Top Stories category, Page 1352
Eastern Allegheny County boroughs discuss cooperative police forceVideo
Elected officials from four Allegheny County communities gathered Monday to discuss possible plans for a regional police force, though some remained hesitant as to whether the move is what’s best for the boroughs. Officials from Braddock, East Pittsburgh, North Braddock and Rankin spoke, for the most part, in support of...
Plaintiffs fighting Gov. Wolf’s shutdown order say a stay is unnecessary
Attorneys who led the fight against Gov. Tom Wolf’s covid-19 shutdown orders said on Monday that he will likely not prevail on appeal and that allowing the judge’s order to be stayed just compounds the harm already done. U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV issued a ruling on Sept. 14...
Mt. Lebanon school director who used profanity during virtual meeting resigns
A Mt. Lebanon school director who uttered profanities during a virtual school board meeting broadcast to the public has resigned, the school board president announced Monday night. Michael Riemer, who was absent from Monday’s school board meeting, used the vulgarities prior to the official start of the Sept. 14 board...
West Deer denies rezoning of Pittsburgh National Golf ClubVideo
West Deer has denied a request from a developer to rezone the Pittsburgh National Golf Club, preventing the developer from being able to build up to 352 homes on the golf course. Leslie Road Associates wanted to rezone the 189-acre property from rural residential and semi-suburban residential to suburban residential....
East Liberty’s Ace Hotel, still closed, leaves scheduled weddings in the lurch
Closed since the pandemic started in March, the Ace Hotel in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood has been the subject of complaints to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office over unreturned deposits for scheduled weddings. A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office confirmed the office has received complaints but declined further comment....
Trump to make court pick by Saturday, before Ginsburg burial
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to announce his pick for the Supreme Court by week’s end, before Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is buried, launching a monumental Senate confirmation fight ahead of the November election. Trump said he is planning to name his pick by Friday or...
Woman, adult son charged with hoarding, neglecting 117 dogs
A year after 117 emaciated dogs and puppies were rescued from squalor at a Ross home, a woman and her adult son have been charged with hoarding and abusing the animals. Mary Lu Frankovic, 69, and Christopher Frankovic, 45, each face 20 felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 56...
Voting victories for Democrats in Pa. might have closed the door on more election reform
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 — With less than seven weeks to go, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has significantly altered how the state’s election...
Pittsburgh legal luminaries remember Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
For those who never met Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the intense, demure and small woman behind the large glasses might have appeared to be someone who was not easy to approach. Quite the contrary, said Duquesne University President Ken Gormley. “She looked so serious. She looked kind of...
Gilpin farm to host fundraiser in place of Leechburg’s canceled Pink Day event
A Pink Day event has been held annually in Leechburg since 2011, raising more than $100,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, but the covid-19 pandemic forced organizer Sherry Price to cancel this year’s event. Leechburg-area businesswoman Linda Alworth stepped in to help when she found out about the cancellation....
CDC says it mistakenly posted that coronavirus is airborne
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has removed an update on its website that stated coronavirus commonly spreads through the air, saying the post was shared by mistake. “A draft version of proposed changes to these recommendations was posted in error to the agency’s official website,” the organization wrote...
Pennsylvania Lottery officials warn players about new phone scam
Lottery officials are warning Pennsylvanians of a phone scam that claims commonwealth contestants have won a prize — they just have to pre-pay taxes or processing costs, though the cash never comes. The Pennsylvania Lottery issued a release on Monday morning advising residents that they have received notifications of a...
Gov. Wolf vetoes House Bill 2787, leaving high school sports spectators in limbo
Gov. Tom Wolf followed through on his promise Monday and vetoed legislation that would have let school districts set their own attendance limits for sports. Now what? The primary sponsor of the bill, state Rep. Mike Reese, said he expects the General Assembly to override Wolf’s veto and give schools...
Allegheny County posts 116 new covid cases over past 2 days, no new deaths
The Allegheny County Health Department announced 42 new covid-19 cases Monday, in addition to 74 cases from Sunday. Monday’s new cases are the lowest daily addition in the past 13 days. In the past 48 hours, the department said 2,175 PCR tests were processed, and all 116 positive cases were...
