Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 170
Sunblock, charcoal … and Powerball? Holiday weekend lottery drawing worth $1 billion
DETROIT — This could buy a lot of Labor Day weekend sunblock: Saturday’s Powerball jackpot is estimated at $1 billion, the sixth-largest prize in the game’s history. Powerball, which costs $2 per ticket, is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The...
Nursing school? Workforce training? Ideas pitched for future use of PSNK property
Suggestions for what the Penn State New Kensington property will become post-spring 2027 range from a nursing school, to a manufacturing training center or a mixed-use site. But regardless of what eventually pans out, those who attended a invitation-only meeting with Penn State leadership at the PSNK campus this week...
‘Acts of cruelty’: Former Westmoreland nurses who secretly filmed patients sentenced to jail
Madeline Buchek joined the Marines during World War II and was a vibrant, stylish and witty woman. Frank Rutkowsky Sr. served his country in the Army and was a respectful, independent man who took pride in his appearance. Neither deserved to be demeaned by two Westmoreland Hospital nurses and have...
Who killed the video star? Charting the past and future of the MTV VMAsVideo
On Aug. 1, 1981, MTV — which, at the time, stood for Music Television — burst forth onto screens, heralded by the melodies of The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.” That choice alone was an act of aggression, staking the station’s claim as the cutting-edge music media purveyor. Three...
‘Batman’ helps cops bust burglary suspect in Florida
A man charged with burglary and theft in a Florida town was foiled when he targeted the home of a crusader sans cape. The would-be thief was stopped in his tracks by a resident clad in Batman pajamas, according to the Cape Coral Police Department. Kyle Myvett told investigators he...
Trump revokes Secret Service protection for former VP Harris, AP sources say
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has revoked Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a senior White House official on Friday. Former vice presidents typically get federal government protection for six months after leaving office, while ex-presidents do so for life. But another person familiar with...
Father of 8-year-old boy killed in Minneapolis church shooting wants him remembered for his love
MINNEAPOLIS — As the families of the two Catholic school students fatally shot while celebrating Mass at a Minneapolis church continue to wrestle with their grief, the father of the 8-year-old boy killed tearfully urged the community to remember his son for his love of family, fishing and cooking. “Please...
Pitt, Duquesne size each other up before Saturday’s clash at Acrisure Stadium
Under normal circumstances, Pitt meeting Duquesne on the football field would instill in the Panthers a desire to enact some revenge, given they lost the last matchup. Conversely, Duquesne might look at things as a chance to stack up consecutive wins against their crosstown foe. But Saturday at Acrisure Stadium,...
Lori Falce: 26 years of thoughts and prayers
My head is full of thoughts. My soul is full of prayers. And my heart is filled with rage, a red-hot glowing anger that, once again, children have been shot and killed. In Minneapolis, Robin Westman, 23, armed with a handgun, rifle and shotgun, fired into the church where children...
Crews free man from collapsed Charleroi trench in 5-hour rescue effort
A man was being treated at Pittsburgh’s Allegheny General Hospital after emergency crews freed him from a collapsed trench early Friday in Charleroi. Rescue workers freed the man at about 1:30 a.m. after about five hours of effort involving emergency organizations from multiple counties, according to TribLive news partner WTAE....
A food desert no more: Second Tarentum grocery store opens
Three months ago, Tarentum was considered a food desert. Now, the borough has a second grocery store along East Sixth Avenue, just three blocks from another that opened in May. MacKay’s Market, owned by Harrison resident Linda Gromley, will celebrate a soft launch from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday,...
WCCC sees enrollment increase after years of decline
After 14 years of declining enrollment, Westmoreland County Community College may be starting to reverse the trend. As of the first day of classes, enrollment is up nearly 1.9%, or 42 students, compared to the first day of the 2024-25 academic year. And that doesn’t account for students taking late-start...
Savannah Bananas bring viral social media act to PNC Park
The Savannah Bananas have stolen social media users’ hearts over the past few years, from viral TikTok dances to funny anecdotes — and this weekend, they’re poised to bring Banana Ball to PNC Park. Though the Bananas played their inaugural baseball season in 2016, their widespread internet fame didn’t start...
