Top Stories category, Page 1749
Church members undergo active-shooter training in IrwinVideo
With 24 years of Navy service and 13 more in law enforcement, Rodney “Chief” Smith doesn’t mince words or mess around when it comes to firearms training. “Get that finger off that trigger! ” Smith barked at a trainee who wasn’t properly following his step-by-step instructions as a group prepared...
Public’s help sought after 7 bikers die in crash with pickup
LANCASTER, N.H. — Investigators issued a plea Saturday for the public to come forward with information as they try to determine what caused a pickup truck hauling a trailer to collide with a group of 10 motorcycles on a rural highway, killing seven bikers and leaving their community reeling. Authorities...
Skydiving plane crash in Hawaii kills 9, no survivors
HONOLULU — A small plane used for skydiving crashed and burst into flames near the perimeter of a small seaside oceanside airport on the island of Oahu, killing all nine people aboard, officials said Saturday. Preliminary information gathered by the Federal Aviation Administration indicated that the crash of the twin-engine...
Trump picks Uniontown native, Army vet Mark Esper to lead Pentagon
WASHINGTON — President Trump’s pick for new Defense secretary is an Army veteran who served in the first Iraq war and also has experience as a national security adviser on Capitol Hill as well as a defense industry lobbyist. Trump announced Friday that he would nominate Mark Esper to lead...
Century III Mall will be demolished, redeveloped into mixed-use site
Century III Mall will be demolished to make way for a possible mixed-use development, according to court documents filed Friday in the Western District U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Las Vegas-based Moonbeam Capital Investments LLC, which owns the property, plans to redevelop it over five years, with the design, permitting and demolition...
5 things to know about Penguins’ first-round draft pick Samuel Poulin
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The definition of the term “power forward” has changed drastically in NHL circles over the past two decades. It used to describe a player such as Kevin Stevens or Rick Tocchet, who was just as likely to deliver a knockout punch as a game-winning goal. These...
Pittsburgh’s Billy Porter to get star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Tony Award-winning performer Billy Porter, who starred in Kinky Boots, is set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, according to Variety. Porter, 49, has performed in many Broadway shows including: Shuffle Along, Grease, Five Guys Named Moe and Miss Saigon. The longtime veteran is best known...
Sen. Toomey lauds Trump for calling off Iran strikes, supports stricter economic sanctions
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey on Friday lauded reports of President Donald Trump’s decision to call off a planned strike on Iran in retaliation for an American drone shot down earlier this week. Toomey said that “it’s commendable that the President’s instinctive approach is to try to avoid an escalation that...
Western Pennsylvania’s farmers planted early to sneak summer corn past Mother Nature
Western Pennsylvania farmers this year have had to plant crops “between the raindrops.” But despite less-than-ideal planting conditions, area farmers say they expect sweet corn to be available by the Fourth of July. While field corn planting has languished because of the wet weather, produce farmers say they got their...
Penguins listening to offers for Kris Letang
VANCOUVER — From the moment the Pittsburgh Penguins were ousted by the New York Islanders in four games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, general manager Jim Rutherford has been steadfast in his desire to retool his team’s roster before next season. That retooling could include trading...
Pittsburgh Mills store owner could avoid trial on counterfeiting charge
A Pittsburgh Mills mall store owner accused of selling counterfeit merchandise will be able to get a misdemeanor charge against him thrown out if he completes 100 hours of community service, a judge ruled Friday. Tommy Wang, 42, of Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood had been scheduled to appear Tuesday for...
Video: Red-tailed hawk bullying newly fledged Pittsburgh eagletVideo
One of Pittsburgh’s newest bald eagles, less than a week out of the nest, learned the hard way there’s some fierce competition for air space in the big city. Only a day after his maiden flight, the 10th Hays bald eagle, known as “H10,” was struck by a red-tailed hawk....
Pittsburgh ‘Underwear Bike Ride’ promotes positive self-image
You don’t have to get dressed up for this event. In fact, you are encouraged to not wear much. The Pittsburgh Underwear Bike Ride is Thursday. Held the last Thursday of every month from May until October, the event is about having fun and promoting a positive self-body image, said...
