Top Stories category, Page 1604
Pelosi announces agreement on North American trade pact
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday announced agreement on a modified North American trade pact, handing President Donald Trump a major Capitol Hill win on the same day that Democrats announced their impeachment charges against him. The California Democrat said the revamped U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement is a significant improvement...
Cops: Penn Township woman charged in hit and run, and then slugging other driver
A Penn Township woman allegedly involved in a hit-and-run accident is accused of punching and threatening to shoot the other driver, who followed her after the initial crash, according to police. Carla L. Smith, 57, was charged Monday by township police with simple assault, harassment, failing to stop and render...
VP Mike Pence asks for 4 more years in White House during Beaver County visit
Vice President Mike Pence promised during a visit Tuesday to a Beaver County Veterans of Foreign Wars post that he and President Trump would make Pennsylvania “more prosperous than you could possibly imagine” if reelected in 2020. Pence called the impeachment inquiry a “disgrace,” vowed continued support for military veterans...
John Sphon named new CEO at Excela as rating agency downgrades bonds
John Sphon, a longtime Excela Health executive, was named CEO of the Westmoreland County hospital and health system Tuesday. Sphon’s appointment followed the announcement five days ago that Moody’s Investors Service had downgraded $63 million in outstanding Excela bonds from A3 to Baa1. In a statement on the downgrade, Moody’s...
Missing Pittsburgh girl found safe
Pittsburgh police say a 12-year-old girl who was reported missing on Monday has been found safe. Saniyah Gates, who attends South Hills Middle School on Mt. Washington, was located on Tuesday. Police said the previous day that she did not return home from school. No further information was immediately available....
Amid the holiday hustle and bustle, take time to care for yourself
This is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but often it’s the most stressful. “The season to be merry is also the season for stress and anxiety,” says Jyl Glunt, a health and wellness specialist at the Excela Health Well-Being Center-Mind Body Health. “Shopping, decorating, parties,...
Latrobe firefighters leave council meeting without reason for their suspensionsVideo
Firefighters who are under suspension at Latrobe Fire Department’s Goodwill Hose Company No. 1 say they haven’t been told why. “We were suspended without cause, without reason,” Nico Giovannagelo, captain of the Goodwill Hose Company, said of himself and six other firefighters. “We do not know why we were suspended,...
Democrats roll out impeachment charges; Trump left ‘no choice’Video
WASHINGTON — House Democrats announced two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on Tuesday, declaring he “betrayed the nation” with his actions toward Ukraine as they pushed toward historic proceedings that are certain to help define his presidency and shape the 2020 election. The specific charges aimed at removing...
Police searching for man who punched bus driver in Downtown Pittsburgh
Police say a man punched a bus driver in the face in Downtown Pittsburgh and are asking for the public’s help to find him. Police on Monday released two photos of the man they say assaulted the driver at about 8:20 p.m. Sunday, Port Authority of Allegheny County spokesman Adam...
Report: U.S. misled public on progress in Afghanistan war
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government across three White House administrations misled the public about failures in the Afghanistan war, often suggesting success where it didn’t exist, according to thousands of pages of documents obtained by The Washington Post. The documents reveal deep frustrations about America’s conduct of the Afghanistan war,...
Pittsburgh Penguins players make annual holiday visit to UPMC Children’s HospitalVideo
The Pittsburgh Penguins made the holidays a little brighter for patients at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh on Monday. Donning Santa hats, the players stopped by several rooms at the hospital to drop off gifts including stuffed penguins, hats and calendars and to spend a little bit of time talking,...
Pittsburgh City Council wants to eliminate pension provision
Pittsburgh City Council is moving to eliminate a provision in the city’s pension ordinance that would reduce payments to some elected officials. As it stands, the provision would cost Councilwoman Darlene Harris about $700 per month in her monthly payout after she retires in January. Councilman Ricky Burgess of North...
