Top Stories category, Page 1835
Wolf nominates Elliot Howsie to be Common Pleas judge
Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday nominated Allegheny County Public Defender Elliot Howsie to be a judge on the Court of Common Pleas. If approved by the State Senate, Howsie would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Donna Jo McDaniel in January. He also would be a candidate...
Game Commission hopes plastic bag in nest won’t harm Hays bald eagles
The male Pittsburgh Hays bald eagle brought an unusual, and potentially dangerous, object to the family aerie earlier this week: a black plastic bag. An official with the Pennsylvania Game Commission said Friday she hopes the plastic bag won’t wrap around an adult’s leg or one of the two young...
Monroeville man linked to massage parlor human trafficking, prostitution case gets lower bond
A Monroeville man accused of helping run a human trafficking and prostitution ring out of five massage parlors in Monroeville and Murrysville returned to court Friday asking a judge to lower his $100,000 bond. Chang Yu Chen, 51, of Monroeville, who was described by the state Attorney General’s Office and...
Heinz History Center to digitize old Kennywood photos, videos
Thousands of images, a dozen videos and hundreds of pages documenting the history of Kennywood Park will now be digitized at the Heinz History Center. The photos and videos were once housed on the third floor of a haunted house. The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded the history...
Humane agents: 2 dogs left in 27-degree temperature in Derry Township
Two Avonmore people are accused of animal cruelty in connection with two dogs found in a “deplorable” recreational vehicle parked in Derry Township during below-freezing temperatures, according to court papers. David Gailbreath, 39, and Lori Gailbreath, no age available, are both charged with animal cruelty and neglect. Humane agents from...
Dismissal begins at Norwin Schools after temporary lockdown
Norwin School District began dismissing students about 3:30 p.m. Friday after an hour-long delay due to an ongoing police investigation. Tim Kotch, assistant superintendent of secondary education with the school district, said that North Huntingdon Police requested the delay due to an ongoing, active criminal investigation. However, parents were notified...
Munhall man found dead in Pittsburgh after being sought for kidnapping ex-girlfriend, burning her Irwin house
A Munhall man has been found dead in Pittsburgh of an apparent suicide after police spent Thursday and Friday searching for him in connection with a kidnapping in Butler County and a fire in Westmoreland County, emergency dispatch officials reported. John Thomas O’Leary, 52, was being sought for starting a...
Parkway North HOV lanes closing until mid-June starting Tuesday
Starting early Tuesday morning, the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes along the Parkway North will close for repairs that will take until the middle of June to complete, according to PennDOT. The HOV lanes are scheduled to close at 3 a.m. on April 2 for work that includes concrete patching, paving,...
Train vs. dump truck crash reported in Beaver County, no injuries reported
No injuries were reported when a tractor-trailer truck was struck by a train Friday at a crossing on Route 68 in Industry, Beaver County. The mishap occurred shortly before noon. Beaver police Chief Dan Madgar, whose department patrols Industry, said the trailer-trailer driver was crossing the tracks when the railroad...
U.K. lawmakers reject Brexit deal for a third time
LONDON — U.K. lawmakers on Friday rejected the government’s divorce agreement with the European Union for a third time, leaving Britain just two weeks to decide between a long delay to Brexit and an abrupt no-deal departure from the bloc. The House of Commons voted 286-344 against the withdrawal agreement...
Entire school system in a West Virginia county closes for flu outbreak
NEW CUMBERLAND, W.Va. — All of the schools in a West Virginia county are being closed because of a flu outbreak. A state Education Department spokesperson forwarded a voicemail from the Hancock County school superintendent confirming the Friday closures. In the voicemail, Superintendent Timothy Woodward says all schools in the...
George Clooney calls for boycott of hotels over anti-gay law
LOS ANGELES — George Clooney is calling for the boycott of nine hotels in the U.S. and Europe with ties to the sultan of Brunei, which next month will implement Islamic criminal laws to punish gay sex by stoning offenders to death. The Hollywood actor wrote Thursday in Deadline Hollywood:...
