Top Stories category, Page 1705
Police: Greensburg sex offender kissed girl, 5, on forehead
A Megan’s Law sex offender is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bail after Greensburg police said he kissed a 5-year-old girl on the forehead. Phillip Maxwell Griffin, 39, allegedly was living at an address that had not been verified by state police as required under Megan’s Law,...
Source: Jeffrey Epstein dies by suicide while awaiting trialVideo
NEW YORK — Financier Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in New York, a former law enforcement official said Saturday. He was found dead in his cell at the Manhattan Correctional Center Saturday morning, according to the officials, who was briefed on the matter but...
Greensburg police: Fighting women wield hammer, screwdriver in fight
Two Greensburg women embroiled in a dispute allegedly used a hammer and screwdriver on each other’s head, resulting in a trip to separate hospitals and assault charges for both, Greensburg police said. Frances L. Shaw, 56, and Crystal L. Shunk, 28, both of North Hamilton Avenue, were victim and assailant...
Armed man at Missouri Walmart says he was testing right to bear arms
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Prosecutors on Friday filed a terrorist threat charge against a 20-year-old man who said he walked into a Missouri store wearing body armor and carrying a loaded rifle and handgun to test whether Walmart would honor his constitutional right to bear arms. The incident, just days after...
Police: Gun found under Antwon Rose’s seat was stolen in Rankin
A handgun found in the car from which Antwon Rose II ran before an East Pittsburgh police officer shot and killed him was stolen, according to investigators. The gun was originally reported stolen out of Monroeville, but county police later determined it was stolen in Rankin, Allegheny County police Inspector...
Pittsburgh restoring historic tunnel in Highland ParkVideo
Raquel Staton said her walks along the trails of Pittsburgh’s Highland Park always included a trip through a historic pedestrian tunnel constructed during park’s early years. She always found it a little spooky walking through the stone arch tunnel that runs beneath Reservoir Drive. “I love that tunnel,” said Staton,...
Motorcyclist killed in Squirrel Hill tunnel crash
A motorcyclist was killed in a multi-vehicle crash inside the Squirrel Hill Tunnel on Friday. State police said the incident took place shortly after 10:15 a.m. The male biker struck the rear of a box truck and went underneath a flatbed semi-trailer being pulled by a truck tractor, police said....
Downtown Pittsburgh safety again in question after fatal stabbing
Lashaya Fields’ heart sank when she heard about a fatal stabbing Thursday at a bus stop in Downtown Pittsburgh. Fields, 24, of Wilkinsburg didn’t know the victim, Janice Purdue-Dance of Erie, but she often saw the 61-year-old around the Sixth Avenue bus stop. “She was a nice person, very religious,”...
Mass shootings give rise to bullet-resistant backpacks
NEW YORK — Companies like Guard Dog Security, TuffyPacks and Bullet Blocker are peddling bullet-resistant backpacks for children in time for the back-to-school shopping season. But critics argue they are using tragedy as a marketing opportunity and exploiting parents’ worst fears. Safety is high on the minds of parents, especially...
Pittsburgh mayor Peduto, state lawmakers call for vote on Pa. gun bills
Two Democratic state lawmakers say they are prepared to heed Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s call for a vote on more restrictive firearms regulations and added that leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature won’t allow that to happen. Republicans, however, have pointed to anti-violence laws they have passed and signaled a willingness...
Jeannette family honored after saving 5-year-old from drowning
Nicole Hall pumped the chest of her 5-year-old cousin after his body was pulled from the family’s Jeannette swimming pool this summer. After a minute and a half of compressions, the boy again started to breathe. “He was lifeless,” said family member Patty Hall, 55, who provided oxygen while Nicole...
KDKA returns to local DirecTV customers ahead of Steelers season
DirecTV customers, break out the black and gold. The Pittsburgh Steelers — starting with Friday’s first preseason game — will be back on your television thanks to an agreement reached by CBS Corp. and AT&T. The multi-year agreement, reached Thursday, ended a three-week blackout for viewers, which started as a...
