Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 208
AI opens new worlds for the blind
When Chris Donahue opens the door to let his dog out, he is unable to see where the animal runs. The Brighton Heights resident is blind, but he can find his dog outside via the Ray-Ban AI (artificial intelligence) Glasses he’s wearing. “Meta, I am blind,” says Donahue, 48. “Do...
Editorial: Prediction, prevention are critical to natural disaster response
Rising waters threatened. Alerts were issued. Girl Scouts were evacuated. It might sound like the story of the flash floods in Texas, where 27 people were killed at a Christian girls camp by the sudden weather. But it isn’t. It’s the story of 105 people escorted from a Kummer Road...
Butler ‘united and stronger than ever’ year after Trump assassination attempt, Kelly says
A year ago today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly didn’t know what to make of the loud popping sounds he heard. Then, after hearing another burst, he realized they were gunshots. What to that point had been a jubilant campaign rally for Donald Trump at the Butler Farm Show grounds was...
A year after their father’s death, Corey Comperatore’s daughters still looking for their new normal
Each Valentine’s Day, Allyson Comperatore said, her father brought home flowers for her and her sister. This February, the first without their dad, friends and neighbors came together to shower the daughters with flowers. “We’ve had people there for us every step of the way, whether it was shoulders to...
Golden lamp returns to top of Lamp Theatre marqueeVideo
The lamp above The Lamp Theatre marquee in downtown Irwin was returned to its rightful place Saturday morning after a lengthy refurbishing. “It was all coming apart. The finish was coming off of it,” said Mike Brady, an Irwin public works employee who took on the task of giving new...
Here’s how weather alerts, warnings make it to the public in Western Pa.
The repercussions of fatal flooding on the Fourth of July in the sun-scorched Texas Hill Country are being felt more than a week later and 1,500 miles away in the similarly hilly terrain of Western Pennsylvania. Those reflecting on the tragedy are not just people shaken by the loss of...
A year after Trump’s near-assassination, friends and allies see some signs of a changed man
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump was on stage at the Iowa State Fairgrounds earlier this month, kicking off the country’s 250th anniversary celebration, when he heard what sounded like fireworks in the distance. “Did I hear what I think I heard?” Trump remarked as he spoke from behind a wall...
Police say ‘irate’ person stabbed, 2nd suffers cuts in McKeesport bus station incident
A man described as “irate” was stabbed and a second person suffered cuts during an incident at the McKeesport bus station Saturday morning. Port Authority Police charged Brayden Dixon, 21, of Indianapolis, Ind., with a felony count of aggravated assault, misdemeanor counts of simple assault, indecent exposure and open lewdness,...
With 911 working normally, investigation continues into cause of outages
Pennsylvania’s 911 system is again functioning normally. Late Friday, 911 calls resumed routing normally across the state, after what were described as “intermittent outages” earlier in the day. The root cause of the issue is under investigation, and an independent review will be performed to determine what can be done...
Ohio woman charged in Murrysville bank fraud scheme
An Ohio woman police believe is part of an organized crime group is accused of involvement in a check cashing scheme in Murrysville, according to authorities. State police released surveillance photos of the suspect last month, seeking help identifying her in connection with the theft of $5,400 in a fraud...
Jeannette police to patrol highrise
City police will begin patrolling Jeannette Manor after council approved an agreement with the Westmoreland County Housing Authority. Jeannette Police Chief Derek Manley said he thinks the move will boost relationships with residents and deter crime. “I feel that it’s a big benefit for the department and the residents both,”...
Trump announces 30% tariffs against EU, Mexico to begin Aug. 1
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — President Donald Trump on Saturday announced he’s levying tariffs of 30% against the European Union and Mexico starting Aug. 1, a move that could cause massive upheaval between the United States and two of its biggest trade partners. Trump detailed the planned tariffs in letters posted to...
