Top Stories category, Page 1826
Pittsburgh woman tapped to lead national higher education group for private colleges
No one could have predicted where Barbara Mistick’s story would go when she left college shy of a degree four decades ago. The Bethel Park native’s resume now includes a doctoral degree and stints as an entrepreneur and educator at institutions including Seton Hill University, the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh...
West Newton woman accused of setting pickup on fire during argument
A 19-year-old West Newton woman was charged with arson, terroristic threats and simple assault after police said she admitted to throwing a can of gasoline in the bed of a man’s pickup and setting it on fire. Borough police officer Michael Stefko reported he found Marian L. Warman sitting in...
Lower Burrell urges caution with door-to-door salespeople, vendors
Lower Burrell officials are asking residents to be cautious when approached by door-to-door salespeople and vendors. The city’s Facebook account said some companies are going door-to-door without a permit and being overly aggressive with residents. Residents are advised to make sure door-to-door salespeople and vendors have proper, city-issued permits. A...
Suspected rhino poacher killed by elephant then eaten by lions, authorities say
Five suspected poachers entered Kruger National Park in South Africa last week to kill rhino living there, according to authorities. Only four of the men left alive. The fifth was killed by an elephant and later “devoured” by a pride of lions, park officials said in a statement. “Entering Kruger...
Police investigating after SUV crashes into Baldwin home
No one was injured when an SUV crashed into a home overnight in Baldwin but the impact crumbled bricks and damaged a gutter at the home along Michael Drive. The driver was in police custody after the incident, which happened at about 3:30 a.m., WPXI reported. Police are investigating how...
Police investigating report of suspicious vehicle at Mammoth Park
Westmoreland County Park Police are investigating a report of a suspicious vehicle at Mammoth Park in Mt. Pleasant Township on Saturday, according to Chief Henry Fontana. A couple of men in a van at the park made some park-goers feel uncomfortable, but by the time officers arrived the van had...
Supreme Court mulls rule change over malpractice suits, Pa. counties where filed
More than 100 malpractice lawsuits were filed in Westmoreland County courts since 2011 that claimed improper cardiac procedures were performed at Excela Health facilities a decade ago. Many of those cases might have been filed in other counties had a proposed change to court rules being weighed by the state...
8 Westmoreland County towns to benefit from new blight demolition fund
The first structures to be torn down in Westmoreland County using money from a newly created demolition fund will include four dilapidated homes and four former commercial buildings. “This is needed to remove blight and create economic impact,” said Jason Rigone, director of Westmoreland County’s planning department. Structures in Avonmore,...
Police release updated photo of Pitcairn homicide suspect
Allegheny County police released an updated photo of a man they said is suspected in an April 7 fatal Pitcairn stabbing. Derrick Avant, 59, is wanted for an incident in which a woman was stabbed during an argument and later died from her injuries. The victim was identified as Alison...
Pick your spot at The Lot in Oakmont for upscale modern industrial diningVideo
There’s a lot to choose from at The Lot. The Lot at Edgewater in Oakmont celebrated its first anniversary in February. Patrons can lounge in a upscale cigar bar located upstairs, relax on the 1,200-square-foot outdoor patio, complete with a large gas fire pit, dine inside, mingle at the modern...
Pennsylvania man gets 3 to 6 years in Russian roulette death
LOCK HAVEN — A man has been sentenced to three to six years in prison on charges related to a game of Russian roulette that killed another man in central Pennsylvania. Fifty-five-year-old Randy Hill was sentenced last week after pleading guilty in Clinton County to reckless endangering and drug counts...
17-foot, 140-pound python captured in Florida park
Researchers last week captured and killed the largest Burmese python to be removed from Big Cypress National Preserve in the Florida Everglades, according to wildlife officials. The 17-foot, 140-pound female snake — an invasive species devastating to native wildlife — was discovered using a new tracking approach that leans on...
Kevin Gorman: Pitt scores by bringing back colors but must build pride in Panthers
Pitt’s search for an athletic identity started with a switch from its iconic script logo and school colors by turning its uniforms into a Notre Dame knockoff, a poor man’s version of the Panthers. Finally, Pitt is back where it belongs. A change of heart finally led to a change...
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigns
WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned on Sunday amid the administration’s growing frustration and bitterness over the number of Central American families crossing the southern border, two people familiar with the decision said. President Trump thanked her for her work in a tweet and announced U.S. Customs and...
4 adults, 2 kids shot and wounded at Chicago baby shower
CHICAGO — Two men who opened fire on a crowd of people gathered for a baby shower, wounding six people, including two children, may have acted in retaliation for an earlier gang conflict, police said Sunday. Authorities have only “shards of information” about what happened at the family gathering in...
2 men hurt in 1-car crash in West Deer, power restored to more than 300 customers
Two men were hurt Sunday in a one-vehicle crash on Little Deer Creek Road in West Deer that knocked out power in the area. Power had been restored to the more than 300 affected customers in West Deer, Frazer and Fawn, according to West Penn Power. According to West Deer...
Faith-based Celebration of Life prepares party-goers for Very Special Prom
Debbie Miller hadn’t even seen herself yet in her new prom dress, but she knew she looked good. The Unity woman added a string of pearls around her neck and a ring on her right hand. As soon as she looked in the mirror, she knew the purple, strapless dress...
Chief of staff says Dems will ‘never’ see Trump tax returns
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats will “never” see President Donald Trump’s tax returns, said White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney on Sunday, as a new front opened in the confrontation between the administration and Congress. Mulvaney accused Democrats of engaging in a “political stunt” and wanting “attention” after the chairman...
Smoking pot vs. tobacco: What science says about lighting up
NEW YORK — As more states make it legal to smoke marijuana, some government officials, researchers and others worry what that might mean for one of the country’s biggest public health successes : curbing cigarette smoking. Though there are notable differences in health research findings on tobacco and marijuana, the...
2 houses damaged in Duquesne fire
Two houses were damaged and one person is displaced after a fire in Duquesne on Sunday. The fire was reported around 11:20 a.m. at an abandoned house at 18 South Seventh St. The fire quickly spread to a neighboring house that was occupied. Duquesne Volunteer Fire Department Chief Frank Cobb...
Somerset police believe fire victim identified
Police believe they have identified the body of person burned at the scene of a fire at a stack of poles in Somerset on Saturday, but the identity will not be released until it is forensically confirmed and next of kin has been notified, Somerset police said Monday. Police Chief...
After 2016 loss, Democrats know they need white male voters
UPPER ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP — When he moved to Pennsylvania about five years ago, it was a coin toss which party Brian Heitman would register with. No longer. Since Donald Trump’s election in 2016, Heitman, who is 42 and white, has become a reliable Democrat. Last week, he voted for...
Senate GOP game plan means more Trump nominees, fewer bills
WASHINGTON — Mitch McConnell says the Senate will be in the “personnel business” this year. But the majority leader’s focus on confirming President Donald Trump’s nominees is coming at the expense of any big legislative priorities. Nearly 100 days into the new Congress, the drive to confirm is adding more...
French priest’s 150-year-old heart being venerated in NYC
NEW YORK — The 150-year-old heart of a French priest is on a U.S. tour — a Roman Catholic relic with New York City as its latest stop. It was on display Saturday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue, where both the faithful and the curious lined up to...
Latrobe man killed in Unity motorcycle crash
A Latrobe man died in motorcycle crash Saturday in Unity, according to state police. Troopers said Mark Gerard Gruss, 60, was driving a 1998 Harley Davidson Ultra at 4:40 p.m. on Saint Vincent Drive near Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve when he apparently lost control. The motorcycle crossed into the opposite...
