Top Stories category, Page 1802
Kristen Laney O’Toole: My MS worsened while waiting for MRI authorization
I was living a healthy, active life as a communications consultant in Pittsburgh. That changed suddenly and dramatically in 2014 when I began experiencing back pain. As the pain intensified, I realized that something was seriously wrong. My doctor wanted to do an MRI to officially diagnose what he suspected...
Police: Wilkinsburg teen shot, killed intruder in fear of his family’s safety
A 17-year-old boy feared for the safety of his family when he shot and killed an unarmed 19-year-old man trying to force his way into their Wilkinsburg home early Wednesday, police said. Jakeem Booker, 19, of Braddock was pronounced dead soon after police found him with a gunshot wound to...
UPMC defends controversial prepay rule for seniors
UPMC is imposing a controversial prepay rule on Highmark-insured Medicare Advantage patients this summer because its leaders have no trust in Highmark to pay bills or honor contracts, UPMC’s attorneys said Wednesday in state Supreme Court. Starting July 1 — when UPMC and Highmark’s insurance networks are set to officially...
Don’t spare the blood: Apollo-Ridge looks to realism for mock DUI crashVideo
A mock car crash that included a drunken driver, a dead passenger and other injured parties was the lesson of the day Wednesday at Apollo-Ridge High School. Although mock accident scenes are nothing new, the high school decided to add flair or, rather, blood and make-up for students to look...
Westmoreland County prosecutors dispute defense claims in 30-year-old rape case
Westmoreland County prosecutors said defense arguments to dismiss a nearly 30-year-old rape case should be rejected because they are based on misrepresented facts. In court documents filed Wednesday, prosecutors said there is sufficient evidence to convict John Kunco, 53, of Harrison of the brutal rape of a woman in her...
Editorial: Metcalfe’s vaccine bill quarantines free speech
We can vaccinate against many things. We can take a shot to prevent smallpox, and that worked so well the disease only exists in little vials. We can inoculate ourselves against everything from the tetanus we could get from a bad cut to the chicken pox that spreads like fire...
PennDOT inspects Fort Duquesne Bridge after concrete chunks fall
PennDOT officials conducted an emergency inspection on the Fort Duquesne Bridge after pieces of concrete fell to the ground on the North Shore on Tuesday. The pieces, measuring between 6 and 10 inches in diameter, did not damage anything. PennDOT District 11 Executive Cheryl Moon-Sirianni said the bridge is safe....
Dairy Queen’s new Mini Blizzard Treat Flights let you try 3 flavors at once
If picking a Blizzard flavor is too much of a commitment, Dairy Queen has a sweet solution. The Mini Blizzard Treat Flights combine three different flavors of the blended ice cream treats in a handy tray. The flights are available only for the month of May but these six flavors...
Search continues for cows roaming southern Murrysville
The search for a group of black Angus cows roaming southern Murrysville continued Wednesday. “We’ve been getting one or two calls per day,” said Officer Christer Smith of the Murrysville Police Department. “It’s been ongoing for about the past week.” On Wednesday, the Westmoreland County Animal Response Team, or CART,...
Pa. state police increasing patrols at places of worship
Over the weekend, Pennsylvania state police in Indiana County checked on nearly five dozen churches and houses of worship. The visits, spurred in part by Saturday’s synagogue shooting in California, are part of an expanding effort to increase state police presence at places of worship around the region. “We’re doing...
AG Josh Shapiro vows to appeal ruling that spared Graham Spanier from jail
PHILADELPHIA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro vowed Wednesday to appeal what he described as a “last-minute and highly unusual” ruling that overturned Graham B. Spanier’s child endangerment conviction just hours before the former Pennsylvania State University president was scheduled to report to jail. In a statement, the state’s top...
White House wants $4.5 billion in emergency border funding
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Wednesday asked Congress for an additional $4.5 billion in emergency funds for the U.S.-Mexico border as the administration contends with a surge of Central American migrant families, with the bulk of the money for shelter and care. The number of families and children arriving...
Carnegie Mellon student convicted of sex assault in 2018 case
A jury on Wednesday convicted a Carnegie Mellon University student of sexual assault for his attack on a University of Pittsburgh student last in year in an Oakland apartment. The jury convicted Joon Woo Baik, 24, of the second-degree felony charge after about a day and a half of deliberations....