Steelers’ Devlin Hodges outshines heralded 2019 NFL rookie QBsVideo
The NFL’s official draft page included 21 quarterback prospects in advance of this past spring’s draft. Devlin Hodges was not on the list. With good reason, it turned out, as only 11 of the 21 tracked by the league’s official news outlet ended up being drafted. Included were four from...
North Hills Middle School teacher named Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year
A North Hills School District teacher has been named the 2020 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, state Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera announced Monday. Joseph Welch, who teaches American history at North Hills Middle School, was one of 12 finalists nominated for the honor. “Thank you for making every day...
Pittsburgh Penguins players make annual holiday visit to UPMC Children’s Hospital
The Pittsburgh Penguins made the holidays a little brighter for patients at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh on Monday. Donning Santa caps, the players stopped by several rooms at the hospital to drop off gifts such as stuffed penguins, hats and calendars. They spent time talking, posing for photos and...
South Greensburg’s former secretary admits to stealing from elderly father to repay borough
In an attempt to avoid going to jail and repay money he embezzled from South Greensburg accounts, a former borough secretary stole more than $60,000 from his elderly father and then lied about it in court. On Monday, a contrite Dennis Lee Kunkle Jr. stood in a downtown courtroom and...
Former Leechburg police chief jailed again, accused of accessing porn website
A former Leechburg police chief — who was fired and prosecuted for seeking sex from what he thought was an underage girl — used his cellphone while meeting with a probation officer to access a website devoted to fetishes, bondage and sadomasochism, state investigators said in court. In doing so,...
Pittsburgh ranked as 6th-best large college city, report says
Pittsburgh is ranked sixth among the top 10 large college cities in America by the personal-finance website WalletHub. The website says it compared more than 400 U.S. cities based on “31 key indicators of academic, social and economic growth potential” for its report on the best college towns and cities....
Pittsburgh activists call for budget transparency during hearingVideo
Pittsburgh activists turned out in force Monday for a public hearing on the city’s 2020 budgets, calling for more transparency and community participation in the budgeting process and additional funding for such things as affordable housing. About 40 representatives of the Economic Justice Circle, a coalition of at least 14...
Deputies say they found pound of pot in Liberty Bridge traffic stop
A North Side man is facing felony drug charges after Allegheny County Sheriff’s deputies said they found a pound of suspected marijuana in his vehicle after a traffic stop Sunday afternoon on the Liberty Bridge. Craig Nash, 31, of Pittsburgh’s Central North Side, was stopped on suspicion of reckless driving...
New Kensington police say runaway girl returned home
A girl missing since Friday has returned home, New Kensington police said Tuesday. Police said Monae Matthews is safe and was not injured when she returned home. In a post on the department’s Facebook page, police said Monae was a runaway who was last seen on Friday....
FBI was justified in probing Trump-Russia, fed watchdog saysVideo
WASHINGTON — The FBI was justified in opening its investigation into ties between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia and did not act with political bias, the Justice Department’s internal watchdog declared Monday, undercutting President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he has been the target of a “witch hunt.” The...
Wildwood Highlands in Hampton abruptly closes
A long-standing sports complex in the North Hills has closed, according to an announcement published on its website and Facebook page. Wildwood Highlands Entertainment Complex, after more than 30 years of “Great Food. Fast Karts. Wild Times,” shuttered its doors Dec. 9. “We did not make this decision lightly and...
‘MasterChef Junior Live!’ coming to Greensburg’s Palace Theatre
The “MasterChef Junior Live!” cooking competition is coming to The Palace Theatre on March 20. After a 16-city 2019 debut tour based on the Fox cooking show featuring kids ages 8-13, the extended seven-week tour will kick off March 3 in Rochester, N.Y., and visit 40 U.S. cities. “The stage...
‘Sophie’ biography explores struggles, success of Pittsburgh’s Mayor Masloff
For historian Barbara Burstin, researching the life of Sophie Masloff, Pittsburgh’s first female and Jewish mayor, was a fascinating and rewarding project. She sees Masloff’s story of overcoming poverty, sexism and anti-Semitism as inspiring to everyone. Masloff served as mayor from 1988 to 1994. “Her story is a reflection of...