Pittsburgh officials to hear from outside experts about how to tackle lead issues
Children who live in Pittsburgh remain more likely to have higher lead levels than those who live in other areas of the country, according to the Allegheny County Health Department. City officials are working to change that trend. For several years, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority has worked to replace...
The Gobblerito giant meal returns to Mad Mex
At least one thing in 2020 hasn’t changed: The Gobblerito dish returns to Mad Mex restaurants today. Covid comfort, indeed. It will be available through Thanksgiving Eve. The popular combination of Thanksgiving dinner staples wrapped in a tortilla includes house-roasted turkey, black bean mashed potatoes, stuffing and corn. Oh, and...
TV Talk: ‘Watchmen,’ ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ ‘Succession’ dominate an enjoyably intimate Emmy telecast
The remotely-produced 72nd annual Emmy Awards promised to be an unusual, revised-for-the-pandemic affair and it miraculously came together with almost no technical glitches and enough novelty to freshen and loosen up the staid format. Pop TV’s “Schitt’s Creek” had an unprecedented early winning streak, taking home more top awards in...
Police: East Huntingdon woman charged with homicide in fatal shootingVideo
An East Huntingdon woman was charged with homicide Monday in connection with the fatal shooting of her former boyfriend after police said he tried to break into her bedroom during a domestic dispute. Megan J. West, 24, told investigators she fired a warning shot about 11:30 p.m. Sunday through the...
Nebraska man charged in protester’s death dies by suicide
OMAHA, Neb. — A white business owner charged with manslaughter for fatally shooting a Black man during protests in Nebraska has died by suicide days after his indictment, his attorney said Sunday. Jacob Gardner, of Omaha, Neb., was found dead Sunday outside a medical clinic in Hillsboro, Ore., the Hillsboro...
Municipalities leaving 1 school district for another a rarity in Pennsylvania
If West Leechburg residents continue efforts to transfer the borough to another school district, it would become the fifth Pennsylvania municipality in recent years to seek such a move. And if the other four cases are any indication, the process wouldn’t be an easy one for West Leechburg. The state...
‘Schitt’s Creek’ sweeps comedy categories at Emmy AwardsVideo
LOS ANGELES — “Schitt’s Creek,” the little Canadian show about a fish-out-of-water family, made history at Sunday’s Emmy Awards with a comedy awards sweep, something even TV greats including “Frasier” and “Modern Family” failed to achieve. The Pop TV show’s awards included best comedy series and awards for its stars,...
AP sources: Woman accused of sending ricin letter to White House arrestedVideo
WASHINGTON — A woman suspected of sending an envelope containing the poison ricin, which was addressed to White House, has been arrested at New York-Canada border, three law enforcement officials told The Associated Press on Sunday. The letter had been intercepted earlier this week before it reached the White House....
Caribbean-themed brewpub Mastic Trail opens in ShalerVideo
Reach the beach without leaving the Pittsburgh area at Mastic Trail Brewing. The newly opened Caribbean-themed brewpub and restaurant, at 1044 Saxonburg Blvd. in Shaler, is the creation of island aficionado and Robinson Township native Ben Williams. “My favorite island is Grand Cayman and the Mastic Trail is a three-hour...
Dispatcher: Person taken to hospital in connection with McKees Rocks incident
One person was taken to a hospital Sunday afternoon in connection with an incident in McKees Rocks, Allegheny County dispatch reported. The incident took place around 3:30 p.m. along the 1100 block of Chartiers Avenue. Dispatch said police and EMS responded to the scene, and one person was taken away...
Parks man charged with stealing man’s truck, threatening to kill him
A Parks Township man accused of stealing and wrecking another man’s truck while driving under the influence threatened to kill the man if he reported the incident to police, according to a criminal complaint. Michael Joseph Crocker, 21, faces charges of theft, receiving stolen property, victim intimidation and terroristic threats,...