Plum’s Frank Furko, best remembered as Pudgie Wudgie’s owner, dead at 85
Frank J. Furko’s claim to national fame was being the owner of a 20-pound tabby cat named Pudgie Wudgie — a famed feline in the 1990s. But Furko was more than that to people who knew him in the Oakmont and Plum areas. Furko of Plum’s East Oakmont neighborhood died...
Video: Tourists scramble as Outer Banks waterspout tips boats, rips off shingles, kills powerVideo
Vacationers were forced to run for cover as a fast-moving, violent storm hit the Outer Banks Thursday evening. The popular North Carolina beach vacation area lost power and had several trees toppled by the large waterspout, reports OBX Today. Shingles were reported ripped from roofs in Kill Devil Hills. WITN-TV...
Hempfield fire departments ready for giant fireworks retailer
Practically in the shadow of the tiny Bovard Volunteer Fire Department in Hempfield, Westmoreland County will welcome a new business neighbor Saturday with the grand opening of Phantom of Greensburg — 35,000-square-feet of firecrackers, bottle rockets, bursting fountains, mortar kits and sparklers, to name a few of the explosive goods....
Man wanted on drug charges in Alle-Kiski Valley accused of Arizona murder
A man with Alle-Kiski Valley ties who has drug charges pending against him in Allegheny Township is accused of shooting a man to death in Arizona. The Arizona Daily Star reported that Cam-Ron Broadway, 35, is charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a man in Tucson in March....
‘Stranger Things’ actress in Pittsburgh, will toss first pitch at Pirates game
Don’t be alarmed if you notice strange things going on in Pittsburgh Friday. “Stranger Things Night” at PNC Park is upon us. The Pirates evening is inspired by Netflix’s original science fiction series created, written and directed by the Duffer Brothers. The Pirates host the San Diego Padres at 7:05...
Bills aim to end Pennsylvania’s straight-party voting option
HARRISBURG — Legislation advancing in Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Legislature would eliminate the ballot option for voters to simply select a straight-party ticket in elections, although House Democrats are objecting to it. Bills to eliminate it emerged from committee in both chambers this week. The Senate bill is sponsored by Democratic Sen....
Pennsylvania warns of phone scam targeting elderly, disabled
Phone scammers posing as state Department of Revenue employees are targeting senior citizens and people with disabilities in an effort to obtain people’s bank information, according to the state agency. The phone scammers are falsely telling residents they will deposit their property tax or rent rebate checks into their bank...
Boaters spot whale off coast of Ocean City
Fishermen looking for sharks caught a glimpse of something bigger last week. Chasin’ Tides Charters shared a video of a whale surfacing near their boat off the coast of Ocean City, Md. “You never know what you may see while out on the ocean,” they wrote June 17. “Tonight while...
Monroeville’s former Westinghouse site to be restored
A restoration of the former Westinghouse Electric complex in Monroeville to its prior iconic state is planned by the firm that purchased the property last year. The $18 million purchase by Next Tier Connect, a partnership of New York investment firms Next Tier HD and RedBird Capital Partners, is the...
‘Puppy dog eyes’ are as convincing as they seem, researchers say
If you think it’s adorable when a dog raises its eyebrows and makes sad-looking eyes, you are not alone. Apparently, evolution is to thank for that heart-melting expression that can result in extra treats or cuddles. A group of researchers, including a Duquesne University professor, have determined that while dogs...
Fan favorites at Kennywood? Roller coasters, of course
Testing, testing. It’s all that remains before eager riders can climb in and take off on Kennywood Park’s newest ride, The Steel Curtain. The structure is complete, the final piece of track placed atop the coaster. And yinzers — and other roller coaster aficionados — are way past ready. According...
Police: Hempfield man solicited sex from agent posing as 14-year-old boy
A Hempfield volunteer firefighter allegedly set up a meeting for sex with who he thought was a 14-year-old boy through a social media messaging service, according to court papers. But when Tyler Richard Byerly, 21, arrived at the planned meeting spot Thursday in Hempfield, he was arrested by agents from...
