Top Stories category, Page 1445
Pence visit to Wilkinsburg church draws supporters, opponents
America’s political divide was on stark display Friday in Wilkinsburg. Two groups showed up near the Convenant Church of Pittsburgh’s worship center to see Vice President Mike Pence’s arrival there. One group wore masks. The other didn’t. One group described President Trump and Pence as representative of the “American dream.”...
Police disciplinary records are largely kept secret in U.S.
PHILADELPHIA — Officer Derek Chauvin had more than a dozen misconduct complaints against him before he put his knee on George Floyd’s neck. Daniel Pantaleo, the New York City officer who seized Eric Garner in a deadly chokehold, had eight. Ryan Pownall, a Philadelphia officer facing murder charges in the...
Range Resources to pay $50,000 in fines and $100,000 in contributions for Washington County well violations
Range Resources, a major driller in the region’s Marcellus Shale industry, pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of negligent oversight of Washington County well sites and will pay $50,000 in fines and $100,000 in contributions to the Washington County watershed funds, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Friday. The...
Scott Township commissioner faces backlash for comment about Pa. health secretary
A letter is being drafted by a group of Scott Township residents calling for the resignation of a township commissioner who made remarks about the state health secretary’s gender during a public meeting. The comments were made during the June 9 meeting, held on Zoom, about reopening the municipal swimming...
Police: Highland Park man left cash, 6 pounds of pot in loaner vehicle
Police say a Highland Park man left drugs and cash in a loaner Lexus SUV he used while his own vehicle was receiving service, leading Pittsburgh police to a drug bust that netted hundreds of stamp bags of heroin and 6 pounds of marijuana, authorities said. Patrick Kim, 34, faces...
12-year-old Pittsburgh-area singer gets her shot on ‘America’s Got Talent’Video
Another young Pittsburgh-area singer is getting ready to show the country what she’s got. Ashley Marina, 12, of Kennedy Township will perform on “America’s Got Talent,” airing 8 p.m. Tuesday on NBC. She is a two-time finalist in the Williams SING-OFF Competition, through which area students are chosen to perform...
Police arrest Whitehall man accused of setting Pittsburgh police SUV on fire during protest
A Whitehall man police say attended multiple protests in the past weeks faces riot and other charges for his alleged role in setting a Pittsburgh police SUV on fire last month. Police say Shaheed Hatch, 26, was among those who helped start the fire that destroyed an unmarked police cruiser...
Pennsylvania reports 686 more covid-19 cases, 49 more deaths
Pennsylvania officials on Friday reported 49 more covid-19 deaths and 686 additional cases, bringing the state’s total number of cases to 77,999, according to health officials. A total of 6,162 people have died from the virus. Approximately 5,931 of the total cases are in health care workers. There are 629...
North Huntingdon singer hits No. 1 on country radio chart
When Ashley Puckett of North Huntingdon released her debut album, “Never Say Never,” this past Valentine’s Day, she didn’t expect recognition to come so quickly. The 28-year-old’s single, “Bulletproof,” secured the No. 1 spot on the country radio chart in the June 12 issue of New Music Weekly magazine. The...
Libraries experiment with opening strategies as they resume services
Area libraries are slowly resuming services as they figure out how to operate in the age of coronavirus. “People are so excited. Many of them are just grateful to see their librarians in person,” said Marilyn Jenkins, executive director of the Allegheny County Library Network. The State Library of Pennsylvania...
Allegheny County reports 10 new coronavirus cases, expands race data
Allegheny County health officials on Friday reported 10 new covid-19 cases and no new deaths. County data show that of the 2,065 cases, 1,933 are confirmed and 132 are probable. Of the country’s 173 deaths, 161 are confirmed and 12 are probable. All deaths occurred in people between the ages...
Outer Banks rental company sued over virus-related refunds
AVON, N.C. — A class-action lawsuit has been filed against a real estate company on North Carolina’s Outer Banks after it allegedly refused to issue refunds for people who couldn’t visit because of coronavirus-related travel restrictions. The Virginian-Pilot reported Wednesday that the suit was filed against Surf or Sound Realty....
