Top Stories category, Page 13
Local vendors eye NFL Draft 2026 contract opportunities
After months of education and training, business members of the NFL’s 2026 Source Program got their first opportunity to meet face-to-face with potential buyers in the 2026 NFL Draft. On Tuesday, Pittsburgh vendors gathered at the Community College of Allegheny County Foerster Student Service Center in Pittsburgh’s North Side for...
Crews battle blaze at Wilkinsburg home
Several fire crews responded to a residential fire in Wilkinsburg on Tuesday night. Allegheny County 911 dispatchers said the blaze began around 7:40 p.m. on the 1000 block of North Avenue. No injuries were initially reported, according to dispatchers. The Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire provides fire protection in Wilkinsburg. The...
Springdale residents, environmental groups gather to oppose data center
About two dozen community members discussed concerns and penned letters to local officials Tuesday night about a proposed data center in Springdale. Hearings for the center have been ongoing for several months, but a final vote to approve or reject the project is expected Tuesday. Organized by local environmental groups...
‘Grim picture’: Pittsburgh council meets in private to hear options for tax hike, budget cuts
Pittsburgh City Council members met Tuesday behind closed doors to hear a presentation about ways to fix a gaping hole in the 2026 budget. Council Budget Director Peter McDevitt showed council options including tax increases at various levels, scaled-down pay raises for nonunion workers and cuts to the city’s workforce....
Greensburg pension commission returns $62K to ex-chief, hears appeal on benefits suspension
Greensburg will return nearly $62,000 in pension contributions made by its former police chief while the city’s police pension commission weighs an appeal by a retired officer whose benefits have been suspended. Both former cops — Regina McAtee, 52, of New Kensington and Shawn Denning, 44, of Delmont — are...
Robert Friedlander, longtime head of neurological surgery at UPMC, steps down
Dr. Robert Friedlander, longtime head of neurological surgery at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, has stepped down from his post, the hospital system confirmed Tuesday. A UPMC spokesperson offered no additional details about Friedlander’s abrupt departure from his position, which he’s held since 2010. Pitt referred TribLive to UPMC’s...
Arnold man cleared of assault on inmate during sheriff transport
A Westmoreland County jury on Tuesday acquitted an Arnold man of assaulting a female inmate while the two were being taken to jail in the back seat of a sheriff’s car. Jurors deliberated one hour before returning not-guilty verdicts on charges of aggravated harassment by a prisoner and indecent assault...
Shooting at Kentucky State University leaves 1 dead, 1 hurt and a suspect in custody, officials say
FRANKFORT, Ky. — One student was killed and another was critically wounded in a shooting at a residence hall at Kentucky State University on Tuesday, and a suspect who is not a student at the school has been arrested, officials said. The shooting happened around 3 p.m. and was an...
New Kensington police charge brother of man killed outside Elks Lodge with homicide
New Kensington police believe the man killed outside the Elks Lodge early Saturday was shot by his brother during an altercation with another person. They’ve charged Steffon Ballard, 38, with homicide, attempted homicide, possession of a firearm and aggravated assault in the death of Jeffrey Ballard, 46, who served as...
Expiring Obamacare subsidies prompt thousands to drop Pennie health insurance
For every new enrollment, two Pennsylvanians are dropping Obamacare coverage as steep government subsidies are set to expire at year’s end. About 38,000 people who have Affordable Care Act coverage through Pennie, the state’s health insurance exchange, have opted not to renew their plans for next year. That’s compared to...
Monzo to retire as head of Westmoreland airport authority
Gabe Monzo, who has seen plenty of takeoffs and landings during his more than four decades working for the Westmoreland County Airport Authority — including the last 17 as its executive director — announced Tuesday he will retire from that role at the end of April. “While the responsibilities seem...
Who are Pittsburgh Mayor-elect O’Connor’s latest picks for his administration?
Pittsburgh Mayor-elect Corey O’Connor this week announced his picks for more key posts in his administration. Sharon Werner — a former chief of staff to U.S. Attorneys General Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch — will be the city’s chief operating officer. Sophia Shapiro, the daughter of Gov. Josh Shapiro, will...
