Top Stories category, Page 1578
Theories persist about mystery drones seen in rural Western regions
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — People insist they have spotted fleets of large drones crisscrossing rural America’s night sky, their mission mysterious, raising questions that have veered into conspiracy theories and launching an investigation. Authorities in Colorado have tried to put those theories to rest, announcing that they have confirmed nothing unusual...
Police searching for woman who escaped Pittsburgh corrections facility
State police are searching for a woman who left the Pittsburgh Community Corrections Center without authorization. Kaila Rae Rose Sloan, who is serving time for possession with intent to deliver, left the Shadyside facility Monday, police said. WANTED FOR ESCAPEOn 1/13/20, Kaila Rae Rose Sloan left the Pgh Community Corrections...
Key takeaways from Democratic presidential debate in Iowa
DES MOINES — Some key takeaways from Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate in Des Moines, the final forum before the Iowa caucuses: CIVILITY AND SUBSTANCE OVER FIGHTING AND FRICTION After the United States’ killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Democrats were bracing for fights over foreign policy. Instead, a whole lot...
Ex-Trump aide Michael Flynn seeks to withdraw guilty plea
WASHINGTON —Former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn filed court papers Tuesday to withdraw his guilty plea, saying federal prosecutors had acted in “bad faith” and breached their deal with him. The request comes one week after the Justice Department changed its position on Flynn’s punishment by recommending that...
3 injured in Route 380 crash in Washington Township; 2 rescued from smashed vehicle
Three people were injured Tuesday night in a two-vehicle crash that uprooted the center guardrail on Route 380 in Washington Township and snarled traffic on a stretch of the highway for more than an hour. None of the injuries appeared life-threatening, but all three victims were flown by medical helicopters...
Shooter in Jeannette murder was suspect’s identical twin, lawyer claimsVideo
The lawyer for a Penn Hills man accused of gunning down a man in the heart of Jeannette’s business district said the shooter was actually his client’s dead twin brother. Defense attorney Tim Dawson told a Westmoreland County jury Tuesday that Darrelle Tolbert-McGhee, 30, is not the man pictured in...
Juror excused in 2016 Wilkinsburg mass shooting case, total selected down to 9
Attorneys selected no new jurors — and one already seated was excused — on Tuesday in an Allegheny County death penalty case headed to trial next month. One juror selected last week in the case against Cheron Shelton and Robert Thomas was excused for unknown reasons. With none selected Tuesday,...
UPMC, Pitt test out wireless eyeball implant in hopes of restoring lost sightVideo
A surgeon at UPMC Mercy hospital implanted a wireless chip designed to act like a small, artificial retina in the eye of an Ohio woman last week in the first trial of the technology in the United States. The treatment could offer a novel way to restore the sight of...
Advocates push for Alina’s Law for additional protections in domestic abuse
A pair of Allegheny County lawmakers joined domestic violence prevention advocates and the parents of a murdered Pitt student Tuesday in Harrisburg in a renewed push for the passage of Alina’s Law. The measure was named for Alina Sheykhet, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student who was bludgeoned and stabbed...
Vandergrift’s reorganization redo gets contentious as residents vent frustration
A Vandergrift Council meeting quickly became a shouting match Monday — complete with insults and banging fists — and left several residents frustrated with their elected officials. Council held a special meeting to redo its reorganization meeting of Jan. 6, after it came to light that five members and the...
Pittsburgh working out glitches in $1.4 million snow tracking systemVideo
A Minnesota company was in Pittsburgh on Tuesday trying to work out bugs in the city’s new $1.4 million system for treating streets in the winter. Pittsburgh last year purchased technology and equipment from Minnesota-based Quetica LLC that permits officials to control and track snowplow operations, including routes, vehicles locations...
Man gets 10-20 years in prison for $1.2 million theft from Upper St. Clair church
A South Park man who pleaded guilty to stealing more than $1.2 million from a church in Upper St. Clair was sentenced Tuesday to 10 to 20 years in prison and ordered to make restitution to the church. David Reiter, 50, was the administrator at Westminster Presbyterian Church from 2001...
