Top Stories category, Page 1454
Bridgeville businessman Devlin Robinson leads Sewickley councilman in state Senate race
Bridgeville businessman and military veteran Devlin Robinson held a commanding lead late Tuesday in a Republican primary race for state Senate, according to unofficial tallies. As of 6 a.m., Robinson had collected 58.1% of the votes counted in the 37th State Senate District race, compared to 41.9% for his opponent,...
Protesters return to the streets as Trump decries ‘lowlifes’Video
WASHINGTON — Undeterred by curfews, protesters streamed back into the nation’s streets Tuesday, hours after President Donald Trump pressed governors to put down the violence set off by George Floyd’s death and demanded that New York call up the National Guard to stop the “lowlifes and losers.” As more demonstrations...
Final election results in Westmoreland delayed as mail-in ballot count continuesVideo
Election night victory parties now might have to be multiday affairs. Final results of votes cast during Tuesday’s primary in Westmoreland County won’t be available for several days as the elections bureau adjusts to a new time-consuming process of counting tens of thousands of mail-in votes. “We don’t expect final...
Pittsburgh police seek public’s help in identifying 2nd riot suspect
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police said they are looking to identify another man shown in social media destroying a police car during protests outside of PPG Paints Arena on Saturday. Police did not characterize the unidentified man’s involvement in destroying the police SUV. “Police want to speak to him regarding...
Trump, Biden win Pennsylvania primary contests amid unrest, pandemic
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania held a primary election Tuesday amid civil unrest, a pandemic, the introduction of new voting machines in some counties and the debut of mail-in balloting that pushed county election bureaus to their limits. The result of the highest-profile contest on the ballot was a foregone conclusion: President...
Editorial: President Trump takes aim at America’s core principles
The president’s primary job is to preserve, protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. Even when it is inconvenient. Even when people are using it to say the government is wrong. Especially when they are doing that. We know that, because the framers realized immediately they left important things out of...
Protesters take to Pittsburgh streets for 4th day in a row to demand racial justiceVideo
Protesters took to Pittsburgh streets again on Tuesday for the fourth straight day, marching, chanting and demanding racial justice as part of protests that have continued across the country more than a week after the death of George Floyd. The crowd of several hundred began forming in Market Square about...
DA: Carnegie man avoids death penalty trial, gets life in prison for 2019 double stabbing
A 59-year-old Carnegie man pleaded guilty Tuesday to murder, rape and assault charges stemming from a 2019 double stabbing, according to the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors withdrew a notice to seek the death penalty in the case against Richard Allen “Stretch” Mickens. Allegheny...
Pittsburgh police say tear gas, in fact, was used to disperse East Liberty protest crowd
Pittsburgh police on Tuesday said they did, in fact, use tear gas to disperse agitators who splintered off from a peaceful protest in East Liberty the night before, contrary to what city and police officials said at a news conference on Monday night. Asked specifically about crowd control, police escalation...
President Trump ordered show of force on Monday nightVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday night ordered military aircraft to fly above the nation’s capital as a “show of force” against demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd, according to two Defense Department officials. Show-of-force missions are designed to intimidate and, in combat zones, warn opposing forces of...
Westmoreland green phase: No temp checks at courthouse, offices opening
Westmoreland County is moving to green status on Friday, meaning courthouse visitors won’t need a temperature check to enter, and some restrictions on access to row offices will be lifted. Gov. Wolf announced last week that Westmoreland would be joining other counties in southwestern Pennsylvania in moving from the yellow...
Minnesota files civil rights charge against police in George Floyd’s death
MINNEAPOLIS — The state of Minnesota filed a human rights complaint Tuesday against the Minneapolis Police Department in the death of George Floyd who died after an officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for minutes, even after he stopped moving. Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota Department of Human...
