Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 3
Shapiro pitches sustainability, transparency requirements for data center developers
After broadly sketching a plan to manage data center growth during his February budget address, Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered details of his Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) Standards that developers would be required to satisfy to claim tax benefits from the commonwealth. Acknowledging Pennsylvanians’ concerns about energy affordability, air and...
Verona man accused in fatal shooting at Springdale Township business
A man died after being shot Wednesday at the Oaks Auto/Truck Service in Springdale Township and a suspect has been arrested, police said. Allegheny County Police said preliminary reports indicate an argument escalated into a physical confrontation between two employees about 5:10 p.m. The victim was shot multiple times, county...
Before she was a candidate for governor, Republican Stacy Garrity was a military whistleblower
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — In May of 2003, Stacy Garrity was in Iraq with the U.S. Army Reserve when she had...
Morning Roundup: Pittsburgh police say someone shot at officers, ATF agents during Upper Hill probe
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, May 28: Police say someone shot at officers, ATF agents during Upper Hill probe Pittsburgh police said they were shot at during an investigation overnight in the Upper Hill neighborhood. Someone was detained for questioning during the incident...
Hempfield Area High School to break ground on $119M renovation just days after graduation
As Hempfield Area High School’s graduating seniors walk across the field at Spartan Stadium on Friday, signs of the high school’s long-awaited renovation already will have cropped up. The district is set to break ground on the project Monday, with construction crews erecting fences to block off work zones, Superintendent...
In a Heartbeat: Dr. Kelsie Vander Voort talks the importance of physical therapy
The issue Despite physical therapy being a foundational piece of healthcare in terms of rehabilitating the body following numerous types of injury and surgery, a study published in the National Library of Medicine in 2022 revealed that only 43% of patients with lower back pain fully adhered to their prescribed...
Pittsburgh Public Schools board approves closures, realignment plan
The Pittsburgh Public Schools board voted 6-2 with one abstention Wednesday to approve a realignment plan that shutters nine school buildings and shifts many others, despite public pushback. “It’s always been about, ‘How do we position our district to not only perform for the young people that we have today,...
Dismissal sought for man charged with Election Day assault
The lawyer for an East Huntingdon man charged five years ago with the assault of a Democratic supporter at a Westmoreland County voting precinct on Wednesday said that the long languishing criminal case should be dismissed. Zachary Lambing, 38, has been awaiting trial since the 2021 incident in which police...
Dick’s kicks off $2.4B Foot Locker acquisition with early success
Foot Locker has a new spring in its step. Dick’s Sporting Goods, which bought the struggling shoe retailer in September for $2.4 billion, says lightly remodeling some Foot Locker stores has gone a long way toward improving sales. The acquisition brought more than 2,400 Foot Locker locations worldwide into the...
ICE takes 3 into custody in Robinson, including Central Diner employee
Three people — including an employee at Central Diner — were taken into custody Monday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Robinson. According to a statement, ICE officers were carrying out “a targeted immigration enforcement operation” aimed at locating “a previously removed illegal alien.” In the area of Westpointe...
Allegheny County’s Area Agency on Aging receives mixed scores in state evaluation
Amid budget shortfalls, Allegheny County’s Area Agency on Aging earned high marks in a state-conducted evaluation in several senior service programs. At the same time, it fell well below state standards in parts of its protective services operations. There are 52 Area Agencies on Aging throughout Pennsylvania, run by counties....
Police investigate weekend assault by group of teens in Downtown Pittsburgh 7-Eleven
Pittsburgh police are investigating a weekend attack in a Downtown convenience store, the latest in a string of violent crimes in the city’s central business district. Four boys assaulted a man Saturday afternoon inside a 7-Eleven store at 601 Penn Ave. in the heart of the Cultural District, police said....
US military conducts another strike against Iran after Trump says Iran is ‘negotiating on fumes’
WASHINGTON — U.S. forces carried out new defensive strikes on Wednesday on an Iran military facility after downing Iranian attack drones, according to U.S. officials. The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said U.S. Central Command forces shot down four Iranian...