AI-powered heart scans transform care at Allegheny Valley Hospital
Cardiovascular analysis that used to take hours can now be done with the click of a button at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. As artificial intelligence seeps into almost every aspect of life, the technology is helping to revolutionize medical care at the Allegheny Health Network community hospital. “When you...
Fireflies are making a noticeable return to Western Pa.
The flickering fields of summer nights are back. Fireflies, it seems, are abundant again. Throughout the region, people are noticing more of the largely nocturnal, flashing insects. Once a staple of summer evenings, lightning bugs had seemed to become scarce over the past few years thanks to a loss of...
Dick’s Diner in Murrysville to be featured as 1 of ‘America’s Best Restaurants’
Jim Fox III remembers sitting down to a table at Dick’s Diner as a child with his father, even though his dad was the founder of the popular Fox’s Pizza chain. The family recognized the appeal of a small-town diner like Dick’s. Today, Fox owns the restaurant, which will be...
Judge orders Trump administration to halt indiscriminate immigration stops, arrests in California
LOS ANGELES — A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to halt indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in seven California counties, including Los Angeles. Immigrant advocacy groups filed the lawsuit last week accusing President Donald Trump’s administration of systematically targeting brown-skinned people in Southern California during its ongoing...
Fallout over Epstein files cascades, roiling relations between AG Pam Bondi and FBI’s Dan Bongino
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department and FBI are struggling to contain the fallout and appease the demands of far-right conservative personalities and influential members of President Donald Trump’s base after the administration’s decision this week to withhold records from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. The move, which included the...
West Nile virus found in mosquito samples from multiple Allegheny County neighborhoods
Allegheny County Health Department officials announced mosquitoes collected in certain parts of the county this month tested positive for West Nile virus. Samples found to have the virus were taken July 8 from Wilkinsburg, Schenley Park, Mt. Washington, Beltzhoover, Mt. Oliver and Hazelwood. West Nile virus is the leading cause...
Jeannette grad Pryor, Franklin Regional grad Lee make MaxPreps top 100 list
Two WPIAL Hall of Fame members who played at Westmoreland County high schools were named to MaxPreps’ top 100 high school athletes of the 21st century. The high school sports website recognized top athletes from 2001 to present, with staff members each presenting a list if more than 200 candidates....
Families clash at Downtown Pittsburgh DMV, person flashes gun
Pittsburgh police responded to a fight Friday afternoon at the PennDOT Driver & Vehicle Services on Smithfield Street. Emily Bourne, a city public safety spokeswoman, said the fight broke out around 2:30 p.m. between two separate families who were in line at the DMV. Bourne could not identify how many...
Monessen man appeals life prison term for rape, child murders
A judge abused his discretion by reimposing a life prison sentence for a Monessen man convicted of raping of a young mother and murdering her children in 1973, his attorney claims in court papers. Defense attorney Mark Shire argued in an appeal filed Friday that his client, John Veltre Jr.,...
Kraft Heinz to split, report says
Kraft Heinz may be headed for a breakup. The packaged food conglomerate is planning to spin off a large chunk of its grocery business, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, effectively undoing a 2015 merger that’s now widely regarded as a strategic blunder. Anonymous sources told the newspaper the new...
911 service restored in Pennsylvania; state official says investigation underway
911 service has been restored in Pennsylvania. Late Friday, 911 calls resumed routing as normal across the state and an investigation into what caused an hours long outage was ongoing, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. In a post on social media just before midnight, the agency reported 911...
VA insists veterans services remain robust in Pittsburgh despite staff departures nationwide
Pittsburgh-area veterans won’t see any interruption to their care or benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs claims, even as thousands of its employees head for the exits nationwide. The department is on pace to lose nearly 30,000 employees, or about 6% of its workforce, by the end of September. Already,...
Allegheny County creates new way for workers to report threats to union rights
Allegheny County launched a web page Thursday for workers to report violations or threats to their union organizing rights. The move comes at a time of local labor flare-ups and gridlock at the National Labor Relations Board. This new, confidential Right to Organize Incident Report Form asks for information about...
