Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1298
Police: Beer cans linked suspect to double homicide in Stowe
A bag of beer helped link a McKees Rocks man to a double homicide in Stowe, in which he is charged in connection with the killings of his brother and his brother’s girlfriend, police said. Police charged Timothy Gumm, 60, with two counts of homicide in the deaths of Christopher...
NASA scientist discusses search for life on Mars: ‘Who knows what we’ll find?’Video
Humans have long wondered about the existence of life on Mars. Now that NASA has landed the technologically advanced Perseverance Rover on the Red Planet, the search for life on Mars is being renewed. On Thursday, NASA performed a direct entry of the Martian atmosphere, surviving what NASA scientists call...
Pa. covid hospitalizations, case averages lowest since November
Pennsylvania on Friday reported an additional 2,778 covid-19 cases and 67 deaths, according to the state Department of Health. A total of 908,773 cases and 23,480 deaths have been reported since covid cases were first reported in the state in March. In February, there have been 50,163 cases and 1,819...
Westmoreland County covid case averages are lowest since early November
Covid cases averages in Westmoreland County are the lowest they have been this month — and the lowest overall since early November. On Friday, the seven-day case average was 73 cases reported per day and the seven-day case count was 509 cases, the lowest for both figures since Nov. 7....
Allegheny County sees largest drop in covid hospitalizations this month
Allegheny County on Friday had the largest drop this month in covid hospitalizations. According to data from the state Department of Health, there were 190 covid-19 patients hospitalized in the county on Friday, down from 220 on Thursday. That is the lowest amount of hospitalizations in the county since early...
Remembering some of the weirdest crashes and vehicle mishaps in Western Pa.
An SUV that broke through the ice on North Park Lake in McCandless got plenty of attention Thursday, but that’s just the latest of many strange incidents involving cars, SUVs, trucks and buses in the region. Western Pennsylvania drivers have a knack for getting their vehicles into odd situations. Here’s...
Butler County resident saves another iconic vehicle from TV’s ‘Knight Rider’
A Butler County man who owns one of the few remaining cars used as KITT in the 1980s television series “Knight Rider” now has another notable vehicle from the show. Joe Huth, along with his partner and fellow “Knight Rider” historian AJ Palmgren, revealed this week they own one of...
Covid report card: A look at first semester cases in Allegheny, Westmoreland school districts
Since the start of the school year, districts in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties have been impacted by the covid-19 pandemic, forcing schools to close and students to partake in remote learning to help curb the spread of the virus. The chart below reflects the number of covid cases reported by...
As vaccine waiting lists grow, community pharmacies unsure when supply will arrive
The federal government has announced direct partnerships with pharmacy chains to speed up vaccine distribution, but pharmacists say independent stores are better equipped to administer doses quickly — and more efficiently. Independent pharmacists in Western Pennsylvania say they have solid relationships with people scrambling to get vaccinated against covid. They...
Democrats consider piecemeal approach to immigration reformVideo
WASHINGTON — After decades of failed attempts to pass comprehensive immigration legislation, congressional Democrats and President Joe Biden are signaling openness to a piece-by-piece approach. They unveiled a broad bill Thursday that would provide an eight-year pathway to citizenship for 11 million people living in the country without legal status....
Grand jury indicts Butler man on child sex abuse charges
A Butler County man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on child sex abuse charges, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Thomas Romspert, 29, of the city of Butler is the sole defendant in the three-count indictment made public this week, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said. According...
PennDOT hopes to fix major bridges across the state, including on I-79, but make them toll bridges
PennDOT has unveiled a plan to widen an I-79 bridge over Route 50 and reconfigure the Bridgeville interchange there. But PennDOT first has to come up with a way to pay for the work, and officials are considering making that bridge and others toll bridges. The I-79 widening and interchange...
Bethel Park mother featured in national nonprofit’s colorectal cancer awareness campaign
There are more than a million colorectal cancer survivors in the U.S., and telling their stories is one of the most effective ways that Missouri-based nonprofit Fight Colorectal Cancer has found to make others aware of the importance of cancer screenings. That is why Lynne Ireland-Knight of Bethel Park will...