Pittsburgh councilman proposes bill that would outlaw ‘hateful activities’
Pittsburgh employees and elected officials would face penalties including censure, suspension, termination and fines if found guilty of “hateful activities” under an amendment to the city’s code of conduct introduced in City Council on Tuesday. Councilman Ricky Burgess of North Point Breeze sponsored the bill, calling it his next step...
Former Penn State football player files hazing lawsuit against James Franklin, other players
A former Penn State football player has filed a civil lawsuit against coach James Franklin, the university and a current player, alleging that he was hazed and harassed while with the team. Isaiah Humphries alleges in the suit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania,...
Jason Momoa film sends helicopters over Pittsburgh skyline
No need to look skyward in Pittsburgh any time soon, in hopes of making a Jason Momoa sighting. Helicopters that residents and motorists may have spotted flying or hovering over the city on Sunday night were part of the local filming for the actor’s new Netflix film, “Sweet Girl,” said...
Motorists identified in Route 28 crash near Harrison
Suspected serious injuries resulted from a Monday afternoon collision just south of the Harrison exit on northbound Route 28, state police said. Two Armstrong County people were inside a Chevrolet Camaro that veered into the right lane, hit a guardrail and then was driven back into the left lane at...
Build-A-Bear to add Baby Yoda to its lineup
How much cuter can Build-A-Bear get? Amirite? Here are two words: Baby Yoda. According to a report from Business Insider, the stuffed animal company will begin offering kids (and, we’re guessing, tons of adults) the opportunity to build their very own mini green character from DisneyPlus’ megahit series “The Mandalorian.”...
Penguins’ Sidney Crosby: ‘I’m playing tonight’Video
In an NHL landscape where the only information less-than-forthcoming coaches usually give out is the half of the body on which an injury occurred, it’s sometimes best to go straight to the source for an update. So, Sidney Crosby, how’s that recovery from a core muscle injury coming along? “Yeah,...
Sheriff: Pittsburgh man who slipped constable’s custody arrested after 6-hour manhunt
A Pittsburgh man is in Allegheny County Jail after he escaped Monday from a constable who was taking him to jail on parole violations, according to the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office. Robert Logsdon, 22, was taken into custody early Tuesday morning at his girlfriend’s home in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood, according...
Budget airline Allegiant adds routes from Pittsburgh to Tennessee, Virginia
Budget airline Allegiant plans to add three nonstop destinations out of Pittsburgh International, the airport announced. The Las Vegas-based carrier will add seasonal routes from Pittsburgh to Nashville, Memphis and the Norfolk area beginning in May, according to Bob Kerlik, vice president of media relations for the Allegheny County Airport...
Pittsburgh’s new $1.7 million payroll system stumbles in debut
Pittsburgh’s new $1.7 million employee payroll system was touted as cutting edge for its electronic timekeeping capabilities, but city workers were wishing for the old manual system after the new one went awry during its debut at the beginning of the year. Union leaders said members complained of being shorted,...
Dish Network subscribers could lose WPXI if deal is not reached
WPXI-TV is warning viewers who use Dish Network as a cable provider they may lose the channel when their contract expires this week. The NBC-affiliate in Pittsburgh’s Summer Hill neighborhood warned of the potential changes on its website, stating that “Dish has refused to negotiate a fair deal that recognizes...
Elizabeth man pleads guilty to sabotaging railroad signals in Braddock, McKeesport
An Elizabeth man pleaded guilty to sabotaging railroad signals at multiple locations in Allegheny County, federal prosecutors said Monday. William Curry Brown, 26, admitted to removing and vandalizing equipment along CSX Transportation railroads in November 2017, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said. Brown’s guilty plea acknowledged the acts resulted in...
Report: Greensburg development snarled in red tape
Regulations governing construction and development in Greensburg are riddled with red tape, unnecessary complexity, redundancies and contradictions, according to a new city-commissioned report. The planning department wants to change that as soon as possible, planning director Jeff Raykes said. Greensburg hired planning consultant Denny Puko, who wrote a 25-page report...
Cybersecurity: Russians hacked company key to Ukraine scandalVideo
BOSTON — A U.S. cybersecurity company says Russian military agents successfully hacked the Ukrainian gas company at the center of the scandal that led to President Donald Trump’s impeachment. Russian agents launched a phishing campaign in early November aimed at stealing the login credentials for employees of Burisma Holdings, the...