Ligonier Township proposed solar panel farm gets planners’ OK
The question of whether a three-megawatt solar power array should be built on farmland about a mile from Ligonier Valley High School goes to the Ligonier Township supervisors now that a planning panel Thursday recommended its approval. The Ligonier Township Planning Commission recommended that the supervisors approve Chicago-based SunVest Solar...
2 sisters killed in Arnold fire: ‘Everybody on the block loved them’
Kenyatta Milisits struggled to find the words to describe the situation that claimed the lives of two of her best friends, and injured a third, in a fire Wednesday night in Arnold. “Why’d something bad have to happen to good people?” she asked Thursday on the porch steps of 1908...
Community group rails against Esplanade in Pittsburgh, despite assurances from developer
A community group on Thursday raised environmental concerns about the Esplanade development, a $740 million project that aims to transform a brownfield in Pittsburgh’s Chateau neighborhood into a vibrant entertainment district. Manchester Neighbors, representing a group of residents, opposes the project. In a report released Thursday, the group highlighted environmental...
Judge lifts suspension of Students for Justice in Palestine at University of Pittsburgh
A federal judge on Thursday lifted a suspension against a pro-Palestinian student group at the University of Pittsburgh, finding that the speech they engaged in leading up to the suspension was protected by the First Amendment. U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan granted a motion seeking a preliminary injunction for...
UPMC made $349 million by halfway point of 2025
UPMC earned $349 million in the first half of 2025, a massive improvement after having lost almost as much money by the same point last year. The provider side of UPMC generated $243 million in operating income, compared to $106 million for its insurance business, according to a financial report...
Witness is 2nd to testify that Derry Township man admitted killing woman in 2007
A woman testified Thursday that she heard Charles E. Ream admit to killing 22-year-old Samantha Lang, bolstering the prosecution’s case against him in the 2007 homicide. Ream’s admission came in 2010 or 2011 while he was smoking crack at a Derry Township mobile home with a few other men, said...
Woman to serve 3 to 8 years for killing man in Carrick
A Pittsburgh woman who said she feared her partner was sentenced to at least three years in prison after pleading guilty to his killing. Breanna Didolce, 25, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for the June 6, 2024, shooting death of Jeremiah Anger, 25. Anger called 911 that morning around 11:30...
Pitt hit with ‘armed shooter’ hoax day after school shooting in Minneapolis
The University of Pittsburgh on Thursday became the latest school targeted by a fake report of an armed shooter on campus, a day after a man opened fire during Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic school, killing two children and injuring 17. At 12:28 p.m., University of Pittsburgh police sent out...
Defense attorney asks Westmoreland court to pay for evaluation in alleged trafficking case
The attorney representing a Philadelphia man who authorities believe intended to traffic a 13-year-old Greensburg girl said Thursday he expects his client to plead guilty in the case. If that happens, Angel Lopez, 19, is likely facing mandatory sentences on at least some of the charges against him, according to...
Mt. Oliver woman charged with involuntary manslaughter in death of 1-year-old
A Mt. Oliver woman is charged with involuntary manslaughter stemming from the methadone-related death of a one-year-old girl last year. The girl was in the care of 60-year-old Veronica Anglin in Anglin’s Church Avenue home on Nov. 8 when the child stopped breathing, according to a complaint filed by Allegheny...
Innamorato signs executive order to protect Allegheny County union workers
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato signed an order Thursday creating an “office of worker protections” to enforce labor and anti-discrimination laws, citing recent Trump administration moves to curb federal union bargaining. “This office will be a place where workers can turn to when their rights are threatened, and it’s a...
Pittsburgh VA restarts town hall tour, including stop in Jeannette
The Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System has revived a town hall tour in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio after abruptly canceling it last month. The tour has four stops where veterans can get information on their benefits, enroll in coverage and hear directly from leadership at the Pittsburgh VA: •...