Can’t get to Fallingwater? Experience it in 3D
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater is arguably only one of the most incredible architectural achievements of all time. And Western Pennsylvania is home to it. Bravo, for us. There’s no substitute for visiting the iconic site, built in 1935 for the Kaufmann family. And if you haven’t been there — we...
No beer with karaoke in UtahVideo
Adding beer to an evening of karaoke is a recipe for trouble in Utah. The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission has denied a request from Heart & Seoul Karaoke to offer beer alongside their musical entertainment, reports FOX-13 in Salt Lake City. Utah’s strict liquor laws will change...
Chinese fossil sheds light on mysterious Neanderthal kin
NEW YORK — Nearly 40 years after it was found by a monk in a Chinese cave, a fossilized chunk of jawbone has been revealed as coming from a mysterious relative of the Neanderthals. Until now, the only known remains of these Denisovans were a few scraps of bone and...
‘Jeopardy!’ host Alex Trebek says cancer fight includes bouts of ‘deep, deep sadness’
“Jeopardy!” champion James Holzhauer has been making all the news in recent weeks, but host Alex Trebek shared an update on his battle with pancreatic cancer on Wednesday. In an interview with Robin Roberts on “Good Morning America,” the game show host talked about the how he’s feeling and the...
Cast of Leonardo da Vinci’s only sculpture at Carnegie Science CenterVideo
There’s a thumbprint visible if one looks closely. It’s believed to be that of Leonardo da Vinci — scientist, engineer, inventor and, in this case, sculptor. The sculpture, titled “Horse and Rider,” was unveiled Wednesday at the Carnegie Science Center on Pittsburgh’s North Side by popular televised art appraiser Brett...
Pennsylvania teacher salaries rank 10th in the nation
Pennsylvania teachers average the 10th-highest salaries in the nation, according to a National Education Association annual pay analysis. While Pennsylvania teachers ranked below colleagues in New York, New Jersey and Maryland, they were well above teachers in West Virginia (who ranked next to last) and the bordering states of Ohio...
Solo robber hits Vandergrift Dollar General along Franklin Avenue
Vandergrift police are searching for a man who robbed the Dollar General on Franklin Avenue Tuesday night. A clerk was restocking shelves when a tall man walked in. He held his left hand in the pocket of a hooded sweatshirt he was wearing and “acted like he had a gun,”...
Profusion of daffodils in Butler County keeps sister’s memory aliveVideo
A stiff breeze blows through thousands of bright yellow daffodils, making them dance as Emily Milich-Franusich and her husband Michael Franusich walk hand in hand through a 2-acre field of blooms as their cat Sophie leads the way in Butler Township, Butler County. Since 2015 the couple has spent their...
‘The Soap Myth’ tells gripping Holocaust story
Jeff Cohen distinctly remembers the day about 17 years ago when an elderly gentlemen approached him at his small theater in downtown Manhattan. The man handed him a manila envelope and said “maybe there is something you can do with this.” The man’s name was Morris Spitzer and it was...
Attorney General William Barr grilled over his differences with MuellerVideo
WASHINGTON — Private tensions between Justice Department leaders and special counsel Robert Mueller’s team broke into public view in extraordinary fashion Wednesday as Attorney General William Barr pushed back at the special counsel’s “snitty” complaints over his handling of the Trump-Russia investigation report. Testifying for the first time since releasing...
Police conduct active shooter drill at Idlewild
State police and local law enforcement on Wednesday morning conducted an active shooter drill at Idlewild Park in Ligonier Township, according to Westmoreland County 911. Emergency radio reports of a shooter and child abduction at the park were all related to the drill, dispatchers said. The theme park is closed....
Loosen your belt, Pittsburgh Mac and Cheese Festival is coming
Who doesn’t love a big bowl of that favorite childhood comfort food, macaroni and cheese? There’s little as satisfying as that combo of pasta, butter, cream, and the star — cheese. Let the belt out a notch and enjoy, as the Pittsburgh Mac and Cheese Festival heads to Highmark Stadium....
