Top Stories category, Page 131
Apollo 13 moon mission leader James Lovell dies at 97
CHICAGO — James Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13 who helped turn a failed moon mission into a triumph of on-the-fly can-do engineering, has died. He was 97. Lovell died Thursday in Lake Forest, Ill., NASA said in a statement Friday. “Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach...
Westmoreland’s covid cash could ease financial crunch as state budget impasse persists
Westmoreland County may tap federal coronavirus pandemic grant funds to cover impending budgetary shortfalls. The county still holds less than a third of the $105.4 million in federal grants that it received. Finance Director Meghan McCandless said even though all of the funds received through the American Rescue Plan program...
Pa. appeals court reinstates Pittsburgh cop fired over Taser use in fatal encounter
A Pennsylvania appeals court Friday paved the way for a controversial Pittsburgh police officer to return to work after he was fired for repeatedly using his Taser on a homeless man who died the next day. The city’s police union hailed the decision by a seven-member panel of Commonwealth Court...
Trump administration seeks more Pa. voter information, raises potential legal concerns
This article is made possible through Spotlight PA’s collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. The U.S. Justice Department is asking Pennsylvania to turn over its complete voter rolls, a request that appears to encompass voters’ personal information, including Social Security and driver’s license...
Robinson cop charged with off-duty assault on business owner
A Robinson police officer is facing assault charges after, authorities say, he punched a township business owner during a road-rage spat while off duty. Allegheny County Police charged Steven Pies, 50, of Robinson on Wednesday with one count each of aggravated assault and simple assault. Investigators said Pies attacked Alan...
5 things to watch in Steelers’ preseason opener
Saturday’s meeting with the Jacksonville Jaguars is the third time in four years the Pittsburgh Steelers are playing a preseason game in Florida. It was 88 degrees in Jacksonville in 2022 and a steamy 94 in Tampa a year later. Luckily, Accuweather’s Saturday forecasted high of 84 for Duvall County,...
South Buffalo bridge to remain closed for months, potential replacement to follow
Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad officials told South Buffalo residents that a wooden bridge that provides one of two access points to the township’s Clinton neighborhood will likely remain closed at least until October. That’s after crews abruptly closed the 115-year-old bridge, which carries Clinton Road over railroad tracks, with large...
Allegheny County fires jail guard after furor over racist viral video
An embattled Allegheny County Jail corrections officer has been fired three weeks after a video surfaced online purportedly showing him making a racist comment about Black people while holding a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. A county official confirmed Friday that Brian Davis, who started working at the Downtown...
Despite judge’s order to avoid banks, man accused of new robbery in Bloomfield
The man charged with robbing a Bloomfield bank on Thursday had been ordered to stay away from financial institutions after his arrest four months earlier on a similar crime. Police said Aaron Roth brandished a revolver at a Chase Bank in Shadyside in April and made off with $500. Roth,...
Carnegie Science Center to officially relaunch as Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center
After 20 months, the Carnegie Science Center will officially become the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center. “It has definitely been worth the wait,” said Jason Brown, Henry Buhl Jr. director of the science center and vice president of Carnegie Museums. Brown said that thanks to the tremendous...
What are ‘gas station drugs’? Medical professionals warn of addictive effects
Easily found on store shelves, the small blue bottle labeled “Feel Free” is sparking concern as doctors and social media users warn about the dangers of so-called “gas station drugs.” Manufacturer Botanic Tonics touts the Feel Free drink as a blend of “plant ingredients,” claiming it provides an energy boost...
Springdale data center could be one of many in region
Brian Regli thinks folks in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the Pittsburgh region in general should embrace the idea of data centers. The data center he’s pushing for in Springdale, he said, may only be the beginning of a much larger current in Western Pennsylvania. As consultant for the proposed center’s...