Cryotherapy experts baffled by Antonio Brown’s frostbitten feet
The picture circulating on social media of Antonio Brown’s feet is reportedly the result of a cryotherapy session gone very wrong. From heel to toe, the bottoms of Brown’s feet are one big blister, with yellowish dying skin giving way to a shade of raw pink. Local cryotherapy experts wonder...
After 18 years, Lidia’s Pittsburgh to close
Lidia’s Pittsburgh, a longtime staple in the Strip District, is closing. The expected closing date is sometime in September, said Gregg Perelman, CEO and managing partner of Walnut Capital, owner of the restaurant’s building at 1400 Smallman St. He said he is awaiting specifics from the restaurant’s general manager. “There...
Erie County man drowns in Lake Erie
MAYVILLE, N.Y. — Federal and local authorities are continuing the search of Lake Erie for an Erie County man who drowned while swimming at the Ripley Beach area in Chautauqua County, New York, late Thursday afternoon. The man who drowned has not been identified. Information released by the Chautauqua County...
Plum father charged in drowning of 3-year-old daughter
A Plum man whose 3-year-old daughter drowned in a home swimming pool last week told police he left his two young children alone at the in-ground pool while he went inside to make a drink, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday. Charles Mitchell, 27, told police that when he...
6 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Aug. 9-11Video
The dog days of summer are upon us. We have a few ways to celebrate here in Westmoreland County … one more literal than the others. Rock on This ain’t your father’s Celtic band! No, this is Seven Nations. And these hard-drivin’ rockers will take over Greensburg’s St. Clair Park...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Aug. 9-11
It’s the weekend and we’ve got a fresh beer fest in town, plus lots more going on. Make sure to brace for pregame preseason Steelers traffic Friday night (kickoff is 7:30 p.m.). Here are some suggestions for what to do. Beer here, it’s fresh! The nation’s first “Black Brew” festival...
Police: Man in critical condition after East Hills shooting
A man was in critical condition Friday after he was shot in the chest in Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood, Pittsburgh police said. The shooting was reported around 1:30 a.m. in the 7900 block of Frankstown Avenue. Pittsburgh Police officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert of gunfire and found the man...
Police: Benedum, AVH, other bomb threats came from same phone number
Police continue to investigate bomb threats called into five establishments in two counties Thursday. The threats were made from the same phone number, Allegheny County police said Friday . The bomb threats were called in between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison, St. Clair Hospital...
Bomb threat at Monongahela Valley Hospital temporarily closes entrance road
Carroll Township police are investigating a bomb threat called in to the Monongahela Valley Hospital Thursday night in Monongahela, according to a Washington County 911 supervisor. The threat was reported at 9:08 p.m. Just before midnight, police remained at the scene. According to the supervisor, the main road to the...
Trump picks Joseph Maguire as new acting national intelligence director
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday named Joseph Maguire, the nation’s top counterterrorism official, as acting national intelligence director, part of a leadership shake-up at the agency that oversees 17 U.S. spy agencies. Maguire will become acting director on Aug. 15, the same day that National Intelligence Director Dan Coats’...
Mitch McConnell wants to consider gun background checks in fall
WASHINGTON — Shifting the gun violence debate, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday he now wants to consider background checks and other bills, setting up a potentially pivotal moment when lawmakers return in the fall. The Republican leader won’t be calling senators back to work early, as some are...
Highmark CEO optimistic that UPMC deal will attract more patients to Highmark plans
Highmark Health CEO David Holmberg said Thursday he’s “cautiously optimistic” that more Western Pennsylvanians will choose Highmark insurance products now that the nonprofit system has inked a 10-year contract with rival UPMC. Since striking the deal in late June, Highmark officials have been observing an uptick in interest from people...
Ex-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe sues Justice Department over his firingVideo
WASHINGTON — Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe sued the Justice Department and Attorney General William Barr, claiming he was illegally fired last year for allegedly failing to fully disclose conversations he had with a reporter about pending investigations. Barr’s predecessor, Jeff Sessions, fired McCabe in March 2018, just before...