Pittsburgh International Airport upgrades to 5G networkVideo
Pittsburgh International Airport’s cell service is stepping into the modern age, and passengers and employees alike stand to benefit from improved processing speeds on their mobile devices. The airport completed its upgrade to the newest mobile network standard — 5G — just in time for the NFL Draft last month,...
Alabama asks Supreme Court to allow use of congressional map helping GOP, despite racial bias ruling
WASHINGTON — Alabama on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to allow it to use a congressional map favoring Republicans in this year’s elections, despite a lower court’s ruling that the redistricting plan intentionally discriminates against Black people. The state’s Republican leadership filed an emergency appeal with the justices a day...
Mark Madden: Bringing back Evgeni Malkin leaves Penguins stuck in no-man’s land
Giving Evgeni Malkin another season in Pittsburgh is what’s right for the fans. It’s what’s right for Sidney Crosby and the locker room. It’s what’s right for the new owners, who won’t be villainized. But it feels wrong for the Penguins. Here’s betting Kyle Dubas retained Malkin through clenched teeth....
Trump will send Americans exposed to Ebola while abroad to a new facility in Kenya
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump’s administration is planning to send Americans who are exposed to Ebola while abroad to a new facility in Kenya instead of flying them to the United States, an administration official said Wednesday. The quarantine and treatment center being set up by the Departments of...
St. Vincent group gifts a Terrible Towel to Pope LeoVideo
A contingent from St. Vincent College in Unity recently left behind some black and gold in Rome. During a meeting with Pope Leo, college president the Rev. Paul R. Taylor and seminary rector the Very Rev. Edward Mazich gave the head of the Catholic church a gift — a St....
Morning Roundup: 3 hurt in Turtle Creek shooting; 2 vehicles crash into Etna pizza shop
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, May 27: 3 hurt in Turtle Creek shooting Three people were taken to hospitals Tuesday night following a shooting in Turtle Creek, according to Allegheny County Police. The shooting was reported just before 9 p.m. near the intersection...
Tim Benz: Evgeni Malkin’s contract is impractical and pragmatic all at once
I’m not sure if there is such a thing as pragmatic impracticality. But if such a concept exists, it could be summed up by the Pittsburgh Penguins’ decision to extend Evgeni Malkin’s contract. On Tuesday, Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas inked the 39-year-old former Hart Trophy winner to...
Leechburg Area School District proposed budget calls for 3% tax increase, new assessment formula
Residents of Leechburg Area School District could see property tax bills balanced between Armstrong and Westmoreland county communities for the first time in years, but it’s going to take different assessment rates than they’re used to. The tax bills will include something also not seen in years: a tax increase...
Growing numbers of police Drug Recognition Experts make finding impaired drivers easier
Most police officers can spot a driver impaired by alcohol, but relatively few can tell what drug might be causing impairment, especially when lacking the telltale signs of marijuana use. Harrison police Officer Ryan Signorella is among a few in the state who can tell if the person behind the...
Western Pa. Catholic universities react to Pope Leo XIV AI encyclical
Catholic universities across Western Pennsylvania are examining the future of artificial intelligence, guided by the newly released words of Pope Leo XIV. “Magnifica Humanitas,” a 42,300-word papal encyclical issued Monday, outlines how AI must be freed from monopolistic control and no longer leveraged for geopolitical or commercial gains. At the...
Parents make last push against Pittsburgh Public Schools plan to close 9 buildings
The majority of public speakers Tuesday urged the board members of Pittsburgh Public Schools to vote against a proposal that would close nine school buildings and realign many others, saying it would cause disruption for students. They also questioned how, exactly, it would be implemented and stressed that many community...
Hempfield Area School Board approves $118.7M proposed final budget with maximum allowable tax hikeVideo
Hempfield Area homeowners could see their property tax bills increase by about $90 if the school board approves its 2026-27 budget plan next month. The board voted 8-0 Tuesday to approve a $118.7 million proposed final budget with a nearly 4-mill property tax increase — the maximum allowable. Board member...
