Top Stories category, Page 1306

WASHINGTON — Hope Hicks, one of President Donald Trump’s closest aides, has tested positive for the coronavirus after spending time in close proximity to him this week. Hicks, who serves as counselor to Trump and traveled with him to a rally Wednesday, tested positive Thursday, according to an administration official,...

The newest sport in Point Park University’s athletic program is similar to soccer, except the ball is giant, the players are replaced with rocket-powered race cars and the action takes place on a computer screen instead of in real life. The university’s new esports team made its debut this week,...

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 weekly newsletter. HARRISBURG — The state House of Representatives canceled its voting session Thursday after a Republican lawmaker tested positive for the...

Westmoreland commissioners fired the deputy director of the county’s elections bureau — a move that continues upheaval in the department just a month before the Nov. 3 election. County officials on Thursday would not comment on the reasons for the dismissal of Scott Sistek, who served for more than a...

An Indiana County man faces felony charges after police say he struck another man in the head with a beer bottle during a brawl at a North Apollo bar. Police charged Ian Russell Lamison, 42, of Indiana, with two felony counts of aggravated assault and additional offenses in connection with...

Class 6A No. 2 Central Catholic (2-1, 2-1) at No. 3 Seneca Valley (2-0, 2-0) 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nextier Stadium at Seneca Valley Coaches: Terry Totten, Central Catholic; Ron Butschle, Seneca Valley Players to watch: Eddy Tillman, Central Catholic (Sr., 5-8, 165, RB); Ethan West, Seneca Valley (Sr., 6-2, 200,...

After four years in Downtown Pittsburgh, the barbecue restaurant Pork & Beans is closing. “We’ve made the difficult decision to retire Pork & Beans, but all the wonderful friends and memories will last a lifetime,” the restaurant posted on Instagram. “Thank you so much for everything.” View this post on...

Authorities in Greene County are investigating after dozens of hateful Ku Klux Klan flyers have appeared in residents’ yards and driveways, according to the District Attorney’s Office. “The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides the right to expression, speech and peaceful assembly,” District Attorney David Russo said in a...

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 weekly newsletter. HARRISBURG — One day after President Donald Trump fanned manufactured fears of election fraud in Pennsylvania, Republicans in the state...

As a Black man who grew up in small-town Alabama, Brandon Davis has been hit with a police night stick. He’s been forced to lie down in the mud by police, and he knows what it’s like to lose trust in law enforcement. Still, Davis, now an assistant professor at...

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday granted a request from Gov. Tom Wolf to reinstate crowd gathering restrictions designed to prevent the spread of covid-19. In a two-page order filed just after noon, Judges D. Brooks Smith, Michael Chagares and Patty Shwartz granted the request to stay...

HARRISBURG — A Republican lawmaker’s positive test for COVID-19 on Thursday prompted legislative leaders to immediately cancel the day’s Pennsylvania House voting session, and human resources workers were deployed to trace his personal contacts to see if others should be quarantined. Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Franklin, issued a statement saying he...

A former U.S. Forestry Service employee was jailed Wednesday on $100,000 bond after he was charged with falsely identifying himself as a federal law officer and threatening to arrest state troopers responding to a domestic incident in Mt. Pleasant Township. George L. Fusco, 52, was arrested by state police on...

Pennsylvania on Thursday reported a second day of more than 1,000 new covid-19 cases, along with 18 new deaths attributed to the coronavirus. The state Department of Health reported 1,156 cases, bringing the total number of cases to 160,123 since March. On Wednesday, the state logged 1,153 cases. The state...

Allegheny County on Thursday reported 106 new coronavirus cases with no new deaths. The county’s total number of cases stands at 12,454 with 9,003 recoveries. According to the Allegheny County Health Department’s covid-19 dashboard, 178,796 individuals have tested for the virus. The county has an overall 7% positive test result...

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans won’t play a football game in Week 4 after all. The NFL announced Thursday that the two teams will play at Nissan Stadium in Nashville later in season after another Titans player and staff member each tested positive for covid-19. The Titans have had...

When chef and restaurateur Brian Pekarcik contemplated how his two BRGR restaurants should approach this fall and winter, he thought of the restaurants’ perennial favorites: the Gobble Gobble turkey burger, a spiked pumpkin milkshake and a warmly spiced rum cocktail, among others. He also thought about covid-19 dining restrictions, many...

Pennsylvania’s 814 area code, the largest geographically, is getting a second overlay code, to ensure a sufficient supply of phone numbers for residents and businesses there. The new code — 582 — eventually will require dialing a 10-digit number to reach a party in the large area that extends from...

Plum School District’s Pivik Elementary students will be learning remotely for at least two weeks after a staffer tested positive for covid-19. District officials sent a letter to families Wednesday informing them of the discovery and subsequent changes. The letter from Pivik Principal Kristen Gestrich states the staffer was in...

It is now up to the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to decide if a lower court decision ruling Gov. Tom Wolf’s covid-19 shutdown orders unconstitutional ought to be stayed. The plaintiffs in the underlying case — seven business owners who challenged orders to stay-at-home, close non-essential businesses and...