Top Stories category, Page 1455
Plum man charged with DUI in Washington Township crash that seriously injured 1
A Plum man is accused by Washington Township police of driving drunk during a Nov. 22 crash that seriously injured another person. Benjamin Joseph Rodgers, 29, was charged last week with aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and related offenses. Police and paramedics were called to Route...
Monkeys, ferrets offer needed clues in covid-19 vaccine race
The global race for a covid-19 vaccine boils down to some critical questions: How much must the shots rev up someone’s immune system to really work? And could revving it the wrong way cause harm? Even as companies recruit tens of thousands of people for larger vaccine studies this summer,...
Trump as thug or hero? Depends on what network you watch
NEW YORK — It was a split screen for the ages on MSNBC Monday: on the left side, President Donald Trump talking about restoring law and order. On the right, a tear-gassed young woman vomiting in a Washington street. For a nation rubbed raw following a traumatic weekend, cable television...
D.C. Episcopal bishop: ‘I am outraged’ by Trump church visitVideo
The bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington sharply criticized President Donald Trump for staging a visit to the historic St. John’s Church across from the White House, where he held up a Bible after authorities had cleared the area of peaceful protesters. The Rev. Mariann Budde, whose diocese St....
Fountain, historical marker vandalized in Highland Park
Pittsburgh police are investigating spray-painted graffiti discovered Monday in Highland Park. Reported at about 1:30 p.m., the painted messages were found in and around the park’s fountain and a Highland Park historical marker. Messages also were painted at the intersection of Highland Park Drive and Bunker Hill Street. Arrangements were...
Military police on alert at White House as Trump orders crackdown on protestersVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has ordered the creation of a military “central command center” to deploy federal assets to local governments struggling to respond to a surge of protests and riots over the death of George Floyd in police custody, the White House said Monday. The operation will be...
Allegheny County elections division: ‘We got this’
Gov. Tom Wolf signed an executive order late Monday extending by one week the deadline for election offices in six counties, including Allegheny, to receive absentee or mail-in ballots. They now have until 5 p.m. June 9 to receive absentee or mail-in ballots. The other counties are Dauphin, Delaware, Erie,...
Trump calls for ‘law and order,’ threatens to deploy troops to major citiesVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, declaring himself a “president of law and order” threatened Monday to deploy the military to cities where, he said, governors and local officials have “failed to take necessary action” to end civil unrest. “These are not acts of peaceful protest,” Trump declared during a brief...
Irwin man sentenced to jail after being found with almost 30 pounds of marijuana
Saying he was a danger to the community, a Westmoreland County judge on Monday ordered an Irwin drug dealer to serve at least six months in jail for possession of nearly 30 pounds of marijuana. Zachary Morton, 33, was sentenced to serve up 23 months behind bars and an additional...
Flags stolen from veterans’ graves in Leechburg, mayor offers reward for information
Leechburg Mayor Wayne Dobos wants to know who stole dozens of flags from veterans’ graves at Leechburg Cemetery. Dobos, a Vietnam veteran, is offering a $100 reward for information leading to the prosecution of the person who did it. And other people have offered to contribute to the reward fund....
Diver: Grass at bottom of Unity lake possibly contributed to drowning
Divers involved in a 9-hour search for a Unity man, who drowned while swimming late Saturday in a private lake near Pleasant Unity, say grass growing on the lake bottom may have contributed to his death. “I know at one point one of the boat rescue teams assisting divers at...
Downtown Pittsburgh business owners clean up, try to comprehend riot damage
Josephine Sanchez understands why people are demonstrating to protest the death of George Floyd. What she can’t comprehend is the rioting and looting that happened in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Protesters smashed through windows of Cardamone’s Hair Salon owned by Sanchez and partner Joe Cardamone, and broke into the store at...
Mayor Peduto, Public Safety chief defend how Pittsburgh police handled weekend protestsVideo
Pittsburgh police and city officials on Monday rejected claims they left officers vulnerable during weekend protests and that they trampled protesters’ rights. The peaceful protest, hijacked by a smaller group of instigators, could have been worse, officials said. Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said there is “concerning information” indicating the...
20 arrested as protests turn violent in East Liberty, ShadysideVideo
Peaceful protests Monday in Pittsburgh ended in smoke, violence and confusion for the second time in three days, with police and city officials blaming small groups of instigators and saying they had no choice but to use force to disperse the crowd. For hours, the protesters — nearly a thousand...
Pastors, hundreds gather in Hill District for peaceful George Floyd protest
Hundreds of people from varied faiths gathered at Freedom Corner in Pittsburgh’s Hill District for about 90 minutes of prayers and speeches as the nation reels from the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. “Enough is enough,” the Rev. Glenn Grayson told the crowd that gathered at noon...
Medical examiner: George Floyd’s heart stopped while restrainedVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — A medical examiner on Monday classified George Floyd’s death as a homicide, saying his heart stopped as police restrained him and suppressed his neck, in a widely seen video that has sparked protests across the nation. “Decedent experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by law enforcement officer(s),”...
Catholic worshippers return as Diocese of Greensburg resumes public Masses
Before the covid-19 shutdown, Ruth Morelli on three or four days a week found her way to weekday Mass at St. James Roman Catholic Church in New Alexandria. “It really is my second family,” the Blairsville resident said. “After things closed, my husband and I would watch Mass online most...
Vandergrift councilwoman sues fellow borough officials
A Vandergrift councilwoman is suing the borough in federal court, accusing five council members, the mayor and two police officers of a long list of infractions. Councilwoman Karen McClarnon filed the civil lawsuit Friday morning through attorney William Lafferty. In addition to the borough, defendants listed in the suit include...
Authorities investigating suspicious package left in Mt. Lebanon
Authorities are investigating substancesin a package left in Mt. Lebanon over the weekend by three men who participated in the protest in Downtown Pittsburgh, police said. Mt. Lebanon police said they received a call around 7:30 p.m. Saturday from a resident who reported seeing someone leave a vehicle and place...
Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett tour postponed
Fans will have to wait until next summer to see the Stadium Tour with Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett and The Blackhearts. In a post on Monday afternoon signed by the bands, the tour has been officially postponed until the summer 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic....
Trump slams governors as ‘weak,’ urges crackdown on protests
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday derided many governors as “weak” and demanded tougher crackdowns on burning and stealing among some demonstrations in the aftermath of violent protests in dozens of American cities. Trump spoke to governors on a video teleconference that also included law enforcement and national security...
Man accused of leading troopers on 100 mph chase in Hempfield, Unity
A Ligonier Township man is accused of leading state troopers on a chase exceeding 100 mph for several miles along Route 30 in Hempfield and Unity and intentionally crashing into three state police patrol cars. Robbie T. Saunders, 56, is charged with attempted homicide of a police officer and aggravated...
8 new coronavirus cases in Allegheny County; state reports 1 new death
Allegheny County reported eight new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the total count to 1,919. The county has reported a total of 151 deaths, including one new death. That lags behind the state count of 164. County officials have said that the reason for the different death count is the...
Necco Wafers returning to store shelves this summer
Good news for people who like their candy crunchy and slightly chalky — Neccos Wafers will soon be back on store shelves after a 2-year absence. Spangler Candy Co., which now owns the iconic brand, says the candy will return in all its multicolored glory beginning this month. “Major drugstores...
Police: Shaler man linked to violence at Pittsburgh protest turns self in
A half-dozen cans of spray paint and a distinct black hoodie linked a Shaler man to the destruction of a Pittsburgh police car in Uptown on Saturday, the riotous spark that touched off hours of violence and marred what was meant to be a peaceful protest, according to police. Brian...
