Top Stories category, Page 1766
South Greensburg woman denies animal cruelty charges, wants dog backVideo
The attorney for a South Greensburg woman accused of aggravated animal cruelty and neglect for allegedly abusing her 8-year-old pug said his client will fight the allegations in court. Yenise L. Zimmerman, 44, was arraigned Tuesday on complaints filed by borough police before Youngwood District Judge Anthony Bompiani. Citations for...
Researchers say dodgeball is ‘legalized bullying’
Pick a group. Eliminate your opponent by hurtling a ball at them. Survive the onslaught. Win the game. Dodgeball has been a playground game for generations, but is it more than just a child’s game? Is it something more oppressive? “It’s tantamount to legalized bullying,” said Joy Butler, a professor...
U.S. Steel appeals $337,670 fine from Allegheny County Health Department
U.S. Steel is appealing a May enforcement order issued by the Allegheny County Health Department related to emissions at the Clairton Coke Works during the first quarter of 2019. The order, which carries a $337,670 fine, was not related to the Dec. 24 fire at the facility, according to a...
Penn State finds digital divide wider than reported for broadband internet in rural Pa.
The “digital divide” in rural parts of Pennsylvania may be growing instead of closing, according to a new study by Penn State University. The “Broadband Availability and Access in Rural Pennsylvania” study found there isn’t a single county where at least 50% of the population received broadband connectivity, defined by...
Burn Camp brings together survivors for support, fun
After Tyaira Cobb suffered burns from an accident involving hot water, she had a hard time explaining to her friends how the experience affected her. “When I talk to my friends at home about it, they don’t really understand how traumatic the experience is,” she said. Cobb, 15, of Duquesne...
Deaths from falls among older Americans are on the rise
CHICAGO — New research shows fatal falls have nearly tripled in older Americans in recent years, rising to more than 25,000 annual deaths. The findings highlight the importance of fall prevention. A separate study bolsters evidence that programs focusing on improving muscle strength and balance can help achieve that goal....
Boyce Park wave pool closed for emergency repairs
The wave pool at Boyce Park will be closed for up to 10 days for emergency repairs, according to an Allegheny County news release. The pool began losing water May 31 due to a malfunctioning “hydrostatic relief valve.” The valves are designed to maintain pressure between water in the pool...
Pittsburgh deploys more than 1,000 ‘smart’ trash cans
Pittsburgh boasts the region’s smartest garbage cans. The city has more than 1,000 “smart” trash cans equipped with sensors to gauge garbage volume and send a wireless signal to the city’s Department of Public Works when they’re full. Pittsburgh hopes the new trash cans will cut in half the amount...
PennDOT plans closure of inbound Parkway East next weekend
PennDOT will close part of the inbound Parkway East next weekend, a PennDOT spokesman confirmed Tuesday. The westbound lanes will be closed from Friday, June 14 through Monday morning, June 17, Steve Cowan said. Details of the closure have not yet been finalized, he said. “We are still working out...
‘Jeopardy!’ producer: ‘Appropriate’ action planned in leak of James Holzhauer’s loss
This past weekend, “Jeopardy!” executive producer Harry Friedman was looking forward to Monday, when millions of viewers would eagerly tune in to see if phenom James Holzhauer would break champion Ken Jennings’ record winnings. Holzhauer only needed about $59,000, so it seemed like a distinct possibility. Then, Sunday afternoon, Friedman...
Family Dollar adding alcohol to 1,000 stores
In the first quarter, budget store Family Dollar quietly added adult beverages to the shelves at 45 of its stores. Now, it’s planning on expanding that to 1,000 select stores nationwide, the company reports. In a news release, Dollar Tree — the parent company — announced it was executing a...
Casey, Toomey report reveals nearly 400 troubled nursing homes, 5 in Western Pa.
WASHINGTON — The federal government for years has kept under wraps the names of hundreds of nursing homes around the country found by inspectors to have serious ongoing health, safety or sanitary problems. Nearly 400 facilities nationwide had a “persistent record of poor care” as of April, but they were...
