Top Stories category, Page 1707
George Will: Shootings and the causes of violence
WASHINGTON — It is 1,218 miles from the Aaron Bessant Park Amphitheater in Panama City Beach, Fla., to the Walmart at 7101 Gateway Blvd. in El Paso. It was in that park that Donald Trump, on May 8, was amused by the answer someone in his audience shouted in response...
Guy Reschenthaler: Mueller show’s over; it’s time to move on
For nearly three years, the American people were told that President Trump colluded with the Russians in the 2016 election. They were also told that former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation would prove this, with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., going so far as to say there was...
House Judiciary sues to force former White House counsel Don McGahn to testifyVideo
WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee took another step toward possible impeachment proceedings, filing a lawsuit in federal court on Wednesday aimed at forcing former White House counsel Donald McGahn to testify about his interactions with President Trump. McGahn was a star witness in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation who...
New $245,000 section of Tredway recreational trail in Allegheny Township opens
The new 1.75-mile extension of the Tredway recreational trail winding along the River Forest golf course in Allegheny Township from the marina to under the Freeport Bridge is just about complete. This week, the recreational trail flanked by manicured greenery was ready for walking and biking. Allegheny Township and Senate...
Death of Penn Hills teacher shocks school district, Shaler neighbors
Nick Ionadi recalled greeting one of his favorite teachers at Penn Hills High School every morning by popping his head into the teacher’s classroom and yelling: “Hey, Babbit!” Ionadi’s greeting to math teacher Don Babbit was a running joke that used a popular line from a Warner Bros. animated cartoon...
FBI, local law enforcement target child sexual predators in Pittsburgh region
Pittsburgh police arrested two people last month as part of an FBI operation designed to nab child and adult sex traffickers across the country. Police charged Amy Schifano, 43, of Pittsburgh’s South Side, with prostitution on July 29 and Patrick E. Lewis, 43, of Portland, Ore., with promoting prostitution on...
Pennsylvania Boy Scout sex abuse lawsuit could be first of many
A Philadelphia sex abuse lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America could be the first of hundreds, according to Abused in Scouting, a coalition of law firms created to pursue cases of sexual abuse. The organization has a list of more than 540 alleged instances of child abuse, including more...
Massive tarantula migration to start this month in ColoradoVideo
Why do thousands of tarantulas cross the road? To get to the side where their mates live. The annual spider migration is about to commence in southeast Colorado and Highway 109 south of La Junta is a good place to watch, according to the town’s tourism team. Large populations of...
Bikers provide support to girl at Westmoreland court hearing
A girl facing the man she claims sexually assaulted her had a few unlikely friends in a Westmoreland County courtroom Wednesday — four motorcyclists. The group, wearing vests with Bikers Against Child Abuse patches, sat in district court with the girl and her family awaiting a preliminary hearing that never...
Piece of Kennywood’s Log Jammer up for auction to benefit children’s charity
Miss the Log Jammer? Think taking it down was the worst thing Kennywood could have ever done — before the Potato Patch cheese and ketchup controversies this year? The West Mifflin amusement park has given one of its old Log Jammer vehicles to “Give Kids the World,” a nonprofit that...
Former Mt. Pleasant police chief sues borough over firing
Mt. Pleasant’s former police chief filed a federal lawsuit this week claiming that he was fired after defying instructions from officials to ignore what he described as “wrongdoing” on the borough’s part. Douglas Sam, 52, of Mt. Pleasant Township, made several claims in the suit against the borough, including that...
USA Today HQ search concludes without incident after report of man with weapon
McLEAN, Va. —Police have cleared the northern Virginia office building that houses USA Today without incident after receiving a report of an armed man. Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler said Wednesday afternoon that SWAT teams had concluded their search and found no evidence that any crime had occurred. Police...
Woman regrets putting live octopus on her face for a photo
Hindsight is 20/20. A woman in Washington state is now regretting her photo op decision to put a live octopus on her face, KIRO-TV News in Seattle reports. Jamie Bisceglia told the station she was hoping to enter a photo contest as part of a fishing derby in Tacoma, Wash....
