will make the first direct deposits this weekend. She says payments will...
Man with ties to Western Pa. arrested in connection with Capitol attack
A man who operates a woodworking business in Bentleyville is charged with entering the U.S. Senate floor and reading documents removed from desks there during the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Dale “DJ” Shalvey, 36, was charged by criminal complaint on Feb. 12 in the District of Columbia. The case remained...
Biden signs $1.9T relief bill before speech to nation
WASHINGTON — Marking a year of loss and disruption, President Joe Biden on Thursday signed into law the $1.9 trillion relief package that he said will help the U.S. defeat the coronavirus and nurse the economy back to health. The signing came hours before Biden delivers his first prime-time address...
Penguins reflect on a year since the NHL paused for covid-19
Mike Matheson was in a much different place exactly one year ago. Dallas, to be specific. Then a member of the Florida Panthers, Matheson was in his Dallas hotel room watching the Dallas Mavericks host the Denver Nuggets. And that’s when he realized the world was rapidly changing. During the...
Henry’s Hoagies adds new lunch option to downtown Greensburg
There’s a new grab-and-go lunch option in downtown Greensburg. Henry’s Hoagies opened March 2 in the downstairs space at 16 W. Second St. For now, the food service is all takeout, offering eight sandwich options, four varieties of pepperoni rolls, two daily soups, snacks, fresh fruit, yogurt and bottled drinks....
Allegheny County adds 19 new covid deaths; Westmoreland County covid numbers stable; state hospitalizations fall
Allegheny County on Thursday saw a slight uptick in cases and hospitalizations, and a higher than usual number of new deaths reported. Westmoreland County saw a decrease in both cases and hospitalizations and two new deaths. The state of Pennsylvania saw cases and deaths remain stable with hospitalizations continuing to...
Pittsburgh officials plan occupancy checks during St. Patrick’s Day weekend
Pittsburgh Public Safety officials on Thursday urged caution in weekend St. Patrick’s Day parties as warm weather moves in and the covid-19 vaccines offer a hope that gatherings and celebrations could return soon along with a sense of normalcy. “Now is not the time to let down our guard,” Public...
2 firefighters hurt battling blaze on Tarentum’s East Ninth AvenueVideo
Two firefighters were injured battling a fire Thursday morning on Tarentum’s East Ninth Avenue, which left four residents homeless. Highland Hose fire Chief Terry Chambon said two firefighters from Citizens Hose suffered minor burns and were taken to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. They were treated and released hours later....
Police investigate after swastika drawings found in Mt. Lebanon school
An investigation is underway after two swastika images were found inside a bathroom stall in Jefferson Middle School in the Mt. Lebanon School District. Principal Sarah Shaw sent a letter to families Tuesday alerting them to the second drawing. The first drawing had been found March 2, and an investigation...
New owner sees long-term vision for Conneaut Lake Park
Conneaut Lake Park’s new owner says his vision to revitalize the historic amusement park is going to take time. “The way we’re imagining this is as a family events center,” Todd Joseph of Keldon Holdings LLC said in an interview with the Tribune. “We’re going to do whatever it takes...
U.S. jobless claims fall to 712,000 as pace of layoffs eases
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 712,000, the lowest total since early November, evidence that fewer employers are cutting jobs amid a decline in confirmed coronavirus cases and signs of an improving economy. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications for unemployment aid...
Greensburg Salem moves to 4 days a week in April; district prepares to vaccinate staff
Greensburg Salem teachers will begin receiving covid vaccines Friday as the district prepares to bring students back to school four days a week. Hayden’s Pharmacy will administer the first of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine to district faculty and staff, according to Superintendent Gary Peiffer. The second dose likely...
Rain showers expected to bring cooler temperatures to Pittsburgh region
Rain moving into Southwestern Pennsylvania Thursday afternoon is expected to slide temperatures closer to seasonally-average norms throughout the weekend. While the chance of isolated showers is possible throughout the day Thursday, temperatures will remain close to the upper 60s, said Jason Frazier, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in...
TV Talk: Swissvale native Billy Gardell grateful for ‘Bob (Hearts) Abishola’ success
A few weeks ago, Swissvale native Billy Gardell received welcome news: An early third season renewal of his CBS sitcom “Bob (Hearts) Abishola,” returning with a new episode at 8:30 p.m. Monday on KDKA-TV. “That never happened to me on ‘Mike & Molly.’ They usually made you wait until May...
How sweet it is: Ice cream, custard stands opening, including new one in Arnold
The harbingers of spring are here. Glen’s Frozen Custard, with locations in Lower Burrell and Springdale, opens Thursday. Della’s Frozen Custard opens Friday. And early Sunday, clocks will be turned ahead an hour for Daylight Saving Time. Mom-and-pop frozen custard and ice cream shops have been opening this month throughout...
Why pandemic challenges persist at Pennsylvania’s nursing homes
Covid-19 cases at nursing homes have fallen sharply in recent weeks, signaling hope for weary staffers and residents who yearn for visitors and fresh air after a year living in isolation and fear. “They’re tired, and they’re exhausted. … It’s just been a tragedy on every conceivable level,” said Mark...
Police: Body of woman reported missing in January found in Fayette County
A woman missing from Fayette County since January was found dead, according to state police. Melanie Prokop, 62, was found Wednesday evening in a wooded area off Kennedy Road in North Union Township, police said. Prokop, who was last seen Jan. 1 driving her white vehicle, was reported missing Jan....
Classes at Leechburg Area Junior/Senior High School to be taught online Thursday, Friday due to covid
Classes at Leechburg Area Junior/Senior High School will be taught online Thursday and Friday after several cases of covid-19 were reported. However, elementary school students will continue to be taught in school, as will students attending Lenape Technical School. School buses will follow their normal schedule. Classes for grades six...
Report: Cuomo groped female aide in governor’s residence
ALBANY, N.Y. — An aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he groped her in the governor’s residence, a newspaper reported Wednesday, in the most serious allegation made yet by a series of women against the embattled Democrat. The Times Union of Albany reported that the woman, who it...
Buffalo Township man died hours after being rescued from deep ravine
A Buffalo Township man was alive Tuesday night when authorities found him at the bottom of a deep ravine about a quarter-mile from his home following a six-hour search. But any relief that came from finding Dennis Fester, 74, was fleeting. He was flown by emergency helicopter to Pittsburgh’s Allegheny...
Nursing home residents can get hugs again, feds say
WASHINGTON — Nursing home residents vaccinated against covid-19 can get hugs again from their loved ones, and all residents may enjoy more indoor visits, the government said Wednesday in a step toward pre-pandemic normalcy. The policy guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, comes as coronavirus...
Biden immediately begins selling virus aid plan to public
WASHINGTON — The White House began highlighting the $1.9 trillion covid relief bill immediately after it gained final congressional approval on Wednesday, wasting no time in selling the public on President Joe Biden’s first legislative victory. The West Wing began an ambitious campaign to showcase the bill’s contents while looking...
New fed relief plan saves aid for 925,000 Pennsylvanians, state says
Congress extended a lifeline to about 925,000 Pennsylvanians who get federal unemployment benefits by giving final approval Wednesday to a $1.9 trillion covid relief package. The House on Wednesday passed the American Rescue Plan, after the Senate approved its own version of the controversial stimulus bill on March 6. President...