Police: Man shot in Wilkinsburg died of bullet wound to head
A 49-year-old man has died after getting shot in the head Tuesday morning during a suspected robbery attempt in Wilkinsburg, poice said. The man, whom police did immediately identify, died in a hospital at 5:50 p.m., Allegheny County Police Sgt. Veneranda Costa said. Police had initially said the man was...
Trump baby blimp flies in London as protests greet president
LONDON — Thousands of protesters greeted President Donald Trump’s U.K. visit with anger and British irony Tuesday, crowding London’s government district while the U.S. leader met Prime Minister Theresa May nearby. Feminists, environmentalists, peace activists, trade unionists and others demonstrated against the lavish royal welcome being given to a president...
Driver killed in Route 22 crash in Salem, police say
State police at Kiski said the driver of a car that crashed into a tractor trailer Tuesday on Route 22 in Salem has died from his injuries at Forbes Hospital in Monroeville. Trooper Chad W. Howell reported the crash occurred at 4:52 a.m. at the intersection of Route 819 and...
Police: Shots fired at men cutting grass in Armstrong County
An Armstrong County man accused of firing half a dozen rounds at two men cutting grass near his Plum Creek home on Monday was found to be growing marijuana there, according to state police. Police said they investigated a report of someone firing shots at two landscapers as they cut...
Podcast: Mike Ditka recalls days at Pitt, getting drafted into NFL
Future Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka’s first professional football contract was for … $12,000. “I was the (fifth) player picked in the draft — $12,000 with a $6,000 signing bonus,” Ditka told Gus Frerotte during the second part of this week’s “Huddle Up with Gus” podcast. Ditka recalls...
3 Forest Hills homes damaged by fire, firefighter hurt
Fire damaged three homes in Forest Hills overnight Tuesday after flames spread from one home to another on Elmore Road. A couple and six children escaped one of the burning homes, according to Peter Shovlin, the father of one homeowner. Firefighters responded to the scene shortly before 11:30 p.m. Monday,...
Cold night falls short of record; rain, storms return Wednesday
The Pittsburgh area came within a couple degrees of setting a new record low temperature Tuesday morning. The temperature at Pittsburgh International Airport, where the official measurements are made, was down to 43 degrees as of around 6 a.m. Tuesday, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Kennedy said. That’s just shy...
Number of Pennsylvania babies treated for drug exposure levels off, report shows
After spiking for more than a decade, the rate of Pennsylvania newborns hospitalized for drug withdrawal at birth leveled off and remained stable for the last two years, a new report reveals. The report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council said Pennsylvania babies were hospitalized for Neonatal Abstinence...
Penn Hills residents voice concerns about school district’s financial plan
Penn Hills School District residents voiced their concerns about a proposed recovery plan designed to bring the financially struggling district back into the black. Proposed tax increases and finding alternative means to fix the debt crisis were among the main discussion points of a town hall meeting at the high...
Ceremony, political gibes mark Trump’s first day in LondonVideo
LONDON — Mixing pageantry and pugilism, President Trump plunged into his long-delayed state visit to Britain on Monday, welcomed with smiles and a cannon salute by the royals but launching political insults at others in a time of turmoil for both nations in the deep, if recently strained, alliance. It...
Congress finally sends $19B disaster aid bill to TrumpVideo
WASHINGTON — A long-delayed $19.1 billion disaster aid bill sailed through the House on Monday and headed to President Trump for his expected signature, overcoming months of infighting, misjudgment and a feud between Trump and congressional Democrats. Lawmakers gave the measure final congressional approval by 354-58 in the House’s first...
Pittsburgh debates parking lot on property donated 144 years ago
The Pittsburgh Ballet Theater is seeking to renew a lease on Strip District property dubbed Denny Park that was donated to Pittsburgh nearly 150 years ago to create a public square. City Council and the Mayor’s Office are now wrangling over the lease, which expires in 2025 and could be...
Everson man dies after sawing injury at Latrobe workplace
An Everson man died in a Pittsburgh hospital Friday after being injured while working with a table saw at a Latrobe company. Eugene Martinosky, 62, was taken to UPMC, where he died Friday, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. The cause of death has not been released. The...
