Top Stories category, Page 208
South Fayette man pleads guilty to filming sex with 14-year-old girl
A South Fayette man has pleaded guilty in federal court to filming himself having sex with a 14-year-old girl, then sending her photos and a video of the encounter. Matthew Trax, 25, used “multiple iPhones” to record sex acts with the teen in November 2023, authorities said. Trax pleaded guilty...
Hazelwood, Harrison funeral director accused of pocketing $650K for pet cremations, burials that didn’t happen
Funeral director Patrick Vereb is facing multiple felony charges, accused of improperly disposing of thousands of dogs and cats after owners had paid for pet burials or cremations. Vereb, 70, of Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood owns and operates funeral homes in Hazelwood and Harrison and Eternity Pet Memorial, which provides funerals,...
Leon Ford: Pittsburgh’s political divide shouldn’t break our bonds — a call for collaborative leadership
As Pittsburgh’s mayoral race heats up, a growing divide is surfacing — not just between candidates, but between neighbors, friends and even longtime community collaborators. We’re witnessing respected leaders fall out, meaningful partnerships dissolve and years of trust unravel over political affiliation. This isn’t new. We’ve seen it before —...
Duquesne receives record number of applications for class of 2029
Duquesne University has received a record number of applications for the class of 2029. More than 13,000 first-year students applied to Duquesne’s undergraduate programs, the university announced Monday. From those applicants, Duquesne expects to enroll a class of approximately 1,500 first-year students and 200 transfer students, as the pool is...
Upper Burrell data center to use natural gas for more than 2 gigawatts of power generation
A data center planned at the former Alcoa Research Center in Upper Burrell plans to produce much of its own electricity via natural gas wells on the property, a company spokeswoman confirmed Monday. “Our goal is to not heavily pull from the grid, it’s to provide our own,” said Melissa...
Conclave to elect a new pope will start on May 7 as cardinals get to know one another
VATICAN CITY — Catholic cardinals on Monday set May 7 as the start date for the conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor, delaying the secret voting for two days so they can get to know one another better and find consensus on a candidate before they are sequestered in the...
Trump made big promises and moved at frenetic speed. 100 days in, here’s what he’s done and not done
WASHINGTON — The weeks since President Donald Trump returned to office have been a whirlwind of activity to show Americans that his administration is relentlessly pursuing his promises. With a compliant Republican-controlled Congress, Trump has had a free hand to begin overhauling the federal government and upending foreign policy. As...
Pittsburgh Regional Transit to start public hearings
Pittsburgh Regional Transit on Tuesday will begin hosting public hearings about a proposal that would increase fares and drastically cut services. The first public hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. and 3 until 7 p.m. at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center’s Pittsburgh Ballroom. People can sign...
Penguins part ways with coach Mike Sullivan
Ten days earlier, Mike Sullivan stood at the lectern in the cramped media room at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry and offered a terse but direct response when asked about his future. “My intentions are to be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins,” Sullivan said April 18,...
Russia declares 3-day ceasefire in Ukraine for WWII Victory Day
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine on May 8-10 to mark the World War II Victory Day, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration decides whether a deal to end the more than three-year war is within reach. The Kremlin said that...
Popes rise to challenges of their times, Pittsburgh-area Catholic experts say
The next pope will have the weight of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on his shoulders. That’s how the Rev. Daniel Carr, 40, pastor of St. Regis Parish in Trafford, sees it. Carr, a priest for six years, has only served under Pope Francis. He has taken Francis’ message of...
Plan for Pittsburgh: GOP mayoral candidates Moreno, West detail visions ahead of primary
Editor’s note: On Sunday, TribLive profiled the policy positions of the two Democrats running in the May 20 primary election for Pittsburgh’s mayor. Here, we look at the two candidates in the Republican primary. Pittsburgh hasn’t elected a Republican mayor in about 100 years, but the candidates competing for the...
Lights, camera, action: Westmoreland leaders to take stage in talent show fundraiser
It’s not every day a county commissioner, university professor and pastor end up in the same room. But this week, all of those roles and more will be showcased in the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition’s “Westmoreland Has Talent.” The fundraiser — held occasionally since 2019 — will take place 6 to...