3 Allegheny County clubs shut down for covid violations, no health permit
The Allegheny County Health Department shut down three illegal nightclubs over the week, none of which had valid health permits and all of which were flouting covid-19 mitigation measures, according to health department data. The Alley in Carrick, 9 Café in Wilkinsburg and the 703 Social Club in Marshall-Shadeland were...
Police say Stowe Township man killed brother, brother’s girlfriend in their home
Allegheny County Police have arrested a Stowe Township man accused of killing his brother and his brother’s girlfriend. Timothy Gumm, 60, was arrested Thursday night and charged with two counts of homicide and a gun charge. His alleged victims, his brother Christopher Gumm, 55, of Stowe; and the victim’s girlfriend,...
3 Western Pa. public universities plan for campus reopening this fall
A trio of Western Pennsylvania public universities that shuttered their campuses last fall and only recently began offering more classes on campus say they are making plans for a full-fledged return to campus for fall 2021. Officials at California, Clarion and Edinboro universities say they are cautiously planning to reopen...
Western Pa. ski resorts benefit from increased snowfall, popularity during pandemic
With snow continuing to fall across Western Pennsylvania, and much of the region having totals that are almost double that of previous years, ski resorts are seemingly reaping the benefits. Natural snowfall, in combination with snow making, at Seven Springs, Hidden Valley and Laurel Mountain has allowed slopes and trails...
Severe weather delays covid vaccine shipments to Pennsylvania
Weather dealt another blow to vaccine supply in Pennsylvania this week, with state health officials saying Thursday that no Moderna vaccine was shipped Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, and very little Pfizer vaccine was shipped during that time. “There will be a significant backlog of orders for distribution as a result...
Veteran, puppy help police capture suspect accused of injuring Scottdale officerVideo
A Marine Corps veteran and his German shepherd puppy helped police capture a suspect accused of injuring an officer and trying to break into several Scottdale homes on Wednesday. Edward Swingle, 31, said his military training kicked in, and so did the instincts of his 4-month-old puppy, Keeper. “I’m happy...
Bob Dole says he’s been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer
TOPEKA, Kan. — Bob Dole, a former longtime senator and the 1996 Republican presidential nominee, announced Thursday that he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. Dole, 97, said in a short statement that he was diagnosed recently and would begin treatment on Monday. “While I certainly have some...
Pennsylvania covid cases down over 50% in past month
Pennsylvania’s covid numbers continue to decline, as the state Department of Health’s latest report shows cases on average have dropped more than 50% since last month. The state reported 3,345 new cases Thursday, with 2,250 of those confirmed through 12,240 new PCR tests. Officials said 1,095 cases were listed as...
Westmoreland County reports 92 new covid cases, 5 deaths
Despite an increase in new cases from yesterday, Westmoreland County continues to see an overall decline in its new case average. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 92 new cases of coronavirus Thursday. It’s the 15th straight day the county’s new case count was in double digits. The last time...
Allegheny County covid numbers continue to decline
Despite surpassing 74,000 cases of coronavirus Thursday, Allegheny County’s overall covid averages continue to decline. The county health department’s latest report added 247 new cases of the virus. Of those, 114 cases were confirmed through 940 new PCR tests, processed from Feb. 8 to Wednesday. Officials said four of the...
Hairstyle protection law doesn’t impact ban on Pittsburgh police growing beards
Pittsburgh police officers must have neatly trimmed hair in a style that doesn’t interfere with their uniform cap. Most male officers aren’t allowed to grow beards, under a departmental policy last revised in 2017. But the CROWN Act, a law the city enacted in October, spelled out protections for Pittsburgh...
That 4 p.m. anxiety for Downtown street parkers? It started 100 years ago
Pittsburghers know the feeling. It’s a minute before 4 p.m. and you’re running errands on Wood Street, Downtown. But your car is parked on Smithfield, one street up and several blocks down. You sprint frantically. When you get to Smithfield, you can see the tow trucks circling like sharks, ready...
