Top Stories category, Page 321
Firefighters begin bringing equipment, gear donations to New Kensington to be driven to North Carolina
When firefighters need help, they turn to what they call “mutual aid” from nearby surrounding communities. The reach of that mutual aid is expanding on a national scale, as fire departments from Western Pennsylvania and beyond are rallying to support their counterparts in flood-ravaged North Carolina. Crews from Kittanning, Buffalo...
Butler-area residents split on Trump’s return for rally at farm show grounds
Jennifer Stys is ready to rally for former President Donald Trump. Stys, 53, of Butler, has a ticket to Saturday’s campaign event at the Butler Farm Show grounds in Butler Township. On July 13, it was the site of an assassination attempt on the Republican presidential nominee. Stys was not...
Hurricane Kirk strengthens into a Category 3 storm in the AtlanticVideo
MIAMI — Hurricane Kirk strengthened Wednesday into a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic Ocean and was expected to grow rapidly into a major hurricane, forecasters said. There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect, and the storm system was not yet deemed a threat to land. Kirk reached...
Voting gets underway in Pennsylvania, as counties mail ballots, open satellite election offices
HARRISBURG — Voting has begun in earnest in the presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania, as counties increasingly begin mailing out ballots, offering over-the-counter voting in election offices and opening other avenues to voting. In Philadelphia, the state’s largest city, voters have returned about 15,000 mail-in ballots, said Seth Bluestein, who...
Enrollment dropped by 600 students at state-owned universities in Western Pennsylvania this fall
Enrollment at state-owned universities in Western Pennsylvania dropped by more than 600 students this fall compared to last year, even though one of the region’s three institutions saw growth for a third straight year. That school, Slippery Rock University, registered a headcount increase of 32 students to 8,394, up from...
Norwin failed to eliminate ‘racially hostile environment,’ Department of Education says
The Norwin School District violated federal civil rights laws when it allowed what the U.S. Department of Education called repeated, racially harassing conduct over 10 months in 2021. The district agreed to a seven-point plan to ensure it complies with the law. “The Norwin School District has now committed to...
New Kensington man convicted of kidnapping, robbery
A Westmoreland County jury on Wednesday convicted of a New Kensington man of holding an Ohio woman captive at his home following their third in-person date nearly three years ago. Following about two hours of deliberations, the jury found Steven Daniel Best Jr., 41, guilty of felony counts of kidnapping...
DA’s office probes missing money from McKeesport police evidence room
Detectives from the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office are investigating allegations of missing money from the McKeesport Police Department evidence room. Mayor Michael Cherepko and District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.’s office Wednesday confirmed the probe. “The circumstances in question pertain to an ongoing investigation and potential personnel matters, which...
New Kensington-Arnold increases police presence at high school, homecoming events
There was an increased police presence planned at Valley High School when students returned Thursday after the New Kensington school was closed following a shooting in the city involving high school-age juveniles. In a letter to families, New Kensington-Arnold Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said he decided to close the high school...
Prosecutors lay out new evidence in Trump election case, accuse him of having ‘resorted to crimes’
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump laid the groundwork to try to overturn the 2020 election even before he lost, knowingly pushed false claims of voter fraud and “resorted to crimes” in his failed bid to cling to power, according to a newly unsealed court filing from prosecutors that offers new evidence...
3 charged in bail scam that targeted North Huntingdon couple, Pittsburgh woman
Three men from New York City are accused of tricking a Pittsburgh woman out of $20,000 and trying to get $18,000 from a North Huntingdon couple through a bail scam, according to court papers. Township police this week charged Alfonso J. Camareno, 36, of Flushing; Jason Alvarez, 31, of Queens;...
New apartment complex in Uptown to aid homeless
Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Bethlehem Haven on Wednesday broke ground on an Uptown site that will provide affordable housing to the homeless. Dubbed Uptown Flats, the four-story building will include 34 apartments, various services to support residents and administrative offices for Bethlehem Haven, which offers housing and other support to homeless people....