Autopsy: Heart attack killed Nevada brothel owner
LAS VEGAS — Authorities say America’s most famous pimp died of a heart attack in bed at one of his legal brothels in Nevada after a 72nd birthday bash in October. The Nye County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday an autopsy showed Dennis Hof died of natural causes. The autopsy by...
Cow hit 4 times in crash that sends 1 driver to hospital
MARSHFIELD, Mo. — Authorities say a cow that wandered onto a southwest Missouri highway was hit by four different vehicles with one fiery impact sending a driver to the hospital. The Springfield News-Leader reports that the 21-year-old Hannah Maxwell said she didn’t have time to swerve before her sport utility...
Port Authority bus operators to show off skills in ‘Roadeo’
Plenty of skill is required to drive a Port Authority of Allegheny County bus, keeping passengers on schedule while negotiating tight turns and traffic. Now nearly 20 Port Authority bus and light rail drivers will showcase the skills they use daily in an upcoming competition. The contests known as “Roadeo”...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend March 29-31
Here are some ideas for how to spend this final March weekend: Sealed with a KISS The KISS “End of the World” tour is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at PPG Paints Arena, Uptown. After 45 years, the band is making its final appearances. The rock & roll hall of famers...
Donald Trump Jr. points father’s followers to new villain, new rallying cry
At President Donald Trump’s first rally since the end of the 22-month Russia investigation, his supporters shouted about a woman who is guaranteed not to feature opposite him on the ballot in 2020. She’s a Democrat, elected to Congress from New York. It wasn’t only Hillary Clinton - Trump’s adversary...
Pope mandates reporting of sex abuse claims in Vatican City
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Friday issued sweeping new sex abuse legislation for Vatican personnel and Holy See diplomats that requires the immediate reporting of abuse allegations to Vatican prosecutors, a policy shift aimed at being a model for the Catholic Church worldwide. The mandatory reporting provision of the...
U.S. Methodist leaders lay plans to resist vote against same-sex marriage
When the United Methodist Church voted to uphold its ban on same-sex marriage and LGBT clergy last month, Methodist pastors and churchgoers across America were devastated. A majority of American delegates had voted against the plan, though they were outvoted by more conservative delegates from Africa and other continents. In...
Rangers free 6 trapped baby elephants in Thailand
BANGKOK — Rangers at a national park in northeastern Thailand have rescued six baby elephants that were trapped in a mud pit. Park officials say the elephants were unable to climb up the pit’s slippery banks. Rescuers took five hours on Thursday to dig a path for them to clamber...
Parking dispute suspected in fatal Homestead shooting
A Homestead man shot and killed one man and injured another over a parking dispute, Allegheny County Police said. Neil Chandler, 42, is accused of shooting two men who went to a Homestead home on Thursday after a funeral, according to a criminal complaint. Calvin Walker, 39, of West Mifflin...
Chronicling Burrell’s unparalleled wrestling success
Burrell wrestling reigned supreme for the 13th straight season this past season, continuing a streak of WPIAL Class AA championships that is unmatched in the sport. The Bucs defeated Freedom, 54-21, in the district championship match, adding more hardware to an already crowded trophy case. The years of success has...
Trump turns Mueller probe’s findings into political weapon
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Presenting himself as both vindicated and vindictive, a fired-up President Trump on Thursday turned the findings of the special counsel’s Russia investigation into a political weapon at a boisterous Michigan rally that was part victory lap, part 2020 campaign push. With Robert Mueller’s investigation largely over,...
1 dead, 1 injured in double shooting in Homestead
One man has died in a shooting in Homestead on Thursday afternoon and another was reported in critical condition, Allegheny County police said. The deceased, who was not identified, was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting in the 300 block of Oak Way, police said. The other victim...
Youngwood man claims he was on drugs when he confessed in 2017 robbery, murder case
A Youngwood man testified Thursday he was under the influence of drugs when he confessed to police about his role in the 2017 robbery and murder of an acquaintance. Jason Sullenberger, 41, claimed he consumed cocaine and 50 stamp bags of heroin in the hours just before he was brought...