Planned $68M health sciences building at Duquesne University to open in fall 2028
Duquesne University officials say a new, $68 million health sciences facility will locate clinical services, consolidate programs and strengthen the college’s role in regional health care. Duquesne announced Tuesday that it plans to build a new, 80,000-square-foot health sciences facility at the corner of Forbes Avenue and Magee Street that...
Former teacher accused of sexual assault most recently taught at private Butler County school
A former Highlands School District teacher charged last week with sexual assault against children continued to teach after leaving the district in 2022. Sean Dicer, 53, of Brackenridge was most recently employed at Penn Christian Academy, a private school in Penn Township, Butler County. Dicer was arrested Thursday and charged...
False fire alarm fines begin in Greensburg with the new year; ordinance holds property owners accountable
New rules regarding false fire alarms in Greensburg are set to go into effect Jan. 1. Greensburg council on Monday unanimously approved updating an ordinance that holds property owners accountable for alarm malfunctions, particularly when firefighters repeatedly respond to the same building. Fire Chief Tom Bell said firefighters have been...
Here are 5 takeaways from the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Netflix documentary
Rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s four-part documentary on embattled hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs premiered last week on Netflix, and it is currently the platform’s most-viewed show. “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” traces Diddy’s ascent to becoming one of hip-hop’s most powerful figures and his subsequent downfall amid a wave of...
Cause of blaze that destroyed Hempfield home under investigation
A state police fire marshal is investigating the cause of a blaze that destroyed a home in Hempfield’s Fort Allen section Tuesday morning. Flames and billowing smoke ripped through the residence at 318 Hopi Drive after the fire was reported about 9:15 a.m. Hempfield Fire Department Chief Anthony Kovacic confirmed...
Cars crashing into buildings: Increase seen in these high-hazard calls
They are among the most dangerous and unpredictable incidents first responders face: Vehicles crashing into buildings. In a few chaotic seconds, a routine drive transforms into a complex emergency involving potential mass casualties, fire hazards and the threat of structural collapse. For first responders, it is the call that typically...
Derry Township man gets prison for assault and strangulation of girlfriend
A Derry Township man was ordered to serve up to five years in prison for the assault and strangulation of his live-in girlfriend in early 2020. Wayne Nestler Jr., 36, pleaded guilty Monday to two felony counts of strangulation and one misdemeanor offense of simple assault in connection with allegations...
Morning Roundup: Water main repairs close section of Route 28
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Dec. 9: Water main repairs close section of Route 28 A section of inbound Route 28 has been closed as crews repair a water main break. The issue was reported Monday afternoon on a hillside across from the...
Cutting-edge Tourette syndrome treatment helps woman reclaim daily life
In the Neurology Department at Allegheny General Hospital’s Hemlock Building, Abigail Bailey’s body folded forward in her chair. Her muscles tightened as if someone had forced the air from her lungs. Her nose burned, her chest hitched and she gripped the chair’s armrests to keep from collapsing. Abigail’s younger sister...
Without closures, Pittsburgh Public Schools projects $6M deficit with 4% tax hike
Pittsburgh Public Schools officials plan to move into the new year with a more than $6 million projected budget deficit despite a proposed 4% tax hike. In a budget hearing Monday night, multiple district residents implored school board members and administrators to find creative ways of raising revenue beyond the...
Allegheny County sheriff admitted to hospital last week, in stable condition
Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus is in stable condition after being hospitalized last week, according to spokesperson Mike Manko. Kraus was “under the weather” all of last week and decided to see a doctor on Thursday, Manko said. “That doctor suggested he go to the hospital where doctors made the...
Supreme Court appears likely to back Trump’s power to fire independent agency board members
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday seemed likely to expand presidential control over independent federal agencies, signaling support for President Donald Trump’s firing of board members. The court’s conservative majority suggested it would overturn a unanimous 90-year-old decision that has limited when presidents can fire agencies’ board members —...
Greensburg keeps property tax rate steady, despite drop in total assessed value
Despite a $2.6 million drop in assessed property value for next year, Greensburg council passed a 2026 budget that keeps the millage rate steady. That decrease in total assessed value will result in about $21,500 less in property tax revenue for the city. When initially preparing the 2026 spending plan,...