Blairsville women charged in feline neglect case involving 87 sickened, 13 dead cats in Derry Township
Two women who authorities say are responsible for 87 sick cats at a Derry Township mobile home were arraigned Wednesday on dozens of animal cruelty charges. The abuse caused the deaths of 13 cats, according to investigators. Pamela Curry, 63, and Kimberly Rose, 44, both of Blairsville, are charged with...
What to know about the latest round of free covid-19 tests
A new round of free at-home covid-19 tests officially began shipping Monday, the Washington Post reported. Each household can request four free tests via mail through covidtests.gov, the Biden administration announced, according to the Post. The free tests will detect current virus strains, according to the Associated Press. The revival...
Snoop Dogg to attend Steelers-Cowboys game in Pittsburgh
Snoop Dogg will be in the house for Sunday Night Football’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys at Acrisure Stadium. Though his exact role in the broadcast is yet to be announced, NBC News reported, the music legend, Paris Olympics host and coach on “The Voice” will attend...
More beers brewed with grain grown in Crabtree, Hempfield, New Alexandria and Unity
Vince Mangini’s goal in starting Allegheny Mountain Malt has always been to shorten the supply chain for local beer brewers and farmers. Now the company is looking to expand its offerings, bringing business development director Taiece Brooks on board. “Being able to shake hands with your malter, being able to...
How did the vice presidential debate play out on social media?
Who won the vice presidential debate? Which candidate stumbled the most? Who looked comfortable? Rattled? These were topics trending on social media after Tim Walz and JD Vance faced off Tuesday night on the debate stage, hosted by CBS News. The Minnesota Democratic governor and Ohio Republican senator discussed policy...
Tim Benz: Despite public pressure, MLB and Cooperstown can’t change their stances on Pete Rose for 1 big reason
In the days since his death Monday night, the conversation about inducting Pete Rose into baseball’s Hall of Fame has regenerated. Supporters of Rose are calling for Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader to finally be inducted posthumously in Cooperstown because, theoretically, his lifetime ban for gambling on baseball has...
Allegheny County seeks resident input on what to do with opioid settlement funds
Allegheny County is conducting a series of listening sessions and online activities to gather public input into where to invest millions of dollars from national opioid settlement funds and other funding sources. According to a release from the county, under the terms of the opioid settlements reached in 2021 and...
Southerners stay in touch the old-fashioned way after Helene cuts roads, power, phones
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Isolated and without electricity or phone service since Hurricane Helene inflicted devastation across the Southeast nearly a week ago, residents in the mountains of western North Carolina are relying on old-fashioned ways of communicating and coping. At the town square in Black Mountain, local leaders stood atop...
Some of the most notable quotes from the JD Vance-Tim Walz vice presidential debate
WASHINGTON — The first and only vice presidential debate between Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz featured an often orderly, policy-focused and even civil dialogue between the two men seeking to serve as the next president’s second in command. One of the sharpest comments came from a...
Fact-check fight: CBS News cuts candidates’ mics after JD Vance objects to a moderator’s correction
CBS News briefly cut off the microphones of vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz during an exchange in their debate Tuesday when the Republican objected to an attempt by moderator Margaret Brennan to correct something he said about immigration. It was one of the evening’s more contentious moments...
VP debate takeaways: Vance and Walz keep it civil in a policy-heavy discussion
WASHINGTON — Vice presidential hopefuls Tim Walz and JD Vance focused their criticism on the top of the ticket on Tuesday as they engaged in a policy-heavy discussion that may be the last debate of the 2024 presidential campaign. It was the first encounter between Minnesota’s Democratic governor and Ohio’s...
1 dead in shooting in West Mifflin
Allegheny County Police are investigating a homicide at a West Mifflin housing complex that is already facing charges for operating as a public nuisance. Police said 911 was first alerted a little after 10 p.m. Tuesday of shots fired near the 40 building in Mon View Heights. Emergency services found...
Dry summer, warm fall may dampen Pennsylvania’s autumn splendor
If the fall foliage peaks early this year or the leaf colors aren’t as vibrant, there is only one person to blame: Mother Nature. She’s responsible for the drought this summer. It’s her fault the above-normal temperatures have lasted into fall and the temperatures haven’t dropped much at night. These...
