Top Stories category, Page 133
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...
FBI forces out more leaders, including ex-director who fought Trump demand for Jan. 6 agents’ names
WASHINGTON — The FBI is forcing out more senior officials, including a former acting director who resisted Trump administration demands to turn over the names of agents who participated in Jan. 6 Capitol riot investigations and the head of the bureau’s Washington field office, according to people familiar with the...
Air Force to deny retirement pay to transgender service members being separated from the service
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement benefits. The move means that transgender service members will now be faced with the choice...
Carnegie Mellon announces layoffs in computer science school
Eighteen employees were laid off this week from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science, officials said. In an email from Martial Hebert, the dean of the school, stated that staff positions in several departments, academic support function and administrative positions had been eliminated, “including marketing and communications, program support,...
Police continue to investigate caltrops found in Brackenridge
Tarentum police now have about a dozen reports of caltrops on First and Brackenridge avenues in Brackenridge. They continue to investigate the origin of the small multispiked metal objects, said police Chief William Vakulick, whose department covers Brackenridge. They haven’t had any reports since Tuesday evening. Vakulick said the caltrops...
New set of tariffs on U.S. imports take effect
President Donald Trump’s new set of adjusted tariffs on goods shipped from dozens of countries and the European Union took effect Thursday. The new tariffs range from 10% to 50%. Brazil is facing the stiffest import taxes. In addition to a 10% reciprocal tariff, Trump announced a separate 40% tariff...
Pittsburgh plans to transform office spaces into housing to boost Downtown life
Downtown Pittsburgh Partnership, a nonprofit community development organization, wants to more than double the residential population in the city over the next decade. In a quarterly address this week, the organization said it plans to to raise residential numbers Downtown from 7,000 to more than 15,000 by repurposing commercial office...
‘Lives shattered’: Emiliano’s vows to reopen after feds seize 16 in immigration raid
Federal immigration agents took 16 people into custody Thursday during coordinated raids at Emiliano’s restaurant locations in the North Hills and Butler County. The agents, led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, were executing “federal court-authorized search warrants” in response to information that the two restaurants were “employing...
Woman killed by neighbor before responding state troopers were ambushed by gunfire, police say
THOMPSON — A 61-year-old man fatally shot a neighbor Thursday in rural Pennsylvania and then ambushed responding state troopers, wounding two while firing dozens of rounds from a semiautomatic weapon, police said. Lori Wasko’s boyfriend called 911 after 11 a.m. from their home near Thompson to report shots fired, state...
Uniontown woman charged with causing fatal head-on crash in Pittsburgh while DUI
A Uniontown woman accused of driving under the influence of alcohol and marijuana has been charged with homicide while DUI by vehicle after Pittsburgh police say she killed a man in Greenfield in March. Maria D. Davis, 22, surrendered to deputies with the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office at 8:30 a.m....
Tim Benz: Can’t get optimistic about Paul Skenes contract rumors? Embrace your own cynicism first
A lot of Pirates fans and media members have been quick to dismiss this week’s “rumor” via 93.7 The Fan that the Pirates have “tried to make some headway” on a contract extension with star pitcher Paul Skenes. Most folks have been dubious of that prospect for many reasons. •...
Israel announces plan to retake Gaza City in another escalation of the war
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel said early Friday that it plans to take over Gaza City in another escalation of its 22-month war with Hamas. The decision, taken after a late-night meeting of top officials, came despite mounting international calls to end the war and protests by many in Israel...
Multiple Westmoreland communities say convention center would be a good fit
As feasibility studies for a convention center and hotel complex in Westmoreland County near completion, leaders from communities along Route 30 say that while they haven’t been contacted for information, they do have ideas about where it could be built. The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce in December launched a...
Wendel residents must go 4 miles to pick up their mail — if the post office is open
A trip to the post office for Wendel residents used to mean a short walk down a wooded path or a quick drive. For the past 41⁄2 years, that has turned into a 4-mile car ride to the Manor Post Office — one that’s complicated by the fact residents have...
Trump to meet Putin soon, the Kremlin says as White House deadline looms on Ukraine
A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump has been agreed upon, a Kremlin official said Thursday, the eve of a White House deadline for Moscow to show progress toward ending the 3-year-old war in Ukraine. Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said a summit could...
Trump’s broad tariffs go into effect, just as economic pain is surfacing
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump began levying higher import taxes on dozens of countries Thursday, just as the economic fallout of his monthslong tariff threats has begun to create visible damage for the U.S. economy. Just after midnight, goods from more than 60 countries and the European Union became subject...
Pittsburgh police fatally shoot man in Greenfield
Police say one man is dead after being shot by two officers late Wednesday evening in Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood. Around 10:15 p.m., Pittsburgh Police arrived at the 4100 block of Murray Avenue for a reported domestic disturbance, according to police. After being directed inside a residence, police said the officers...
Building the Valley: New Lower Burrell dance studio aims to build students’ confidence
Tara Crowe remembers being asked why children should sign up for dance lessons. Her answer? For them to have fun, grow and have positive experiences. A lifelong dancer, Crowe hopes to do just that at her new studio, TC Dance Collective, which opened this summer at 3012 Leechburg Road in...
Southwestern Pa. graduates 1st class from introductory state police training program
Trooper Tristan Fay had no idea what to expect when she arrived at the State Police Academy in Hershey. Now, seven years into her law enforcement career, Fay wishes she had access to the introductory training programs state police offer today — Camp Cadet for middle school students, Hill Impact...
Trump’s redistricting fight mushrooms with Vance in Indiana and Florida joining the fray
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — As President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Republican-run states to redraw congressional boundaries, he has dispatched Vice President JD Vance to Indiana and called for a new federal census — moves reflecting his intent to maximize the GOP’s partisan advantages in coming elections. Separately, a top...