Campgrounds and visitor centers at federal lakes are closing amid Trump’s budget cuts
TOPEKA, Kan. — Campgrounds, boat ramps and other facilities in at least 30 locations at federal lakes and reservoirs in six states will be closed or have their hours curtailed as of mid-May as the Trump administration tries to rapidly shrink the U.S. government. Officials at the U.S. Army Corps...
Swing district Republicans become hard to find for those angry about Trump
MECHANICSBURG — Many days over the past two weeks, no one answered the phone at any of U.S. Rep. Scott Perry’s four offices. Perry’s team did not share details about the Republican congressman’s public appearances until they were over. Even supporters who live in Perry’s central Pennsylvania district could not...
2-alarm fire breaks out in South Oakland home
A Sunday morning house fire in South Oakland was caused by flammable construction materials, Pittsburgh fire officials said. The Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire was dispatched to the 3200 block of Dawson Street near Frazier Street just before 8:30 a.m, the City of Pittsburgh reported. The second alarm was called just...
Local agencies for domestic-abuse survivors benefit from 5K run and event at Pittsburgh Brewing
When Maria Briney needed help, the Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center was there for her. On Sunday, Briney, a survivor of domestic violence, was there to help the HOPE Center and two other organizations that together serve abuse victims in Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler and Westmoreland counties. “Working for them actually saved...
Market turmoil has many afraid to check retirement savings
NEW YORK — Michael Montgomery used to check the balance on his retirement account once a week and smile. But lately, not wanting to get upset and question if he could retire in a few years, there was only one solution. “I’m not looking,” says the 66-year-old professor from Huntington...
Suspect arrested in Homeland Security Secretary Noem’s purse theft
WASHINGTON — A suspect has been arrested in connection with the theft last week of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ‘s purse as she ate at a Washington, D.C., restaurant, officials said Sunday. Noem’s purse was nabbed on Easter Sunday and reportedly contained about $3,000 in cash, her keys, driver’s...
Plan for Pittsburgh: Gainey, O’Connor detail their visions ahead of primary
As Pittsburgh’s mayoral primary draws near, Mayor Ed Gainey is making the case for a second term while his Democratic challenger, Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor, tries to unseat him. Gainey, 55, of Lincoln-Lemington is a former state representative who portrays his first three years in office as a success...
Georgia sheriff’s deputy killed, another deputy injured during traffic stop shooting
EVANS, Ga. — Two Georgia deputies were shot during a traffic stop Saturday evening and one of them is dead, law enforcement officials said. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the deputy’s death around 6:30 p.m. and said the other deputy was taken to a hospital, WRDW-TV reported. The suspect...
Tim Benz: Our annual ‘What the Steelers didn’t get in the draft’ recap
At the end of every NFL Draft, anyone who covers the Steelers puts together a recap of the franchise’s selections. I like who the Steelers picked. I advocated for a defensive lineman in Round 1. That’s what they did by drafting Oregon’s Derrick Harmon. Then the team added on by...
Shooting victim dropped off at hospital while police investigate shots fired in Hill District
A man with multiple gunshot wounds was dropped off at a hospital as Pittsburgh police were investigating a shots fired call in the Hill District early Saturday morning, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. Officers went to the 2400 block of Webster Avenue around 2 a.m. for reports of 10 shots...
Supercross Championship draws motorcycle fans to Pittsburgh’s North Shore
With the number of cars and tailgaters on the North Shore Saturday, passersby would think fans were gearing up for a Steelers game. Hardly. The excitement was for the 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship at Acrisure Stadium. Elite riders like Jett Lawrence, Cooper Webb and Haiden Deegan will vie...
Young police supporter Kaley Bastine raises money for firefighters
Dedicated Alle-Kiski Valley police supporter Kaley Bastine branched out to help those on the thin red line Saturday. The 12-year-old behind “Kaley’s Kops & Heroes,” with the help of her family, hosted a fundraiser benefiting Tarentum’s Highland Hose volunteer fire company Saturday at the American Legion in Brackenridge. It was...