Flag Day building light-up in Pittsburgh will recognize covid-19 workers, losses
The Gulf Tower is among Pittsburgh landmarks that will be turning red, white and blue Sunday as part of a National Day of Unity event remembering lives lost to the covid-19 pandemic and honoring those working on the front line to keep America advancing during the crisis. One Oxford Centre,...
9 file lawsuit against Pittsburgh diocese over alleged sexual abuse
Nine people have filed a lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh alleging sexual abuse by seven priests and years of cover-up by diocesan officials. The seven priests named in the lawsuit had already appeared and had allegations leveled against them in the August 2018 grand jury report blasting the...
Tractor-trailer driver dies in I-70 crash in Washington County
A tractor-trailer driver from Indiana died in a Friday morning crash on Interstate 70 in Washington County, according to the coroner’s office. Phillip A. Keesling, 59, of Straughn, Ind. was headed east near the I-79 junction in South Strabane Township around 1:05 a.m. before losing control, driving down an embankment...
Peaceful anti-racism rally draws about 500 people to O’Hara park
The Fox Chapel Area School District needs to equip students for a post-George Floyd world, one that is evolving and answering cries for change, recent district graduate William Generett III told a crowd of protesters on Thursday night. “It’s not OK to talk about Martin Luther King Jr. and call...
Bishop Zubik to ordain 8 deacons in Diocese of Pittsburgh on Saturday
Bishop David Zubik will ordain eight men as permanent deacons for the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh on Saturday. The ordination will take place at 10 a.m. at St. Paul Cathedral in Oakland. “Their ministry is needed more than ever during this challenging time for the Church,” Zubik said in a...
Man dies after being pulled from backyard pool in South Huntingdon
A 51-year-old Sewickley Township man died after being pulled from a backyard swimming pool in South Huntingdon on Thursday afternoon, state police said. The victim, Jason Kukonik, died Thursday at Monongahela Valley Hospital, Washington County, said Trooper Robert Schmid of the Belle Vernon station. Schmid said an autopsy would be...
412 Food Rescue to distribute food in Clairton on Friday, Pittsburgh’s North Shore on Saturday
412 Food Rescue will distribute free food on Friday and Saturday at different locations. Friday’s distribution will serve Clairton residents, and Saturday’s distribution will be held on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. Each household will receive a box of fresh dairy and produce from local donors. “Our strategy at 412 Food Rescue...
Penn Hills man sentenced to 7 years of prison for possessing heroin and firearms
A former Penn Hills resident has been sentenced to seven years in prison for federal narcotics and firearms offenses, federal prosecutors announced Thursday. Antwon Shamar Bonner, 21, formerly of Penn Hills, pleaded guilty in January to a two-count indictment charging him with possessing heroin with the intent to distribute and...
North Side man sentenced to prison for possessing drugs near public housing
A former Pittsburgh resident has been sentenced in federal court to more than four years in prison for dealing heroin in the area of a city public housing development. The 50-month sentence was handed down against William Thomas, 38, of Forsythe Street. Federal prosecutors said Thomas was convicted of possession...
URA, Citizens Bank donate $15,000 to Pittsburgh Black Business Relief Fund
A local consulting agency that seeks to advance black businesses in the Pittsburgh area has secured a $15,000 grant via a joint effort from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh and Citizens Bank. Cocoapreneur has started the Pittsburgh Black Business Relief Fund to alleviate the financial burden for black-owned businesses...
Lower Burrell man to be ordained a priest by Greensburg Diocese
Mark Dunmire is preparing for a rather unusual ordination to the priesthood. Dunmire, a deacon, will be ordained as a priest by Bishop Edward C. Malesic at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg at 10 a.m. Saturday. The church will be mostly empty. Because of covid-19 concerns, only his family will...
Peduto gives statement on George Floyd and Black Lives Matter movement
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto released a statement Thursday on the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in the custody of Minneapolis police officers, and the protests that have erupted in Pittsburgh and across the country in response. In a lengthy message, published on the mayor’s official website,...
Feds to fine Brighton nursing home at least $62K for coronavirus response
Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center is facing more than $62,000 in fines related to a federal investigation into how the Beaver County facility handled the coronavirus pandemic. The fines are related to infection control issues at the facility. “Some of the deficiencies we found was that PPE (protective personal equipment)...