While PennDOT works to raise bridge clearances, it suggests 511PA app for alerts
When drivers try to squeeze trucks under bridges with inadequate vertical clearance, it can tie up traffic and cause damage to the vehicle and the overhead structure. A too-tall vehicle on Interstate 70 struck and damaged the Route 51 overhead bridge in December 2021 in Rostraver. It led to traffic...
Dino digger: Norwin grad gathers fossils from Wyoming, aids research in Pittsburgh
Nick Hornicak of North Huntingdon digs dinosaurs, literally. The 24-year-old Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduate student was part of a team of fellow dinosaur diggers who in June worked in the high desert of southern Wyoming. They unearthed about two dozen packets of dinosaur fossils that have been buried some...
Pittsburgh man arrested in connection with bank robbery in Bloomfield
Quick action by city police and a detective on Thursday led to the quick apprehension of a suspected bank robber in Bloomfield, police said. Aaron Roth, 36, is charged with robbery and theft of property for allegedly robbing the First National Bank along the 4700 block of Liberty Avenue. Public...
Judge orders temporary halt to construction at Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center
MIAMI — A federal judge on Thursday ordered a two-week halt to construction at an immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” as she considers whether it violates environmental laws. The facility was quickly built two months ago at a lightly used, single-runway training airport and can...
Trump honors Purple Heart recipients, including 3 who sent him medals after attempt on his life
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump recognized nearly 100 recipients of the Purple Heart at the White House on Thursday, including three service members who gave him their own medals after an attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania campaign rally. Trump opened the event marking National Purple Heart Day by...
New Kensington fire station renamed, memorial hosted for city’s only firefighter to die in the line of duty
There wasn’t a dry eye on the lawn as the Western Pennsylvania Firemen’s Convention kicked off in New Kensington with a memorial service for Eric L. Mangieri, an Arnold native and New Kensington firefighter. Mangieri died in the line of duty while fighting a fire on Aug. 7, 1995. Thursday...
After 75 years, New Kensington native Pfc. Roland Bowser laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery
For 75 years, Paul Bowser’s had the same last memory of his older brother, Roland. It was in 1950, when Paul was 13. Roland marched down the front steps of his family home in Mount Vernon, New Kensington, hopped in a coupe with his girlfriend, Ruthann, and left to serve...
Manor man captured hiding in Herminie house after eluding law enforcement
A Manor man was captured late Wednesday night while trying to hide in a Herminie house bedroom after eluding law enforcement for about eight hours when an attempt was made to serve him with an arrest warrant at an ice cream shop in North Hempfield, the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department...
VA voids union contracts for 400K workers, prompting backlash
The Department of Veterans Affairs is voiding union contracts for more than 400,000 workers, part of the Trump administration’s bid to weaken organized labor in the federal bureaucracy. Affected employees include doctors, nurses, benefits administrators — everyone at the VA except for roughly 4,000 police officers, firefighters and security guards....
Union stages walkout at Derry Township’s Pace Industries; health coverage costs major issue
Union workers at Pace Industries’ Derry Township plant walked off the job early Thursday morning, after local labor leaders said talks broke down for a new contract with the facility that makes aluminum die-cast parts for customers that include Harley- Davidson and Polaris. Union President Duke Reed said members of Laborers’...
Trump orders colleges to prove they don’t consider race in admissions
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order requiring colleges to submit data to prove they do not consider race in admissions. In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled against the use of affirmative action in admissions but said colleges may still consider how race has shaped students’...
Trump to nominate top economic aide Stephen Miran to Federal Reserve board
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday he will nominate a top economic adviser to the Federal Reserve’s board of governors for four months, temporarily filling a vacancy while continuing his search for a longer-term appointment. Trump said he has named Stephen Miran, the chair of the White House’s Council...
New Kensington man’s murder retrial ends after 2nd jury unable to reach a verdict
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli on Thursday said her office will seek a third trial for a New Kensington man charged in connection with the 2020 fatal shooting of an Arnold drug dealer. After 10 hours of deliberations over two days, jurors failed to reach a verdict for charges...