Pennsylvania health officials ask protesters to adhere to coronavirus safety guidelines
State health officials have no plans to alter the timeline of when counties will move to the next phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s phased reopening plan despite large-scale protests over the death of George Floyd not adhering to social distancing guidelines. Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said health officials respect...
Pennsylvania Turnpike to lay off 500 employees, make cashless tolling permanent
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission this month will lay off about 500 employees — mostly toll collectors — as it switches permanently to a cashless system statewide. That’s roughly a quarter of the commission’s total workforce. The commission originally planned to make the switch to cashless late next year, promising no...
Elderly woman rams Cadillac into Plum dental office
No one was hurt when an elderly woman ran her car backwards into a Plum dental office Tuesday. The impact caused significant damage to the house-turned-office that’s home to Scott Family Dental at 7619 Saltsburg Road at Crestview Drive. It’s the second time the building has been hit and seriously...
East Liberty cleans up after George Floyd protestVideo
Nikhil Mohan scrubbed spray paint Tuesday morning from the storefront of the Domino’s pizza he manages on N. Sheridan Avenue in East Liberty. The 23-year-old lives in Monroeville and attends Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. He understands the reason people across the country are outraged over the May 25 death...
Fayette authorities seeking information in deadly road rage incident
A Fairchance man was gunned down late last month outside a Long John Silver’s restaurant in Fayette County, and state police are looking for anyone who might have seen what happened — or, better yet, might have video that could help with the deadly road rage investigation. Justin D. Rittaco,...
Reward offered for information about North Huntingdon chiropractor killed in his office
Friends and family of a North Huntingdon chiropractor who was killed in his office in November are offering a reward for information about his death. Attorney Dan Beisler said the last six months have been frustrating for the loved ones of 54-year-old David S. Bailey. “We’re trying to encourage someone...
100 new coronavirus deaths, 612 new cases reported in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 100 new covid-19 deaths and 612 new cases Tuesday. That brings the state’s total case count to 72,894, with 5,667 deaths. Pennsylvania cases by dayInfogram The state considers 616 patients as probable cases, but they are not confirmed. More than half of coronavirus cases...
Pa. gun shop owner shoots, kills man during attempted burglary
PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia gun shop owner shot and killed a man who the owner said was among a group that had broken into the store early Tuesday, authorities said. The shooting at the Firing Line Gun Range and Gun Store occurred around 4:20 a.m. The shop owner told police...
Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, Tree of Life issue statement condemning George Floyd killing
Leaders with Tree of Life-Or L’Simcha, a Jewish congregation that suffered its own hate-fueled trauma in 2018, condemned the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and offered solidarity and support in the fight against hatred. “Racism in every form must be stopped,” they wrote in a statement. A gunman opened...
Pittsburgh area jobless rate jumps to 16.8% in April
The Pittsburgh region’s jobless rate jumped to 16.8% in April, with 200,400 people unemployed in the seven-country region as pandemic-related shutdowns gripped the economy. The combined unemployment rate for Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties was the highest since January 1983, the state’s Center for Workforce Information...
PennDOT resumes driver’s skills tests
Driver’s skills tests, including motorcycle skills tests, resumed Tuesday at PennDOT Driver License Centers. The tests had been suspended in March as stay-at-home orders went into effect during the early stages of the covid-19 emergency. PennDOT says the skills test has been modified to reduce potential exposure of PennDOT staff...
Shoving match at Pittsburgh polling place punctuates otherwise slow voting day so farVideo
A shoving match at the polling place at Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh Tuesday was in stark contrast to what otherwise has been a quiet primary day around Western Pennsylvania. Allegheny County Spokeswoman Amie Downs said an altercation broke out when voters were arguing with another voter to put on...
9 new coronavirus cases reported in Allegheny County, 1 new death
Allegheny County officials reported nine additional covid-19 cases and one new death Tuesday. That leaves the total number of deaths countywide at 152, while the total number of confirmed and probable cases rose to 1,928. The reported death count is still lagging behind state data, which has recorded 165 deaths...