Erie woman pleads guilty to setting woman on fire
A 59-year-old woman faces up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty Wednesday to using rubbing alcohol to set another woman on fire at an east Erie residence in December. Mary E. Hull of Erie pleaded guilty to first-degree felony counts of aggravated assault and arson. Erie County Judge...
Martorano’s Prime steakhouse coming to Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino
A juicy steak will soon be a sure bet at Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino. Celebrity chef Steve Martorano plans to bring his high-end steakhouse Martorano’s Prime to the North Shore casino. The restaurant is scheduled to open later this year. “Pittsburgh is absolutely a foodie town, plus it has a strong...
Penn Irwin Motel site slated for development
A North Huntingdon developer wants to put retail shops at the site of the old Penn Irwin Motel along Route 30. Donald Tarosky Jr., a partner in Colony of Irwin, told North Huntingdon officials this week he intends to develop the old motel property in the same way a California...
‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette,’ filmed in New Kensington and Pittsburgh, coming to theatersVideo
After several delays, a movie filmed in New Kensington and other Pittsburgh-area locations two years ago is coming to theaters. ”Where’d You Go, Bernadette” is being released Aug. 16 but will hit area theaters — including Cinemark at the Pittsburgh Mills, AMC at the Waterfront in West Homestead, and Regal...
‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’ piano finds harmony at Manchester Craftsmen’s GuildVideo
Many tunes were played on the special piano, and many more will be played in its future home. The 1987 Steinway B piano was the instrument of choice for renowned jazz musician Johnny Costa on the set of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” inside WQED Multimedia studios in Oakland. Unveiled Tuesday, it...
Bipartisan ‘red flag’ gun laws plan has support in Congress
WASHINGTON — Despite frequent mass shootings, Congress has proved to be unable to pass substantial gun violence legislation, largely because of resistance from Republicans. But a bipartisan proposal by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., is gaining momentum following weekend mass shootings in Texas and Ohio that left...
Some skeptical as Trump prepares to visit sites of shootings
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is bringing a message aimed at national unity and healing to the sites of the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton. But the words he offers for a divided America will be complicated by his own incendiary, anti-immigrant rhetoric that mirrors language linked to...
Tim Benz: Steelers fans will hate centennial list of Top 100 NFL teams
A lot of national outlets have spent a lot of time taking shots at the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. And many are predicting Baltimore or Cleveland will win the AFC North. Therefore, USA Today’s Nate Davis probably made a lot of friends in Western Pennsylvania when he predicted the Steelers...
800 men accuse Boy Scouts of America of sex abuse, lawyers say
About 800 men have come forward this year alleging they were sexually abused as boys by Boy Scouts of America leaders, a group of lawyers said Tuesday. The announcement at a news conference in Washington came a day after two Center City lawyers in the group filed a lawsuit in...
Plans being made for removal of Belvedere Hotel’s charred remains
State Rep. Joe Petrarca confirmed his office is leading efforts to kick off the cleanup of the charred, asbestos- laden remains of the Belvedere Hotel along Route 66 in Oklahoma Borough. A July 24 blaze swiftly destroyed the abandoned, almost 115-year-old hotel. The fire still is under investigation by state police....
Deferred repairs, budget cuts threaten Keystone, other state parks, officials sayVideo
If the Pennsylvania state budget were a dollar, the budget for the entire state park and forest system would be about half a penny. Marci Mowery, president of the Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation, used that example Tuesday to illustrate infrastructure and maintenance needs confronting the state Department of Conservation...
Census takers identifying hard-to-reach populations across Western Pa., country
Disconnected doubters, wary skeptics, eager engagers and head nodders — these are all ways Census Bureau officials describe people living in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Released in late June, the 2020 Census Predictive Models and Audience Segmentation report is helping officials create a plan for the once-a-decade survey that determines the amount...
